‘The Addams Family’ serving up spooky fun starting this weekend at the Rhode Center for the Arts

Strange, deranged and forever lovable.

“The Addams Family,” a musical comedy featuring America’s most outlandish cast of characters, opens for a three-weekend run on Friday (Oct. 21) at the Rhode Center for the Arts, 514 56th St.

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The show continues Oct. 28-30 and Nov. 4-5.

Tickets are available online. The cost is $15 ($13 for students and senior citizens).

Directed by former Kenosha Unified School District Theatre Arts standout Colin Swanson, “The Addams Family” is a two-hour comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family and defines the true meaning of “normal.”

“It’s a wonderful story for the spooky season,” said Swanson, a 2018 Indian Trail High School and Academy graduate. “It’s a relatable show about families blending together and combining their cultures as one.”

The cast is a mix itself featuring a number of former KUSD stars — including Indian Trail graduate Sage Holloway and Miss Kenosha Jenna Zeihen, a Bradford High School product — along with a collection of talented newcomers.

Kenosha’s Carla Wilson, the mother of local theater veteran Katelyn Wilson, is performing a leading role as “Morticia Addams” in her first-ever production.

“It’s a wonderful story for the spooky season.”

– Colin Swanson, director

“I love seeing this cast grow,” Swanson said. “During tryouts, we had a few people that were so intimidated they didn’t know if they had what it takes to be in the cast. I saw something in them. As we started running the show, they became more comfortable.”

Rhode veteran Matthew Leptich is a natural as “Gomez Addams.” The Trevor resident has performed the lead role multiple times with area theater companies and excels at bringing the character to life.

“He came into the audition using the accent,” Swanson said. “Never once have we heard his real voice.”

The show is choreographed by Kenosha’s Rachel Skowronski. The recent Carthage College graduate incorporated several dance numbers into the show, adding vibrance to a ghoulish production.

“The music is so catchy that you just feel like dancing to it,” Swanson said. “Even though you might not know all of the lyrics, you just feel happy when you leave.”

“Wednesday Addams” (played by Zeihen and Katie Gordon) falls in love with respectable, young man “Lucas Beineke” (Riley Beckett) and seeks her parents approval for marriage. 

The Addams invite “Lucas” and his parents over for dinner to meet the entire family, including Pugsley (Evan Kohlmeier), Fester (Holloway and Ryan McNeil), Grandma Addams (Sarah Johnson), Lurch (Rob Fleming) and Cousin It (Eli Kohlmeier).

As you might expect, hilarity ensues.

“These characters are so iconic,” Swanson said. “Everyone can relate to them. That’s how it’s survived for so many years.”

Addams Family Production Team

• Director: Colin Swanson
• Choreographer/Assistant Director: Rachel Skowronski
• Music Director: Brianna Santelli
• Assistant Music Director: Bryan Chung
• Stage Manager: Sydney Zeihen
• Scenic Designer: Colin Swanson
• Scenic Artists: Colin Swanson, Rachel Skowronski, Kristina Harris
• Soundboard Operators: Rachel Skowronski, Zach Wilson
• Lightboard Operator: Sydney Zeihen
• Makeup Designer: Jade Jarina
• Spot Operator No. 1: Kristen Bahr
• Spot Operator No. 2: Donovan Shanahan
• Backstage/Makeup Crew: Lily Freund, Brooke Strecker
• Photographer: Devon Henningfield

Cast List

• Gomez Addams: Matthew Leptich
• Morticia Addams: Carla Wilson
• Wednesday Addams: Jenna Zeihen, Katie Gordon
• Pugsley Addams: Evan Kohlmeier
• Fester Addams: Sage Holloway, Ryan McNeil
• Grandma Addams: Sarah Johnson
• Lurch Addams: Rob Fleming
• Lucas Beineke: Riley Beckett
• Alice Beineke: Chynna Chung
• Mal Beineke: Bryan Chung
• Cousin It: Eli Kohlmeier
• Alice Beineke Understudy: Abby Miller
• Ancestors: Kristina Harris, Lilly Johnson, Maren Van Schyndel, Molly Grabiel, Maddison Crecchio, Abby Miller, Emily Chapman, Lexi Olivares, Austin Hill, Hunter Turvaville, Jenna Zeihen, Katie Gordon, Sage Holloway.