Lights illuminate the stage as actors sing their hearts out in Diller Hall. The roaring of the crowd is electric, and the laughter is contagious. It is evident that the Hackley Upper School musical, The Addams Family, is a smash hit.
The curtains opened up to the first number, “When You’re An Addams,” which featured the entire cast. The song began with Gomez, played by Junior Lily Rosenthal, introducing his wife, Morticia, played by sophomore Ada Chalfy.
“Gomez and Morticia have such a strong and intimate relationship with each other, and I think that me and her [Lily] were able to replicate that and just fully turn ourselves into those characters,” said Ada.
Towards the end of Act One, the full ensemble performed a comedic number called “Full Disclosure.” This hilarious song took place at a chaotic dinner between the Addams and Beineke families. Everyone took a potion which made them confess a secret they had been hiding. At the end of the number, the crowd was on the edge of their seats, hollering with laughter.
The cast had many memorable moments throughout the rehearsal process, one of them being while rehearsing “Full Disclosure.”
“We were doing our ‘Full Disclosure’ bit, and I was supposed to hand my bottle of acrimonium to Emma[Pirate Ancestor],” said freshman Desi Cabanillas, who played Pugsley Addams. “So I tossed it to her…and she missed the catch completely.”
The comedy throughout the show resonated greatly with many audience members and helped them remain engaged with the show.
“There was so much humor in it that I liked,” said sophomore Erys Burton. “I liked the part about Annabelle [Fester] going to the moon. It was really funny.”
The curtains opened for Act II with “Just Around the Corner,” which was Morticia’s solo number. This song demonstrated Morticia’s distress after finding out that Wednesday Addams (senior Cara Minello) was getting married to Lucas Beineke (freshman Sophia Frasco) behind her back.
While this was Morticia’s solo number (with brief interjections from the Ancestors), the song was a favorite of the whole cast.
“Everybody knows each other’s solo songs…one of our favorites is ‘Just Around the Corner,’” said Ada. “One time, we were trying to run a scene, and someone made a reference to it, and then we all burst out singing, laughing, and dancing.”
Once the performance was over, the entire crowd was out of their seats, screaming as the actors took their bows. Even though the production has come to an end, the connections between the cast remain strong.
“It is like a family, it’s a bunch of people who you could just rely on for anything,” said Sophia. “You can just be yourself.”
Behind the scenes, Bettie-Ann Candelora, Hackley’s Director of Performing Arts, makes sure that rehearsals are a welcoming, safe space for all.
“The way I was trained was very different from the way I direct, because it was sometimes a mean director yelling at you and telling you what to do,” said Ms. Candelora.
The musical theater program emanates a family-like atmosphere and fosters friendships that carry on outside rehearsal.
“It’s comparable to a sport, but different, in other ways, because you’re so vulnerable when you’re out there,” said Ms. Candelora.
The Addams Family musical was not only a positive experience for the audience, but also created many memories for the cast.