On the evening of March 19, 2026, I was introduced into the world of a spooky, eccentric household during the Addams Family musical, presented by the Montoursville Area High School Theatre Departments. The story follows the Addams, composed of mother Mortricia and father Gomez, eldest daughter Wednesday and brother Pugsley, along with Uncle Fester and grandmother “Grandmama”. There is one family rule that Mortricia claims keeps romance alive: never keep secrets. However, an incident changes the family dynamic forever. Wednesday, in love with a comparingly normal boy named Lucas, begs her father to keep her plans of marriage a secret from her mother until after the elaborate dinner she has planned. Gomez ends up caught in a pressing dilemma– there is no choice but to either keep a secret from his wife, or break his daughter’s trust. Wednesday begs for “one normal night”, trying not to make a horrifying impression on Lucas’s ordinary, American Dream-esque family. Of course, though, the dinner goes nothing like she had hoped it to be.
The castings for the star roles of the show were spectacularly accurate. Sophomore Christian Berwanger, playing Gomez, managed to pull off the character’s distinct Spanish accent, which was strikingly different from his regular voice. I could hardly believe I was listening to the same person! Berwanger did amazing at conveying Gomez’s exaggerated, boisterous personality, using grand hand gestures and even dramatically sliding on the floor while attempting to beg for Mortricia’s forgiveness. Another striking feature of his role was his ability to sing in a vast range, even while putting on an accent. One moment, he’s singing in a low tone about his internal woes, and the next, he’s blabbering in a rushed pitch that is common with Gomez. Being a sophomore already in a star role, I’m anticipating seeing the way his talent will grow even more in future productions.
Another casting that caught my attention was Junior Elias Rodriguez as Uncle Fester, the oddball brother of Gomez who provides moments of comedic relief and narrates the story through ukulele songs to the ghostly ancestors. In my in-school experiences with him, he is usually reserved and quiet. Yet when he takes the stage, a whole new side of him appears. Songs such as “The Moon and Me”, where Fester humorously sings about his love for the moon, shows Rodriguez’s ability to add comedic value to the production. Rodriguez was effective in moving the plot along with Fester’s songs detailing the curse he put on the ghosts to stay above ground until Wednesday finds her true love. Although he was only a supporting character, Rodriguez had his moments to shine, and he used his moments well. He did excellent at portraying the childlike, joyous character, and I’m excited to see him hopefully play more roles in next years’ theater productions.
As for the production aspects of the show, I was pleasantly surprised by the use of lighting in the auditorium to create special effects that help you immerse yourself in the experience of the story. Particular moments such as the main lights flickering during a lightning strike in a storm, or side lights in the auditorium being shone a bright red during the tango scene between Mortricia and Gomez, enhance the feeling of realness and romance respectively. Another thing that fascinated me was the set. When I got the chance to see it up–close, I gasped. It wasn’t anything extravagant, a simple scene of the Addams’s living room, complete with wooden stairs leading up to a small balcony area which represented a hallway. But the details like the bookshelf on the right side, the gorgeous reddish orange used for the walls, and the ghoulish green candlelights used gave it that creepy feeling that is uniquely Addams. The tech and the set crews deserve praise for their hard work at bringing this musical to life, and I can’t thank them enough!
Leaving the auditorium, there was a memorably heavy fog which matched the visual theme of the musical. It made me reflect back on what I had just watched, and I realized just how star-struck it left me. To see all of these students I know, some of which are only freshmen, showing their talents in singing, dancing, and acting, made me proud. The Addams Family musical will be remembered for me as the best high school performance I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing performed at Montoursville Area High School. If you wish to see how the crazy evening dinner pans out, I’d highly recommend seeking out chances to see this performance in person.
Socials