I’ve been attending musicals at Webster Schroeder High School for more than 20 years, ever since my kids went to school there. They’re always outstanding, with standing-ovation-quality acting and singing. And every year’s performance, it seems, is better than the last.
But I think they’re going to be hard-pressed to top this year’s production of Hadestown.
Webster Schroeder is bringing the hit Broadway musical Hadestown to the stage for four shows this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I had the pleasure of attending one of the dress rehearsals a few days ago, and when I walked into the auditorium, I knew very little about the musical, aside from the fact that it was an eight-time Tony Award winner. I also knew (from my music theater nerd daughter) that it’s one of the hottest shows on Broadway. So when I heard that Schroeder had nabbed the rights to stage it (the first school in our area), I was very excited to see it.
Hadestown re-imagines the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It’s a love story, set against the backdrop of a dark, stylized, industrial underworld ruled by Hades and Persephone. Eurydice, driven by poverty and cold, seeks refuge in this harsh realm, while her musician lover, Orpheus, embarks on a long and perilous journey to bring her back.
I know, I know … that doesn’t sound like your typical high school musical. For sure it’s not as lighthearted as Mary Poppins or Seussical. But despite its darker themes, audience members will be equally captivated by the acting, choreography, music and staging. Because this is a Webster Schroeder production.
The quality of this year’s show is especially impressive given that Hadestown is a very complicated and very tech-heavy musical. Even though it was released as a “teen edition,” not much was removed from the current production on Broadway. A few adaptations had to be made to accommodate the limitations of a high-school production, but those adaptations are creative and intriguing.
Director Carrie Zugelder says Hadestown has been the most challenging production she’s ever done in her 24 years of producing musicals, for several reasons. She writes,
We have over 300 different lighting cues that happen throughout the show. We are running sound which includes body mics, sound effects and on-stage band amplification on a 32-channel sound board and every channel is used. This means that our sound designer and his assistant are controlling 32 different sound elements at any given time in the show. We are running three different fog machines placed strategically on and below the stage extension. The special placement of these machines requires student members of stage crew to be enclosed under the stage, in the dark, to make sure the machines turn on and operate at the right moments.
The dedication shown by those students under the stage is matched ten-fold by the skill and dedication to the craft shown by the students singing and dancing on the stage.
Here’s a good example: The character Orpheus is a musician, who in this production plays a guitar. Rowan Murphy, who plays Orpheus, did not know how to play the guitar before he won the role. But he decided he wanted to learn all the guitar parts his character played, rather than rely on the on-stage pit band, so he started taking lessons back in November.
But there’s more!
The three Fates also have instruments assigned to them: a violin, a tambourine and an accordion. Most high school productions would have the instruments on the characters but have professionals play the parts while the characters mimic the playing…..not Webster Schroeder! Both Fate #1 and Fate #3 self-taught their violin and accordion parts. Their playing on stage is legit.
Those examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the hard work these young actors have been putting in to bring Hadestown to the stage. (And they are young. For many of them, this is their first Schroeder production.) From the powerful opening song, to the lilting love ballads, to the jarring underworld chants, the music is challenging, but the harmonies are breathtaking. The choreography and staging are complicated but delivered without a hitch.
Basically, I suggest you try to put aside your preconceptions that a musical based on a Greek myth will be boring, and put yourself in that auditorium for an evening you will not forget.
Hadestown: Teen Edition will make its community premiere at Webster Schroeder High School with four performances from February 6-8. Evening shows will begin at 7:00 p.m., with a matinee performance at 2 p.m. on February 8, at the Webster Schroeder High School Auditorium (875 Ridge Road). Tickets are $14 and can be purchased online through Hometown Ticketing.
Here are some more photos:
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(posted 2/4/2025)
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Missy, these students certainly sound motivated, talented and hard-working. I wish them every success.
The following caught my attention: “The special placement of these machines require student members of the stage crew to be enclosed under the stage, in the dark, to make sure the machines turn on and operate at the right moments.”
After nearly four decades working in commercial power plants, this description sounds similar to an OSHA defined ‘Confined Space’. [https://www.osha.gov.confined-spaces ] In simplified terms, a confined space has two characteristics: (1) One way in or out, and (2) ‘not intended for continuous human habitation’ (e..g not an office space).
I do not know the lay-out of the stage or its extension, but wonder if this meets OSHA’s definition of a confined space? Further, can the students exit safely if they become ill, injured, of if an emergency arises? My concern is for the students’ safety, and I respectfully ask those in authority, and responsible for this event, to ensure those students under the stage can exit safely and quickly if necessary.