“The Addams Family” opens as CUNE’s first musical since pandemic

Photo credit: Josiah Seabaugh

Josiah Horvath

Sower Staff

Concordia’s first musical since fall 2019, “The Addams’ Family,” opened over the weekend in Weller Hall to applause and laughter as it focused on the love between Lucas Beineke, played by sophomore Sam Matthias, and Wednesday Addams, played by senior Michelle Hernandez.

The play is based on the comics and TV series of the same name by Charles Addams, which were popular in the 1960s.

A marriage proposal by Beineke to Addams leads to the two families meeting for dinner. The plot follows the relations between the eccentric Addams family and the more normal Beineke family, and between characters within the families.

“I am very pleased with the audience that we got,” said Bryan Moore, director of the musical and professor of theater arts. “I hoped they enjoyed it — [it] sounded like they enjoyed it — the audience was very receptive to the show.” There was much applause and much laughter from the audience.

“The cast has been working hard for these past couple months, and it was great to see everything come together,” Moore said. “I thought everyone in the show did a great job. It’s a talented group, and it’s been a pleasure to work with them. The technical elements worked really well, and the actors worked really well with those technical parts.”

Moore said there was a small problem with audio feedback, but adjustments were made, and the cast did a good job of working through it.

It was the first musical by the theatre department since the pandemic, which Moore said was a factor, along with the construction of the new music building. He said this meant “we were all over the place, theater-wise.”

“Because of the pandemic we were not able to really do theater in the traditional way that we had,” Moore said. “It was a good couple years before we were able to do theater full-on, and by the time that happened they started doing the renovation for the Borland Center.”

There are three more chances to watch the musical: Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Admission for students is $8, and for everyone else is $15. Tickets may be purchased at the CUNE Bookstore or the entrance to Weller Auditorium.