Though Halloween is months away, spookiness filled the air as P.S. 207 students performed their production of The Addams Family: The Musical in all its gothic, gloomy comedic glory.
On May 24th and 25th, there were four outstanding performances of The Addams Family with two ensemble casts, “That One Day of the Week” and “Stars of the Graveyard,” in front of families and faculty at the school, located at 4011 Fillmore Avenue.
After a production of Legally Blonde in February, director and choreographer Kimberly Simek wanted to do something opposite of Legally Blonde, which focused more on serious topics such as feminism and college education. Simek wanted something more comedic and eccentric.
“I wanted a show that was the absolute opposite – to give the students a chance to exercise a different part of their theatricality,” said Simek. “I thought it would be great to just give them the chance to be silly, goofy, wild and unhinged, and explore that side of them.”
The musical follows Wednesday Addams (Michelle Powers), now older, as she has fallen in love with a very ordinary man and is struggling to tell her mother the news that she is engaged to him. With her fiancé’s family coming over for dinner, both families are unaware of a night full of revealed secrets with marriages, even potential ones, on the line.
Notable cast member standouts include Powers, King Fitzgerald and Conor Lawson, who played Wednesday, Gomez and Uncle Fester, respectively. Powers played an unsure Wednesday worried about her future life with her loved one, while Fitzgerald perfectly played a conflicted man, torn between his loyalty to his daughter and his wife. Lawson provided many laughs with his charisma and comedic timing.
“It’s been a really amazing time, like performing, rehearsing, and this whole drama family aspect really just made it all better,” said Powers.
Parents as well loved the production and enjoyed seeing their children go all out with their talents.
“I’m very happy that he got a chance to play Gomez because he’s been acting since four or five,” said Melisa Alexander, Fitzgerald’s mother. “So for him to do this show was really amazing. To even do it twice because he was with this cast and the other cast, I was shocked, but he did it. He loves what he does.”