Post date: Mar 31, 2017 2:00:02 PM
The Iona Prep Players’ production of The Addams Family is “Just Around the Corner.” The performances will be held on Friday, March 31, and Saturday, April 1, at 7p.m., as well as Sunday, April 2, at 3 p.m. in the Tully Gymnasium.
The Addams Family is a macabre, yet comedic musical that tells the tale of the kooky and spooky Gomez and Morticia Addams and the rest of their family. But when their only daughter Wednesday falls in love with an extraordinarily normal and pleasant boy named Lucas, the Addams’ world is flipped upside down.
Mr. Jason Summers, the show’s director and an Iona Prep alumni himself, is overjoyed to be carrying on the tradition of the Prep Players. He says, “The Addams Family is a show I've wanted to do for a while with the Prep Players, and this year, I felt we had the right combination of people to make it work. The characters are eccentric and vibrant, so it's important that you have the right group of actors to make the show work.”
Along with Mr. Summers, this production was made possible by Mr. George Croon, the music director and by Mr. Sloat, an upper school mathematics teacher, who serves as the club’s moderator.
The members of the Prep Players are just as excited to perform this musical as Mr. Summers. Noah Darden, a junior, who is playing Uncle Fester says, “I really like getting to play an odd and quirky character. It's a big challenge, but the reward of reaching outside of my comfort zone is worth it. However, my favorite part about the show itself is the final song “Move Toward the Darkness”.
Despite varying degrees of talents, differing interests, and age gaps, every cast member can agree that the Iona Prep stage is home.
“The Prep Players is a true family unlike any other group I've experienced,” says Ciara McAloon, a senior from Ursuline School, who is playing the matriarch of the family, Morticia. “When I was a sophomore, I joined the club. I went in as a reserved girl who didn't like to speak unless spoken to; by the end of that show, everything changed. I met so many people who were immensely bold and confident. They taught me to be ridiculous and proud of myself. Since then, I've made many of my closest friends in the Prep Players. We all care so much about each other, and we all praise each other for being bold and being ourselves. They turn all of my bad days into good ones, and I can't imagine a better family to have.”
Although the Prep Players is a place for fun and family, the cast and crew have been working extremely hard to prepare this production, and encourage all members of the Iona Prep community to attend. They promise to offer an experience that will be anything but “One Normal Night.”
-Michael Bachmann