CCHS got to showcase ‘Addams Family’ after all!
The entry is still on my calendar for March 16: “Attend Addams Family rehearsal at 6:30 p.m.”
I was due at Cornwall Central High School to write a preview of the Drama Club’s spring musical. But it didn’t happen. On the previous Friday, students went home from school and never returned. However, the story doesn’t end there.
This summer the licensing agent for the show (TRW) and the composer (Andrew Lippa) commissioned a Quarantined Concert Version of the musical. They reached out to Jim Hoare to get it done.
He’s the individual schools contact when they want to produce an adapted version of a Broadway show.
His title is Executive Vice President, Education and Community Initiatives for Theatrical Rights Worldwide. After completing the rewrite, Mr. Hoare wanted an opinion of the new script. He remembered that Cornwall had been on the verge of producing the show, so he contacted Anthony Ravinsky (the head of the drama club).
Here’s how Mr. Ravinsky describes the experience.
“Mr. Hoare reached out to me to ask my opinion about the rewrite, because he knew we were in the middle of the production. I told him I could do him one better and have the cast do a read-through for him to see how the new script flows. If you’re not aware, before many shows make it to the live stage, they have many workshops and readings to see what works and what might need to change.
“I was able to get the principals together to perform this new script for Mr. Hoare on a Zoom call. The students were well prepared and were able to question the author at the end. Throughout the performance, Mr. Hoare was taking notes and laughing as the cast performed this hilarious script.
“Mr. Hoare hopes to join us live if we are able to do some sort of performance of this production when times allow.”
By the way, the Quarantine Version is shorter than the original. Mr. Hoare condensed it into one act so there would be no intermission where audience members might mingle around a refreshment stand.
He eliminated a few production numbers and added a narrator. To make the production timely, he included a few jokes about social distancing and dealing with the quarantine.
“He did some really cool stuff,” Mr. Ravinsky told us. “The kids had fun with it.” They got their scripts from Mr. Ravinsky via email. And they used Zoom to link up for the reading on July 24. Instead of being together on a stage, they were all in different places. Some cast members were even on vacation.
“It was good to be part of it,” Mr. Ravinsky said. “The whole experience was kind of cool.”
