advertisement

Fox Valley Park District brings Addams Family to life in musical

Let's say you're a father. Your baby daughter is now a young lady and she's just met an upstanding young man. You invite this new boyfriend and his parents to your home for a family dinner and, next thing you know, a sitcom breaks out.

There are misunderstandings and misgivings, all wrapped up in humor and satire. Conversations are confusing and taken out of context - hilariously. But, in the end, everything is resolved, laughter abounds, and all leave happy.

It goes the same way in "The Addams Family: A New Musical" - the latest Winter Stage production at the Fox Valley Park District - which hits the Prisco Community Center this weekend for four shows.

"The actual story is based on the comic strip, so what you have is a group of cartoon characters coming to life in a musical comedy," said Performing Arts Manager Kyle Donahue. "Like a sitcom, you have a series of simple conflicts that are twisted to be made ridiculously funny."

A cast of 50 performers ranging from children as young as 8 to adults in their early 40s has been rehearsing since early November for the four prime-time shows that will be staged at 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets are $8 and available online at www.seatyourself.biz/foxvalleyparkdistrict, which allows you to choose specific seats. Tickets are $10 at the door.

The Addams Family is more character-centric than it is plot-driven, but the story resonates as every father's nightmare - which is somewhat fitting, since Gomez Addams (Jake Elkins) and his wife Morticia (Laura Cuthbertson) enjoy living among death, pain and suffering. Strange is normal and happy is sad.

But things change when daughter Wednesday (Abby Steimel), the ultimate princess of darkness, falls in love and becomes engaged to a nice, bright, young man from a respectable family.

There's only one problem - the parents have never met this man, Lucas Beineke (Jake Ziman).

If that weren't upsetting enough, Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother, which means Gomez must now do something he's never done before - keep a secret from his beloved wife.

"And, of course, that leads to a host of other sub-conflicts," said Donahue. "Many strange things happen and everything changes for the whole family on that fateful night."

Between the Addams and Beineke families, the performance features many principal roles. But Donahue said a great added bonus is how involved the entire ensemble is throughout the entire show, especially when the Addams family's ancestors come to life in a warped and wickedly funny set of scenes.

And, more than just characters, the music is a huge feature throughout, appealing to all musical tastes. From fast and catchy contemporary tunes the kids will love to sentimental classics the older generations know and love, the melodies are never far away.

"This is a fun, all-ages show with a wide variety of musical styles and lots of humor that will bring laughs from kids and adults alike," said Donahue. "It's really the perfect family show."

As the Broadway promotions proclaim: "Come meet the family. We'll leave the lights off for you."

• Jeff Long, jlong@fvpd.net, is the public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.

If you go

What: Fox Valley Park District's Winter Stage production of "The Addams Family: A New Musical"

When: 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10; 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11

Where: Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Ave., Aurora

Tickets: $8 in advance at <a href="http://www.seatyourself.biz/foxvalleyparkdistric">www.seatyourself.biz/foxvalleyparkdistric</a>t and in-person at Prisco; $10 at the door.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.