Heartwarming and funny, “The Addams Family Musical” comes to Casper College beginning Thursday, Oct. 22, with additional performances on Oct. 23, 24, 29, and 30 at 7 p.m., and on Oct. 24, 25, 31, and Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. The musical will be held in the Thomas H. Empey Studio Theatre.
The Addams Family Musical Brings Kooky Fun to the Stage
“The Addams Family Musical” tells the story of Wednesday Addams and a very special dinner party her father, Gomez, is hosting for a “normal” family: her boyfriend Lucas and his parents, Alice and Mal. But there are several catches: Wednesday’s family has never met Lucas, and after confessing to Gomez that she has fallen in love with an ordinary man, she begs him not to tell her mother, Morticia. Keeping something from his beloved wife puts Gomez in a tricky predicament, and Morticia begins to suspect he is lying to her.
To know anything about Gomez and Morticia Addams, one must know that Gomez has never lied to Morticia. Now, he must work around her suspicions and pull off a very special dinner party, complete with Wednesday’s brother, Pugsley, Uncle Fester, Grandma Addams, Lurch, and an assortment of “ancestors.”
Through song, dance, and dialogue, audience members will delight in this kooky look at family bonding, secrets, and love. “(This is) a witty script with hilarious one-liners, punch lines, and nostalgic references to the films and old TV series. High-energy singing and dancing,” said Kevin Lawson, musical director.
Director Joel Shura said that the “Addams Family Musical” is “ … funny, weird, a little dark, and underneath it all, there’s a lot of heart. At its core, it is a story about family, and growing up, and learning to love the people in your life even as they change.”
The student cast is led by Joe Bucher as Gomez Addams, Joelle Saldana as Morticia Addams, and Riley Petruso as Wednesday Addams. Supporting actors include Felisa Clarito as Fester Addams, Brody Houck as Pugsley Addams, Kylor Heck as Lucas Beineke, Tucker Mau as Mal Beineke, and Ariel Grange as Alice Beineke. Featured actors include Maury Boswell as Grandma and Ryan Morgan as Lurch.
Rounding out the production is the nine-person ensemble of Roman Gaddis, Ella Bean, Bayleigh Vasquez, Sadie Huseas, Lot Cottrell, Sadie Verow, Loukia Savino, Julia Wendel, and Caelynne Hebert. These actors portray the various ancestors of the Addams Family.
“This is a fantastic group of students who have thrown themselves into creating something big, strange, and full of life. I think people are going to have a really great time. And it’s just in time for Halloween season,” Shura noted.
The three leads attend Casper College from other Wyoming towns. Petruso is a first-year student from Cheyenne, Wyoming, majoring in musical theatre. Petruso said she is excited about the opportunity to perform as Wednesday because she loves performing.
Bucher is in his second year at Casper College, majoring in musical theater. He said he is loving his second year at CC and is excited to see where this year and the next productions take him. He calls Powell, Wyoming, home.
Saldana calls Great Falls, Montana, home. She is a second-year student majoring in musical theatre. She said she’s trying to get more involved in the production side of theater, but the stage keeps calling her name.
Intimate In-the-Round Staging and Production Highlights
The Empey Studio Theatre will provide audiences with the kind of intimacy not found in the more traditional setting of the Mick and Susie McMurry Stage. “What I think makes our production especially exciting is that we are producing it in the Empey Theatre and are doing it in-the-round,” said Shura. “We are trying to bring the audience directly into the world of the Addams family, with the show happening right in front of them. It is a very different way to experience a musical, and I think audiences are going to have a lot of fun being this close to the action,” he added.
Tickets for “The Addams Family Musical” are available online at caspercollegearts.cc, at the box office, or by phone at 307-268-2500. The musical is rated PG and, according to Erin Brown, performing arts specialist, is “Perfect for ghouls and goblins of all ages, though it features some mild dark humor that will keep the adults laughing.” Brown also noted that the musical will feature special effects, including “ … theatrical fog, strobe lighting, and a few delightfully spooky surprises.”
Evening performances of “The Addams Family Musical” are scheduled for Oct. 22-24 and 29-30 at 7 p.m. Four matinees are scheduled for Oct. 24, 25, 31, and Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. The box office is open Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students ages 5 to 18. Tickets can also be purchased online.
The Thomas H. Empey Studio Theatre is located in the Gertrude Krampert Center for Theatre and Dance on the Casper College campus.
AT A GLANCE
- Event Focus
- Casper College Department of Theatre and Dance presents a heartwarming, witty musical production staged in-the-round.
- Key Participants
- Directed by Joel Shura with musical direction by Kevin Lawson.
- Lead student cast features Joe Bucher as Gomez Addams, Joelle Saldana as Morticia Addams, and Riley Petruso as Wednesday Addams.
- Logistics: Dates, Times, and Locations
- Evening performances: Oct. 22-24 and Oct. 29-30 at 7 p.m.
- Matinee performances: Oct. 24, Oct. 25, Oct. 31, and Nov. 1 at 2 p.m.
- Location: Thomas H. Empey Studio Theatre, Gertrude Krampert Center for Theatre and Dance, Casper College campus.
- Admission and Registration
- Tickets: $12 for adults; $10 for seniors and students ages 5-18.
- Purchase online at caspercollegearts.cc, at the box office open Monday-Friday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., or by phone at 307-268-2500.
- Audience Advisory
- Rated PG with mild dark humor; features theatrical fog, strobe lighting, and special effects.
