Quaker Valley High School presents 'The Addams Family'

Austin Wolford had a vision of what Quaker Valley high schoolers could perform in his sixth year as musical director.

It was creepy and kooky. Mysterious and spooky. Some say all together ooky.

He picked “The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy.”

Wolford said he and his team made the call shortly after the final curtain closed on last March’s production of “Anything Goes.”

“If we can help it, we try and do a classic show and a contemporary show every other year,” he said. “It’s about giving the kids the experience to do a lot of different types of shows.

“We knew that we had a stellar cast for the show and we love doing comedy, albeit this is a bit of a dark comedy. We wanted to give the students a chance to do a contemporary show with contemporary music, but with some characters that they are familiar with.”

The fairly odd New York family, which delights in the macabre and is seemingly unaware or does not care what other people think about them, has gone through several variations and stories since their start in “The New Yorker” comics in the late 1930s.

There is the 1960s TV series; the cartoon in the 1970s; the iconic 1991 film with Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd and Christina Ricci; and the latest Netflix adaptation,”Wednesday,” focusing on the eldest Addams child played by Jenna Ortega.

The musical is from 2010 from the book written by Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa.

Brief synopsis

Wednesday Addams falls in love with a fine, respectable, upstanding young man from suburban Ohio named Lucas Beineke.

Her father, Gomez Addams must try to keep Wednesday’s relationship a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia.

The tension comes to a head when the Addams family hosts a dinner for Wednesday’s boyfriend and his family. As the Addams family attempts to navigate this new dynamic, secrets are disclosed and the strength of relationships are put to the test.

“What I love about the musical is that it shows us that the weird and not normal people in our lives are actually the normal ones,” Wolford said. “Sometimes, no one really knows what normal is. There’s a line in the show that Grandma Addams says. She says, ‘Define normal?’

“I think that is something that is going to resonate with a lot of people. Normal is different to every single person, and that’s what this show really embraces.”

There are 41 students in the cast, 43 in the stage crew and five in the orchestra.

Student stars

The cast is led by a talented mix of musical veterans including seniors Luke Greb (Gomez), Bella Soderstrom (Morticia) and Anna Dusch (Wednesday).

All three said they were familiar with the family prior to the production, specifically the movie and Netflix show.

Greb described Gomez as a strong, independent and confident man who walks a fine line between respecting his daughter’s wishes and keeping a secret from his wife.

“It causes him a lot of anxiety throughout most of the show,” Greb said. “I love the musical, itself. The plot’s pretty good, but basically it’s the funniest show I’ve ever done. I don’t think I’ve gone a single rehearsal yet without breaking on stage or laughing off stage.

”This is my fourth musical (at the high school). I think this cast is my favorite, and everyone is cast so well. Everyone embraces their roles so much.”

Soderstrom described Morticia as someone who is very secure in herself and yet sensitive to people around her.

She said playing the role has generated a self-confidence boost both on and off stage.

“She’s very confident and very much is the head of the family and she knows it,” Soderstrom said. “She’s very powerful and knows her power. Normally, I don’t see a lot of power in myself. I think Morticia is a very empowering role to have. It’s been a challenge, but I’m really enjoying it.”

Soderstrom echoed Greb’s thoughts about the cast and how everyone gets along.

Dusch said Wednesday is her first major role in a Quaker Valley show, and the musical shows the character in a different light.

“Wednesday is often portrayed as very grim, very monotone (and) not really showing much emotion,” Dusch said. “What I really like about this show is you can see her in a whole different light when she’s actually a human and very excited.”

Dusch said she draws a lot from Jenna Ortega’s take on the character, but hopes audiences keep an open mind about what they may see.

“I’m a little bit shy in real life, so it’s definitely not how I normally am,” she said. “I like to think I’m nice. I think this is a nice change of pace to get out frustrations on stage. It’s definitely been a bit harder (than previous roles) changing emotions so much.”

Soderstrom hopes the story of Wednesday and Lucas’ love for each other despite coming from families with little to nothing in common lets people in similar relationships know they are not alone.

Building blocks

Technology and engineering teacher Matt Dado leads the stage crew students.

They crafted the Addams’ family mansion, a cemetery and forest with the help of a few community volunteers and backdrops from TheatreWorld Backdrops.

“We started the first day we returned from our break in January and finished our part the first week of February — so just a little over a month working on the set,” Dado said. “The preparation for this type of project began in the fall, which included brainstorming and designing with Austin.

“This early start makes us very efficient throughout the building process. This year’s process has been incredibly dynamic and educational.”

Dado said one of the joys has been watching students conquer challenges and improve. A group of girls successfully built a set of long stairs for the set in two weeks and built another set in only a few days.

“This project pushed them to learn and apply basic construction skills so their peers could use what they built,” Dado said. “The real challenge is ensuring everything is safe and done correctly, which takes time. The biggest challenge is that most students are building for the first time, and what they are building is not easy.

“The response from the students, who were mostly navigating the construction process for the first time, has been incredibly positive and inspiring.”

The cast and crew hope for packed houses all four shows.

Greb had a message for those debating on whether to see the show.

“The musical probably isn’t what you’re expecting, but it’s probably better,” he said, “and you should come see it.”