Reviews: The Addams Family presented by St. Andrew’s Episcopal School
Written by Kat Pascual of Fairfax High School
"It was a dark and stormy night" is the most classic beginning to any horror story, but for the Addams of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School's production of "The Addams Family: School Edition", their night of horror starts with some things that are even scarier: a poem, a bouquet of flowers, and a yellow dress.
Inspired by Charles Addams' beloved comic strip of the same name, The Addams Family musical found its home on Broadway in 2010, and the school edition has become a well-loved staple in the world of high school theatre. The story chronicles the gothic and unconventional Addams Family and their interactions with the all-too average midwestern Beinekes. When the families' children, Wednesday and Lucas, fall madly in love, it is up to their parents to try and reconcile their differences for the sake of their children. However, secrets, potions, and one disastrous dinner party turn their night to anything but normal.
Equipped with a Spanish accent, sensational sword skills, and a delightfully kooky personality, Cameron Best's interpretation of patriarch, Gomez Addams, was simply spectacular. The consistency in Best's rich vocal performance in songs such as "Not Today" as well as in Gomez's outlandish yet incredibly genuine fatherly character established the actor as the steadfast rock of both the family and the show as a whole. While Best thrived when playing with the peculiar character's sharply timed comedic bits, a more tender, grounded side to Best's Gomez emerged in sentimental scenes opposite Wednesday (Kati Ahuja). Ahuja's portrayal of Wednesday exemplified a young girl torn between loyalty to her family and loyalty to her love. Balancing both Wednesday's smitten attempts to accommodate the Beinekes and the character's more traditional offbeat traits, Ahuja navigated the extremes with ease and specificity.
The Addams Family would not be the same without a few kooky relatives, and St. Andrew's Episcopal showed no lack of them. Uncle Fester, played by Rhian Williams, was an absolute delight throughout the show. Whether frolicking across the stage or ad-libbing with utter comfort and confidence, Williams perfectly embodied the quirky charm to match with such a famously abnormal family. Whether in Fester's declaration to his one true love (which was the moon, of course) or in scheming with the ancestors of Addams past, Williams's gleefully contorted facial expressions and snide, fourth-wall breaking comedic choices added an exuberant levity to the show that reached to the stars and beyond.
Helping to craft the Addams' weird and wonderful world was St. Andrew Episcopal's technical lineup. With sharp precision, stage managers Kayla Bahtia and Melissa Nugent executed cue after cue with rigor. They ensured that elements dependent on multiple aspects working together (such as the lights and sound of various thunder strikes) were cohesively timed. Furthermore, props, conceptualized and created by Peter Cavanaugh and Valen Cuddapah, added a sense of unique whimsical charm to the production. Between rats attached to moving RV cars and the resounding clang of steel swords, the props team brought the audience even closer to the larger-than-life Addams universe.
In just two snaps of the fingers, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School's production of "The Addams Family: School Edition" brought audiences to a world where love can conquer secrets, lifelong burdens, and the most terrifying of all, family.
Written by Cecelia Meza of Herndon High School
Dive into a happily unhappy world as you are "pulled" towards St. Andrew's Episcopal School's production of "The Addams Family: School Edition". Loyalties are tested, lies are told, and tantalizingly macabre songs are sung as the beloved Addams family is brought to life on the St. Andrew's stage.
Based on the Addams Family cartoons written by Charles Addams, the titular family was adapted for the stage in 2009 by Andrew Lippa before making its Broadway debut in the spring of 2010. The musical follow the Addams Family’s eldest daughter, Wednesday, in her quest for approval from her parents for her engagement to a "normie." Through a darkly comedic lens, "The Addams Family: School Edition" explores themes of family, love, and acceptance. The St. Andrew's Episcopal School players ensured that every character had a moment to shine, but one performer truly led the audience through thick and thin—Gomez.
The Addams family patriarch, loyal father and husband Gomez was played by Cameron Best, who employed all of his best acting skills to pull off such a charismatic and witty character. Displaying emotional vocal prowess and impeccable comedic timing, Best delivered a multifaceted portrayal of Gomez, particularly in "Happy/Sad," a performance that resonated emotionally while still eliciting laughter.
Able to connect emotionally and play off of Gomez's humor was his deadpan daughter, Wednesday, played by Kati Ahuja. Wednesday's more reserved, eerie nature was an excellent juxtaposition to Gomez's upbeat, leading man energy. Together, Best and Ahuja showcased the emotions of a daughter growing up and leaving the nest, but still always appreciating the love and support of her family.
A standout in the ensemble was the oddball Uncle Fester, played by Rhian Williams. Even in more serious scenes, Williams brought an unmatched sense of levity to the show throughout its runtime. Audience members couldn't help but chuckle when Fester declared his love for the moon ("The Moon and Me") and hilariously led a platoon of ancestors in a well-executed song and dance number.
While the job of acting was certainly important in this show, the technical elements played an equally vital role in bringing the Adams family’s dark, dank, but ultimately beloved world to life. Despite working with a smaller stage than most productions have, the St. Andrew's Episcopal School Stage Crew, Scenic Artists, and Additional Build Crew created a truly immersive set that showcased multiple locations throughout the play with the use of curtain dividers, moving staircases, and more. Working to enhance the set were the props, done by Peter Cavanaugh and Valen Cuddapah, which included a working tree swing, as well as a functioning torture chamber for all of Wednesday and Pugsley's extreme pain needs. These props helped to make the Addams Family Manor feel lived in, which in turn brought the audience even further into their world.
Although the Addams Family may be dark, twisted, and delightfully eccentric, St. Andrew's Episcopal School's production of "The Addams Family: School Edition" was anything but.