With more than 700 people attending the opening weekend of San Benito High School’s “The Addams Family,” the production has already demonstrated how excited the local community is for live theater to return, the show’s director noted.
“The crowds had so much energy, they laughed and cheered so loudly all night,” Director Derek Barnes said. “It was something I had not really experienced in a community theater setting in a long time. It was great to see audience members going up to actors that they did not know and showering them with accolades about how well they performed in this show.”
“The Addams Family” opened March 25-26 at San Benito High’s auditorium.
Additional performances are scheduled for March 31, April 1 and April 2. To avoid long lines and get seats ahead of time, spectators are encouraged to purchase tickets online at https://gofan.co/app/school/CA19923.
The cast of “The Addams Family” features 28 talented students who have been practicing since early January to prepare the show for the local community.
The show focuses on the characters from the classic television show and movies. But the local high school production adds an element of love, Barnes said, as character Wednesday Addams wants to fit in and have a normal family as she introduces them to her new boyfriend.
The SBHS show is based on the book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. Characters were created by Charles Addams.
Barnes and the cast have been working with choreographer Amy Waran and vocal director Kayla Chizek to bring the stage production to life.
“San Benito Community, you do not want to miss this show—it is like a small piece of Broadway in our tiny community,” said Barnes.
