The Addams Family rehearsals

The Addams Family rises again!

By Rachel McLaughlin • 2 months ago

Feb
2024

In March 2020, after only two nights, the Letterkenny Musical Society had to cut short their production of The Addams Family.

But four years later, they are back and even more spooktacular than before!

“Ah, the intoxicating smell of the graveyard” – When these are the opening words of a show, you know that something different is in the works, and so it came to pass in 2020 when the first Covid 19 shutdown closed An Grianan Theatre just as the LMS run of The Addams Family was kicking off.

Now, it’s time to finish what they started as the world was changing irrevocably around us.

From Tuesday 5th to Saturday 9th March, Letterkenny Musical Society brings The Addams Family back to life at An Grianan Theatre.

The Addams Family rehearsals are well underway with just over a week to go until opening night on 5th March

The Addams Family production team

The 2010 musical is a stand-alone story featuring the family first created by cartoonist Charles Addams in 1938. Gomez and Morticia Addams live in a house in New York’s Central Park, along with their children Wednesday and Pugsley. Gomez’s brother Fester also lives with them, as does Granny and their butler, Lurch.

Normal enough so far, but then we meet Cousin It, and dozens of the family’s ghostly ancestors, who are trapped in the physical world so they can help Wednesday through a crisis.

She is in love!

Specifically, she’s secretly engaged to Lucas Beineke, the ‘normal’ son of a strait-laced couple from Ohio, whose lifestyle and attitude is a million miles away from what the Addams Family is used to.

Wednesday wants the two families to meet, so she decides to invite them to dinner. However, she does so on the one day of the year in which all the Addams Family members gather in the graveyard to dance with their ancestors…….as you do.

Wednesday tells Gomez about her engagement, but swears him to secrecy, believing that once the dinner is over, they can tell Morticia and she won’t, as Wednesday fears “ask a lot of embarrassing questions and ruin the whole thing”.

Sarah Terry Sweeney as Morticia Addams and Giles Murray as Gomez Addams

Needless to say, all does not go according to plan, and we find ourselves witnessing a summit which makes ‘Meet the Fockers’ seem like a polite side meeting on the fringes of a UN convention.

The situation isn’t helped by the fact that Morticia senses there’s something afoot and agrees to the dinner only on condition that they also play “The Game”, otherwise known as Full Disclosure.

Wednesday begs the family to allow her just One Normal Night, while Lucas makes the same plea to his parents Alice and Mal. We just sit back, knowing that sparks are bound to fly.

Set over the course of a single 24 hours, The Addams Family will take you through a roller coaster of emotions, accompanied by a host of belly laughs, some deliciously wicked one liners, and a liberal helping of devilish puns, all set to a musical backdrop that will work its way into your head and have you still humming snippets for weeks to come!

The Addams Family rehearsals

The Addams Family rehearsals

This is Letterkenny Musical Society’s 23rd show in An Grianan Theatre, and follows the huge success of Kinky Boots last year. Once again, Maria Rushe directs, bringing her unique vision to the stage with the support and guidance of Producer Noel O’Donnell, with superb choreography from Emmett Stewart and a full orchestra, conducted by Musical Director Gerard Bradley.

As ever, the cast is a mix of familiar faces and new talent. LMS is particularly proud and delighted to be bringing some new faces to the stage, while a number of old faces return, some for the 23^rd time!