'Addams Family' musical focuses on the normal dynamics of a strange family

The Addams Family has endured various incarnations -- including the Broadway musical to be performed at Southeast Missouri State University -- because we all want to embrace the weird things that bring us together, according to director Michael McIntosh.

"I think what is exciting about this show is that it's all about being a family and finding out what your family is," McIntosh said. "And that, whatever it is, no matter how ooky, kooky and spooky, it's about being part of your family and part of who you are. And I think all of us at some point in our lives have felt like outsiders or felt weird. It's all about that. It's all about weirdness and embracing who you are -- embracing your family."

The musical, which opens Wednesday at the Bedell Performance Hall at Southeast's River Campus, is based on the characters from the Charles Addams cartoons but has an original story by Andrew Lippa, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.

"Wednesday Addams, the princess of darkness, invites a boyfriend over to have dinner with the family, but the boyfriend is 'normal' and from Ohio," McIntosh said. "The two families meet and hilarity ensues because Wednesday decides she wants to marry this boy, but the family doesn't approve."

Jose Alpizar, who plays Addams patriarch Gomez, said his character faces the hardest decision of his life when Wednesday entrusts him with the secret of her engagement. Gomez then has to choose whether to lie to his wife or betray his daughter.

A dress rehearsal for The Addams Family Musical in Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall at the River Campus Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015. The show opens Sept. 30. (Glenn Landberg)

"They are such iconic characters, so [we had to find] how to bring them to life without copying the TV show or copying Charles Addams' cartoons," McIntosh said. "It was challenging and exciting, and I think we've kept the spirit of the characters, but we have our own SEMO twists on them."

McIntosh said this was possible because of the great cast that was able to take on these strong characters, as well as to sing and dance to the diverse song styles throughout the show.

"The music is all different styles," McIntosh said. "You have vaudeville, you have Broadway, we have Spanish, and we have many different styles of dancing. We have a tango, the cha-cha, old school hoofin' and a little bit of tap dancing, so it's all very eclectic. And that matches the family that is also very eclectic and kooky."

Michelle Contrino, the show's choreographer, said the principal characters' movements emulate the eclecticism and individualism of the Addams family.

"Morticia is so much more vertical and so much more demure and cooler," Contrino said. "A lot of her stuff is a little smoother. For Gomez, there is machismo and that kind of Latin movement that's sexual but also playful. A lot of what they bring to their characters with their words and songs are easy to transfer to their movement."

Contrino added that individualism even applied to the show's chorus, which is made up of Addams ancestors risen from the grave. She said each ancestor comes from his or her own time period, complete with different personalities and costumes that range from cave men to flappers.

Hannah Brake, who plays Morticia, said although the characters are strange, they are fundamentally human and relatable.

"She's just a normal housewife," Brake said. "She's very loving and is a caring mother and passionate wife. That's all underneath the black clothes, and she just has a few interesting hobbies. She is a normal woman; you just don't see that immediately."

Brake added the toughest part of putting together the production was the immense dances, including an eight-minute tango in act two.

"We started a week before school [started], and we rehearsed eight-hour days for six days that week," McIntosh said. "So we rehearsed 48 hours before school started, which was all of the intricate and complicated dancing. Once school started, we rehearsed at night, and we put in all the blocking and rehearsed the music."

McIntosh said this week, they started working with the "amazing, awesome and expansive set" that goes through various locations around the Addams mansion, including the graveyard and dining room. McIntosh said the set will spill out into the audience.

The production is a very high-tech show, McIntosh said, using moving set pieces, full-screen projections and various puppets, but the ultimate goal of the production is to give the audience joy and to incite laughter.

"Sometimes when things strike us as odd or we think, 'Do this just to be strange,' they will do it, and we'll keep it just so it is out of the box and doesn't become bland. Because I think most people will come for the characters," Contrino said. "They don't know the storyline, but they go for the characters and who they are. And I think it's up to us to put quirkiness and funny things in to add to those characters."

"I want the audience to have a good time," McIntosh added. "That's what I'm looking for."

Performances are scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Oct. 3 and at 2 p.m. Oct. 4.

Tickets are $22 and $19 and may be purchased by contacting the River Campus box office in the Cultural Arts Center, 518 S. Fountain St., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, by calling (573) 651-2265 or online at RiverCampusEvents.com.

Pertinent address:

518 S. Fountain St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.