Around 80 Central DeWitt students in grades 9-12 are putting on a musical this weekend under the guidance of a new director and a veteran stage manager.
Central DeWitt will present “The Addams Family” musical at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, and Saturday, Nov. 16, at the Central DeWitt Performing Arts Center in DeWitt.
Allison Swanson, who is the secretary at Ekstrand Elementary, is the new director. A Northeast High School graduate, she earned her bachelor’s degree in theater from St. Ambrose University. As an actor herself, she is all about collaborating with her young cast.
“They have their own ideas and they’re inspired in their own ways,” she said.
Senior Brady Herington returns for his final go as a high school musical stage manager, and he was faced with a production with 23 scenes. Some share set pieces, which he designed and built with his crew of students and volunteers, including his father, Bryan.
The largest set is the The Grand Hall of the Addams mansion and it nearly fills the height and width of the stage. Still, it can be hidden by a black curtain to allow for sets from other scenes, however, which include a graveyard, a forest, a boudoir, a man cave, an office and a crypt. They also made a torture room, which he said was a “delight to build” in the same way actors enjoy playing over-the-top bad guys.
He’s enjoyed giving performers environments that they are awestruck walking into. Herington said he drew inspiration for the set designs for this musical from watching online videos of other productions.
He expects this to be his final musical sets as his interests trend more toward instrumental music. As a member of the Central Dewitt band, he plays a variety of woodwinds. He also has been chosen for the All-State Band for two years in a row as a bass clarinet player. It’s the highest individual achievement for high school instrumental musicians in Iowa.
The plot of “The Addams Family” musical centers around a grown up Wednesday Addams who loves a smart young man from a respectable family. It opened on Broadway in 2010 with Nathan Lane as Gomez and Bebe Neuwirth as Morticia.
CAST
Matthew Boeding — Gomez Addams
Leah Marvin — Morticia Addams
Caleb Olson — Uncle Fester Addams
Emily Sutton — Wednesday Addams
Lilly Reed — Grandma
Noah Ericksen — Pugsley Addams
Callan Hursey — Lurch
Nile Hootman — Mal Beineke
Brooklyn Quick — Alice Beineke
Adam Wilke — Lucas Beineke
Victoria Brassard — ensemble
Molly Burken — ancestor
Lauren Burmeister — Cousin Itt
Grace Burzlaff — ensemble
Jack Butler — ancestor
Gabby Ciriac — ancestor
Suzie Cox — ancestor/Young Wednesday
Addi Cronk — ancestor
Selah Douthart — ensemble
Gracie Garrow — ensemble
Dresden Gibson — ancestor
Allie Grager — ensemble
Jack Gravert — ancestor
Grace Hendrickson — ancestor
Onyx Kildow — ensemble
Marie Klostermann — ancestor
Adalyn Leistikow — ensemble
Beck Maricle — ancestor
Laura Martens — ancestor
Ella McDonough — ensemble
Adelynne Meyer — ensemble
Melanie Miller — ancestor
Faith Petersen — ensemble
Anna Prosise — ancestor
Hattie Rickertsen — ensemble
Maddie Thiel — ancestor
Kay Tracy — ensemble
Lia Van Horn — ensemble
Izzy Vanderginst — ancestor
Addison Walls — ancestor
CREW
The crew is managed by senior Brady Herington and Assistant Director Shannon Edwards. Musical direction by Ryan Uttech.
David Burke — performance crew
Ellie Cagle — performance crew
Natalie Cagle — mics
Jason Claussen — performance crew
Jenny Claussen — lights
Livy Crandall — make-up
Rylan Edwards — performance crew
Avery Evans — crew
Nazahra Gambleton — performance crew/make-up
Jack Gravert — crew
Klaire Gruntorad — mics
Andrew Hartley — crew
Izzy Heitz — lights
Ana Henningson — crew
Brady Herington — stage manager
Lyla Hey — performance crew
Audyn Hoffman — performance crew
Sophie House — lights(spot)
Logan Huff — performance crew
Zach Huyten — crew
Gracie Johnson — performance crew/hair
Lucas Johnston — sound
Onyx Kildow — crew
Robbie Knutsen — crew
Aaden Lanning — performance crew
Laura Martens — hair/make-up
Ella McDonough — crew
Hannah Moore — performance crew
Lanis Perkins — crew
Noah Raes — performance crew
Lacey Stoker — sound
Drew Stroud — mics
Ella Taylor — make-up
Dolan Theisen — performance crew
Kaiden Vallejo — performance crew
Lia Van Horn — crew
Abe Vickers — performance crew
Audrey Wilke — lights(spot)
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