'They're creepy and they're kooky' 'The Addams Family' premieres Friday at Moses Lake High School

MOSES LAKE — The tale of an, um, kind of, um, unusual family comes to the Moses Lake High School stage as the MLHS drama group presents “The Addams Family” at the MLHS theater, 803 East Sharon Ave.

The curtain goes up at 7 p.m. Friday, the first of six performances. The matinee is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, with a 7 p.m. show Saturday night. The play continues at 7 p.m. Nov. 10 and 11, and at 2 p.m. Nov. 11.

The play is based on the classic cartoons of Charles Addams, who first created thel family in 1938. The cartoons ran in the New Yorker magazine until Addams’ death in 1988. The cartoons inspired two television shows, which inspired two movies.

The musical takes its cue from the 1991 movie, said MLHS director Sabrina Haesche. The play originally premiered on Broadway in 2010.

The Addams family – Morticia and Gomez, their children Wednesday and Pugsley, family relative Fester and the butler Lurch – have Moved On as the play opens. “Wednesday is (about) 19 now, and she’s engaged,” Haesche said. But Wednesday (Claire Smith in MLHS production) must introduce the family to her fiancé Lucas Beineke (Garrett McLain).

So – how exactly will Gomez (Deacon Garza) and Morticia (Rachel Law) react when they meet Mal (Will Gelinas) and Alice (Karlye Shank)? And how will Mal and Will react? After all, the two families “don’t find out (about the engagement) until mid-show,” Haesche said.

The Addams Family isn’t alone; they’re attended not just by the faithful Lurch (Marcus Gobel), but also the Ancestors. The Ancestors can’t be seen by anybody but Fester (Olive Carrell). “They’re on stage a ton,” a lot more than the chorus in most plays, Haesche said.

Haesche said she chose the play in consultation with MLHS music department director David Holloway, who is the vocal director. “I really liked the story when I read it,” and she was attracted by its music. “The music is happy and dancy,” upbeat and fun, she said. The show celebrates “the weirdness in everybody,” she said, and she liked that message.

It’s a big show with an elaborate set, one that requires a stage crew of 10 to 12 people. “A lot of props, a lot of set pieces. It’s been – a ride.”

Moses Lake band instructor Dan Beich directs the orchestra; D. Jay Kendall is the technical director. Danielle Boss is the choreographer, and Stevena House-Labadie is the costume director.

Tickets are $12 for the evening shows, $10 for the matinee, and people can obtain a code for a $2 discount by buying online. Tickets are available at the door and online at http://our.show/moseslakehighschool/382.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.