At the end of March, Gateway Drama ended their year of productions with an amazingly impressive performance of The Addams Family. After putting on their successful rendition of Alice in Wonderland in the fall as their first play in a long time, the Gateway community was excited for another lively musical that showcased the singing talent of the cast as well as their acting.
Senior Jack Patrick finished out his Gateway theater career with this show playing the role of Gomez Addams, the patriarch of the Addams family. I’ve been watching Jack perform on the Gateway stage for years and his growth as a performer has been extremely impressive. His confidence, control, and comedic timing was extraordinary and he really embodied the personality of Gomez, including the slicked-back mullet! A notable song and crowd favorite for Jack was his singing in “Happy/Sad,” which many audience members reported moved them significantly, especially on the last night.
Alongside Jack was senior Allison Eckstein who played Morticia Addams for her final show at Gateway. She embodied the character well with her sassy attitude and dramatic dancing skills and really had a great stage presence for her final show. Allison has also demonstrated great growth in her career in the Gateway theater department, and it has been great for attendees to watch her confidence, range, and stage presence blossom.
Underclassman Mia Wenglicki blew the audience away yet again with her performance as Wednesday. Mia consistently shocks the audience with her stellar singing and comedy on the stage. If you listen to The Addams Family soundtrack on Spotify you would find it hard to distinguish between her voice and that of the professional. The Gateway theater department surely has a lot in store for Mia, and everyone is excited to see how she will grow and continue to impress.
Lyrah Pettolina (Pugsley), Spencer Barrett (Lurch), Frankie Hargrove (Uncle Fester), and Kayla Clancy (Grandma) were integral to The Addams Family cast as well. Lyrah, only a middle school student, had amazing story-telling skills through impressive song, Spencer cracked the audience up with his grunts and groans, Frankie, always versatile in her roles, brought great comedy and life to Uncle Fester, and Kayla left the audience in stitches with her nightly improv, song choices, and stellar grandmother impression.
As the preparation for the show was nearing completion many seniors like Jack and Allison and lower classmen as well discussed just how “organized and prepared” everyone was. They felt great going into the show, and this was certainly seen by the audience in every performance!
Jude Wenglicki, Shai Wallace, and Jackson Smith were also astounding as the Beineke family. They kept the audience laughing, entertained, and wondering what would happen next. Great things are in store for all three of these underclassmen.
As always the large ensemble was also fantastic. It was impressive how smooth the group dances were and how quickly and organized everyone moved about the stage and got into position. It is undoubtedly tricky to arrange such a large ensemble but director Paul Sommers always manages to do it well!
The stage scenery and props were equally as amazing as the performers. Gateway’s Latin teacher Ms. Cross remarked about just how allured she was by the realistic set.
The Gateway theater department knocked it out of the park yet again with this fantastic musical production, and while next year’s shows haven’t been released at this time, there is no doubt they will be just as adored by the Gateway community.
If you had a great time at The Addams Family this spring, be sure to pay attention to next year’s shows and come out to see them again! You won’t want to miss them!
