With the start of a new year, half of the Liberty Theater Workshop season is already over (I’m fighting back tears myself), but it also means that the loyal attendees have the two most fun shows to look forward to. And very few musicals come as fun as “The Addams Family”.
This Broadway adaptation of the cartoon, the series, the movies, etc. follows the family antics over two nights after a dinner party gone wrong. The daughter, Wednesday, has found love with family outcast Lucas Bieneke. The Bienekes are invited over to the Addams’ house and per usual with them, chaos ensues. Lucas’ parents are the standard cookie cutter Midwest family, loving wife and stern father.
“I’m really looking forward to playing Mal Beineke,” Connor Straus ’27 said.”With playing one, more prominent character, I really get to develop his personality throughout the musical, and it’ll be fun feeling him change in real time.”
Straus played multiple roles in “A Christmas Carol” such as Jacob Marley and Fezziwig, but isn’t the only one in the main cast getting a much deserved role and chance in the limelight.
“Grandma’s going to be a really fun role for me,” Morgan Childs ’27 said. “Typically, my focus is on props but I did the show over the summer, cutting down my workload for this one. I think that’ll give me a lot more time to nail down the lines and songs.”
Speaking of songs, vocal rehearsals have already started and Ms. Ahlborn has hit the ground running. As the new choir teacher, it will also be her first musical at Liberty, and many like her softer approach to teaching.
“I really like working with the students after school because the way the musical numbers are composed differs from what they learn in choir classes so seeing potential in another field is very beneficial” Ms. Ahlborn said. “Another one of my favorite things is seeing the progression in just two months from getting the notes down to seeing them on stage dancing around singing their heart out, it’s crazy how much can be accomplished.”
One treasured member of the choir is senior Brenden Carrion as Gomez Addams, who’s had quite the year when it comes to roles. He got the titular role in Performance Ensemble’s production of “Beetlejuice Jr.” and Ebenezer Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol” of which he shared many scenes with dear friend Connor Straus ’27.
“Me and Connor work really well together onstage.” Carrion ’26 said. “I’m excited to see how he and I contrast since in the show we play two very different people and Gomez sort of rubs off on Mal, so that sort of chemistry we’re going to have to build on is something I’m really looking forward to.”
Carrion will be starring alongside Madison Petz ’26, who has earned the role of Morticia Addams. She had taken a break from LTW junior year but has returned from hiatus and is killing it on stage.
“When I first started theater, I looked up to all the older kids, and I never thought I would ever get to play a lead,” Petz said. “I think my younger self would be proud of how far I’ve come and how much I’ve grown since then. I really hope I can inspire the current underclassmen to continue theater just like how the seniors and juniors inspired me.”
