This year’s annual SCHS spring musical should ring a bell for some, with its musical adaptation of the original musical, “The Addams Family,”  which finishes its run with two performances this Friday and Saturday evening.

In the musical, Gomez Addams, the patriarch of the Addams family – a family famous for their bizarre, macabre behaviors and equally bizarre home – struggles with his daughter Wednesday when she falls in love with Lucas Beineke, a normal human.

She then invites his family to dinner at her family’s home, hoping to announce her plan to marry Lucas in front of both families.  The usual dark humor associated with the Addams family, such as their hatred of bright colors and love of darkness, is soon accompanied by musical fun.

The drama department did a fantastic job with the set. Its design and art re-create the macabre atmosphere of the Addams family and their home.  The orchestra captures the familiar Addams family theme song and brings the musical numbers to life, although the players lack volume at times.

As usual with plays, it was double-cast, meaning one set of students play the roles for performances on one day and another set on another.  I was lucky to catch both casts during last week’s Friday and Saturday performances.

Khalil Malik shines as Gomez, despite this being only his third play.  Instead of the traditional American accent, Malik went for a Transylvanian one, spiced up by a Spanish touch reflecting his ethnic origins.     

Malik is perfectly paired with Citlali Pizarro and Valerie Vo, who are double-cast in the role of Gomez’s wife, Morticia Addams.  As Morticia, Pizarro and Vo are like two halves of the same great coin.  Both provide audiences with the mysterious, macabre elegance that is Morticia.     

The same coin principle applies to the double-casting of Wednesday Addams, with Katie Patterson playing up Wednesday’s deadpan sarcastic nature, while Gabrielle Blackhurst portrays a more emotional Wednesday. As Uncle Fester, Sean McBride brings a tamed and refined touch, while Jacob Scheuerman’s portrayal is more wild and raw.

Pugsley Addams is played by Patrick Ocock.  Ocock nails his portrayal with a flawless rendering of Pugsley’s bratty attitude.  Towering over the whole family is the butler Lurch played by Lav Jovanovic. I’m happy to say that he captures Lurch’s slow, zombie, Frankenstein mannerisms and strong silent-type personality perfectly.   

As for the Beinekes, Lucas is played by Jason Singh and Devin Wong, with Wong portraying a down-to-earth Lucas, while Singh’s Lucas is more dominating, with his superior height and deep, booming voice.  Alice Beineke is played by Antonella Doblanovic and Alyssa Archiga; Archiga best captures Alice’s fall into darkness and insanity.   Doblanovic portrays a more desperate and emotional Alice.

The Achilles’s heel of the play is that it missed two key Addams family members, Thing and Cousin Itt, but the play did a great job without them.  Overall, the play is a must see for both casts no matter the price.  You simply must see both to fully experience the dark, macabre goodness of the Addams Family, SCHS style.  Both are worth every penny.

“The Addams Family” will hit the stage April 8 and 9, Friday and Saturday, both at 7 p.m. in the SCHS theatre.  General admission tickets are $10, tickets for students with a Student ID are $8, and for drama students they are $5.