The Musical

The Addams Family

The St Mary’s College production of The Addams Family took to the stage in September to perform to packed audiences at The Playhouse Theatre. The musical comedy, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and Rick Elice, is based upon The Addams Family that we all know from TV, movies and comics – a ghoulish American family with an affinity for all things macabre. The cast, crew and band consisted of 54 students from Years 7 to 12 at St Mary's College and St Virgil's College who worked solidly since February to bring the show back from the dead! Cast auditions demonstrated the depth of student talent and the decision was made to run a split cast for some principal roles in order to highlight the talent amongst our students. Since March we rehearsed after school on Mondays for choreography and Wednesdays for acting and singing, as well as Thursdays for band. We were lucky again to have SMC alumna, Georgina Taskunas as choreographer, with assistance from her sister Lucy. The entire cast was outstanding and performed brilliantly, seamlessly interacting with the split cast and the various ensembles.

Often, it is those who are seen on stage that receive the acclamations, but special mention must be made to the musicians and crew who helped bring this production to fruition. Several students were keen to be a part of the action backstage, working quickly to learn new skills. We were fortunate again to have the instruction of Matt Andrewartha as Theatre Manager for The Playhouse Theatre. Matt trained our backstage crew in stage management, lighting, fly operation and more, resulting in a most professional production. The music was challenging, but our band worked tirelessly, with the support of professional musicians who generously gave of their time and talents to help us capture the style and nuances of each piece. The Addams Family was immensely enjoyable, and it will be a show that we will remember for a long time. A huge thank you to everyone involved. Scott Weston Learning Leader of Performing Arts Leah Wallace Secondary Drama Teacher

Photographer credit: John Darby