David Thorpe, the co-director of the musical and a member of the cast, said it’s the perfect performance to get in the mood for Halloween.
“We’ve done a lot to make these characters come to life in a special and unique way,” he said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Sept. 23. “We’ve also been really focused on integrating all sorts of other theatrical elements – obviously song and dance, but also puppetry and lighting effects and other special effects.”
This production has two casts, so people will see different talent on different nights.
Thorpe plays Gomez, the Addams family patriarch, in both casts. He’s joined by actors from all over the Heber Valley and as far away as Saratoga Springs, Orem and Springville. Many of the performers are longtime contributors to the theater.
“The wonderful thing about community theater is that you end up spending a lot of time with a lot of familiar faces – it’s almost like a second family, so to speak,” Thorpe said. “This is the 21st season of the Timpanogos Valley Theatre, and some of the actors have been involved since the very beginning.”
He said showgoers should keep an eye out for puppets, sword fights and the cast’s youngest members during the performance.
Thorpe said he’s also proud of one scene in which a character falls in love with the moon.
“We’ve cast some really talented ballerinas, and we’ve choreographed this beautiful ballet number where he’s dancing with the moon,” he said. “It feels old-fashioned, like a Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire kind of moment, and it’s really special.”
The musical welcomes guests of all ages.
The show opens Friday night. Performances will run Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7 p.m., plus Mondays at 7 p.m. and Saturday matinees at 2 p.m.
Tickets are between $12 and $20.
