Riddle me this:
The costumes are black, the lies are white.
Where can you find Wednesday on a Friday night?
The answer, of course, is Sagemont Preparatory School’s production of “The Addams Family,” full of sickeningly sweet love stories and dangerously dark humor.
“The Addams Family” is a musical comedy that ravaged Broadway from 2010 to 2011. The comic strip by Charles Addams was Frankensteined into a musical containing themes of love, friendship, and family loyalty. The Addams family may have morbid and disturbing interests, but they are staunch supporters of “Full Disclosure” in relationships. When daughter Wednesday Addams finds herself engaged to “normal” Lucas Beineke, her father, Gomez, is forced to choose between honesty to his wife, Morticia, or loyalty to his daughter’s secret. This conflict turns to chaos at an unusual dinner party featuring both sets of parents and a host of other strange family members, creepy Ancestors, and a zombified doorman.
We all know and love a classic love story, such as between a man and… a celestial body? Brandon Jerry, as Fester, perfectly encapsulated the role of the “weird uncle” with his over-the-top physicality and consistent characterization. His interactions with other cast members was hilariously in-character, and his chemistry with the moon was as if he was being “Pulled” like the tides. The undead butler, Lurch, was portrayed by Thomas Balding, whose presence prompted laughs with every thousand-yard stare, stiff walk across the stage, and straight-faced grunt.
Morticia, played by Sara Alhadeff, is the paragon of an Addams: deadpan, wickedly witty, and abnormally protective. Alhadeff’s speaking voice was enchanting, and even more so when singing with haunting clarity and skill, displayed in numbers like “Just Around the Corner.” She must be commended for her cleverly nuanced acting choices, portraying emotion while still keeping with Morticia’s famously monotone mannerisms. Furthemore, Wednesday, the moody and lovestruck daughter, was played by Sienna Epstein, who brought strong vocals and chemistry to the stage alongside her mother.
The set of the Addams’ Mansion was masterfully detailed, with portraits of the cast members hung haphazardly and torture devices hidden in plain sight. The use of a disco ball as Fester’s love interest, the moon, stood out for its creativity. Additionally, the costumes of the cast effectively characterized each individual while distinguishing the families from each other. Unfortunately, microphone issues and lack of diction presented a challenge to the comedic timing of some punchlines, but the cast persisted through these setbacks.
Sagemont Preparatory School’s representation of “The Addams Family” blended the macabre and the mundane in an extraordinary production that was far from “One Normal Night.”
