One creepy, kooky family has been all over TV shows, movies, books and Broadway productions. Now “The Addams Family” is arriving at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School beginning Friday, Feb. 23.
Jenny Lovitt, director, said she had retired from theater for a few years but came back.
“I missed it,” Lovitt told the Sun Post.
In the show, there is a large ensemble made up of “ancestors” who are ghosts locked out of the crypt “until love triumphs,” explained student actor Elora Leverentz, who plays Morticia Addams. To get into character, ancestors each came up with a backstory for how they died.
There are moving staircases and a pit with 40 people.
“It’s very funny, whimsical,” Leverentz said of the show.
Leverentz said the show could appeal to older audiences.
“They joke a lot about death and how it’s their favorite thing,” Mack Ernest, who plays Pugsley Addams, added. “There’s a character whose marriage has kind of ‘died’ out and she explores that throughout the musical. It’s stuff that adults can relate to but it’s still funny to children, because like ‘Haha, these people are weird.’”
Lauren Massop, who plays Wednesday Addams, said she learned how to use a crossbow for the role.
“And we had to learn to take a risk and put yourself out there,” Massop added.
A lot of the cast knew each other in choir, and putting on “The Addams Family” strengthened their friendships.
“We’ve worked really hard,” said Jeremiah Bruins, who plays Gomez Addams. “And we’ve all been having a blast. And I think that really does reflect on how we actually perform, the fact that we’ve all enjoyed it so much.”
“The show is amazing, the show is a really comedic show,” said Lavie Freeman, who plays Uncle Fester. “It is my first musical at Armstrong and the first thing that went through my mind while we were in the process of doing the show is ‘Why didn’t I do this earlier?’... It’s like we really are a family here. It’s really nice.”
Freeman said he learned how to play the ukulele for the role.
“There’s so many different things you can shine in, whether that’s singing, dance, acting – it’s all combined,” said Emanuella Tshibanda, who plays Grandmama Addams. “If you have a better shine in dance, for example, like Lavie does, then you can embody that and teach others, too ... I think it gives everyone different sparkle because there’s so many things that are added.”
Adriana Cancino, who plays flute and piccolo, said the show offers musicians a “time to shine” especially at the beginning.
“It’s kind of fun to be the center,” Cancino said.
A pit of about 40 musicians will take their place behind the stage to offer Latin-inspired themes, including the familiar finger-snapping intro.
“I get all the fun, fluttery, high little sprinkles on top that Latin music tends to have,” Cancino explained.
“There’s a lot of syncopation,” Ben Fricke, percussionist, said. “And it’s a lot of hand drums: congas, bongos – metallic sounds too, a lot of triangles in the show,”
Pearl Ofori-Som operates the light board for the production. For Ofori-Som, the best moment of the production is at the very beginning, when she gets to turn the house lights down to start the show.
“My view is from the booth, so it’s always fun to see everyone trickle in at once ... that moment when you take the lights to half, then everyone quiets down and everyone runs to their seats and then the show starts,” Ofori-Som said. “And it’s just a beautiful thing to see.”
“The Addams Family” will run 7 p.m. Feb. 23-24, March 1; 4:30 p.m. Feb. 28 and 2 p.m. March 2 at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School, 10635 36th Ave. N., Plymouth.
Tickets can be purchased online at ahs.rdale.org/activities/admission-tickets or at the door. Prices are $8 for adults, $5 for students and senior citizens.
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