Lurch, Morticia, Pugsley, Wednesday, Uncle Fester. The very names of "The Addams Family" conjure up a smile.

Luch, Morticia, Pugsley, Wednesday, Uncle Fester, Grandma and all the  rest of the family greet the audiance in the opening scene of the upcom- ing production of the musical "The Addams Family: by the Upper Perk- iomen High School Drama club.  The show opens next Wednesday.

            The cast and crew of this year's Upper Perkiomen High School musical aim to have the audience laughing and applauding the antics of the ghoulish family and prove once again that "it is cool to be weird" (as movie critic Amon Warmann once noted).

            Co-director Alicia Austin said that playgoers "can expect  traditional Addams Family antics."

            But the storyline is one that has not been used in the franchise's storied past.

            The musical centers around Wednesday's pending marriage to a "normal" young man, and she persuades her father, Gomez, to keep the relationship from her mother, Morticia, until the Addams host a dinner for the prospective groom and his family.

            "It's a show about families, families changing, and how we adapt with that change, how we accept every family's weird quirks and idiosyncrasies," Austin said. "Accepting your family for who they are is really at the heart of the show."

            Senior Owen Reinhart (the Baron in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and Lord Pinkleton in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella") will be playing Gomez, the father of this scary clan.

Dancers glide across the stage under purple lighting in the opening scene of the Addams Family musical, in which the family calls forth their ancestors in the graveyard.

            "I hope that the audience can find relatability and an emotional connection with the story and the characters," Reinhart said, "despite how abnormal and different every character is compared to what is traditionally accepted in society."

            Riley Bowen, who plays Uncle Fester, also sees the universality of the themes of the show.

            "Everybody in this show has a problem involving love, and I think everybody can relate to at least one of those characters in their situations in the   context of love," Riley observed.

            The audience will be introduced to the ancestors of the Addams family through the ensemble.

            "Our ensemble is all of the ancestors from the Addams family so they come out of the crypt in the beginning of the show, and they remain throughout the entirety of it," Austin said. The large ensemble consists of 25 actors and actresses.

            Each of the thespians has a good idea of what makes his/her character tick.

            Meghan Carlin will play Morticia.

            "Morticia is all about honesty and she's a family woman. She's always right. Morticia's the glue that holds that family together," Meghan explained. "She's the leader of the family." 

            Riley Bowen's Fester has the best of intentions but becomes more of a hindrance than a help. "This whole time he's trying to help Lucas (the groom) and Wednesday go through with their plans. That's why the ancestors are here. Fester won't let them go back into their tombs until they help out."

            Towering over the cast in eight-inch lifts, Crystian Wilson's Lurch is the conscience of the cast.

            "Lurch is the stable person for everyone to come and vent to because he's not going to judge you. He's just going to sit there and listen to you and kind of help you to see your own way out of a problem. He's not going to tell you what to do."

            Crystian, a senior, is making his stage debut.

            "Me and Lurch are kind of similar, especially since he doesn't have to talk much, just sort of grunts and grumbles a lot of the time. Makes it a lot easier."

            The set features two large staircases that are movable and used for many settings.

            "We also have a lot of new furniture that has been created by several members of our cast and crew," Austin said.

            Those items include a stretching rack and a coffin and torture chairs.

            "A lot of scary devices made by high school students," joked Austin whose co-director is fellow teacher Colby Phillips.

            Jenn Dancy of Studios on Main choreographed the show.

            A free show for senior citizens will take place on Wednesday, March 11 at 1 p.m. Opening night is March 12 at 7 p.m. Student prices are $5 for general admission for that show. On Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 the shows also start at 7. The Children's Show is Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m.

            Center seating is $10. General admission is $8. Go to   https://24782.recitalticketing.com/   to reserve tickets.