On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, the Hingham High School’s drama club presented their fall musical, “Hadestown.” As the first year that high schools had the rights to perform this show, HHS drama teacher and musical director Mrs. Fish jumped on the opportunity to perform the Tony Award-winning show. The show intertwines two Greek myths: Hades (played by senior Nick Roche) and Persephone (played by junior Annie Daly), and Orpheus (played by senior Ben Cavallo-Smith) and Eurydice (played by senior Ruby Blake).
Most are familiar with how Persephone, the goddess of spring is married to Hades, the god of the Underworld; and when Persephone returns to her husband in Hadestown, winter falls up above. However, not many know about the tale of Orpheus, a young musician who falls in love with Eurydice, a poor girl who never thought she would find love like Orpheus’.
However, the temptation of the fates (played by junior Alexa Harris, sophomore Breanna Weiss, and freshman Kimya Howell) falls prey to Eurydice and she descends to Hadestown where she meets many workers, slaving away down in hell for eternity after death. It is down in Hadestown where the love stories of both Persephone and Hades and Orpheus and Eurydice are tested.
Hermes (played by senior Tommy Parker), the charismatic narrator of the story guides the audience through a host of beautiful music inspired by modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz. Both myths combine to make a beautiful story that emphasizes human choice, and the power of love and trust in a relationship. The powerful messaging of the story reduced many audience members to tears on all three of the nights, a testament to the cast’s powerful storytelling abilities through music.
As for the audience reviews, “Hadestown” was a massive hit. Almost everybody in the audience left shocked, moved, or even crying. There were many suspenseful and emotional points in the musical, like the songs “Wait for Me,” “Flowers,” and “Road to Hell Reprise.” The voices and talent of each character were highly praised by the entire audience, especially for the vocal difficulty level of the pieces.
The audience also loved the music style as it was different from any musical they had heard before. Junior audience member Emmy Oppedisano who is also a part of HHS’s band particularly liked the music of the show as she reviewed, “My favorite part by far was the music. Although I haven’t seen many musicals, this style was much different from any other musical I’ve seen and it was very well done. Congratulations to the cast and crew for such an amazing performance!”
Even director Mrs. Fish’s favorite element of the performances “is the wild card that is the audience’s reactions.” The dynamic reactions each night’s audience brought truly gave the show the life and recognition it deserved. Fish continues, “There is such magic in that – until the lights go down and the show begins, you just don’t know what you’re going to get. When the audience is truly with you on the journey and invested in your storytelling, the experience is nothing short of electric!”
Many cast and crew members of the show loved the choice of “Hadestown” as well, for many different reasons. Senior Nick Roche who played Hades’ favorite part was, “during Epic 3 when the pit orchestra stops playing and it’s just the vocals of everyone singing to Hades. It is a crucial turning point for Hades in the show and everyone did so well so it made the moment even more special.”
Fellow senior and Drama Club co-president Tommy Parker adds, “It’s hard to pinpoint my favorite part of the performance, but I loved that there were several songs when every member of the cast got a solo or moment to be heard. It’s such a group effort with this show and it was comforting to know we could rely on each other to build on top of the shared melodies and energies.”
Additionally, although a long and work-intensive process, bringing “Hadestown” to life through rehearsals was one of the biggest joys for the actors and crew members. Tommy Parker continues, “My favorite part of the process of putting the show together was the creative freedom we had with such a modern musical. Since the blocking and choreography weren’t as rigid as in older shows, we had the freedom as actors to try different movements and check in with Mrs. Fish to see if she liked what we were doing.”
The creative liberties different actors took in the show was one of the many reasons why the performance was so profound, unique, and moving for a high school show. Likewise, director Mrs. Fish has a similar opinion on the process of bringing “Hadestown” to life. “Combing the script for context clues, making inferences, digging into the psychology of the choices our characters make, and examining how they see both the world and themselves… these conversations are always so exciting to me, as they help make the character on the page become a living, breathing entity on the stage. For this show, we had some truly beautiful character conversations that left me terribly impressed with our actors.”
This feeling was mutual for the students who participated in the crew as well. Costume head, junior Luke Burke’s favorite portion of the show was “just interacting with the actors and having a moment to enjoy a celebration of musical theatre surrounded by people who also enjoy it. I love that I can give the actors a bit of extra enjoyment and flare onstage as well through their costumes!”
The costumes, props, and set design for the show were incredibly creative and added another element of depth to the characters and the story. Particularly, junior Tag Tomlinson’s set design brought the show’s vision to life. Mrs. Fish continues, “I am so proud of the vision they brought to this piece, and how that inspired other choices for the visuals within the show. Tag is a gifted theatre artist, and I’m excited to see what they create next!”
The inclusivity of the drama club environment is also a large focus of the show and the unity that it represents. Senior drama club co-president Ruby Blake notes that “drama has always been a great place for me to express myself and let out my emotions, no matter what they are.” She continues, “During this process, rehearsal was an escape for me, a door into a little oasis in the 190s hallway. I think a lot of my cast mates would agree. At rehearsal, we all supported each other, lifted each other up, and helped each other grow as people and performers. That was my favorite part.”
As for any students at HHS who saw one of the outstanding performances, the inclusivity in drama club is truly one of a kind and has helped many students find their passion and gain confidence. As a final message from co-president Ruby Blake, “This show was so amazing, and if you are even slightly interested in drama, here is your sign: DO IT!”
