The Western Albemarle High School (WAHS) Theater Ensemble will entertain central Virginia with its production of “The Addams Family,” April 25 through 28—and if the quality lives up to previous WAHS Drama performances, it is not to be missed. With music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, based on Charles Addams’ cartoon characters which first appeared in The New Yorker from 1938 until his death in 1988 (and later became a TV series), “The Addams Family” musical opened on Broadway in 2010. With direction by Caitlin Pitts, orchestral direction by Elizabeth Vaughn, vocal direction by Abby Smith, and audio engineering by Kenton Showers, the WAHS production of this ghoulish musical tells the story of the darkly weird Addams Family, who love all things macabre but at the same time love and treasure each other and bring a joyous humor to how they live life. The first song of the show is all about being a family, and the last words have the ghostly Ancestors singing “love, love, love, love.”
Wednesday Addams (played by Aneesa Chandra), cherished daughter of Gomez (Jake Beard) and Morticia (Zoey Sauerwein), has grown up and fallen in love with sweet, smart young Lucas (Cooper McGrane)—a man her parents have never met. On the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s ‘normal’ boyfriend and his ‘respectable’ parents Alice (Audrey Scialla) and Mal (Fabel Monroe) Beineke, Gomez Addams must keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. And the Addams family must face the one thing they’ve managed to avoid for generations: change! Other featured cast include Jacob Walton as Fester, Kylee Hughes as Pugsley, Jack Jahoda Wassung as Lurch, and Lucy Shadel as Grandma Addams—plus a large chorus of Ancestors, dancers, and other intriguing characters. Featured songs include “Where Did We Go Wrong,” “One Normal Night,” “The Moon and Me,” and “Live Before We Die.”
“This is the show we had to cancel the day before we opened in March of 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic, so it feels wonderful to get to finally perform it this year!” said Pitts. “The students working on this show are the most dedicated and responsible group of teenagers I’ve ever worked with, which has made the entire process pretty amazing.”
Senior Kylee Hughes, playing the role of Pugsley, commented, “This play has been such a joy to work on, and is so funny to watch. I’ve enjoyed every second of working on it and I can’t wait to perform!” Senior and assistant director Mary Kate Camblos agreed. “I love getting to work with all my peers on stage, and getting to help put my own vision on this show that you should all come see!”
There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the fun with five planned performances: Thursday, April 25, at 7 p.m. is a Benefit Dress Rehearsal, with tickets by donation. Tickets for Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27, at 7 p.m., as well as 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28, cost $12 in advance for adults and $5 for students and seniors, or $14 and $6 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at wahsdrama.ludus.com/ (also linked from the WAHS website). See you there!
