WATSONVILLE >> This year, seniors in Mount Madonna School’s high school performing arts program will be graduating and bidding farewell to a program that has allowed them to form bonds with those they might not have expected to.

Fittingly, their next play is about forming bonds with others, no matter how odd or normal they might be. “The Addams Family, A New Musical” will be performed Jan. 25 and 26.

Director Chelsea Otterness said seniors tend to have a lot of sway in what gets performed, and “The Addams Family” fit the bill for them.

“We have six awesome, bold, unique, kooky seniors, and it seemed like this play really suited their skills and disposition,” she said. “It really was a choice based on the cast that we have, and it’s really working out.”

The creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky Addams Family are characters who have conquered multiple forms of media for nearly a century.

They were created by illustrator Charles Addams and appeared in a series of one-panel cartoons in The New Yorker, depicting a ghoulish family living in a gothic mansion who delight in the bizarre and macabre. The success of these cartoons led to an even more successful ’60s sitcom that paved the way for numerous cartoons and movies, and continues to delight audiences with the hit Netflix series “Wednesday.”

The Addams Family also became stars of their titular musical, premiering on Broadway in 2010 with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, and a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. The play has been nominated for two Tonys and became a staple of community theater and high school drama productions. Otterness saw a production by Santa Cruz company All About Theatre last fall and knew it would be perfect for her drama students.

“It’s hard to find plays that are noncontroversial, ones that have aged well,” she said. “It’s interesting the themes in this one involving bringing death into the conversation and being outlandish and kooky, those themes are still relevant to today.”

“The Addams Family, A New Musical” sees Wednesday Addams falling in love with a “normal” young boy named Lucas Beineke, which does not please Wednesday’s parents, Gomez and Morticia. Complications further arise as Wednesday invites Lucas and his parents over for dinner, meaning that Gomez, Morticia and the rest of the family have to act “normal” — not an easy task for a family as notoriously odd as the Addams Family.

Mount Madonna’s cast consists of all high schoolers in the performing arts program, amounting to 10 students playing lead roles and the remainder portraying the Addams’ ancestors in the ensemble.

“Each person has developed a character from different time periods, and our ensemble numbers are just so exciting and large,” said Otterness.

This has allowed students to learn different dances from the tango to the Charleston.

“They’re just so willing,” said Otterness. “The willingness to be creative and courageous is so there with this group. It’s making for a really awesome show.”

Otterness has particularly enjoyed working with the senior cast members and seeing how they have grown over the past four years.

“You cast, and that student clearly showed willingness and desire for that role, but once you get that role, you’re no longer seeking, you are there,” she said. “It’s sinking into the role rather than seeking.”

Otterness has worked with the senior cast since they were freshmen, and “The Addams Family, A New Musical” is their capstone play.

“To see them take the lead and run the show has been very, very rewarding,” she said.

Students have enjoyed taking on these iconic roles. Emilia Lord, who plays Wednesday, said in a statement that stepping into a lead role for the first time has taught her patience.

“I’m figuring out how to make the character real for me and build from there,” she wrote. “I used to be more down and reserved like Wednesday, but, like her in this story, I’ve changed, too. Freedom is a key part of it; the freedom to act however you want and give yourself permission to reveal another side of yourself.”

Mordecai Coleman, who plays Gomez, said he related to the character’s experiences and drew upon some of his own.

“It’s interesting to consider things from the perspective of the father, a viewpoint I hadn’t fully explored before,” he said in a statement. “Having parents who are divorced, it’s made me think about what it must have been like for my dad. Reflecting on that perspective has helped me develop more empathy for his situation. Stepping into roles that are far from your own personality can really open the door to becoming a more empathetic person, offering a more open-minded view of others.”

Manumailagi Hunnicutt, who plays Morticia, liked the overall message.

“It’s important to remember that a lot of people struggle to accept others or look beyond their own perspectives,” she said in a statement. “Embracing others as they are is such a powerful message to share. There are a lot of quirky characters in this story, and each one represents an archetype taken to an extreme. All the couples in the story help one another rediscover love and openness.”

Otterness believes “The Addams Family” musical, like all Mount Madonna School productions, is evidence of how important arts and live performances are and hopes it will encourage others to become involved with theatre.

“Live theater is something that, no matter how old you are — you could be a baby or in retirement and still participate in,” she said. “I hope that it inspires others to see more shows and get involved in theater themselves and be encouraged by creative human self-expression.”

“The Addams Family, A New Musical” will be performed at 2 p.m. Jan. 25 and 26 at Mount Madonna School, 491 Summit Road, Watsonville. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for individuals 18 and under. All seats are reserved. Tickets can be purchased at mms-theaddamsfamily.brownpapertickets.com.