The “Ancestors” from The Addams Family with choreographer Christine Curtis. Grand Marais Playhouse Director Sue Hennessy wanted to show them now, as you may not recognize them in the performance. (L-R, front) Hattie Meyer, Bryn Fitzgerald-Wells. (L-R, back) Amy Henrikson, Christine Curtis, Susan Bragstad, Greta Roth, Sam Kern. Not Pictured: Tina Krauz.
It was merely by chance that the Grand Marais Playhouse selected two summer shows for the summer that are slightly twisted. The process of play selection for our community theater is complicated and depends on a variety of factors. The two upcoming productions will delight audiences with a bit of unusual panache.
Ba-da-da-da…snap-snap!
Does that ring a bell? Do you remember the ’60s TV show The Addams Family with Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Lurch, Uncle Fester?
How about the more recent movies with Anjelica Houston as Morticia and Raul Julia as Gomez? Well, The Addams family is coming to the Grand Marais Playhouse stage this summer and you don’t want to miss it.
The Addams Family, a New Musical brings the kooky family together when Wednesday Addams (Amelia Roth) invites Lucas (Sam Sietsema) and his parents Mal and Alice (Mike and Karina Roth) to dinner to meet her family. She tells Gomez (Mark Abrahamson) that Lucas has proposed to her and begs him not to tell Morticia (Karen Blackburn) until after the dinner. Gomez has never kept anything from his wife. He reluctantly agrees.
What will Morticia do if she finds out? Wednesday begs her family, Grandma (Jan Healy), Uncle Fester (John Bragstad), Pugsley (Robin Henrikson), Lurch (Erika Ternes), and all of her ancestors (Amy Henrikson, Greta Roth, Hattie Meyer, Bryn Fitzgerald-Wells Sam Kern, Tina Krauz, Susan Bragstad) to be “normal” for one night! Lucas asks the same of his family.
All agree and the evening is set. The Addams Family, a New Musical is a delightfully kooky, and all together “ooky” performance!
Elderberry wine, anyone?
Arsenic and Old Lace is an American classic by Joseph Kesselring for a reason. This farcical black comedy is about Mortimer (Braidy Powers) and his two seemingly lovely elderly aunts (Louise Reavis and Beth Benson). The aunts have taken to poisoning their gentlemen boarders to “release them” from their loneliness.
Teddy (Lee), Mortimer’s brother who thinks he is Theodore Roosevelt, helps out by burying them in the cellar. He believes he is building the Panama Canal and that they are merely victims of yellow fever. Mortimer’s fiancée (Lori Hommerding), his brother Jonathon (Reed Schmidt), Jonathon’s “surgeon” (Kevin Kager) along with the police (Jan Healy, Jane Gellner, Lollie Cooper and Ron McClellan) and a potential new boarder (Bob Padzieski) fill out the cast of this hilarious performance. Come sample the elderberry “wine” for yourself if you dare.
Two delightfully dark, hilariously twisted comedies with large, talented casts make this summer theater festival a must see.
The Grand Marais Summer Theater Festival opens July 21 with Arsenic and Old Lace at 7 p.m. The Addams Family opens July 22 at 7 p.m.
You can save $5 by purchasing tickets to both shows. Tickets are $20 adults and $10 students. Performances are at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 51 West 5th Street (at the top of Broadway). All seating is general admission. Advance tickets are available online at tix.com. Box office open one hour before the show.
Check out www.grandmaraisplayhouse.com for more!
Grand Marais Playhouse Artistic Director Sue Hennessy provides this behind-the-scenes look at Grand Marais Playhouse activities.
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