M-A’s spring musical Hadestown Teen Edition opens on Friday, Mar. 14, and will run for two weekends. The show retells the Greek myths of lovers Orpheus and Eurydice as well as rulers of the underworld Hades and Persephone with a modern twist, incorporating contemporary themes and complex perspectives.
Folk singer Anaïs Mitchell began writing Hadestown in 2004, continuing to develop it through workshops and a concept album until it opened on Broadway in 2019. The show, which has won eight Tony Awards, became available for high schools to perform this year. It utilizes vivid storytelling with a live band on the stage, combining New Orleans jazz and folk styles with dynamic choreography and a gripping plot.
The musical opens with the jazzy “Road to Hell” as Hermes (sophomore Calvin Blanford) introduces the story, the characters, the ensemble, and the live band—all student musicians. Orpheus, a talented musician and poet, and Eurydice, a poor girl struggling to survive, fall in love and enjoy the bounty of summer. “Eurydice is very skeptical and not very trusting in people, but then she falls in love with Orpheus because of his music,” Bryman said.
However, as the cruel winter sets in, Eurydice is lured away by the Fates and Hades. With the promise of food and security, she leaves Orpheus for the Underworld.
The act ends as a devastated Orpheus seeks the help of Hermes to find Eurydice in the underworld. Act II focuses on Orpheus and Eurydice’s struggle to reunite, intertwined with Hades and Persephone’s story.
“It’s a love song / It’s a sad song / And we’re gonna sing it anyway,” the ensemble sings at both the beginning and end of the show.
“One of the biggest messages in it is that the story is a circle,” senior cast member Kate Barker said. “The set is also a circle. The musical is about why we keep retelling the same story even if we know how it ends. Hadestown is about human nature.”
The elaborate set, also built in collaboration with students, provides visuals for this aspect of the plot. “We’ve mimicked a lot of the Broadway set,” Bryman said.
A turntable exemplifies the “circular” nature of the plot, with cast members walking without moving far in “Why We Build A Wall,” while singing about the endless nature of work and struggle, and the “road to hell” is visually symbolized by a descending platform.
“It’s a theme of perseverance,” Bryman said. “Even if it didn’t work out this time, and maybe it won’t work out the next time, just keep trying. Because we never know how it may end up.”
The drama team masterfully covers complex themes whilst managing and navigating this intricate stage setup. “The band’s all students. The entire show is students, choreographed by students,” Barker said.
Hadestown opens Friday, March 14, with performances on March 15, 16, 21, 22, and 23. You can buy tickets here at $12 for students and $17.25 for adults or in person at the M-A Performing Arts Center box office.
