By Nina Sinclair, 7th Grade
It’s confirmed. The 2026 Noe Musical will be the Addams family.
Mr. Cooper, the choir teacher and the director of the musical, was the one that decided on the Addams Family.
“Last year, we did Singing in the Rain, which is more of a classic style musical, and Addams Family is more of a modern musical,” said Cooper.
Every year, the school gives us a set of clues over the course of a few weeks to guess what the musical might be.
Around the end of the school year, kids will audition for parts in the musical, rehearse over the summer, and come back in the fall ready to perform.
This year, four clues were released to the public and it is common knowledge now that the musical is the Addams Family.
“This musical is actually based on the original comic version of the Addams Family, which dates back quite a ways. They were originally published in the New Yorker magazine, so they were just one panel New Yorker comics, and provide a lot of opportunity for people to make these characters their own.”
– Choir Teacher and Musical Director Mr. Cooper
The first clue featured a light bulb, and at first glance it could be anything, because every musical features lights, but if you dig around a little, you would know that in the Addams Family, there is a famous scene that features Uncle Fester attempting to swallow a light bulb.
It took a while to figure out, but as the clues continued, students were able to piece together the puzzle.
The next clue was a marquee sign, a famous sign that is used on Broadway, known for the lightbulbs that are lined on the edges of it.
It also had the colors black and white in it, which are the trademarked colors that everyone associates with the Addams Family.
Although these first two clues were difficult to figure out, the next two began to show the bigger picture.
The third clue was a set of seven squares, with an X marked on the middle one.
It was a random symbol. But after a longer glance, the seven squares represented the seven days of the week and the one that was marked was the middle of the week – Wednesday. Wednesday Addams is the daughter of the family, and famous for her negative view of the world.
Then comes the last clue, which featured a hand that appeared to be snapping, an iconic symbol of the Addams Family.
He tries to provide a bit of contrast when choosing the musical each year, so he switches between a bit of an older musical to a contemporary choice.
It wouldn’t be a play without a cast, so here is a helpful hint for those of you planning to audition: “We are looking for people who can bring the characters to life, who are not afraid to go really far and just put themselves out there,” Cooper said.
Cooper casts people that are not afraid to make bold character choices and step out of their comfort zone.
Something you may not know about this musical is that it is not actually based on the movie.
“This musical is actually based on the original comic version of the Addams Family, which dates back quite a ways,” Cooper said. “They were originally published in the New Yorker magazine, so they were just one panel New Yorker comics, and provide a lot of opportunity for people to make these characters their own.”
The actors will have a lot more creative decisions over their character, and will not necessarily base it on the movie or the Netflix TV show.
Although it contrasts slightly, it is also fairly similar.
For example, it still is a funny musical, and the majority of it is comedic and will gain some laughs from the audience.
“There’s a small message in this, it’s not a super serious musical, but there is a little bit of a message about how we interact with each other and how we judge other people.”
It may be funny, but it still has depth like any other musical, and make sure to listen closer to the message to really understand what the cast is trying to get across.
And actors who plan to audition, take this as advice to give your character some emotional depth alongside their humor.
I’m sure many of you have seen the Addams Family movie, but have you ever seen the musical, which features a few noticeable differences than the movie.
It focuses on an older Wednesday that falls in love with a normal boy she wishes to marry, and tries to have a normal night with the two.
Wednesday is more romantic in the musical and wears a yellow dress compared to her black one in the movie.
Pugsley is more of a side character, and is worried that his sister will no longer pay attention to him once she is married, so he tries to ruin the romance.
In the musical, Mortcia and Gomez are facing problems and trying to overcome their challenges, while in the movie, they have no troubles and remain happy throughout the story.
Whether you’ve seen the musical, the movie, or the television show, or none of them at all, you will thoroughly enjoy this production of Addams Family, featuring many of our young talented performers in the cast.
