Arrowhead High School’s Broadway Company has been working hard on their production of The Addams Family. The musical runs October 14th, 15th, 16th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd. Tickets can be purchased on the Arrowhead website at https://www.greateventseats.com/events.php?lID=174.

In the musical production of the popular television show from the 60s, Wednesday Addams, the dark and wicked daughter of the family falls in love with a normal boy named Lucas. Lucas and his family are invited to the Addams’ household for dinner. This causes conflict and confusion for the Addams family as Wednesday grows from her dark, devilish self, into a mature woman to impress Lucas and his family. At dinner, everything goes downhill and the families have to work together in order to fix their issues.

Ellie Taubner, a senior member of the Broadway Company, plays Wednesday, along with Riley Preston.Taubner has been a member of Broadway Company since her sophomore year.

Taubner and Preston two switch off playing Wednesday every other night. Preston plays the part the 14th, 16th, and 21st, and Ellie is the opposite days.

Taubner says her favorite number is “The Tango” because it shows the Broadway Company’s talent for dancing. She says it’s all around a cool number. She also says she likes “Crazier Than You” because it is upbeat and funny.

Also in the show are senior Jackson Calhoun, who plays Gomez; senior Annika De Vogel who plays Morticia; Nathan Reimer, a middle school student from Swallow School who plays Pugsley; junior, Eamon Schiro, who plays Fester; senior, Jon Olsen, who plays Lurch; junior, Maria Bielke, who plays Grandma; senior, Emma Estenson, who plays Alice; junior Matthew Nienhaus,who plays Lucas; and Senior, Matthias Woods, who plays Mal. Other members of Broadway Company without a lead role are Addams family ancestors.

The Broadway Company has been rehearsing since summer for this production. They learned the choreography in one week during the summer.

Since the beginning of the school year, they have had practice everyday for about three to four hours.

The week before the show is tech week. This is when the whole production is put together with lights, makeup and costumes. This also involves staying late into the night.

Arrowhead’s stage crew works backstage with lights, sound, set pieces, backdrops and scenery.

Seniors in Broadway Company have different captain roles. The dance captains are seniors, Matthias Woods, Sian Davis, and Gabby Stadler. There are also roles such a vocal captain and acting captain.

Ellie Taubner says, “I’m really excited for this show because it shows how fun and different the Broadway Company is. We get to showcase our different talents and how well we all work together.”

Grace Bielski and Gustavo Chaviano are the choir directors at Arrowhead and are also in charge of the Broadway Company. They supervise and teach vocals. Chaviano has had experience with the Addams family production and says he chose it as this year’s musical because he really liked it.

Woods, a senior in the Broadway Company who plays Lucas says, “It is really exciting to be both a lead and a dance captain because I get to see how much the show has grown from four months ago.”

When this show ends, Broadway starts rehearsing for Music Theater Nights which is their spring production in which the students produce, direct, and run numbers from various musicals.