The Addams Family – July 2022

The Addams Family

Free Summer Show!
July 14-17 & 21-23, 2022

IMPORTANT MESSAGE:
It is with great sadness we announce both weekends of The Addams Family have been cancelled.

The Addams Family, a new musical, is fun for the entire family and will feature performers of all ages with a children’s ensemble. Based on characters created by Charles Addams, this musical with a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa brings to life our favorite ghoulish family.

The Addams Family is a comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family – a man her parents have never met. The Addams face change as they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.

Leawood Stage company is thrilled to welcome back Kevin Bogan as Director for another summer production. Kevin directed Annie Get Your GunMy Fair Lady, and Promises, Promises. He performed in Sunday in the Park with George and has music directed several additional shows for Leawood Stage Company.

Escape the summer heat and rain, inside the Rose Theater at Rockhurst High
School, 9301 State Line Road, Kansas City, MO 64114 July 14, 15, 16, & 21, 22,
23 at 7:30 p.m. or July 17 at 2:00 p.m. Doors will open one half hour before
curtain time. Admission is free. Select your seats as you enter the theater. The
Rose Theater is handicap accessible.

Show Times

July 21-23
7:30 p.m.

Location

Rose Theater at Rockhurst High School
9301 State Line Road
Kansas City, MO 64114

Leawood Stage Company presents the highest quality free theater in the area. We offer summer performances free to the public, serving senior citizens on a limited budget or families that might otherwise not be able to afford live theater performances. This is a great way to introduce young audiences to the arts.

Escape the summer heat and rain, inside the Rose Theater at Rockhurst High School, 9301 State Line Road, Kansas City, MO 64114 July 14, 15, 16, & 21, 22, 23 at 7:30 p.m. or July 17 at 2:00 p.m. Doors will open one half hour before curtain time. Admission is free. Select your seats as you enter the theater. The Rose Theater is handicap accessible.

No food or drink is allowed in the theater, no concessions will be sold. No dogs are allowed other that registered service dogs.

Cast & Production Team

Gomez Brian Larios
Morticia – Ramsey Self
Wednesday –  Averey Shaw
Pugsley – Leo Covitz
Grandma –  Pam Sollars
Fester –  Tony Francisco
Lurch –  Rob Hallifax
Mal –  Doug Jones
Lucas – Edmund Castle

Alice –  Meredith Hollan
Cupid – Emma Daggett
Ensemble – Katherine Allison, Amelia Clark, Sean Dearing, Charlotte Gilman, Ashley McGuire, Adele Milligan, Karen Seaton, Camryn Warner, Miles Wirth

Director – Kevin Bogan
Stage Manager – Chuck Harper
Choreographer – Valerie Martin
Co-Choreographer – Tyler Rene Harper
Costumes – Annette Cook
Set Design/Construction/Props – Frank Gentile
Sound/Lighting Tech – Atem Akuei, Andrew Classen, Logan Cook, Owen Lundstrom, Trevor Murphy, Aldric Yang

Character breakdown

Gomez Addams
Stage Age: 35-55
Vocal Range: Bb2 – G4
A suave man of Spanish descent who adores his wife and children and takes immense pride in being an Addams. Gomez finds himself trapped between his daughter and his wife, being forced to hide Wednesday’s big secret from Morticia. He has great comedic timing and is a good dancer. Spanish accent is a plus!

Morticia Addams
Stage Age 35-55
Vocal Range: G3 – Bb5
The beautiful, leggy and mysterious head of the Addams family who believes strongly in family tradition. Morticia is unnerved thinking that Gomez is hiding something from her. She is confident and sexy with a side of dry wit. She is a strong mover (tango skills a plus!)

Wednesday Addams
Stage Age: 18 – 22
Vocal Range; A3 – E5
Gothic big sister Wednesday who has her father’s heart and her mother’s sensibility falls in love with a “normal” boy who she brings home to meet the family. Wednesday is trying to balance her relationships with “strange” family with that of her new love and his “normal” family. Wednesday showcases compassion, a bit of stubbornness and strong will. She has a strong belt.

Pugsley Addams
Stage Age 10 – 13
Vocal Range: A3 – F5
The youngest of the Addams Family, Pugsley loves to be tortured by his big sister. He is lost trying to figure out his place now that she has a new boyfriend and family dynamics are changing. Pugsley is charming and funny, ideally with an unchanged singing voice.

Uncle Fester
Stage Age: 30-50
Vocal Range; C3 – G4 (optional C5) Serving as the narrator of the show, Uncle Fester is lovable, childish, enthusiastic and highly incorrigible. Fester has great comedic timing and a tenor voice. Ukulele skills a plus!

Grandma
Stage Age: 102
Vocal Range: G4 – F5 Fun, quirky and feisty, Grandma always has a trick up her sleeve. Grandma is wise, wacky and sometimes a bit crass. She has great comedic timing and physicality.

Lurch
Stage Age: 25 – 50
Vocal Range: Eb2 – E4
A man of few words, Lurch is the Addams Family butler. His unmistakable commanding presence is accented by grunts, moans and deliberate movement. Must have great non-verbal story-telling abilities (think: facial expressions and sound). Lurch has a rich bass voice.

Lucas Beinecke
Stage Age : 18 – 22
Vocal Range: C3 – C5
The hopeful romantic and son of Alice & Mal, Lucas has fallen in love with Wednesday and intends to marry her. He is optimistic and hopeful yet struggles to find the balance between his ‘normal’ family and the macabre Addams. Strong singer.

Mal Beinecke 
Stage Age 35 – 55
Vocal Range: C3 – A4
The uptight and father of Lucas and cold-shouldered husband to Alice, cynical Mal meets the Addams with skepticism. He finds the Addams to be too bizarre for his liking and cannot fathom being related to them.

Alice Beineckee
Stage Age 35 – 55
Vocal Range: C3 – A4
The uptight and father of Lucas and cold-shouldered husband to Alice, cynical Mal meets the Addams with skepticism. He finds the Addams to be too bizarre for his liking and cannot fathom being related to them.

The Ancestors
Stage Age: 15+
All Vocal Ranges
Male & Female The Addams ancestors from various eras serve as the chorus for the show and help bring the story to life. They will be featured both singing and dancing throughout the entire show (once released from the family crypt!). Seeking actors with both vocals and dancing abilities.

The Ancestor Children
Stage Age: 5 – 14
Vocal Range SA (Unchanged Voices)
These children are keepers of the secrets of the Addam’s family and help guide them along. (Must be 7 years old to audition)

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Join us for family theatre fun!

Community theatre is an affordable way to bring the arts to your life. With free summer productions, it’s fun for the entire family while supporting the arts in your area.

Presenting sponsor

City of Leawood Parks & Recreation Department

Thank you to the City of Leawood Parks & Recreation Department, our summer presenting sponsor!

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Leawood Stage Company presents “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Leawood Stage Company Present "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"

Join Leawood Stage Company as they present the final production of their 23rd season, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee November 4, 5, 6, 7 & 11, 12, 13, 14, at Avila University Black Box Theatre, 11901 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64145.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, winner of the 2005 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical, has charmed audiences across the country with its wit and humor. Featuring a fast-paced and wildly comical book by Rachel Sheinkin and a vibrantly bold score by William Finn, this musical comedy introduces us to an eclectic group of six tweens (played by adult actors) who vie for the spelling bee championship of a lifetime, while candidly disclosing hilarious and touching insights into their home lives.

Show times

November 4, 5, 6, 7 & 11, 12, 13, 14

Location

Black Box at Avila University
11901 Wornall Rd. Kansas City, MO

Our talented cast includes Brooke Ariel, John Carver, Robin Carroll-Dolci, Brittany Hill, Aaron Hoffman, Michael O’Brien, C.J. Miller, Bailey Self, and Michaela Sewalson.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is rated PG-13 and not recommended for children.
Leawood Stage Company is continuing our tradition of supporting the community by holding a book drive for children and young readers at each performance. Bring one new book to donate and receive a ticket good for popcorn. Bring multiple new books and receive a ticket good for popcorn AND a soft drink.
All seating will be general admission. Sign up for our mailing list and be contacted as soon as tickets go on sale!
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Presenting sponsor

City of Leawood Parks & Recreation Department

Thank you to the City of Leawood Parks & Recreation Department, our summer presenting sponsor!

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From Broadway to Leawood, It’s a Very Small World – Seussical

From Broadway to Leawood, It’s a Very Small World

From Broadway to Leawood, It’s a Very Small World – Leawood Stage Company Presents “Seussical”

Leawood Stage Company is thrilled to be performing live again this summer! LSC welcomes back Chris McCoy as the Director of Seussical, a family friendly musical based on the works of Dr. Seuss. McCoy has assembled a stellar cast and crew to bring the world of Dr. Seuss to life for our Leawood audience! In the 23-year history of LSC, this might be one of the most talented groups to grace our stage as several members of the Seussical cast and crew have connections to Broadway.

In the summer of 2013, our very own Chris McCoy spent time working as the Assistant Director to a new Broadway musical, Soul Doctor, that ran at The Circle in the Square Theatre in New York City. McCoy’s directorial style is dedicated to presenting classic American musicals with modern sensibilities. 

In addition to his Broadway directing credit, McCoy has directed other popular summer musical productions for LSC including: The Music Man (2007), Guys & Dolls (2010), Hello, Dolly! (2014), and Annie (2017). Chris McCoy, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at William Jewell College where he also serves as the Artistic Director for Jewell Theatre Company. 

Seussical’s Costume Designer, Scotty Wiggins, lived in New York for fifteen years and worked for John Kristiansen New York, Inc. (JKNY Inc.) where they create costumes for all forms of professional performing arts including Broadway, Off Broadway, Regional and Touring productions, Live Events (Disney on Ice, Ringling Bros., Cher Farewell Tour), Dance, and Opera. Additionally, JKNY Inc. creates costumes for film and television.

During his tenure at JKNY Inc., Wiggins worked in the costume department sourcing materials, swatching, and archiving design plans for future recreation of costumes. This incredibly talented and creative costume designer has been in the Kansas City area for three years and works as an Adjunct Professor and Guest Artist Costume Designer for William Jewell College. 

To build a specific costume piece that you will see on stage in LSC’s production of Seussical, Wiggins reached out to Brittany Church, a former co-worker at JKNY Inc., to build a special puppet for Seussical. Church works in the crafts department creating hats and sculpted costume pieces. Upon informing Church this piece was for a LSC production, Wiggins was amazed at how small the world truly is when he learned Church was in the LSC cast of Music Man in 2007 with Chris McCoy as her director. 

Wiggins is returning to New York in 2022 to costume a show for The Heights Players, Brooklyn’s longest-running sustaining community theater. Coincidentally, Erin Coleman, a member of the Adult Ensemble in Seussical, has performed with The Heights Players and, to Wiggins’ delight, has even been in a show with his partner.

LSC is pleased to welcome Erin Coleman back to our stage after an eight-year hiatus.  Her last performance with us was the 2012 production of Fiddler on the Roof.  Her first community theatre appearance was in LSC’s 2007 production of Brigadoon, providing the catalyst for Coleman to perform in three more LSC productions. 

LSC is pleased to welcome Erin Coleman back to our stage after an eight-year hiatus.  Her last performance with us was the 2012 production of Fiddler on the Roof.  Her first community theatre appearance was in LSC’s 2007 production of Brigadoon, providing the catalyst for Coleman to perform in three more LSC productions. 

Since then, Coleman has been living in New York City and has continued to participate in community theatre performing with the St. Jean’s Players and The Heights Players. 

Coleman says, “The quality of community theatre in Kansas City is the best in the country.” She loves New York but misses her community theatre family here.  Coleman is participating in Seussical while spending the summer visiting relatives in the Kansas City area.  Both she and her husband are working virtually while they spend their summer with us, and both are happy to be spending time with family after being apart for nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Delilah Pellow is another familiar face at LSC who was last seen on our stage playing Molly in the 2017 production of Annie with her sister, Josephine Pellow, playing the title role.  Following that performance, Delilah performed on Broadway as Little Anastasia in Anastasia.  She was with the show on Broadway for a year and then spent an additional eight months on tour.

Delilah Pellow is another familiar face at LSC who was last seen on our stage playing Molly in the 2017 production of Annie with her sister, Josephine Pellow, playing the title role.  Following that performance, Delilah performed on Broadway as Little Anastasia in Anastasia.  

Following that performance, Delilah performed on Broadway as Little Anastasia in Anastasia.  She was with the show on Broadway for a year and then spent an additional eight months on tour.  

Both Pellow sisters are homeschooled and lived in New York with their mother during the run of Anastasia.  While Delilah was in rehearsals or shows, Jo was able to immerse herself in the NYC culture by seeing every show on Broadway.

The Pellow family returned to Kansas City just before the pandemic forced Broadway to go dark.  Seussical has been a great way to return to theatre while the world begins to reopen.  They had previously enjoyed their experience working with Leawood Stage Company and Chris McCoy, so participating in this production seemed to be a perfect fit.  

Both Anastasia and Seussical were written by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens. The sisters have noticed the stylistic similarities between the shows and may even see some similarities in the quality of their costumes as JKNY Inc., created Delilah’s costumes for Anastasia.

Seussical, will feature a cast of actors of all ages and audiences will be amazed to find LSC presents the highest quality, free theatre in the Kansa City area. This show will be enjoyed by people of all ages and is a great way to introduce young audiences to the performing arts. Bring the entire family to beautiful Ironwoods Park and enjoy a free night of theatre under the stars.  We will take every precaution necessary to keep audience members socially distanced for the safety of all at performances. 

Leawood Stage Company, in cooperation with The Leawood Parks and Recreation Department, presents Seussical, a family friendly musical based on the works of Dr. Seuss, July 9, 10 ,11 & 15, 16, 17 at 8:00 p.m. at the Ironwoods Amphitheatre in Ironwoods Park, at 147th and Mission Road.

Some seating is available at the amphitheater; however, we recommend bringing a blanket and/or lawn chairs.  Picnics are welcome but alcohol is not allowed in the park.  Light concessions are available for purchase. There will be a minimum purchase of $5 for credit/debit cards at the concession stand. Dogs are welcome but must be leashed, and we request they not disturb the audience members around them.  For show cancellations due to weather, check our show page or our Facebook Page.

Show times

July 9-11 & 15-17
8 p.m. Nightly

Location

Ironwoods Park Amphitheater
14701 Mission Rd, Leawood, KS 66224

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Presenting sponsor

City of Leawood Parks & Recreation Department

Thank you to the City of Leawood Parks & Recreation Department, our summer presenting sponsor!

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90.1 KKFI FM Arts Magazine features LSC’s Summer Virtual Play Directors!

Leawood stage company's free summer online community theatre plays much ado about nothing, the importance of being earnest, and the butler did it

90.1 KKFI FM Arts Magazine feat. LSC's Summer Virtual Play Directors!

In the absence of live theatre, Leawood Stage Company took community theatre online!

From 90.1 KKFI in Kansas City, interview by Michael Hogge

With our spring musical, The Civil War, cancelled, and callbacks for both The Drowsy Chaperone and Putnam County Spelling Bee on hold, we knew we needed to give our actors and the Kansas City theatre community an outlet. The solution? Three completely online plays recorded virtually on Zoom and premiered on Facebook Live and Vimeo!

On Monday, July 13, Michael Hogge from KKFI’s Arts Magazine interviewed Leawood Stage Company’s 2020 Summer Online Play Directors, David Martin from Much Ado About Nothing, Chris McCoy from The Importance of Being Earnest, and Eric Van Horn from The Butler Did It. The interview covered their experiences with online theatre, the challenges posed to artists during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their ties to the plays performed. Listen to it below!

Want to see our summer play reading series virtual plays now? While The Butler Did It was only available for a limited time, you can Much Ado About Nothing and The Importance of Being Earnest right now!
Do you miss seeing your favorite community theatre actors perform? Announcing the Leawood Stage Company summer play reading series, three full-cast productions recorded virtually and premiered on Facebook live! Our first production, Much Ado About Nothing, will bring Shakespeare’s wit and humor to your home.
Watch Leawood Stage Company's performance of The Importance of Being Earnest for free online today
Do you miss seeing your favorite community theatre actors perform? Announcing the Leawood Stage Company summer play reading series, three full-cast productions recorded virtually and premiered on Facebook live! Our first production, Much Ado About Nothing, will bring Shakespeare’s wit and humor to your home.
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Presenting sponsor

City of Leawood Parks & Recreation Department

Thank you to the City of Leawood Parks & Recreation Department, our summer presenting sponsor!

Be a future sponsor

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A message to our community and a dedication to diversity

A message to our community and a dedication to diversity

Standing with those who face social injustice

During the past several weeks the events throughout this country brought to light the importance of facing our own racial biases.

Leawood Stage Company recognizes that we are not immune to this issue and we vow to stand with those in our community who are facing this social injustice. Leawood Stage Company is built on a set of core values — Community, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

LSC promises that we will continue to work with and build stronger relationships with the diverse and talented artists that live in the Kansas City region.

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Other news from Leawood Stage Company

Presenting sponsor

City of Leawood Parks & Recreation Department

Thank you to the City of Leawood Parks & Recreation Department, our summer presenting sponsor!

Be a future sponsor

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Support the arts and spread fun and laughter in the Kansas City area!

‘The best kept secret in Johnson County’ – Look to Leawood Feature

'The best kept secret in Johnson County’

The Leawood Stage Company promotes community, theatre and volunteerism

For one tight-knit group of thespians, theatre is about more than just the performances — it’s about making a positive impact on the community.

As a community theatre group based in Leawood, The Leawood Stage Company has a mission to enhance the quality of life for residents and those in surrounding areas through its theatrical productions, educational programming and engagement opportunities. Michael Blinn, chair of The Leawood Stage Company board of directors, said the group provides an opportunity for people to express themselves while entertaining and interacting with the community.

“I think we have a lot of very talented people in the city that love doing community theatre, so it’s an outlet for them,” he said. “We do pull people from all over the city, it’s not just Leawood itself; that’s one of the things I love about it, it’s all inclusive to Kansas City.”

The Leawood Stage Company has worked in partnership with the City of Leawood and the Leawood Parks and Recreation Department since 1998, presenting theatrical productions and programming each year. Backed by the casts, musicians and other volunteers who work to make each show successful, the stage company enhances the lives
of approximately 10,000 audience members annually.

“The cool thing is, we’re all volunteers,” Blinn said. “None of us get paid to do any of this; it’s all a volunteer effort.”

The stage company welcomes all volunteers — those interested in painting, building sets, costumes, behind the scenes work, being on a committee, performing or even selling concessions.

“When you volunteer you get to see the show … and be a part of the family,” Blinn said.

Without an official location, the stage company performs in a handful of venues, including the Lodge at Ironwoods Park and at the Ironwoods Amphitheater.

“We’re a faction of the city and we don’t really have a theatre that we call home,” he said. “We’re trying to find a permanent home for us.”

Community engagement is a vital part of the stage company’s mission and vision. The group provides fundraising opportunities for organizations like the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and Kansas KC Metro Animal Response Team by taking donations and providing tickets for their silent auctions.

“We’ve also done events like “Pooch Paint” where you can bring your dog and make a painting with their paws and the proceeds to go to help others,” Blinn said.

The stage company has donated dollars and organized toy drives at events for CASA. For a performance of “The Nuncrackers” musical in 2019, theatre guests brought
more than 100 toys to donate to the organization.

“I couldn’t tell you how many boxes of toys we had; we filled up my jeep, that’s for sure,” Blinn said. “We just like doing things for other groups as well. I think it’s important that we give back.”

For so many involved, the Leawood Stage Company feels like family.

“My favorite part: it’s opening night and (you see) all the hard work you put into the show,” Blinn said. “Knowing that I’ve got a great group of people I’m working with… it’s just that whole family atmosphere.”

The Leawood Stage Company’s 22nd season includes “The Drowsy Chaperone,” a musical parody of American musical comedy of the 1920s; and the “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a musical comedy about a middle school spelling bee.

“The summer show, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” is absolutely free,” said April Bishop, artistic director for the
Leawood Stage Company. “It allows families to come out that maybe couldn’t afford a ticket to a Broadway series downtown at Kauffman.”

The summer show is a gift to the public from the City of Leawood, Blinn explained. As a committee of the city, the stage company produces one show per year backed by the city. The remaining shows are funded by ticket prices and
fundraising events.

“The other shows we do have ticket prices for, but it’s under $15 — to come and have a great evening — it’s pretty cheap,” Blinn said.

Bishop calls the Leawood Stage Company the best kept secret in Johnson County.

“We are the best free entertainment that you will ever see,” Bishop said. “The quality of the performance is equal to something that you would pay a big price for.”

For more information about auditions for an upcoming show, or how to get involved, visit leawoodstageco.org.

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Other news from Leawood Stage Company

Presenting sponsor

City of Leawood Parks & Recreation Department

Thank you to the City of Leawood Parks & Recreation Department, our summer presenting sponsor!

Be a future sponsor

Upcoming events

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Support the arts and spread fun and laughter in the Kansas City area!

Announcement Regarding Our 2020 Season and COVID-19

Announcement regarding our 2020 season and COVID-19

An update on our season

Leawood Stage Company and the City of Leawood are sad to announce the cancellation of the summer musical production of “Drowsy Chaperone”. In order to keep our cast, staff, musicians, and volunteers safe from COVID-19 we must cancel at this time. This show was originally scheduled to run July 9-12 and 16-18.

Just like the spring production of “Civil War”, we hope to be able to secure the rights to the musical “Drowsy Chaperone” for the 2021 season. Both productions were thoughtfully selected by the LSC Board of Directors. The shows, though opposite in their style, both should become audience favorites. “Civil War” is a sad but moving examination of the War Between the States and “Drowsy Chaperone” is a charmingly witty reminiscence of old Broadway musicals.

We would like to thank the show Director, Kevin Bogan, and his talented staff for the time committed in planning this production. Thank you to all of the amazing people that auditioned. We will post plans for rescheduling the show on this website.

Our fall production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is scheduled for October 15-18 and 22-25. It is our dearest hope that the Corona Virus will be a part of the Nation’s history at that time and that we will be able to return to a life where social gatherings are not a dangerous experience. Please check our website for more information about this show.

Be safe and please follow the guidelines recommended by the National and Local government to keep all of us healthy.

Sincerely,
Michael Blinn
Board of Directors Chairman
Leawood Stage Company

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Other news from Leawood Stage Company

Presenting sponsor

City of Leawood Parks & Recreation Department

Thank you to the City of Leawood Parks & Recreation Department, our summer presenting sponsor!

Be a future sponsor

Upcoming events

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