Addams Family
at West Potomac High School

Reviewed on April 25, 2015

Aline Dolinh
Oakton High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fairfax

What happens when the world's most morbid, macabre clan crosses paths with your typical strait-laced, suburban family? Hilarity, hijinks, and even true love ensued in West Potomac High School's dark yet delightful production of The Addams Family, which portrayed the titular lovable eccentrics with a perfect blend of sardonicism and sincerity.

The show's ghoulish genealogy traces back to the original single-panel comics by cartoonist Charles Addams, which depicted the Addamses as a humorously gloomy satire of the American nuclear family. With music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, the musical comedy opened on Broadway in 2010 to less-than-kind reviews – yet garnered commercial success and several Drama Desk Award nominations. The show itself revolves around young adult Wednesday's secret engagement to Lucas Beineke, a boy who is as average as the Addamses are abnormal. When the ordinary, Ohioan Beinekes visit the unconventional Addams' household for dinner one night, all hell breaks loose.

As flamboyant, flamenco-loving patriarch Gomez, David Jarzen delivered an exceptional performance, complete with entertainingly exaggerated Spanish accent and priceless comic timing. Coupled with a constantly sizzling physical chemistry with wife Morticia (Emily Carbone) and unquestionably earnest love for daughter Wednesday (Nikki Amico) – the latter most notably showcased in the heartwarming number "Happy/Sad" – Jarzen's energetic portrayal was an indisputable anchor of the show. The Addams' conservative counterparts, Mal and Alice Beineke (Austin Harlow and Frankie Mananzan, respectively) also underwent an easy-to-root-for transformation from loveless to lively by show's end, with Mananzan in particular showing off impressive vocal chops in the sultry, table-crawling housewife's lament "Waiting." Additional standouts among the cast included Emma Norville's witchy Grandmama – who spouted mordant jokes and remained unwaveringly committed to her character – and Sam Rainey's quiet Lurch, whose hilariously hulking physicality and surprisingly robust voice made him a frequent scene-stealer.

The show's choreography was a true tour de force, propelled by a varied and energetic ensemble of Dancing Ancestors. Rousing group musical numbers, such as the opening "When You're An Addams" and frenetic "One Normal Night," – the latter featuring an remarkable tap-dance sequence by featured dancer Lizzy Rader – created striking visuals onstage. A skillful orchestra also accompanied the cast every step of the way, consistently staying on beat and even nailing dissonant notes to great comic effect.

Additionally, the production design revealed both creativity and a meticulous eye. Elements such as a monochromatic color scheme and hand-painted furniture helped to recreate the Addams' grisly Gothic manor onstage, and lightning-quick set changes allowed the audience to become fully immersed in their world. The pallid lighting created a deliberately eerie atmosphere. The show featured unique costumes for the ancestors who displayed a wide range of time periods, and despite some being somewhat ill fitting, they nevertheless reflected the show's extraordinary attention to detail.

Thanks to a noteworthy cast and outstanding aesthetics, West Potomac High School's resurrection of The Addams Family proved a downright spooky success. It definitely wasn't "one normal night" for the theatregoers – indeed, it was outright astonishing.

Charlotte Kuhn
Bishop Ireton High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fairfax

"Their house is a museum, where people come to see ‘um, they really are a scream." You guessed it… The Addams Family! The Beyond the Page Theatre Company at West Potomac took a turn for the creepy in their embodiment of this morbid family.

Composed by Andrew Lippa, "The Addams Family" opened on Broadway in 2010. Featuring names such as Nathan Lane, this production went on to be nominated for several awards before closing in 2011. It takes the audience through "One Normal Night" in the Addams household as Wednesday Addams tries to convince her parents to let her marry the love of her life, Lucas Beineke. Along the way, the family runs into pranks gone wrong and runaway lovers, teaching the lesson that family comes first.

As the patriarch of the Addams family, David Jarzen was steered by Gomez's decision between betraying his wife and disappointing his daughter. His vast vocal range enchanted the audience with every crescendo while his Spanish accent remained consistent and accurate. Jarzen was joined by Emily Carbone as Gomez's honest and passionate wife, Morticia Addams. The actors created believable chemistry, flaunting their love in a heated tango. The eldest Addams child was the love-struck, conflicted Wednesday (Nikki Amico). Amico shone as she transformed from deadpan to bubbly on a moment's notice. Also in the Addams household was Grandma, played by Emma Norville. Norville used her time onstage to create a lasting impression that left the audience in stitches through her creative physicality and facial expressions. As a whole, the cast expressed what life was like "When You're an Addams" with unparalleled spark, despite their dark tastes.

Juxtaposed with the Addams was the preppy Beineke family, hailing from Ohio. Alice (Frankie Mananzan), Mal (Austin Harlow), and Lucas (Aubrey Blount) transformed as the Addams taught them what it meant to put family first. Mananzan and Harlow's interesting dynamic brought a new element to the musical, as Blount portrayed Wednesday's love, proving that he could be just as crazy as she was. Supporting these characters was a dark and deathly ensemble. As the ancestors of the Addams, the ensemble proved itself as a body of skilled singers and dancers.

This production can also be highly regarded for its technical elements. The set designers and stage crew managed to create a magnificent two-story home solely in black, gray, and white. The props team paid intense attention to detail, even hand-painting black and white details on furniture. Finally, the costumes completed the aesthetic, despite some issues with fit.

West Potomac's "The Addams Family" created a creepy and macabre environment for the audience, with comedy around every turn. In "Full Disclosure," West Potomac proved their skills in all areas of production, reminding the viewer to "Live Before We Die."

Diana Witt
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Red Apple 21 - FCPS

The audience at West Potomac High School's production of The Addams Family, was certainly "pulled in a new direction" by the show's talented, committed actors and beautifully executed technical aspects. West Potomac retold the whimsical and entertaining story we all know and love.

Addams Family is a musical comedy based on the characters created by Charles Addams in his cartoons about a peculiar, gruesome family. The musical adaptation was written by Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman with music by Andrew Lippa. It debuted on Broadway in 2010 and the national tour began in 2011.

The story follows the Addams family's daughter Wednesday, as she falls in love with a "normal" boy named Lucas. Hilarity ensues as the two contrasting families come together for dinner. Both families clash as they learn to accept each other for the sake of their children.

All the actors who played members of the Addams family, showed strong physicalities and impressive commitment to their roles. Nikki Amico played the dark yet sensitive Wednesday Addams. She gave an outstanding vocal performance in her technically challenging song, "Pulled". Amico was consistent in giving Wednesday physicalities and characteristics that she maintained throughout the whole show. David Jarzen and Emily Carbone played Gomez and Morticia, Wednesday's parents and created a strong and believable relationship that showed commitment during passionate scenes. Both characters showcased their strong and experienced voices in many of the songs. Emma Norville, who played the Addams family grandma, exhibited impeccable comedic timing and advanced acting skill.

Aubrey Blount, Frankie Mananzan, and Austin Harlow portrayed the son, mother, and father of the ordinary, commonplace Beineke family. Each of the actors playing a Beineke gave a terrific vocal performance. Blount played Lucas, the sweet young lover and he formed the innocent young love between him and Wednesday. Blount made excellent acting choices and was vital to the show. Mananzan was a remarkable addition to the show as Alice. She displayed a great acting range and superior character development. Mananzan and Harlow, who played Mal, worked together to show the ups and downs of the married couple's relationship. The ensemble showcased many talents during songs and dance numbers. They presented high energy and vocal excellence in production numbers like,"But Love".

Dazzling technical aspects highlighted the actors' performance. The set was beautifully built and designed. All the pieces were detailed and fit in with the black and white color scheme. The well thought out pieces and backdrop produced a visual for the audience. The transitions were seamless and beautifully executed. The lighting created an eerie feel to the Addams' house. Hair and makeup were brilliantly put together and helped transform the actors to give them a ghastly look.

The cast and crew of West Potomac's The Addams Family brought life to the "kooky" classic tale. With bone-chilling vocals, cohesive on stage relationships, and stunning effects, West Potomac transformed "one normal night" into so much more.

Elizabeth Coo
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to FCPS Community News

Branching shadows illuminate a classic silhouette of hunched heads, defiant glares, and ghoulish-loving kookiness. Familiar snapping echoes as West Potomac High School's seductively saucy, jarringly hair-raising, and twistedly honest production of The Addams Family begins.

With its signature discordant music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, The Addams Family was brought to the Broadway stage in 2010. The musical version was born from the first incarnation of the macabre family, the classic single-panel comic created by Charles Addams. Though the show received generally negative reviews and minor award success, it has become a favorite among audiences and high schools alike.

The morbid musical centers on a grueling dinner orchestrated by Wednesday Addams, in an attempt to gain her family's blessing over her marriage to Lucas Beineke, a writer with an interest in cadavers. She reveals her engagement to her doting father, the passionate Spaniard Gomez. This puts him at odds with his beloved wife Morticia, from whom he has never kept a secret before. On the Beineke side, Lucas's parents Mal and Alice are a secretly unhappy pair who hide their mechanical marriage with rhymes and grumpiness. Other garish faces like Uncle Fester, Grandma, Pugsley, and Lurch round out the ensemble.

The entire cast devoured an eclectic musical score with phenomenal vocal strength and gusto, most memorably in show stopping songs such as "When You're An Addams," and "One Normal Night." The Ancestors stood out for their individual characterizations and hinted backstories, as well as for their cohesiveness as a group.

David Jarzen as the smooth-talking lover Gomez Addams, carried the show through his dynamic performance in which he navigated through the dangerous waters of father-daughter and husband-wife relationships. His flamenco hands and purring accent never waned throughout the show, and his powerful singing voice was on full display in highlights such as "Happy/Sad" and "Not Today."

Complimenting Jarzen were the two forces who kept him "Trapped"- Emily Carbone as the ever imperious Morticia Addams, and Nikki Amico as the defiant Wednesday Addams. Each ruled as queens of darkness, embracing the grisly humor of the iconic characters. Amico vocally shined in her standout solo "Pulled," in which she engagingly battled between the emerging shades of Wednesday's personality.

Frankie Mananzan proved herself a vocal powerhouse as Lucas's rhyming, secret-keeping mother Alice in a beautifully unhinged rendition of "Waiting." Other endearingly alarming performers were Emma Norville as the decaying, kooky Grandma, and Sam Rainey as the zombie-like butler, Lurch. Both Norville and Rainey stood out for their humorously creaky physicality and impressive witchy and grunting accents.

The orchestra tamed a difficult score of odd harmonies and unintuitive patterns, while the stage management kept transitions moving and smooth. Though there were some dark spots in the black and white set, moving lights and footlights maintained the spooky mood, most noticeably in the woods of Central Park and at the Addams Family gate.

With extraordinary vocals, finger-snapping orchestration, and charmingly eccentric performances, West Potomac High School's deliciously "kooky" rendition of The Addams Family proved that "normal" is overrated.

Charlotte Rodger
Bishop Ireton High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com - Ft Hunt/Kingstowne

"They're creepy and they're kooky…they're altogether ooky." This quote brings back fond memories of the not so typical sitcom, The Addams Family. With mixed-up potions, dancing ghosts, and phenomenal amounts of talent, West Potomac High School brings a different kind of musical comedy to the stage.

The Addams Family is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. The show is based upon The Addams Family characters created by Charles Addams in his single-panel gag cartoons which went on to inspire numerous film and television adaptations. The show opened on Broadway in April 2010 after a tryout in Chicago, and ran until December 31, 2011, despite getting negative reviews.

The creepy yet lovable Addams Family resides in a spooky mansion in the middle of Central Park. The family, led by the elegant and vivacious Morticia and her loving, Spanish husband, Gomez, is in turmoil. Their only daughter and eldest child, Wednesday, has fallen in love—a concept the family is not yet ready for. When Wednesday invites her new secret fiancé, Lucas Beineke, over for dinner with his "normal" family so that the families may get along before the couple drops their big secret of getting married, the house turns into a comedy of chaos.

Nikki Amico embodies everything one expects Wednesday Addams to be. With the perfect balance of death-glares at her embarrassing and uncooperative family and childlike grins as Wednesday recognizes her love for Lucas (Aubrey Blount), Amico proves her versatility to be superior. Amico wows the audience while belting her signature songs "Pulled" and "One Normal Night" with clenched fists and outstanding energy. David Jarzen adds Latin flavor to the show with an unwavering accent as the suave Gomez Addams. His flawless delivery of dad jokes and groan-worthy puns had the audience in stitches. Alongside him was Emily Carbone as the exotic Morticia Addams. The two played off each other well as an unconventional yet passionate married couple. Frankie Mananzan's performance as Alice Beineke, Lucas' mother, popped from her rhyming dialogue as a sweet Midwestern mother, to her drunken antics and impressive vocals in "Full Disclosure" when she drinks a potion originally meant for Wednesday.

There is no such thing as a small role, only a small actor. Emma Norville as Grandma and Sam Rainey as Lurch proved this true with their extremely entertaining and hilarious performances, despite having less dialogue. The Dancing Ancestors were definitely the most impressive ensemble in the show. It went from good to great with the ensemble's nonstop energy and ability to tackle challenging choreography and music.

To echo the black and white television show, The Addams Family lived in a completely black and white mansion, with only black and white props. The massive two story set and several set dressings and moving set pieces brought the story to life. The Ancestors were covered head to toe in white costumes and makeup to resemble ghosts, but many costumes were ill-fitting.

"So will love triumph, or will everyone go home vaguely depressed?" West Potomac High School left their Saturday night audience the opposite of depressed with this must-see performance, while giving "crazy" a good name.

Alexa Tucker
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Insidenova - Sun Gazette

All Wednesday Addams needs is "one normal night" to impress her new sweetheart, but with her family, any night is bound to be as extraordinary as West Potomac High School's outstanding production of The Addams Family.

The Addams family first sprang into existence on the pages of The New Yorker, when cartoonist Charles Addams created them in 1938. They soon became one of the most well-known fictional families in existence, making appearances in several movies, television shows, and of course, a musical. With music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, The Addams Family musical premiered on Broadway in April of 2010, running until December of 2011.

Wednesday Addams, once stoic and sadistic, has fallen in love with the exceptionally ordinary Lucas Beineke. They want to get married, but first they have to make sure the families will be able to get along once they tie the knot. All they need to do is get through one dinner with both families, but the Addamses are anything but normal, and their attempts to be ordinary threaten to break up the couple and the Addams family itself.

West Potomac High School showed incredible commitment to the original concept of the Addams family in putting all but a few costumes, props, and set pieces in stark black and white. Both Addamses and Beinekes worked together beautifully as an ensemble as well as individually, while the dancing and singing dead Ancestors added energy and variety to the production in songs such as "When You're an Addams" and "One Normal Night."

Nikki Amico portrayed the conflicted Wednesday Addams with incredible vocal ability and strong physicality in songs such as "Pulled" and "Crazier than You." Her clenched fist, slightly hunched stance perfectly emulated the classic Wednesday Addams pose. As Gomez, David Jarzen exemplified the patriarch of the Addams family with his smooth Spanish accent, animated movements and quick-witted jokes. His chemistry with the chillingly sultry Morticia, played by Emily Carbone, was very evident in their several prolonged, passionate embraces.

As the rhyming, unstoppably cheerful Alice Beineke, Frankie Mananzan made "Waiting" into one of the standout numbers of the show with her crawling-on-table antics and outstanding vocals. The Ancestors ensemble, clad in eclectic pure white garb, executed each dance move with precision, consistently creating beautiful stage pictures. Each member had a distinct characterization, ranging from Elvis to ballerina. Sam Rainey as Lurch, the groaning, Frankenstein-esque butler, surprised everyone by bursting into full song in the final number.

Putting a whole set in black and white is a bit harder than putting on a filter on Instagram. Many set pieces were hand-painted, and included many stenciled designs to maintain visual interest despite limited colors. The overall effect was incredible, completing the macabre aura of the magnificent two-story set. Featuring floorlights and strobes, the lighting produced a delightfully creepy effect at many points, although there were moments when actors were in the dark.

Despite an odd obsession with death, some questionable dietary choices, and a very limited color scheme, the Addams family's love for each other sets an example worth emulating. At West Potomac High School's spooky and supernatural production of The Addams Family, normal is an illusion, and love is the most important thing.

Yvonne Nguyen
Hayfield Secondary School
Submitted for publication to Alexandria Times

Welcome to the Addams Family estate, where behind the gloomy gates live a gruesome, grim, and grisly family of six. While it's no secret that all families have skeletons hiding in the closet, it just so happens that the Addams have skeletons in their kitchen, basement, and bathroom as well. When cynical daughter Wednesday Addams opens her heart to cheery Lucas Beineke, the Adams must open their home to his horrifyingly peppy parents in hopes that their attempt at "One Normal Night" will result in a happy ending for the unlikely couple. West Potomac High School's glamorous production of the gothic Addams Family showed off their spectacular attention to detail and commanding stage presence.

Based on The Addams Family cartoons created by Charles Addams, The Addams Family musical comedy was written by Andrew Lippa, Marshall Brickman, and Rick Elice. Opening on Broadway in 2010, The Addams Family has since inspired numerous adaptations including multiple television and film versions.

In The Addams Family, a strangely macabre family is shaken when their normally morbid daughter, Wednesday, falls in love with a boy, transforming her into a shockingly pleasant version of herself. In a fateful meeting of the parents, the Addams and Beinekes find that they have conflicting morals and drastically different definitions of the word "normal". In a comedic series of events, both sets of parents find themselves questioning their relationships and must rediscover what they initially loved about one another.

Portraying Gomez Addams, David Jarzen was an early standout. Jarzen's commitment to a hilarious spanish accent and his near perfect comedic timing made him a leader for the rest of the ensemble. Jarzen seamlessly created enduring chemistry between his character and everyone else he interacted with on stage. From his fiery passion with his wife Morticia, to his fatherly love for his daughter Wednesday, Jarzen's character was the perfect bridge between the ghastly Addams and the bubbly Beinekes. Emily Carbone embodied the sultry Morticia Addams through her poised posture and glaring facial expressions. Between Jarzen and Carbone, it was clear that Gomez and Morticia Addams were a couple to aspire to.

Wednesday Addams was portrayed by Nikki Amico. Amico made sure to include all of Wednesday's signature quirks that the audience knows and loves, including her death stare, clenched fists, and famous dance moves. Amico played Wednesday as more energetic than usually seen on stage, which was a refreshing surprise. Amico's lovely voice in "Pulled" was a clear audience favorite and her creative choices stayed true to the famous Wednesday Addams.

The ensemble in this show was unique because instead of blending together as one unit, each chorus member managed to create their own character and background story to convey to the audience. Because of this, there was always something to watch on stage without distracting from the main action.

Establishing a clear black and white theme in the costumes, set, and props, the audience was truly transported to the Addams Family home. Their elaborate set was dressed impeccably, and a precise attention to detail was evident. Although some costumes were ill-fitting and could have benefited from more careful prototyping, the majority of the costumes embodied each character's personality incredibly well.

In a paradoxical way, The Addams Family's ghoulish and gloomy ways resulted in a heartwarmingly hilarious show. Balancing the iconic oddities of the Addams Family with their own original twists, West Potomac High School proved that no family is normal, and it's much more amusing this way.