This semester, Boom Roasted Productions will be putting on the stage adaptation of the classic dark comedy television show The Addams Family. The story follows the youngest Addams girl, Wednesday, as she falls in love with a “Normal Boy,” and the struggle that ensues between the two families trying to get along with each other. The show has been in rehearsal since the beginning of January, and a diverse range of students who study music, communication, political science, and even science have all been involved with the production of the show.
This is the second full staged musical from Boom Roasted, the first being last year’s production of RENT. The students who run the company took a huge leap of faith by staging their own production of the rock opera. Before the show, Boom Roasted would only run small events, such as stage readings. But hot off the heels of the massive success the company experienced with RENT, they have become involved with the Student Activities Board, and have created other events like “Theater Fest,” which is four straight nights of free theatrical events at Woods Theater.
One of the driving forces behind all of this success is Nick Zaccario, the new president of the company. He is portraying Gomez, the patriarch of the Addams family, in the upcoming production. He has expressed the immense amount of pride he has in the group, watching it grow from a small group of 12 people to a hard working company over the last two years. “Students who were theater majors and minors felt that there should be a more opportunities and diversity of things to go around. They started up this organization by themselves and as the years have gone on we have been able to do more things, bigger and better,” Zaccario said.
Zaccario has also stated that he has loved the musical adaptation of The Addams Family ever since he saw it on Broadway a few years ago, and considers it the perfect musical to do after RENT. With RENT, the company has proven that they can handle a show with heavy subject matters like HIV, homosexuality, and poverty, but Zaccario is happy to show the school that they can just as easily do a funny, family friendly musical.
The production also includes other student talents such as Evan Kudish, Molly Huber, Chloe Meyers, and Megan Roberts. Each one of them were very involved with bringing the company’s first staged production to life the year prior, and have been working endless hours to juggle rehearsal for this show while being on production for the spring drama,Bus Stop.
But the show, and the company of Boom Roasted itself, saw a large increase of students this year because of all the involvement from freshmen. In fact, one of the key comedic roles of Uncle Fester, the deranged and twisted uncle, is being played by a freshman, Christopher Tuttle. Megan Roberts has been involved with the company since her first semester at the school, and has become the vice president of the company her senior year. Although she made it clear that she is very sad to leave the company after this year, she knows that Boom Roasted will be able to thrive due to all the youngers students who are involved. “As sad as I am to leave, I know I’m leaving it in good hands,” Roberts said, “and I know that the people who are on the e-board and general members are going to take this club in the right direction, because everyone has the best interest in mind, and I know that the show we pick, we pick them because we love theater.”
Over the past two years, Boom Roasted has been seen as a sort of representation of the music and theater department here at Monmouth University, but even more importantly it has been a display of the wide array of talent that all of the students at the University have to offer in all different departments like acting, choreography, producing, and stage-managing.
Sheri Anderson, the assistant director of theater and faculty advisor to Boom Roasted and Alpha Si Omega, has been involved with the company since it was created five years ago. Boom Roasted has been her favorite company to be part of, and she had the initial idea of creating full staged musicals with the group. It’s her favorite company because of the hard work that the students put into it, and the pride they feel when the show has been completed. “We have students doing more than just acting; if you come see The Addams Family, you’re going to see students in major leadership roles,” said Anderson. “You’re going to see students creating theater as good as anywhere else, and I think that it’s important to show that we have students who are more than just great actors, we have students who are more than that, and they always rise to the occasion, and it makes me so proud to be a part of it.”
The Addams Family will be held at Woods Theater from April 15-18 at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the box office, online, or at the door.
IMAGE COURTESY of travsd.wordpress.com
