Photo by Cory Wyman ’16 | Sam McGhee ’16, left, and the “The Addams Family” cast rehearse their lines in February in the Blackbox Theater. “The Addams Family” is this spring’s musical, projected to debut March 17, 18 and 19.
By Tyler Conrad ’17
THE ROUNDUP
Brophy’s Spring Musical “The Addams Family” is a whimsical and goofy yet ultimately relatable re-imagining of classic characters who can sing and dance this time around.
Daniel Weinberger ’17, who served as a student director for Brophy’s two previous productions, stars in this interpretation of the classic TV show and movies as an outsider to the family who falls in love with the youngest Addams daughter.
“Lucas Beinke, my character, is madly in love with Wednesday Addams, and has proposed to her. The only obstacle they have to face is their families meeting,” Weinberger said of the story’s basic plot.
Weinberger’s character is specific to the musical, but some of the other actors portray figures more recognizable to audiences.
Xavier student Payton Bioletto ’17 portrays the iconic and eccentric Morticia Addams, the role taken by Anjelica Huston in the motion pictures from the 90s.
“I think the characters remain the same kooky characters they always are – in TV, movie and stage, but the musical is an original story featuring all of those characters,” said director Ms. Maureen Dias.
Despite themes of the undead and forbidden marriage, the musical is described as being very funny and engaging in its plot.
“It is a comedy but with a twist,” said Bioletto of the production. “It’s filled with humor, drama, and both captivating and challenging music.”
Moving past its humorous and dramatic aspects, the play also has values that the audience can relate to.
“The production is unique because it’s very relatable,” Weinberger said. “Introducing an outsider, the person you love, is an incredibly difficult task and the show takes it to a whole new height, which is awesome.”
Ms. Dias added to this aspect of relatability taken out of such an extreme scenario.
“We all have families, we have the little brother who bugs us but really only wants our attention, we have the crazy uncle,” Ms. Dias said. “We all believe our moms will embarrass us, and we always worry what our new friends will think of our families. It’s a little about trying to fit in and a little about keeping our individuality.”
The actors say that what really allows this production to stand out is the direction provided by Ms. Dias, here for her fourth production at Brophy.
“Her artistic ability and interpretation of the script is very unique,” Bioletto said of working with Ms. Dias.
Weinberger, on the other hand, has had more of a partner-like relationship with Ms. Dias in the past, and now gets to fully experience her vision by working under her direction.
“She takes what seems to be unsurpassable, and surpasses it,”Weinberger said. “She adds her own unique touch to everything, even as simple as the blocking.”
Ms. Dias focused the attention on the actors, and the uniqueness they will add to the play.
“Every actor who plays any role brings their own interpretation to that role,” Ms. Dias said in an email. “That’s how it should be! So our Gomez and Morticia will be different from any other productions and that’s true of the entire cast.”
In addition, the production has a larger ensemble than usual, with about 38 students in a script that calls for about 15. One way the ensemble was expanded was including ancestral roles of the infamous family.
“The Addams Family” ran March 17, 18, and 19 in the Blackbox Theater. Tickets were sold online for the first time ever for this show.
