A zombie butler, mock explosions, and two star-crossed lovers— all are on stage this month for the fall musical The Addams Family. In case you’ve been under a rock this past, I don’t know, 80 years… the Addams are a grim, spooky, but comedic family originating from a comic strip. Since then they’ve had a classic TV series, a live action movie series, and an animated one. There was even a The Addams Family branded Burger King meal this Halloween.
The family consists of Gomez, Morticia, Grandma, Fester, Pugsley (who will be played by a Minnetonka 5th grader), and Wednesday (featured in the hit Netflix series Wednesday). The humor comes from the ridiculousness of their family traditions and the conflict that arises when they interact with “normal” people. In the musical version, drama ensues as Wednesday falls in love with very normal Lucas and invites his family to dinner at the Addams estate.
The musical premiered in Chicago as the theatrical debut of the franchise before transferring to Broadway. There, it starred the Broadway legends Nathan Lane as Gomez and Kevin Chamberlin as Fester. The production was a success, closing after 700 performances. The show was completely reworked before having a U.S. National Tour, the version that would later be a favorite among high school, community, and regional theaters.
“The Addams Family is one of the most popular musicals to be produced by high schools over the last decade,” informed Lauren Bartelt, Minnetonka Theatre Associate Director. She explained how they strived to create a unique production, “finding the heart and playing homage to the original sitcom.”
Minnetonka Theatre employs two professional theater directors year round, as well as a team of technical managers and educators. Minnetonka Theatre is known for its advanced program which regularly sends students to work in professional theater, both on and off the stage. Students can audition for both musicals and plays, work backstage, and volunteer as an usher.
The program is beloved by students, such as Jaren Whiting, ‘28, who said “it’s just so fun. Everybody is so nice and it’s great to get to know new people.” He is one of the many freshmen this year who came after doing middle school shows. Also, a few people every year transfer to Minnetonka just for the theater program. Ella Schumacher, ‘26, transferred from Eden Prairie to MHS “for the theater” because she’d “seen the amazing shows that they’ve put on.” She has since been casted as the understudy for one of the leads, Alice, and is considering theater as a career.
You can see her, Jaren, and the whole 54 person cast this November during shows every weekend through the 24th. If this show doesn’t work out, you can also catch both winter plays and the spring musical, Anything Goes, later this school year.
