Chester channels the Addams family for spirited spring musical

By Ginny Privitar
CHESTER — The Chester Academy is bringing a collection of lovable Gothic oddballs, otherwise known as the Addams family, to the stage this spring.
The Addams family started out as one-panel cartoons by Charles Addams in The New Yorker. The Gothic characters he drew were unnamed and undeveloped until the television series production in 1964, which became a cult hit. There were cartoon versions, several films and, in 2010, a musical.
The matriarch, Morticia, is the beautiful wife of Gomez. She has calm disposition, muted and witty.
“I loved the TV show, and it’s very similar," said Nora El Gheur, who plays Morticia. "I have to be serious, yet at the same time really loving. It’s really fun."
She says there’s a twist in the play you won’t expect.
"The usual family dynamic is twisted a little bit, and it makes things much more interesting," said Nora.
Morticia and her enthusiastic husband, Gomez, a proud man who adores his wife, are madly in love. They have two children: son Pugsley, who loves being tortured by his sister, and Wednesday, who has a serious, grim personality, but is transformed by love.
“It’s a lot of work," said Robert Rodriguez, who plays Gomez. "I have probably the most lines and songs out of anyone in the show. It’s a lot of pressure."
He said Gomez is "just a really fun character. His energy is something that I haven’t really had before, like he could just go all-out and be crazy.”
Michael Miller, who plays Pugsley, said he's always loved the Addams Family movies.
"And now that I can actually be one of them, I feel like ‘Wow — that’s so cool," said Michael.
It’s Michael’s first play.
“Since I was a kid I loved singing and being dramatic," he said. "Now that I’m going to be in front of an audience, I’m like ‘Wow.’”
Anya Starr-Quinn, who plays Wednesday, said, “It’s a lot of fun — you get to play someone who’s very morbid and sad all the time, but then she transforms into this happy, normal person. It’s cool. Wednesday’s a very stubborn girl, and at the end she winds up getting her way.”
The family is rounded out by Gomez’s brother, Uncle Fester, who is childlike, hugely enthusiastic, and totally incorrigible; Grandma, a fun and feisty 102-year-old; and the butler, Lurch, a very tall man of very few, slowly spoken words, and long, plaintive groans; and a disembodied hand known as "Thing."
No normal but quite niceDespite their ghoulish aspect, the family is not evil — just some close-knit oddballs who share macabre interests.
The musical includes a collection of Addams ancestors who encourage and help the family — “Because living or dead, family is still family,” as Morticia notes.
In the upside-down world of the Addams family, pain, suffering, and death are joys to look forward to. Yet the family still faces the challenges of any family. The kids are growing up. Daughter Wednesday has fallen in love with Lucas Beineke, a sweet, smart young man from a respectable, and oh-so-ordinary Ohio family.
Wednesday has invited the Beinekes to the Addams’ home for dinner and hopes her family will act “normal” for the night.
McEnroe Jean plays Lucas Beineke. “We go through a series of stuff because her family is just crazy,” he said, “back and forth arguing and disagreeing.”
According to the musical’s synopsis, “In one fateful, hilarious night, secrets are disclosed, relationships are tested and the Addams family must face up to the one horrible thing they’ve managed to avoid for generations: change.”
Jonathan Walters-Suber plays uncle Fester, whom he describes as “very loving."
"My theory is he’s watched Morticia and Gomez being in love all of these years and just wants that for himself, Jonathan said. "You’ll see throughout the entire musical that he really wants that for everybody, and he just wants everybody to find their own love and forever happiness.”
Kania Walker plays Grandma. “We both can be very impulsive at times," she said of her character, "but at the end of the day she is very sweet and does care about her family, despite the fact she might curse them out or be annoyed over little things. I get to let out all my excessive energy when playing her.”
The play is directed by Lenna Andrews, owner of Hudson Valley Music Academy in Goshen. Andrews said she's been blessed with a very talented cast.
"One of the highlights of the show is the tango dance number with six actors who’ve never danced the tango before rising to the occasion,” she said.
Some of the actors play the Ancestors. Mia Rosario describes the bride ancestor: “I am alone and a bitter, dead bride. I’m pretty sure my story did not end well.”
Chris Flynn plays the conquistador ancestor.
“All the ancestors work together," said Chris. "I’m not going to give away any spoilers, but we’re stuck here until something happens and if you want to see what happens, you have to come see the show.”
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
What: "The Addams Family Musical"
Where: Chester Academy, 64 Hambletonian Avenue, Chester
When: 7 p.m. on Friday, April 13, and Saturday, April 14
How much: $10 at the door