The Addams Family: Da Vinci’s First Musical is a Resounding Success!!
What a SPECTACULAR show!!! We are still thinking about the show-stopping performances and production quality of The Addams Family, Da Vinci’s first-ever musical in our recently expanded Wiseburn Da Vinci Performing Arts Department. More than 1,010 audience members attended six performances over two weekends in April. Each performance ended with a rousing standing ovation.
> The Addams Family (2024) - View Here
Putting on a full-length musical was an extraordinary experience and undertaking led by Da Vinci’s Theatrical and Musical Director Diane Feldman. Of the 50 cast and crew members representing all Da Vinci high schools, 90% had never participated in a theatrical experience on stage or behind the scenes, and 100% had never sung with a live orchestra.
Our students made history and excelled as actors, dancers, singers, costume designers, hair/makeup designers, stage managers, lighting and audio designers/operators, set designers, visual creators, technical crew, and more. Sophia Zeledon, a junior at Da Vinci Design, served as the Assistant Director, Co-Social Media Manager, and Spotlight Operator. Ryan Lewis, a junior at DV Communications, served as the Assistant Technical Director/Prop Master.
While the cast and crew were mostly student-led, the production/creative team also included a director/musical director (Feldman), professional choreographer, technical director, sound engineer, costume designers, conductor, production assistant, and performing arts assistant. A 12-piece live pit orchestra accompanied the production.
The Addams Family is filled with themes all of us can relate to: facing fears, growing up, parenting, independence, family values, connection, embracing those who are different from ourselves, friendship, honesty, the triumph of love, and the importance of living life as our truest selves.
“This was an outstanding production,” said Renita Thomas-Franklin, a SAG actress who came to support a family friend, Alexis Lyles, who played The Moon. “Everything from sound to the movement of the actors, their focus, their energy, the directing, the costumes and props – everything was on point. It’s amazing that this was the first musical. Just being able to transition so smoothly, staying in character, the continuity was incredible. It was a very professional, top ranking production. We’re looking forward to the next one,” she continued.
We couldn’t be more proud of The Addams Family cast and crew which included students from all Da Vinci high schools – Da Vinci Design, Communications, Connect High, RISE and Science. According to Feldman, the full cast had never all been together until the Tuesday before the show opened.
Maya Varner, a senior at DV Design who played Alice Beineke, and Alexis Lyles, a junior at Connect High who played The Moon, had never met before The Addams Family production. Now they are close friends.
“When I joined, I was really shy. I just walked in and stayed in the corner. It wasn’t until Kelso who plays Morticia included me in her friend group. I started opening up more,” Lyles said.
“It’s very welcoming here. You can be yourself. No one will judge you. It’s really fun. I think all of us doing this really brought us all together. People you wouldn’t normally see became friends. Although it’s been a lot of work, I think it’s been a really fun experience. I’m really happy Diane came when she did, and I got to experience this before graduating,” Varner said.
Feldman shares that theater taps into every single subject area, including social emotional learning. “It’s never just a musical. There are so many themes to uncover and explore, and we make those themes accessible to students by having them ‘parallel’ situations and circumstances in their own lives to those of the characters they portray and their stories. Each actor really took time to learn, research, and create their character’s history and backstory. Then, they took that a step further by establishing how they connected to all the other characters in the story. I always tell a cast - I don’t just want to hear the words and lyrics on the page - I want to know what those words mean to you personally, to your character, and to the story,” says Feldman.
“I am just so proud of these kids and they are so proud of each other,” Feldman continued. “When all the dedication and effort comes to fruition - be it on stage or behind the scenes - and audiences invest in the characters and their stories, that is the highest achievement possible. These students know they created something special and they were thrilled to share it with the community. As a director and theater educator - witnessing a cast and crew take the process and product into their own hands is the most remarkable gift. And, this group's gifts were aplenty!” said Feldman.
Congratulations to the entire cast, crew and staff on an unforgettable production!!
