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A modern spin on Greek mythology is coming to stage this week, as Livermore and Granada high schools present an adaptation of the award-winning Broadway musical “Hadestown”.
In the jazzy, folk opera “Hadestown: Teen Edition”, Orpheus and his wife Eurydice are cast into New Orleans during the 1930s. Lying under the city is a factory called Hadestown, which resembles the underworld. Throughout the musical, audiences follow Orpheus’ quest through the underworld to revive late Eurydice.
As the myth goes, Hades approved of the couple’s departure but conditioned their exit on never turning around while in the underworld. But when Orpheus looks behind himself during escape, Eurydice disappears.
“There are messages of trusting yourself and not allowing doubt to cast a shadow on things that you feel are right,” director and theater teacher at both schools, Lauren Haberman, said of the spring production.
The teen edition stays true to “Hadestown,” she said. Created by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and director Rachel Chavkin, the original has won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, as well as the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album in 2020.
The production’s musicality was not lost in the teen edition, Haberman added. This version introduced additional flexibility for some of the vocal parts and two songs from the original were made optional, but the show remains largely the same.
“It’s a real slap your knee, sing-along in some parts and then there’s some ballads,” Haberman said. “It’s upbeat and covers the gambit in terms of type of songs.”
The cast of about 30 performers is composed of both Livermore and Granada students. Both schools are also represented in the production’s approximately 10-person musical pit. A technical crew of about 15 people are also involved in the musical.
As for why the high schools are performing together, there isn’t enough space at Granada to put on this type of large-scale production, Haberman explained. So Granada students have auditioned at Livermore High for joint spring musicals in recent years.
“Hadestown: Teen Edition” debuts this Friday (May 2) at 7 p.m. at Livermore High’s Carol Hovey Performing Arts Theater. Three additional shows are scheduled to run Saturday and Sunday (May 3-4). Tickets are available through the Livermore High website at livermorehigh.livermoreschools.org
