Halloween comes early: ‘The Addams Family’ stalks Morristown High, March 22-24

Will DeLargy (Gomez) and Michailia Monfalcone (Wednesday) in 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Will DeLargy (Gomez) and Michailia Monfalcone (Wednesday) in 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
0

 

There is a lot to like in this weekend’s Morristown High School production of The Addams Family, which celebrates spring with a dose of Halloween.

TAKING A SOLO: Jacob Gulisano (Uncle Fester) in 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
TAKING A SOLO: Jacob Gulisano (Uncle Fester) in ‘The Addams Family’ at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

The zombie costumes are to die for.  Sets are creepy and spooky.  The characters, mysterious and kooky. One-liners pepper the script. (“What I lack in depth, I make up for in shallowness!” proclaims Gomez/ Will DeLargy.)  The song and dance numbers are colorful.

Some clever stage business unfolds when Uncle Fester (Jacob Gulisano) dances with the moon, then blasts off.

The story depends on Michailia Monfalcone maintaining her morosity as Wednesday, who shocks herself and stuns her family by falling for a “normal” guy named Luke, played by Topher Bashant.

A preview of ‘The Addams Family’ at Morristown Onstage. Video by Chris Nuccio for MorristownGreen.com:

Monfalcone holds up her end, and hijinks ensue with her jealous brother Pugsley (Jules LaMontagne); her peeved mother, Morticia, played by the suitably vampy Nya Federoff (who will alternate shows with Brenna Thornton, who we did not see at this dress rehearsal); her nutty Grandma (Leah Frantz), and Luke’s buttoned-down parents, Mal and Alice (John Mustion III and Julia Bozza).

We would have liked seeing more of Cousin It and Thing… but that’s a generational thing.

‘The Addams Family’ slideshow photos by Katelyn Nagy and Michailia Monfalcone:

'The Addams Family' at Morristown High School, March 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
'The Addams Family' at Morristown High School, March 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
'The Addams Family' at Morristown High School, March 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
'The Addams Family' at Morristown High School, March 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
'The Addams Family' at Morristown High School, March 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
'The Addams Family' at Morristown High School, March 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
'The Addams Family' at Morristown High School, March 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
'The Addams Family' at Morristown High School, March 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
'The Addams Family' at Morristown High School, March 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
'The Addams Family' at Morristown High School, March 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
Will DeLargy as Gomez in the MHS production of 'The Addams Family,' at Morristown Onstage 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
'The Addams Family' at Morristown High School, March 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
'The Addams Family' at Morristown High School, March 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
'The Addams Family' at Morristown High School, March 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
'The Addams Family' at Morristown High School, March 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
'The Addams Family' at Morristown High School, March 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
'The Addams Family' at Morristown High School, March 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
ZOMBIES, ANYONE? Cast of 'The Addams Family,' March 2019 at Morristown High School. Photo courtesy of drama department.
From the 2019 Morristown High School production of 'The Addams Family': From left, Brenna Thornton, Will Delargy, Nya Federoff. Photo by Michailia Monfalcone.
ZOMBIE DANCE: Cast of 'The Addams Family' gives preview of Morristown High production, at Morristown Onstage 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
Brenna Thornton as Morticia in the MHS production of 'The Addams Family,' at Morristown Onstage 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
Sophomore Carly Nicolai gets made up as an Ancestor in 'The Addams Family,' March 2019. Photo by freshman Kristina LaMontagne .
MORTICIA & GOMEZ: A.k.a., Brenna Thornton and Will DeLargy, in Morristown High's 2019 production of 'The Addams Family.' Photo by Katelyn Nagy.
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-253
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-195
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-257
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-254
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-248
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-239
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-228
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-220
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-211
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-141
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-181
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-202
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-199
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-193
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-190
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-187
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-184
Resized_20190227_195825
addams family
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-244
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-176
addams
MORRISTOWN-ONSTAGE-263
PlayPause
previous arrow
next arrow
 
Shadow

A couple of famous alums liked what they saw in previews.

STAR ALUMS: Kate Croonquist, left, and Victoria Fanning visit 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
STAR ALUMS: Kate Croonquist, left, and Victoria Fanning visit ‘The Addams Family’ at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

“These kids are perfectly cast,” said Victoria Fanning, now involved in student productions at Fordham University. Fanning starred in Anything Goes at Morristown High last year.

“I want to do this show!” said Kate Croonquist, whose many MHS roles included the lead in Once Upon a Mattress.

She’s a freshman at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she has performed in a production of Sense and Sensibility.

 

‘The Addams Family’ slideshow photos by Kevin Coughlin. Hover/ click on images for captions:
Uncle Fester ( Jacob Gulisano) and Gomez (Will DeLargy) in 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Leah Frantz (Grandma), Nya Federoff (Morticia) and Will DeLargy (Gomez) in 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Ancestors in 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Michailia Monfalcone (Wednesday), Topher Bashant (Lucas Beineke) and Chris Ruiz (Lurch) in 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
LURCH'S PLATFORM in 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
John Mustion III (Mal Beineke) and Julia Bozza (Alice Beineke) in 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
DON'T FORGET TO GARGOYLE! 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
UNSUNG HERO: Freshman Dante Santaniello plays 31 percussion instruments for 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
PRAISE THE PIT: Drummer Roshan Sapra (sophomore), guitarist Julia Landi (senior) and bassist Jada Sefah (senior) in 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
GHOULS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN: Katelyn Nagy, left, and Julieta Quinteros-Amat of 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
STAR ALUMS: Kate Croonquist, left, and Victoria Fanning visit 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Julia Bozza (Alice Beineke) sings in 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Jacob Gulisano (Uncle Fester) takes a solo in 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Will DeLargy (Gomez) and Michailia Monfalcone (Wednesday) in 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Jules LaMontagne (Puglsley) prepares for some stretches in 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
FESTER & FRIENDS: Jacob Gulisano in 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
FESTER & FRIENDS: Jacob Gulisano in 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Ambience for 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Ambience for 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
P1020576
P1020676
P1020498
P1020514
P1020870
P1020648
P1020667
P1020857
P1020885
P1020886
P1020766
P1020770
P1020734
P1020689
P1020561
P1020623
P1020570
P1020803
P1020800
P1020552
P1020553
PlayPause
previous arrow
next arrow
 
Shadow

 

Other honorable mentions for The Addams Family: Chris Ruiz demonstrates the importance of work/life balance, Lurch-ing through the show on platform boots that Elton John would envy.

UNSUNG HERO: Freshman Dante Santaniello plays 31 percussion instruments for 'The Addams Family' at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
UNSUNG HERO: Freshman Dante Santaniello plays 31 percussion instruments for ‘The Addams Family’ at Morristown High, March 2019. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

And the orchestra, which for the first time in memory has no professional ringers, sounds confident on a batch of tricky Spanish-themed numbers.

Freshman Dante Santaniello gets our Unsung Hero Award. Never mind that he plays 31 percussion- and novelty instruments. We’re impressed he can name them all–right down to the bird warble.

The Addams Family runs this weekend at Morristown High School, 50 Early St. Tickets are $8-$15.

SHOW DATES:

  • FRIDAY, MARCH 22 @ 7:00 PM
  • SATURDAY, MARCH 23 @ 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM
  • SUNDAY, MARCH 24 @ 2:00 PM

MORE ABOUT ‘THE ADDAMS FAMILY’

If you’ve read this far… you clearly value your local news. Now we need your help to keep producing the local coverage you depend on! More people are reading Morristown Green than ever. But costs keep rising. Reporting the news takes time, money and hard work. We do it because we, like you, believe an informed citizenry is vital to a healthy community.

So please, CONTRIBUTE to MG or become a monthly SUBSCRIBER. ADVERTISE on Morristown Green. LIKE us on Facebook, FOLLOW us on Twitter, and SIGN UP for our newsletter.

LEAVE A REPLY