By Jennifer Mustoe
As part of Spanish Fork‘s Fiesta Days celebration, Spanish Fork Community Theater brings us the silly, spooky, and sometimes sweet The Addams Family, and you don’t want to be caught dead missing it. The plot is simple: Wednesday Addams (Sarah Bennet) meets Lucas (Jase Jolley) and both their sets of parents freak out. The Addams are one set of weird, but we find out that Lucas’ parents are a little off, too.
The head of the family, Gomez, played convincingly by Michael Ricks, leads the show with deliberate, delightful precision. He’s got the accent and the moves and absolutely the voice. My favorite scenes are those he shares the stage with Wednesday. They have great connection and we believe he is the loving father we want him to be. Merci Hase as Morticia Addams is stunning in her long black dress, long black wig, long red nails, and remarkable voice. Her scenes with her children are also touching. Her connection to Gomez portray a loving, steamy couple. This happily married couple is faced with their first real crisis when Gomez decides to lie to Morticia about Wednesday’s secret engagement to Lucas. I loved the anguish this causes Gomes, Morticia, and Wednesday. Their family is shaken up and no one knows how to process this. As weird as this family and this show is, family shake ups of one kind or another happen. We resonate with this.
Pugsley Addams (Tyler Dimmick), Fester (BJ Wright), Grandma (Cami Jensen), and Lurch (Daxton White) make up the rest of Addams Family. Dimmick as Pugsley is funny-slash-creepy and we love it. Wright’s Fester is a serendipitous blend of sweet, loving, and a little bit nuts. I especially liked how he interacted with the ensemble players (the ancestors) with caring. It’s nice to see someone who is kind to those who have gone before. Jensen’s Grandma is hilarious. Jensen has been involved in the Spanish Fork theater scene since she was a girl, and her confidence and professionalism shows whenever she galumphs across the stage. White as Lurch is tall, dark, and spooky–in the funniest way possible. White’s Lurch is the strong, silent type, but he carries the role to its heights.
Bennet as Wednesday is brilliant. Her voice is remarkable and her acting is sassy and sweet. I could see her turmoil about wanting to be in love with a “normal” young man, knowing how this would hurt her family. And I was impressed with Bennet’s handling of the bittersweet transition Wednesday has to make from girl to young woman to sweetheart. Jolley is great in his role, and he, too, has to make the break from his “normal” parents to marry someone strange and wonderful. Jolley sells his role.
Finishing out the cast are Lucas’ parents, Alice (Kimberly Robbins) and Mal (Jacob Thomas). This couple has probably the biggest arc as they have to move from what is expected of them, the rut they’re allowed themselves to get into, and transition into more connected, authentic people and a more connected, authentic, and enlightened couple. Robbins is incredible–dancing, acting, singing. She’s the full package. Thomas’ final scenes are a hoot. I love what he does with Mal.
Some of the biggest stars in SFCT’s The Addams Family are the production team. All the costumes are great, but the cast of so many ancestors in their shades of white and grey are really stunning. Kudos to Costume Designer Bree Bunker. The living, breathing(?) group of moving set pieces made up of ancestors is marvelous. I found myself studying each costume and thinking, Well, I want that one and that one and that one. Morticia’s dramatic black ensemble, designed by Justin Knight, is yummy. Make up by Katelyn Unsworth Parente also shines in this production. Making dead ancestors appealing is no small feat. Lawson Bendell‘s Set Design is one of the best I’ve seen for community theater. It is detailed, easily moved, very appealing. Sound by Brock Larson and Lighting by Zac Lambson work well in this production. Choreographer Molly Miller gives all players, alive and dead, some spirited (get it?) moves to keep the show going strong. Director Polly Dunn gathers her group and gives them lots to do so the show is interesting to watch. Her vignettes with small groups of characters are especially appealing.
The Addams Family is a fun family show, but I will say, because of copyright laws, SFCT has to keep a few swears and one reference to pot in the show. These are not big deals, and I’m pretty sure kids won’t even see or hear it. Players with those lines are especially canny in downplaying them. I say this only because when I was in SFCT’s Hairspray, some Spanish Fork residents were concerned with the few swears in the show. So, I’ve told you about them and I’m telling you to see the show anyway. It really isn’t a big deal.
For a respite from the ridiculous heat we’re suffering from (the theater is nice and cool) and because Spanish Fork Community Theater has put together an effective, zany, and wonderful show, come see The Addams Family.
Spanish Fork Community Theater presents The Addams Family, book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa.
Spanish Fork High School Auditorium, 99 N 300 W, Spanish Fork, UT 84660
July 21-22, 28-29, 2022 7:00 PM, July 23, 25, 30, 2022 2:00 PM
Tickets: Adults $10, Seniors (65 & older) and Students (Jr & Sr High) $8, Children (11 & younger) $6,
Group pass (max. 6 people) $40
Spanish Fork Arts Council Facebook Page
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