The Addams Family
at San Clemente

Reviewed on April 15, 2016

Allison Cruz
Aliso Niguel
Submitted for publication to OC Register

San Clemente's 'Addams' a Family of Deathly Proportions

With dead ancestors looming in the living room and a zombie for a butler, the Addams family redefines the meaning of dysfunctional relationships.

From humorous deadpan line delivery to awe-inspiring harmonies, San Clemente's engaging production of "The Addams Family" breathes life into these kooky characters (whether living or dead).

When the happy-go-lucky Beinekes dine with the macabre Addamses, a dinner of epic (and deathly) proportions ensues.

Sophia Didier and Daniel Klevit lead the show as Morticia and Gomez Addams. Didier sheds the idea of the conventional mother figure with her sultry voice and sensual movements in "Tango de Amor." Together with Klevit, Didier kicks, shimmies, and turns across the stage without hesitation.

Klevit, on the other hand, counters her seductive presence with impressive comedic timing, especially during "Four Things," in which he alternates between addressing the audience and his wife.

Tamara Armstrong delights as crossbow-aficionado, Wednesday. Her cold, hard stare gradually turns softer every time she looks at her "normal" fiancée, Lucas (Sean Van Savage). Van Savage and Armstrong's placement on stage, much like their characters' relationship, grows closer in "Crazier than You" until Van Savage dips her into a sweet kiss.

Cassidy McCleary proves her diverse acting and singing abilities as Alice. McCleary maintains her character's initial sunny disposition with tentative steps and a soaring soprano range in "Secrets." However, after Alice drinks a potion, McCleary shifts to dark and wild, jumping on tables and using a low growl in "Waiting."

Garrett Claud steals the show as crazy uncle Fester. In "The Moon in Me," Claud, accompanied by a spinning formation of Star Girls, clasps his hands and professes his rather poetic love for the moon.

A standout performance comes from William Brown as Lurch. Though most of his lines consist of incoherent grunts, Brown impresses with his hauntingly beautiful baritone voice in "Move Toward the Darkness."

Also impressive is Carlie McCleary as Pugsley. Playing a role of the opposite gender is no easy feat, but McCleary carries out her performance with captivating ease, especially as she belts out "Honor Roll."

Hollowed-out cheeks and powdery white face makeup, designed by Sabrina Swarthout and Julia Becker, emphasizes the ancestors' ghostly nature. Lighting by Max Rivera-Patton livens up the black-and-white Addams home with strategic green and blue hues.

San Clemente delivers this death-defying production with lively wit and a sense of familial togetherness.

Allison Cruz
Aliso Niguel
Submitted for publication to OC Register

San Clemente's 'Addams' a Family of Deathly Proportions

With dead ancestors looming in the living room and a zombie for a butler, the Addams family redefines the meaning of dysfunctional relationships.

From humorous deadpan line delivery to awe-inspiring harmonies, San Clemente's engaging production of "The Addams Family" breathes life into these kooky characters (whether living or dead).

When the happy-go-lucky Beinekes dine with the macabre Addamses, a dinner of epic (and deathly) proportions ensues.

Sophia Didier and Daniel Klevit lead the show as Morticia and Gomez Addams. Didier sheds the idea of the conventional mother figure with her sultry voice and sensual movements in "Tango de Amor." Together with Klevit, Didier kicks, shimmies, and turns across the stage without hesitation.

Klevit, on the other hand, counters her seductive presence with impressive comedic timing, especially during "Four Things," in which he alternates between addressing the audience and his wife.

Tamara Armstrong delights as crossbow-aficionado, Wednesday. Her cold, hard stare gradually turns softer every time she looks at her "normal" fiancée, Lucas (Sean Van Savage). Van Savage and Armstrong's placement on stage, much like their characters' relationship, grows closer in "Crazier than You" until Van Savage dips her into a sweet kiss.

Cassidy McCleary proves her diverse acting and singing abilities as Alice. McCleary maintains her character's initial sunny disposition with tentative steps and a soaring soprano range in "Secrets." However, after Alice drinks a potion, McCleary shifts to dark and wild, jumping on tables and using a low growl in "Waiting."

Garrett Claud steals the show as crazy uncle Fester. In "The Moon in Me," Claud, accompanied by a spinning formation of Star Girls, clasps his hands and professes his rather poetic love for the moon.

A standout performance comes from William Brown as Lurch. Though most of his lines consist of incoherent grunts, Brown impresses with his hauntingly beautiful baritone voice in "Move Toward the Darkness."

Also impressive is Carlie McCleary as Pugsley. Playing a role of the opposite gender is no easy feat, but McCleary carries out her performance with captivating ease, especially as she belts out "Honor Roll."

Hollowed-out cheeks and powdery white face makeup, designed by Sabrina Swarthout and Julia Becker, emphasizes the ancestors' ghostly nature. Lighting by Max Rivera-Patton livens up the black-and-white Addams home with strategic green and blue hues.

San Clemente delivers this death-defying production with lively wit and a sense of familial togetherness.

Jackson Maxwell
Mission Viejo High School
Submitted for publication to OC Register

San Clemente's ‘The Addams Family' is Amusingly Abnormal

"When You're an Addams," it can be a challenge to fit in with society. San Clemente High School's production of the musical revamp of this classic set of characters tackles this separation, as the family unsuccessfully attempts to have "One Normal Night" while meeting their soon-to-be in-laws, the Beinekes.

Strutting onstage with a romance that transcends life and death, Daniel Klevit and Sophia Didier are bewitching as Gomez and Morticia Addams, the senior figures in the family. Didier's regal demeanor and disrespectfully dry laughter complement Klevit's gruesome goofiness, allowing them to play off of one another's humor while staying distinctly Spanish in heritage.

The two of them, however, seem perfectly sane in comparison to "Uncle" Fester Addams (Garrett Claud). His warm and affectionate presence is juxtaposed with an indisputably insane grin, a contrast most apparent during his love ballad, "The Moon and Me." Despite singing directly to the Moon above, Claud delivers his lines nonchalantly, emphasizing his electric eccentricity.

Nonetheless, the madness pervades into other areas of the family. As Grandma Addams, Delaney Marchant is uproariously unpredictable, substituting her usual hunched-over posture and withering voice with pure, unadulterated rage when shrieking, "Get outta my stuff!" Meanwhile, Cassidy McCleary undergoes a similar change as Alice, the supposedly ordinary matron of the Beineke family. Initially delicate and delightfully endearing, she makes an abrupt transition after consuming Grandma Addams' potion, transforming into a manifestation of the prince of darkness himself, an alteration underscored by a deepening of her soprano to a sonorous alto.

In addition to the amusing acting, the production is complemented by talented technical prowess. Most remarkable is Maya Howie and Sophia George's costume design, which uses pieces from different time periods to decorate the deceased Addams "ancestors," making each ensemble member memorable for their distinct costume. Similarly stunning is Sabrina Swarthout and Julia Becker's make-up design, which utilizes white powder from head to toe as well as black eyeshadow, lipstick, and cheekbone accents to make the ancestors appear as corpses. This macabre motif is contrasted with the glowing, colorful faces of the "normal" Beineke family, further emphasizing the divide between them.

San Clemente High School's production is as hysterical as it is impressive, combining peculiar performances with masterful design for an experience that's, ironically, chock full of life.

Jackson Maxwell
Mission Viejo High School
Submitted for publication to OC Register

San Clemente's ‘The Addams Family' is Amusingly Abnormal

"When You're an Addams," it can be a challenge to fit in with society. San Clemente High School's production of the musical revamp of this classic set of characters tackles this separation, as the family unsuccessfully attempts to have "One Normal Night" while meeting their soon-to-be in-laws, the Beinekes.

Strutting onstage with a romance that transcends life and death, Daniel Klevit and Sophia Didier are bewitching as Gomez and Morticia Addams, the senior figures in the family. Didier's regal demeanor and disrespectfully dry laughter complement Klevit's gruesome goofiness, allowing them to play off of one another's humor while staying distinctly Spanish in heritage.

The two of them, however, seem perfectly sane in comparison to "Uncle" Fester Addams (Garrett Claud). His warm and affectionate presence is juxtaposed with an indisputably insane grin, a contrast most apparent during his love ballad, "The Moon and Me." Despite singing directly to the Moon above, Claud delivers his lines nonchalantly, emphasizing his electric eccentricity.

Nonetheless, the madness pervades into other areas of the family. As Grandma Addams, Delaney Marchant is uproariously unpredictable, substituting her usual hunched-over posture and withering voice with pure, unadulterated rage when shrieking, "Get outta my stuff!" Meanwhile, Cassidy McCleary undergoes a similar change as Alice, the supposedly ordinary matron of the Beineke family. Initially delicate and delightfully endearing, she makes an abrupt transition after consuming Grandma Addams' potion, transforming into a manifestation of the prince of darkness himself, an alteration underscored by a deepening of her soprano to a sonorous alto.

In addition to the amusing acting, the production is complemented by talented technical prowess. Most remarkable is Maya Howie and Sophia George's costume design, which uses pieces from different time periods to decorate the deceased Addams "ancestors," making each ensemble member memorable for their distinct costume. Similarly stunning is Sabrina Swarthout and Julia Becker's make-up design, which utilizes white powder from head to toe as well as black eyeshadow, lipstick, and cheekbone accents to make the ancestors appear as corpses. This macabre motif is contrasted with the glowing, colorful faces of the "normal" Beineke family, further emphasizing the divide between them.

San Clemente High School's production is as hysterical as it is impressive, combining peculiar performances with masterful design for an experience that's, ironically, chock full of life.

Katherine Schloss
La Habra
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

San Clemente stuns in "The Addams Family"

San Clemente brings to life the classic "The Addams Family" with impeccable comedic timing and a rightly morbid twist.

Based on gag cartoons written by Charles Addams, the musical follows a family who thrives in the ghastly and bizarre home that they have created. Chaos ensues when their only daughter, Wednesday, secretly falls in love with a "normal" guy.

The true head of the family is Sophia Didier as Morticia. For a lady named after death she is very much alive; her lucid yet seductive singing voice paired with dry laughter makes her a stand-out presence. One cannot help but notice how she glides across the stage with regal poise and how her love for her family, especially Gomez, pervades her very being.

Tamara Armstrong is the headstrong Wednesday Addams. Her blank-faced proclamations ooze with sarcasm, and she finds an immense amount of energy in the darkness of her character.

The giddy Fester Addams finds a home in Garrett Claud. He dedicates himself to ridiculous sayings and charms with little gleeful dances. All at once Claud establishes his character as a loving family figure with a creepy grin and a hankering for the Moon.

Scrunched and cranky, Delaney Marchant takes on the role of Grandma with a consistently creaky voice and hunched posture. Marchant creates some of the most memorable moments of the show when she shuffles around and makes quips about getting old.

Cassidy McCleary as Alice Beineke undergoes an impressive transformation, starting out as a dainty, bubbly wife full of suppressed feelings and exploding into her truest self without inhibitions or manners. She successfully flops about the stage and lets it all go with a new warmth to her voice and glint in her eye.

Especially notable are the ornate costumes of the ancestors created by Maya Howie and Sophia George paired with the white, skeleton-like make-up as envisioned by Sabrina Swarthout and Julia Becker. Each ancestor is from a different time period, and their individuality is highlighted by these teams while maintaining the sunken, pasty look of the dead.

The dedicated and hilarious cast performs on various levels- the dead, the living, and the in-between - with a smooth ease as the characters realize that secrets can kill if they're kept for too long.

Katherine Schloss
La Habra
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

San Clemente stuns in "The Addams Family"

San Clemente brings to life the classic "The Addams Family" with impeccable comedic timing and a rightly morbid twist.

Based on gag cartoons written by Charles Addams, the musical follows a family who thrives in the ghastly and bizarre home that they have created. Chaos ensues when their only daughter, Wednesday, secretly falls in love with a "normal" guy.

The true head of the family is Sophia Didier as Morticia. For a lady named after death she is very much alive; her lucid yet seductive singing voice paired with dry laughter makes her a stand-out presence. One cannot help but notice how she glides across the stage with regal poise and how her love for her family, especially Gomez, pervades her very being.

Tamara Armstrong is the headstrong Wednesday Addams. Her blank-faced proclamations ooze with sarcasm, and she finds an immense amount of energy in the darkness of her character.

The giddy Fester Addams finds a home in Garrett Claud. He dedicates himself to ridiculous sayings and charms with little gleeful dances. All at once Claud establishes his character as a loving family figure with a creepy grin and a hankering for the Moon.

Scrunched and cranky, Delaney Marchant takes on the role of Grandma with a consistently creaky voice and hunched posture. Marchant creates some of the most memorable moments of the show when she shuffles around and makes quips about getting old.

Cassidy McCleary as Alice Beineke undergoes an impressive transformation, starting out as a dainty, bubbly wife full of suppressed feelings and exploding into her truest self without inhibitions or manners. She successfully flops about the stage and lets it all go with a new warmth to her voice and glint in her eye.

Especially notable are the ornate costumes of the ancestors created by Maya Howie and Sophia George paired with the white, skeleton-like make-up as envisioned by Sabrina Swarthout and Julia Becker. Each ancestor is from a different time period, and their individuality is highlighted by these teams while maintaining the sunken, pasty look of the dead.

The dedicated and hilarious cast performs on various levels- the dead, the living, and the in-between - with a smooth ease as the characters realize that secrets can kill if they're kept for too long.