Just in time for the Halloween season comes one of the country's favorite creepy families - the Addams Family.
Opening tonight and running each weekend through Oct. 26, Capital City Productions will present "The Addams Family." Show Director Laura Vedenhaupt said this musical "finds our adorably creepy Wednesday has grown up, fallen in love with a young man and is getting married. She just hasn't told her mother, Morticia." The show includes "some recently and not-so-recently deceased Addams ancestors" as the Addams and Beineke families meet "and worlds collide."
Vedenhaupt said it's difficult for her to pick a favorite part of the show as there's so many catchy songs and a great cast. But one particular moment did come to mind - it's during the song "Happy/Sad."
"Gomez is having a heart-to-heart with Wednesday, and it is incredibly touching," Vedenhaupt said. "The actors make me tear up even after weeks of rehearsal."
The cast has been rehearsing since July, starting with singing and dancing rehearsals then moving into the rest of the show, she said.
"It worked out pretty well because by the time we put the show together, the cast was almost all off book," Vedenhaupt said, noting off book refers to the lack of scripts or song sheets.
With rehearsals starting in July, Vedenhaupt said there were some challenges as they sought to juggle vacations, school and work schedules for the cast and crew. Plus, she said, the actor playing Gomez, Joshua Lehto, was directing "Cinderella" at Capital City Productions, which ran through late August, and the actress playing Morticia, Margaret Graham, had a part in Scene One Theatre's "The Musical of Musicals: The Musical!", which ran in early and mid-September.
But the biggest challenge, Vedenhaupt said, was costuming.
"Dressing the leads wasn't too bad, but do you know how hard it is to find 21 different ancestor outfits in white, silver or gray?" she said. "It's really hard, but our costume crew did a stupendous job finding and even making some of the outfits."
Vedenhaupt said the group at Capital City Productions asked her to take on direction for this show, knowing she is a big fan of horror and the macabre.
She stressed the show is for everyone, not just those who "grew up watching the old back and white TV show."
"As creepy and kooky as the Addams may be, their story revolves around the themes of love and acceptance, and that's something we can all use a little more of," Vedenhaupt said.
Capital City Productions is a dinner theatre, meaning shows are typically presented with a buffet meal. "The Addams Family" opens tonight, with doors opening at 6 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the performance at 7:30 p.m. The show will also be performed Friday and Saturday at the same times, as well as a Saturday matinee, where doors open at 11:30 a.m., dinner is at noon and the performance is at 1 p.m. The same schedule will be followed Oct. 17-19 and Oct. 24-26. However, the final week will also include a special show Oct. 23 that is only the production, meaning dinner will not be offered.
Capital City Productions partners with area nonprofits for every show, donating a portion of the proceeds to whatever cause is selected. According to the organization's website, since 2016, Capital City Productions has donated more than $7,000 to 20 different local nonprofits.
For more information, including ticket availability, visit capitalcityproductions.org. Capital City Productions is located at 1200 Linden Drive.