By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
They may be “crazy, kooky and goofy,” but Travis Grizzell, director of The Hays Community Theatre's production of The Addams Family, a new musical comedy, said they have been a staple of pop culture for decades not because of their peculiar antics, but rather what they share with the audience.
“They have the same problems the rest of us have with all our strange, kooky families,” he said.
And as the world awaits the release of the recently announced next season of the popular Netflix show Wednesday, local performers will bring the family to life at 7 p.m. July 27, 28 and 29 in the Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center on the Fort Hays State University campus.
“It's the good old Addams Family, but as many iterations of the Addams Family as there are, this is a new one for the musical,” Grizzell said.
The story follows the oldest daughter, Wednesday, after falling in love and looking to get married “despite her best efforts,” he said.
“They are all scared to tell mom (Morticia), and so the plot revolves around her boyfriend and her and (father) Gomez trying to skirt around this marriage issue.”
“It's characters that multiple generations now love, in new circumstances and some musical and dance numbers too,” Grizzell said.
Bringing the show together are performers and cast members from all walks of life volunteering their time, some new and some seasoned veterans of the organization.
“And they're an absolutely phenomenal group,” Grizzell said. They are talented…they are gamers, and they are hilarious. They get the humor, they play off each other well, the chemistry is good, and it's going to be a fun show.”
The show is family-friendly but will be enjoyable for young and old alike.
“It's good family fun, but there's a little ‘wink,’ a little adult humor there,” Grizzell said.
And with the staying power in pop culture and the large cast, he said he expects a good turnout.
“With the old TV show and the early '90s movies, which are the best, and the new animated series and then the Wednesday series on Netflix, there's every generation you can think of that has been exposed to the Addams Family,” Grizzell said. “It's got name recognition.”
The theatre also keeps the price low, $15, to help everyone in the community experience performances featuring their neighbors, family and friends.
“You can come see people you might recognize in a really different way,” Grizzell said.
That familiarity is part of the “novelty” of community theatre.
“It's ‘Oh, that's my teacher up there. Oh, my gosh, that's my plumber. That's my banker. Oh, the guy from the radio booth. He's doing sound, or I know her, she's my dance teacher,’ you see all walks of life,” Grizzell said.
And while it may be a diverse group of community members, one thing brings them all together.
“They are like-minded, and they like creating something," Grizzell said. "They see the benefit of giving performance opportunities and artistic outlets."
Tickets are available at the door or online on the Hays Community Theatre website, hctks.com.
. . .
Cast:
Direction: Travis Grizzell
Assistant Director: Pamela Grizzell
Musical Direction: Madelyn Seiler
Gomez Addams – Jerrett Leiker
Morticia Addams – Codi Fenwick
Uncle Fester – Andy Stanton
Grandma – Jerri Ann Leiker
Wednesday Addams – Natalie Loftus
Pugsley Addams – Jack Stoecklein
Lurch – Jeseph Barnes
Mal Beineke – Quinton McGuire
Alice Beineke – Maggie Brull
Lucas Beineke – Lane Werth
Caveman – Avery Koehn
Pirate – Jazmine Lynd
Pilgrim – Breanna Seiler
Puritan – Kendra Ryan
Prisoner – Caitlyn Sahlfeld
Knight – Shiloh Gaschler
Princess – Scarlett Wittkorn
Egyptian – Victoria Heimann
Cousin It – Zachary Leiker
Barbershop Crooner – Zachariah Hurd
William Shakespeare – Adam Conkey
Mardi Gras Dancer – Olivia Werth
Conquistador – Gene Stramel
Flapper Girl – Kiki Gonzales
Elizabethan Woman – Ella Fenwick
Marie Antoinette – Claire Nickerson
WWII Soldier – Connor Werth
Musketeer – Madicyn Urban
1910 Motorist – Allison Goertzen
German Polka Dancer – Brooke Leiker
Capuchin Priest – Rose Windholz
Nun – Alexis Ryan
Saloon Girl – Maggie Baalmann
Fisherman – Rowen Johnson
Safari Guide – Kendall Seiler
Ballerina – Savannah Wittkorn
Colonial Girl – Gracie Long
Cowgirl – Gracelyn Inlow
French Revolutionary – Kati Davis-Abbott
Miner - Kennedy Smith
Spanish Dancer - Elizabeth Noble