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Director's Note: Although The Addams family is often remembered as a popular television show in the 1960's, a hit film in 1991 and most recently, a kid-friendly animated movie series, this kooky cast of characters has its roots in a REAL Addams. Mr. Charles Addams' first cartoon (depicting a vacuum salesman pitching to a ghoulish couple in a haunted mansion) made its public debut on page 9 of the New Yorker in the summer of 1938. A fan of the macabre, his cartoons depicted a dark and twisted family that included the lovely cast of characters seen onstage this evening. The Addams Family musical opened on Broadway in April, 2010 and the production that you will see tonight is of the touring version which began its run in late 2011.

What has made this group of creepy oddballs so endearing for generations of audiences is the message of devotion to family and acceptance of those who are "different" than us, an attitude exemplified by the exceptional group of students who not only worked tirelessly to put on this show, but also emanated a welcoming and collaborative spirit with the artistic team and fellow cast & crew mates. As we navigate a divisive world around us, the Addamses remind us to “let each foreign forest offer you its rain” as we find truth and love in “the darkness”. I hope you enjoy the show!