Into the Underworld: CCHS theater program brings Hadestown to life
Hadestown, a musical re-imagining of the Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice, is set to appear on the Robert Frost stage the first two weekends of March. This high-school adaption of the Broadway musical is expected to turn heads with its refreshingly original soundtrack and uncanny parallels to our current society. With its commentary on “capitalism, fear and hoarding”, Ms. Lee Hanson, CCHS theater teacher and director of the production, hopes this show serves as “our call to assist” and “show compassion” to those who are struggling in our community.
This Tony Award-winning musical draws inspiration from the 1930’s Depression era, creating a unique setting where two young dreamers, —and their hopes, loves and ambitions, —are tested in an artificial underworld ruled by fabled gods whose own romantic interests steer the plot. Though it is not as well known as other musicals CCHS has put on, Ms. Hanson and student leaders expect Hadestown to interest even musical-theater skeptics, thanks to its genius composer Anaïs Mitchell. Mitchell has created a musical score unlike many other Broadway productions that can sometimes feel “predictable and repetitive” says Hanson. “Wait For Me”, the most popular song from the show, is a melodic profession of love from Orpheus to Euridyce that you may have heard before. The show is famed for its delicate blend of indie, folk and jazz that carries throughout the whole show, thanks to the background music played by a live student pit orchestra.
Recently available to license for high schools, and relatively new to Broadway itself, Hadestown “has been a dream- show” for both the cast and crew. Though student leaders report that this production is challenging because it is a “fully sung through show” with a great deal of dancing, it has been very exciting for theater students, according to student leaders, especially given the difference between the light-hearted first act and more heavy and serious second act. Just like their director, the students hope that “people go into the show, having perspective, and not just thinking of it as a fun musical, but trying to realize the true message of the story”.
The first performance will take place on Thursday, March 5th, and the show will run through Sunday, the 8th. It will also continue the following weekend, from the 12th through the 15th. Thursdays through Saturdays, the show will start at 7:00 p.m., and each Sunday, they will have a matinee at 2:00 p.m. Each weekend will star a different cast so that more students get the chance to perform.The admission price will be $20 for general admission, $15 for students, seniors, and staff, and $10 for all students with an ASB pass. There will also be a free-to-watch dress rehearsal of the entire show on the Wednesday before opening night, March 4th.