Addams Family
at Heritage High School

Reviewed on April 25, 2015

Kelsey Loesch
Paul VI Catholic High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Loudoun

They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky, They're all together ooky, The Addams Family. Hopefully you just snapped your fingers. The iconic theme song of the even more iconic Addams family set the stage for Heritage High School's production of the musical adaptation of the classic comic strip.

The Addams Family musical is based on Charles Addams' one paneled cartoons. The show has music and lyrics written by Andrew Lippa and a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It opened on Broadway in 2010. The Addams family is a family who embraces the darkness so when their daughter, Wednesday, falls in love with someone normal, they're horrified. However they agree to meet Lucas Beineke and his family from Ohio (the horror!), but things quickly go wrong when Morticia suspects Gomez is keeping a secret from her. And of course chaos ensues when the two worlds collide. After this night nothing will ever be the same.

Heritage's production was breathtaking from the minute the overture began. The set throughout the show was gorgeous and professional from the graveyard to the interior of the house. Notable pieces included detailed and realistic trees and two moving staircases. The lighting was perfectly timed and continuously set the mood through the use of different colors. Most impressive was a chandelier from the ceiling that changed color depending on the scene's tone.

As the patriarch of the Addams family, William Mitchell made a fantastic Gomez. Mitchell's outstanding physicality and spectacular comedic timing, combined with his strong voice and contributed to his superb performance. He showed off his clear and consistently loud vocals in 'Trapped' and 'Not Today', but allowed his softer and more vulnerable side to show in 'Happy/Sad'. His chemistry with his wife Morticia (Emma Leone) was extremely enjoyable. The two brought dazzling energy to their roles and the rest of the cast certainly followed suit.

In the role of Wednesday, Cierra Marco was a standout vocally. Marco showed off her beautiful voice in 'Pulled' and 'Crazier than You' and her acting ability transitioning from deadpan to lovestruck teenager in a second. Wednesday and her normal boyfriend, Lucas'(Zach Benson) youthful chemistry kept the audience rooting for them throughout.

Austin Martinez (Fester) was a riot and wonderfully fun onstage. He showcased his incredible comedic timing and powerful voice in 'Fester's Manifesto' and 'The Moon and Me'. His devotion to his quirky character was evident through his physical presence, thoughtful movements, and goofy giggles. As the family's oddball Grandma, Miriam Peacock showed off her comedic ability in a performance that was both memorable and hilarious.

The Addams Family Ancestors were a standout. The ensemble of twenty-two performers remained in character and engaged in every scene. They executed entertaining choreography and were always fun to watch in numbers like 'When You're an Addams' and 'One Normal Night'. The choreography provided just the right amount of challenge and suited the different styles of the songs.

Other commendable technical elements include the costuming and props. Every actor looked perfectly outfitted and each prop was well thought out. The stage crew worked to ensure every scene change went swiftly and smoothly and they were definitely successful.

Through entertaining performances, impressive tech, and a fabulous ensemble Heritage High School's The Addams Family reminds us all to embrace the things that make us weird and Move Toward the Darkness.

Alex Poirier
Loudoun Valley High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Loudoun

"Come, every member of our clan! Living, dead, or…undecided. And let us celebrate what it is to be an Addams!" The world fell in love with the disturbing yet functional Addams Family in 1938, with the satiric wit of cartoonist Charles Addams. The world has kept these glorious, bizarre characters alive through television, movies, and most recently, a musical! The Addams Family: the Musical (book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa) is a continuation of their eccentric dealings with the outside world. The musical began previews in Chicago in 2009, before transferring to Broadway in 2010, touting the well-known powerhouses Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth as Gomez and Morticia. Utilizing primarily the relationship between the "charming, irrepressible bundle of malice" Wednesday Addams (Cierra Marco) and her normal secret fiancé from Ohio, Lucas Beineke (Zach Benson), the misunderstandings and well-intentioned but creepy behavior makes the dinner party with the Beineke's an evening to remember. The clash between the everyday and the macabre was well received by the audience at Heritage High School, entranced as they were by the sheer spectacle and rib cracking humor of the show.

What began as a simple request- to have a boy (a special boy!) and his parents over for dinner to get better acquainted- quickly turns into a nightmare of epic proportions as soon as Mal and Alice Beineke (Warren Sloop and Kristen Blackburn) walk into the house. Through a precious secret Gomez (William Mitchell) must keep from his alluring wife Morticia (Emma Leone), culture clash between the families, the "zombie for a butler" Lurch (Cole Roberts), a neglected and vengeful Pugsley (Gokce Necioglu), Grandma's (Miriam Peacock) elixir of madness called acrimonium, Fester's (Austin Martinez) love of the moon and control over the Addams ancestors, who feel it necessary to meddle with the affairs of the living folk…Well, shall we just say that this family has issues? The constant conflict and never ending areas of awkward is a never ceasing spring of hilarity throughout the show.

The show was a standout performance; consistent, tight knit, and chock full of energy. The ancestor ensemble hit the perfect balance of being a unit while also creating individualized characters. Always totally invested in the scene, the ancestors added something a little extra yet never stole focus from the action onstage. Their use as statues, bystanders, and portraits was an interesting twist on the usual minimalist approach to ensembles in musicals, and added a thematic commonality throughout the show. With these characters, the beautiful and spooky efforts of costumes and makeup were readily apparent, individualizing each of the characters while staying within the needed theme.

As a man tortured by his daughter and his wife, Gomez (William Mitchell) brings humor and sensitivity with his efforts to be all things to all people. His inner conflict exposed by the many soliloquies throughout the plot, Mitchell believably struggles with the inevitable change that is running rampant through his household. With strong vocals and the ability to effortlessly take control of the scene, Mitchell is a rock for the Addams's. Fester's (Austin Martinez) goofy character and impressive comedic timing, Wednesday's (Cierra Marco) struggle with the new joy in her life, and Grandma's (Miriam Peacock) unabashed inappropriateness and comedy gold are perpetual joys in this magnificent show.

Living up to its reputation of theatrical excellence, Heritage High School's The Addams Family was a delight from the starting snaps to the final quip: "Are you unhappy, my darling?" "Oh, yes. Yes! Completely."

Sydney Fox
Stone Bridge High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com - Loudoun

When you're an Addams, you do what Addams always do, but when you're an audience member, you can barely keep from joining in on the intoxicating, deadly dream of a show. Heritage High School's production of "The Addams Family Musical" was an extraordinary portrayal of the family that we all love to fear and fear to love. The entire cast created an atmosphere with an eerie and endearing ambiance, capturing the sophisticated comedy perfectly with stunning performances and supernatural storytelling.

"The Addams Family", based off of the ghoulish cartoons written by Charles Addams, had long been recognized and admired on-screen, but it wasn't until 2009 that the Addams made their debut on stage. After massive success in Chicago, the production was taken to Broadway in 2010 with Nathan Lane leading as the legendary, Gomez Addams. Receiving multiple Tony Award and Drama League Award nominations, it was evident the show had proven to be a big success, so it's no surprise "The Addams Family Musical" is to haunt the streets of London in 2016.

The story follows Wednesday Addams, a frighteningly love-struck young lady, who is convinced she has found her soulmate. Her parents, Gomez and Morticia Addams, reluctantly agree to host a dinner for the other family in order to approve of the young man for their little girl. Whilst appearing to be "normal", all hell breaks loose as "The Game" brings out dark secrets and darker, sickening entertainment. Such troubles result in stronger family and romantic bonds, as each member of the now-conjoined family finds what it truly is that makes them happy, to be an Addams.

The creepy-kooky show was exemplified by the petrifying performance of Gomez Addams, played by William Mitchell. Mitchell's endearing portrayal of the character was spot-on as the audience watched him comically battle between whom he should side with of the two leading women in his life. There are many things Gomez promises he will never do, and not providing a strong vocal and charismatic wit must be one of them! The menacing mastery of Mitchell's performance carried the show to a height soaring with the dead. His passionate wife, Morticia Addams (Emma Leone) was also a standout performer whose commitment to a pleasant mother with a death wish was conveyed in a dazzling character with a darkness that lit up the stage. The chemistry between these two characters was palpable from the audience, a key component that was achieved by masterful skill from both of these actors. Uncle Fester (Austin Martinez) was fantastically played to create a horrific loon with a sense of humor, and even the capacity for love. His comedic timing and bold vocals gave the show the extra something it needed to truly petrify the audience.

Fantastic set pieces with swift transitions, along with unearthly props added to the atmosphere of macabre as this creepy family's backstage crew shined in the darkness. The choreography in the show, by Bella Tenaglia, was just as fun and eerie as the musical itself, and was a delight to watch. The entrancing Addams orchestra and the professional sound crew added to create a technically spectacular show for all to enjoy.

Heritage High School delivered a deadly performance full of entertainment and the masterful cast made every audience member want to leave their daily lives and join "The Addams Family". After seeing such an amazingly haunting production every audience member has to ask the clan, room for one more?

Sarah Santoro
Stone Bridge High School
Submitted for publication to Paw Print

Secrets, deceptions, betrayals; every family has skeletons in its closet. In the Addams's case, they just happen to be a little more literal than most. Heritage High School's production of The Addams Family showed how love and family ties can be strong enough to overcome disagreements about almost anything this side of the grave.

While there have been a multitude of film and television incarnations of the spooky family that has become almost a cultural shorthand, The Addams Family musical is based directly upon the original characters featured in Charles Addams's comic strip. The stage production, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, opened on Broadway in April of 2010 with Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth as Gomez and Morticia. After it closed on Broadway, a North American tour began in September 2011. A London production scheduled for 2016 shows how the popularity of this strange, lovable family is still very much alive.

Even though the Addams are not like other families, they are inseparable because of their dedication to their clan and their shared love for everything dark, twisted, and ghastly. But the not-so-picturesque family gets all shaken up when austere Wednesday falls in love with sunny Lucas Beineke, a "normal" boy from a "normal" family that would rather write poems or play charades than dance in graveyards. When the two families meet each other over dinner, tensions mount and the strength of every character's relationships is put to the test.

The ghoulish patriarch of the family, William Mitchell added his own winning characterizations to Gomez Addams. His chemistry with Emma Leone, who cut an imposing figure as Morticia in a dramatic black dress, created one of the production's most entertaining relationships. Whether waxing poetic about his Spanish heritage, trying to seduce his wife, or showing off his collection of medieval torture devices, Mitchell's impeccable comedic timing, suave accent, and hilarious expressions revealed vocal and acting talent and natural comic adroitness. Equally at ease in emotional scenes with his daughter such as Happy/Sad and in over the top dance numbers like Tango de Amor, Mitchell delivered a truly impressive performance.

Cierra Marco, a standout vocalist, and Zach Benson created an endearing although unconventional relationship between Wednesday and Lucas, especially in songs like 'Crazier Than You'. Both characters underwent significant development throughout the course of the performance, skillfully conveyed through changes in mannerisms and physicality to match the transitions.

The cast created characters that were distinctive and comical without reducing them to caricatures. Natural and believable, the actors grounded the production with genuine emotion to balance out the macabre comedy, embodying the characters down to the smallest of mannerisms. They built upon their individual strength by also showcasing convincing chemistry, both romantic and familial, in authentic, dynamic relationships.

The members of the engaging, ghostly ensemble of Addams ancestors dressed in striking, detailed white costumes were talented both as vocalists and dancers, enhancing the already powerful performance.

Although there were some minimal lapses in sound, the technical elements served to raise the stakes of the production. Appropriately dark and gloomy, the impressive set, complete with moving staircases, a sinister gated entrance, and spooky moss-covered trees, set the tone and added more dimension to the show. Masterfully executed lighting helped to convey the moods of different scenes and punctuated dramatic moments.

The talented cast and crew of Heritage High School brought The Addams Family to life with memorable, compelling characters and polished, effective technical elements in a production both gloomy and heartwarming.

Miranda Newman
Centreville High School
Submitted for publication to Paw Print

Dum, dum, dum, dum, snap, snap! Everyone knows the beginning to this classic theme, and the audience at Heritage High School was no exception. From the moment the music started, Heritage High School's Saturday production of "The Addams Family Musical" had the audience clapping along. A stunning production, filled with powerful performances, dazzling lights, spectacular sets, was a fun time for all.

Based off the comic strip of the same name, "The Addams Family Musical" opened on Broadway in April of 2010, closing in December of 2011, but with a national tour in September of 2011. There is currently a London production scheduled to open in 2016. The story follows the unusual Addams Family who embarks on an evening with the Beineke family, whose son, Lucas Beineke, is in a relationship with Wednesday Addams. Bizarre circumstances ensue that threaten marriages and relationships, as well as both family's dynamics.

There were many commendable performances throughout this production. Gomez Addams, played by William Mitchell, showed a wide range of versatility through his impeccable comedic timing, but also with an ability to be more serious. He was committed in his character and maintained a high energy throughout the show. He also had impressive vocals, specifically showcased in the number "Happy/Sad", which highlighted his emotional range as well. Wednesday Addams, played by Cierra Marco, had an endearing quality about her, and was able to effectively show Wednesday's emotional turmoil through extraordinary vocals, specifically in the song "Pulled". The number "Crazier than You" also affirmed her strong voice, as well as Lucas Beineke's (Zach Benson), and the strong chemistry between the two. Morticia Addams, played by Emma Leone, also had extraordinary vocal range and a strong energetic presence, as shown in the number "Just Around the Corner."

Other commendable performances include Grandma (Miriam Peacock) who had an incredibly large presence despite having a smaller role, and Uncle Fester (Austin Martinez) whose comedic timing, impressive vocals, and consistent character always kept the audience smiling. The ensemble also had a strong and engaging presence throughout the show. While each ancestor was definably individualistic, they moved as a cohesive unit, and brought the stage to life. They also had a full bodied voice as a group and achieved some lovely harmonies.

Many extraordinary technical feats were achieved throughout the production. The detailed set was marvelous in many regards. The inside of the Addams Family home was complete with a balcony and movable stairs, painted to look like marble. Portraits lined the walls which were removable and utilized by the ancestors in the numbers "Full Disclosure-Part 1" and "Full Disclosure-Part 2". A startlingly life-like tree utilized in the opening number "When You're an Addams" and "Happy/Sad" was incredibly detailed, complete with moss and cobwebs. It was apparent a great amount of effort and detail went in to the creation of the sets.

In many scenes, the lighting brilliantly captured the emotional turmoil or contrasting dynamics between characters, such as the number "Tango de Amor", where pink and blue lighting was used to show the contrast between Gomez and Morticia. While the ancestors were in all white hair, makeup, and costume, different lighting colors were used in such a way as to avoid a washed out effect. The makeup and costuming also added a great deal to the individual characteristics of each ancestor, but the all-white color scheme allowed them to look and move as one.

Heritage High School's performance of "The Addams Family Musical" was filled with life and laughter, and definitely had the audience raising its standards for the definition of a normal high school production.