Crest Area Theatre gets creepy and kooky

What started out on television 60 years ago was adapted to the big screen and then again to the stage.

And it will be at Creston High school next weekend.

Crest Area Theatre performs “The Addams Family Musical” at 7 p.m. Friday, July 14, Saturday, July 15 and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 16. Tickets will be available at the door.

“My daughter has been lobbying me for years to do this,” said director Julia Weisshaar Mullin. “I finally said OK.”

The Addams Family is a musical comedy written by Andrew Lippa and the book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. The show is based upon The Addams Family characters created by Charles Addams in his cartoons in The New Yorker magazine, which shows a ghoulish American family with virtually everything macabre.

“People have an affinity for the original TV show,” Weisshaar Mullin said. “Then there are the ones who have watched the movies and animated movies.”

The original television show goes back to 1964 highlighting the romance between husband and wife of Gomez and Morticia Addams and how “normal” people interacted with the entire family.

“It’s macabre, kooky, dark humor but there is chemistry between Morticia and Gomez,” Weisshaar Mullin said about the stage show which debuted in 2010. She said the production is PG-13.

The musical is about the daughter Wednesday who is in her 20s and has fallen in love with a “normal” person. The plot is based on the two families getting to know each other including ancestors of the Addams family.

“Wednesday and (sibling) Pugsley do have their rivalry,” she said.

Gomez Addams- Matt Nardy

Morticia Addams - Ahdri Evans

Wednesday Addams - Marie Mullin

Fester -Brendan Millslagle

Pugsley Addams - Halle Burgmier

Grandmama - Paige Waddingham

Lurch - Issac Ralston

Alice Beineke - Sasha Smith

Mal Beineke - Jesse White

Lucas Beineke -Sam Duncan

Addams’ Ancestors - Evie Evans, Bridget Hopkins, Jarrett Kissell, Ryan Kissell, Jacob Rutz, Ellie Soosloff, Austin Seaton, Kayleigh Summers, Kaylin White, Christian White and Trinity Woody.

“As usual, we have people who have not done theatre before and they are doing well,” Weisshaar Mullin said. “There are new friendships and people making new connections.”

She added additional help is needed for backstage from props, costume and makeup.

Assisting Julia Weisshaar Mullin is Ashley J. Page. Choreographers include Trinity Woody, Leslie Tyler and Ashley J. Page. Casting adjudicators were Claudia Peppers, Madeline Gude, Jerry Huffman and Kordy Taylor with publicity by Mitzie Cellan.