There comes a time in a couple’s life when they have to perform the anxiety provoking ritual of having their families meet for the first time. The anxiety is even higher if your future fiancée’s family is ghoulish and tends to relish the dark side of life. See what happens as two families meet at Mahomet Seymour High School’s production of The Addams Family, A New Musical Comedy.
The musical version of the Addams’ Family is a bit different from the 1960s TV show. It is based on the original single panel cartoons drawn by Charles Addams. Spring Drama director, Jaise Allen, said the students are performing the touring production of the musical, which varies slightly from the Broadway version.
According to The Addams Family Musical web site “The Addams Family features an original story, and it’s every father’s nightmare. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family. A man her parents have never met. And if that weren’t upsetting enough, she confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before – keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner party for Wednesday’s ‘normal’ boyfriend and his parents.”
The local production of Addams Family will feature Allen making his MSHS Drama directing debut, replacing his mother, Carol Allen, who retired at the end of last school year. Senior Marissa Vogelsang, who plays Morticia, said she was glad to see Mrs. Allen accompany the musical, and she was excited to have Jaise take over the director’s reins. “I’m thrilled and impressed to see how smoothly it has gone,” she said.
“He has always helped out on the musicals,” said Grace Pauley, 10th grader and co-student director, adding she appreciates seeing a familiar face from whom to take direction.
Performers said while the director is new this year, a lot of the cast have performed together in previous productions. “We are a lot like a family too,” said Kenneth Buchanan, 12th grader who plays Gomez.
“Even some of the younger performers are the same,” said Vogelsang. When a MSHS musical has characters who are children, students as young as 5th grade are allowed to audition for those roles.
Cast members said they are excited about this year’s performance.
“We’d love for everyone to come. We put in lots of hard work,” Vogelsang said.
Performances will be this Thursday through Sunday, April 14-17. Thursday, Friday and Saturday’s performances are all at 7 p.m. in the High School Auditorium. Sunday’s performance is at 2 p.m., also in the Auditorium. Tickets are $7 for students and $8 for adults, if purchased in advance. They are $1 more if purchased at the door. Tickets can be purchased in advance from any cast member or at Mahomet IGA. Tickets also can be purchased in advance at the following website http://mshsbusinesscrew.weebly.com.
Meet The Director
Jaise Allen is this year’s Spring Musical Director. He describes a little bit about himself, The Addams Family musical, and working with MSHS students.
Is this your first experience with MS drama or did you work with previous productions at Mahomet Seymour?
“I have worked with the past several shows as Music Director and assistant drama sponsor to Carol Allen. This year is my first year as Lead Director of the Musical. “
Do you live in Mahomet or are you an MSHS Alumni?
“I have lived in Mahomet my whole life and I am a 2006 MSHS Alumni, having performed in theatre productions throughout my own High School career.”
What is your “day job.”
“I am an assistant manager at First Bank in Rantoul.”
You are working on “The Addams Family” as the spring musical. When and where are the performances?
“Thursday-Saturday, April 14, 15, 16, 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 17, 2:00 p.m., all at Mahomet Seymour HS Auditorium.”
How many are in the cast?
“We have 64 in our full cast. 32 students perform Thursday and Saturday and the other 32 perform Friday and Sunday. This is the first year we have had 2 completely separate casts.” There are many more members behind the scenes in the crew.
Why did you chose “The Addams Family?”
“I have wanted to do The Addams Family since the first time I saw it. It is one of the more hilarious musical comedies today and has wonderful music in it that I can listen to over and over again. “
What’s it like working with the students?
“Working with High School students has become a passion of mine, especially in the music and theatre world. I remember how influential many teachers were in developing my love for the arts, and it is my goal to give back that same experience to as many students as I can. I am able to connect with many of them through our shared passion, and I never tire of spending time making memories with them. “
Meet the Parents:
This year’s production of The Addams Family is double casted, meaning the characters are on stage for two out of four productions. We caught up with one set of Morticia and Gomez’s characters, and asked a few questions. One of the student directors also participated.
Name: Marissa Vogelsang, 12th grade.
Character: Morticia Addams
Number of productions at MSHS: 7
Are you more similar to or different from your character? “I am more different than Morticia. I definitely have to step out of my comfort zone to capture her. She is much more ‘out there’ and edgy. She is difficult for me to play because she finds her happiness in darkness. I really have to alter my personality on stage to play her.”
Name: Kenneth Buchanan, 12th grade
Character: Gomez Addams
Number of productions at MSHS: 12
Are you more similar to or different from your character? “I am more different. I am more reserved, unless I really know the person. It’s hard to act that over the top.”
Name: Grace Pauley, 10th grade
Character, Alice Beinekes, mother of Lucas, Wednesday’s boyfriend. Also student director
Number of performances at MSHS: 11
Are you similar to or different from your character? “I am similar to Alice in that I am very motherly, but I’m not sad all of the time like she is.”
What is your role as student director? “I am a person to ask questions to. I help with blocking and perspectives. I tell the students things if Jaise can’t be there at the moment.”
