MFL MarMac students take on The Addams Family in fall musical

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

The MFL MarMac High School Theatre Department will present The Addams Family Musical this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11 and 12, in the high school auditorium in Monona. Friday’s show will begin at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday will include both 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. performances.

The Addams Family Musical is based on characters created by cartoonist Charles Addams and a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. MFL MarMac’s rendition will differ somewhat from the Addams Family stories popularized in television and cinema, though.

“You’ve got all those wonderful main characters: Itt and Thing and, of course, Gomez. But it has a twist because Wednesday has grown up and fallen in love with a normal person” named Lucas Beineke, explained director Diane Fisk.

In the musical, Wednesday’s parents, Gomez and Morticia Addams, meet Lucas and his family, Mal and Alice Beineke. The families clash because they are polar opposites.

“It’s more of a love story between Morticia and Gomez and Wednesday and Lucas too. That’s an interesting spin the story has to it,” added senior Jonah Wille, a stage veteran who portrays Gomez. “The variation between the two families throughout the show is fun, and the way we portray them and pull them together makes it very interesting.”

Maria Stavroplus will play Addams Family matriarch Morticia. This marks her first starring role.

“This is something new for me and exciting and really fun to do, especially with these people. They’ve made it really easy,” Stavroplus said.

Karlie Hagensick is also excited to fill a larger role as Wednesday.

“I prayed for this role, and I know that’s kind of arrogant, but I love it so much. She’s just such a fun character, even though I’m nothing like her. Her songs are amazing,” Hagensick said. “I haven’t really watched the Addams family at all, but what I have seen she’s very dull and quiet and monotone. She’s kind of the same way in this, but she’s also in love.”

Love interest Lucas is played by Will Koether, who described his character as a mix between both worlds—the normal world and the Addams Family.

“I’m a college student who’s kind of quirky and wants to be a mortician so he can look inside dead people and they can’t say anything about it. He’s a little sarcastic, a pretty fun character,” Koether shared.

Other cast members include Aedan Whitney as Uncle Fester, Hailee Corlett as Grandma, Wren Feuerhelm as Pugsley Addams, Emme Schroeder as Lurch and Melanie Ruff and Ruby Koeller as Mal and Alice Beineke.

“All our other characters are the ancestors who are deceased and come back to help figure out if Lucas is right for Wednesday, and, if it is, how can we make this happen. If they don’t, they don’t get to go back—they’re stuck roaming around,” explained Fisk.

The ancestors include both male and female parts, but Fisk said a limited number of male cast members necessitated some improvisation. 

“Right now, I have three guys on stage, and all the rest are girls. But I can easily do girls to be the ancestors. You have to look at who you’ve got and what you think is going to work,” she noted. “They are doing a really good job.”

The director credited the lighting, sound and stage crew for helping with the production. Melisa Jones serves as her assistant, while Jan Stavroplus handles costume and Ric Benzing is the accompanist.

All together, it will be a fun show, said Wille.

“The students here, we’ve had a fun time putting this on. A little stressful, but we love doing it and we’re out here to put on a show,” he shared. “If you know the Addams Family, it’s definitely going to be something new and exciting for you to watch.”

Tickets for The Addams Family are on sale now at www.showtix4u.com/event-details/68134. They will also be available at the door.