Review: ADDAMS FAMILY YOUNG@PART at Red Curtain Theatre in Conway

Welcome to October—or what I like to call spooky season! This is my favorite month for theatre, and I absolutely love when our Arkansas stages fill up with creepy characters, mysterious happenings, and a little Halloween mischief. Red Curtain Theatre in Conway joined the festivities with THE ADDAMS FAMILY Young@Part, which ran October 2–11, giving its talented young performers the opportunity to bring one of entertainment's most beloved families to life. And really, who doesn't love spending an evening with the creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky Addams family?

With music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, THE ADDAMS FAMILY takes the familiar characters created by Charles Addams and gives them a musical adventure filled with romance, family secrets, and unusual personalities. The Young@Part adaptation condenses the Broadway musical into a shorter format designed for younger performers while maintaining its humor and heart.

 For those unfamiliar with the story, Wednesday Addams (Lucy Watkins) has fallen in love with Lucas Beineke (Reznor Delamar), a seemingly normal young man from a respectable family. Wednesday wants her eccentric family to act normal when Lucas and his parents visit for dinner, which is quite a challenge when your father is Gomez Addams (Jakob Heintzen) and your mother is Morticia Addams (Lyn McKissick). When Wednesday asks Gomez to keep her secret from Morticia, family tensions begin to rise. Add an unusual dinner party, unexpected confessions, and meddling ancestors, and you have a wonderfully chaotic evening that reminds us that every family is a little strange.

Under the direction of Avery Shelito, with Music Director Gracie Folks and Choreographer Rebecca Dillon, Red Curtain Theatre assembled an enthusiastic group of young artists for this production. The musical offers opportunities for character development, singing, dancing, and ensemble storytelling, making it a fitting choice for teen performers.

What impressed me the most about this cast happened during the opening number, "When You're an Addams." There was an unexpected hiccup with the music, but did these kids panic? Absolutely not! They kept right on performing like seasoned professionals! I was so proud of them for maintaining their composure and staying in character despite something going wrong that was completely out of their control. That's one of the biggest lessons in live theatre: the show must go on! Bravo to the entire cast!

At the heart of the story are Gomez and Morticia, and Heintzen and McKissick had such fun chemistry together. I especially loved McKissick's portrayal of Morticia and the disappointed attitude she embraced when she realized that Gomez and Wednesday were keeping secrets from her. Morticia is accustomed to having a husband who absolutely adores her, so discovering that she is being left out of something important is practically an insult to their relationship. McKissick leaned into that wounded pride, making Morticia's frustration both understandable and entertaining.

Heintzen complemented her nicely as Gomez, a father caught between keeping his daughter's confidence and maintaining his wife's trust. Gomez may be the head of the Addams household, but when Morticia is unhappy, he quickly discovers that his authority has its limits. Together, they made the family's domestic drama thoroughly enjoyable.

Watkins as Wednesday and Delamar as Lucas made such a cute couple! Their chemistry brought a sweet contrast to the Addams family's usual darkness and doom, and one of my favorite musical numbers was "I'm Crazier Than You." I loved the playful back-and-forth as Wednesday challenged Lucas to embrace her unusual idea of love. The song was especially fun during the apple-shooting scene. I mean, what better way to test your boyfriend's devotion than asking him to stand perfectly still with an apple on his head while you aim a crossbow at him? That's romance, Addams-style! Watkins embraced Wednesday's delightfully dangerous personality, while Delamar played along with her unconventional idea of affection. It was one of my favorite moments of the production.

 My starry-heart eyes go to Landon Wharton as Uncle Fester! What a delight he was to watch! Wharton had the most wonderful smile that seemed to light up the stage, and every time he appeared, my attention went straight to him. He embraced Fester's quirky, lovable personality with such enthusiasm that I couldn't help but smile along with him. There was something endearing about his performance, and he had a natural ability to command attention without overshadowing the rest of the cast. Whether involved in the family's shenanigans or pursuing his own unusual love story, Wharton made every moment count. He definitely won me over!

Alivia Lewter was an absolute hoot as Grandma! She gave the character a fabulous personality, embracing her eccentricities with plenty of humor and spunk. I especially enjoyed her scenes with Zenna Dean as Pugsley. The two played off each other wonderfully, making their interactions some of the most entertaining moments in the show. Dean also portrayed Pugsley's concerns about losing his special relationship with Wednesday as she grows up. Together, Lewter and Dean were a fun duo who added even more personality to this delightfully dysfunctional household.

Wynter Thrasher portrayed Lurch, the family's famously quiet and imposing butler. Although Lurch isn't known for being talkative, his presence contributes to the peculiar atmosphere of the Addams household and provides a different style of humor from the more outspoken family members.

 On the other side of the dinner table, the Beineke family was a lot of fun to watch! Reagan Kelley as Mal and Aryana Tyler-Hashemi as Alice brought plenty of personality to the supposedly normal parents who quickly discover that the Addams family isn't the only one with issues. I especially loved Tyler-Hashemi's beautiful singing voice! She was a joy to listen to, and her portrayal of Alice became even more entertaining as the character's carefully maintained composure began to unravel. Kelley complemented her nicely as Mal, whose idea of a normal family gets quite the shake-up during their visit. Together, they added another layer of humor to the chaotic dinner party.

And then we have the Addams Ancestors!

The ensemble is an important part of this musical because the ancestors help create the supernatural world surrounding the family. Rather than simply serving as background characters, they are woven throughout the story, providing opportunities for group musical numbers, movement, and theatrical storytelling.

Red Curtain Theatre's ancestor ensemble included Emily Bird, Bell Bowden, Tucker Bradford, Akira Burns, John T Carder, Lila Epps, Lacey Farris, Anna Felio, Sarah Felio, Corvin Huddleson, Jillian Hurt, Sonya Kirkendoll, Alayla Litton, Madison Lloyd, Sana Masters, Henry Morgan, Caitlyn Permenter, Hayley Reuschling, Violet Riggs, Bailey Sayers, Kaydence Terry, Seth Theriot, Ava Tyler-Hashemi, Tristan Ward, and Mellie Zorwick.

I appreciate the opportunities that  Red Curtain Theatre provide for young artists. Youth productions are about so much more than learning lines and choreography. They allow performers to build confidence, develop friendships, practice teamwork, and discover what it means to be part of a theatrical community. This cast's professionalism during the opening-number mishap demonstrated just how valuable those lessons can be.

Unfortunately, I missed the Younger@Part production in September, but I'm sure it was just as spectacular as this one. Red Curtain is great at pulling out the special qualities in these performers, and if you are in the Conway area, you should see what all they can offer to your budding thespian. For more information on how to join, visit their website at redcurtaintheatre.com. 

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