Take everything you think you know about a student musical. Now forget it. BLPSA’s production of “One Normal Night with the Addams”, directed by Altea Russo and choreographed by Ginevra Grossi, wasn’t just a student performance: it was a spectacle. What took place on stage on Tuesday night was everything but amateur theatre. It was pure professionalism, dripping with talent and energy. It was supposed to be a normal mid-week night but, as soon as the doors of Roentgen’s Aula Magna opened, it became clear that “One Normal Night with the Addams” would be anything but.
The room was packed to the brim, buzzing with excitement. As the lights began to dim, a ripple of urgency ran through the crowd: people rushed to their seat, all the conversations that were taking place among the audience were cut short, reduced to a whisper, and a hush of anticipation settled. Then, the first round of applause, loud and eager. It was just the beginning. From that moment on, the audience simply couldn’t help itself. Almost every ten minutes, a new reason to applaud erupted: a brilliantly performed song, a well delivered punchline, an unexpected dance move. Laughter and clapping became part of the show’s soundtrack.
The sets were a visual feast: tombstones entwined with ivy, candlelight and gothic details brought the Addams’ mansion to life. The costumes went beyond mere aesthetics, they told stories. The classic Addams’ palette, made of pitch black and dramatic silhouettes, clashed in a brilliant way with the Beineke’s sunny yellows, an incredibly well-constructed visual metaphor.
What truly made the night unforgettable was its amazing cast, that could hold its own on any professional stage. Morticia (Valentina Giavarini), sharp and magnetic, looked like she just came out of the shadows. Elegant and icy, she walked out in an apron, singing “I sogni son desideri”. It was absurd, and absolutely perfect. Opposite her Gomez (Mattia Gambini), hopeless romantic with two passions: Morticia, and dad jokes. Just when the audience thought they’d heard it all, he burst out singing “Maledetta Primavera”, leaving everyone laughing out of breath.
Wednesday (Lucrezia Fantini) was a master in contradictions, tender and terrifying at the same time. She could flip from being sweet and affectionate to holding homicidal rage in a blink. Her chemistry with Lucas and the banters with Pugsley and Gomez kept the story alive and the audience giggling. Talking about Pugsley (Edoardo Morresi), he was a delightful mix of mischief and mayhem. His unexpected alliance with Lilith (Alessandra Stomati), original character created by the director that, however, looked like she had always been part of the Addams canon, added a layer of comic chaos.
Uncle Fester (Eren Mihmanli) was, quite literally, the moon of the show. Floating seamlessly between a narrator and a comedic chaos agent, he was the glue of the show, lighting up the stage while breaking the fourth wall and bursting out in random ukulele ballads, equal parts tender and deranged.
The Addams’ Grandma (Alessandra Mastroianni) leaned fully in the matriarch role, conveying unpredictability and fear that she could actually hex someone in the audience. And Cousin Itt (Sara Normanno)? A Neapolitan twist that was not advertised in the trailer, adding an element of surprise that had the whole audience in tears from laughing.
Even the Beineke family, the supposed “normal ones”, weren’t left in the shadows. Alice (Serena Zingarelli), with her rhyming and mid-show breakdown, delivered one of the most entertaining character arcs. Mal (Sam Ajdarkosh) brought a wonderfully insufferable Milanese stereotype to the stage, with his corporate dad attitude and his constant mix of Italian and English. The finishing touch for the family portrait was given by Lucas (Michele Donato), quieter in energy, who made the family dynamic extremely believable, adding just enough heart to make Wednesday’s internal conflict feel real. But, let’ face it: while saying almost nothing, Lurch (Andrea Gabrielli) stole every scene. His expressive grunts and well-timed silences got some of the biggest laughs of the night. Who knew a grunt could say so much? Let’s not forget the ensemble: far from being background players, they were dynamic, expressive, and crucial. They executed stunning choreographies with precision and flair, stepped in with specific lines, and played an active role in both narration and comedy. “This year, the hardest part was blending choreography and storytelling”, shared choreographer Ginevra Grossi. “It was essential that the choreography continuously advanced the narrative, and that the ancestors were portrayed as living characters. Each of them has their own backstory and personality that had to emerge”. The ensemble was, without doubt, the soul of the stage.
One might expect a bunch of economics students crunching numbers, not belting out ballads and owning the stage in such a way. “I think [theatre at Bocconi] can be an outlet, but also a way to discover the creativity of these students” says director Altea Russo, “From the outside, people might think they’re all just ‘econ nerds’, but it’s amazing to realize that there are extraordinary talents even in this context”. Working within an academic environment that has nothing to do with theatre, she added, came with an advantage: “There’s no ego, no competition to land a certain role. It’s lighter, more fun. You build friendships and deep bonds, because theatre makes you vulnerable. You reveal a lot of yourself, and that leaves you with something lasting”. And this, for such a competitive and high-pressure environment like Bocconi’s one, is nothing short of extraordinary.
In the end, “One Normal Night with the Addams” was everything but normal. It reminded everyone lucky enough to be in the room of what happens when creativity, passion and talent collide. As Morticia brilliantly puts it, “Normality is just an illusion. What’s normal for the fly, is chaos for the spider”, and perhaps that’s what made this musical so unforgettable: it embraced the chaos, celebrated the weird, and gave us an amazing night of theatre, one that was anything but ordinary, and all the more perfect because of it.
A southern Italian girl whose favorite book all throughout her childhood was called “I want to be a journalist” (and deep down, it’s still my favorite to this day).
I’m currently in BEMACC because I’m in love with arts, and the fundamental importance of culture has always been fascinating to me.
I will never turn down the opportunity to write about anything that catches my interest, even though I have a sweet spot for anything culture - related.
