The BSM Drama Department is getting ready for their performances of The Addams Family coming up on May 2nd-5th. Tickets can be purchased online at bsmschool.org. This is the final show of the 2023-2024 season, so here is an in-depth look into everything it takes to produce this senior high spring musical.
Jake Mahler, the head of the BSM Drama Department, has been working extremely hard in preparation for The Addams Family. In fact, preparation for this show began last year after it was decided which shows would be performed during the 2023-2024 season. The Drama Department was able to decide on The Addams Family for the senior high Spring show after determining that it would be a good fit for the students that they expected to audition. “We spend months in the pre-production stage kind of deciding what we want the set to look like, who’s going to choreograph, who’s going to direct, who’s going to build and paint the set, who’s doing the costumes, and all those things,” Mahler said.
We spend months in the pre-production stage kind of deciding what we want the set to look like, who’s going to choreograph, who’s going to direct, who’s going to build and paint the set, who’s doing the costumes, and all those things.”
— Jake Mahler
The audition process is a crucial part of producing every BSM musical. First, every student that is auditioning starts by learning a short 30-second dance number that they then perform in front of the choreographer in groups of six. This ensures that the choreographer is able to give everyone an equal amount of consideration. After the dance number, anyone who wants to be considered for a lead has the chance to perform a song. Mahler decides who has a good chance of being cast in the lead roles and then keeps them around to do a callback. This is where the students read scenes from the show to see which roles each person fits into and which people have good chemistry. Finally, Mahler and the production team get together to determine the cast of the show. “We try to fit as many of the kids that auditioned into places where we think that they can all have their best feature moments,” Mahler said.
The cast of The Addams Family has been working extremely hard at rehearsals in the weeks leading up to the performances. With this show having many more dance numbers than the previous play, a lot of time at rehearsals has been dedicated to learning choreography. For example, there will be a large Tango number, so cast members have to spend time learning the proper Tango technique. Another unique and time-consuming aspect of this show is makeup. There are many characters in The Addams Family that are dead, so the Drama Department hired a makeup artist to come in and teach the cast how to achieve a deathly makeup look. The final step of rehearsals involves doing several run-throughs of the show like it’s a real performance. “We put it all together with lights and sound and the set all put together and costumes and makeup,” Mahler said.
Kevin Murnan, a senior at BSM who will be playing the character of Lucas Beineke, talked about the preparation put in to make The Addams Family special. Murnan feels like the bulk of the preparation for the upcoming musical has been ongoing for weeks now. Kevin and the rest of the cast have been focusing on making sure they have their lines memorized and perfectly choreographed for the show. The day before the performance the cast enjoys a full cast dinner. When the day of the show arrives it’s mostly just nerves and emotions before the performance. Murnan likes to take a scoop of pre-workout before going out for the performance. This helps to get him energized and focused for the task at hand as well as taking some time to collect his thoughts. “I like to kind of just excuse myself and take a little time to just you know, be quiet, get into character a little bit and I just really lock in for the play ahead,” Murnan said.
Murnan, who is in his second year of doing plays at BSM, is loving being a part of it. Deciding to audition last year for Mama Mia due to some peer pressure from his friends, Murnan has not looked back. One thing unique about The Addams Family from the past plays Murnan has participated in is the addition of having a teacher from BSM in the cast. Not often do students get to have the opportunity to perform alongside a teacher in a performance like this. Mr. Peterson will be joining the cast for The Addams Family. Murnan feels Mr. Peterson has brought a much-needed spark to the cast helping to energize the whole group in new ways. “Everyone loves Mr. Peterson. So we get along really well. He jokes around with us and sometimes he gives us inspirational speeches and stuff. He’s been great,” Murnan said.
Mr. Peterson, most commonly known for being a biology and Biomed teacher at BSM who always brings fun energy to his classes, is taking on a different challenge outside of teaching. Peterson will be playing the roles of the Grim Reaper and Lurch. The Grim Reaper is the agent of death and Lurch is the servant zombie butler of the Addams Family. Peterson has been practicing his zombie walk and lines around his home in preparation for the upcoming performance. One of the additional highlights of being a part of The Addams Family musical for Peterson is being able to perform alongside his daughter. This is something Mr. Peterson has really enjoyed as it is something that very few people get the opportunity to do with their children. The whole cast has been feeding off Mr. Peterson’s energy and leadership as they creep closer to the performance. “Mr. Peterson being in the cast has provided another adult in the building that is talking to them about how you can be excited about finding something that you’re passionate about and doing it for you instead of worrying about what other people are going to think,” Mahler said.