BHS to present 'Hadestown: Teen Edition'
Superlative singing, a pit orchestra on stage rather than in front of it, unique lighting and set pieces, and a story that has endured since antiquity await audiences who attend Buffalo High School’s fall musical, “Hadestown: Teen Edition.”
Four shows in the refurbished Performing Arts Center are scheduled at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14 and 15, as well as 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22.
A unique fusion of Greek mythology in a soulful Depression-era New Orleans-inspired setting, the sung-through production tells the story of young dreamer Orpheus and his love interest, the disillusioned Eurydice. The pair journey to the underworld, where they meet King Hades and his wife, season-changing Persephone. Throughout, the story explores the themes of doubt against faith, fear against love, industry against nature, and heroic action in the face of overwhelming odds.
“It’s a story of an old love and a new love, and how those relationships can change while you age,” said senior Avery Russek, who plays the role of Eurydice. “It’s about how the world can change you, and how a relationship can change your view of the world.”
Challenging music
The “teen” in the title provides flexibility for high school directors to make modifications to the show in order to accommodate performers of less-than-professional talent. According to Director Tracy Hagstrom Durant, those changes have not been needed thanks to a gifted student cast.
“We are blessed with Parker Carlson, who has the vocal range to sing as Hades. We are blessed with Vinny Johnson, who has the vocal range to sing Orpheus. The ranges for those male singers are out-of-this-world hard,” said Hagstrom Durant. “Parker is a true low bass, and Vinny is a true high tenor. They have that ability.”
In addition, Kaylee Anderson, Margot Miller and Kiana Rugut shine as The Fates.
“The Fates are three women singing in super tight, difficult harmony. The teen edition gives them permission to sing in unison, but we haven’t needed to do that,” said Hagstrom Durant. “The only one who has really been on stage before is Kaylee, so that is kind of fun. Margot has been a stage manager before, but the girl can sing. Kiana is a soccer player and this year she decided to do the musical. She has a beautiful voice and is super talented.”
A production that consists entirely of song without lapsing into spoken dialog is unusual, and “it’s very rare that a high school would do it,” added Hagstrom Durant.
“It’s just a different beast to conquer because it’s all music,” said Russek. “Knowing what comes next is harder because it’s not scene-by-scene, it’s song-by-song. And each song leads right into the next one.”
“It’s extremely challenging, but it makes memorization easier just because we’ve been in choir for so long,” said Johnson, also a senior.
Technical features
The updated lighting and sound in the Performing Arts Center provide more capabilities, but have also proved a challenge as the tech crew scrambled to learn the new systems and work out issues related to the room’s renovation. And those are just two components of a big job for those behind the scenes.
“We don’t want to just challenge our actors, we also want to challenge our technicians,” said Hagstrom Durant. “This show certainly does that.”
Fun features involve music and actions choreographed with lights, a large motorized turntable that actors walk on to simulate long journeys, set pieces that suggest historic buildings in New Orleans, and more.
“There are a lot of tech aspects. There are maybe two blackouts in the whole show, so it’s a constant flow,” said junior stage manager Isaac Ryder. “The communication needs to be top level. When you’re talking with the spots and the deck chiefs you have to make sure everything is well organized so nothing goes wrong and disrupts the flow of the show.”
Weighty themes
Fantastical by nature, stories from Greek mythology have endured because of their insightful and timeless portrayal of human nature. Vermont-based singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell crafted the musical based on that mythology in 2006, and the play opened on Broadway in 2019, where it was hailed as “a step forward for the art form.” It won eight Tony Awards in 2019 and a Grammy Award in 2020.
Carlson, a senior who plays Hades, said the show goes beyond entertainment to grapple with important themes and experiences.
“It’s a very high-level story both emotionally and intellectually,” he said.
While prior knowledge of the mythological characters isn’t necessary to understand the plot, it may help deepen the meaning for those familiar with the tale. Orpheus muses about the difference between the world we dream about and the one we live in. He aims to write a song “to bring the world back into tune, back into time, where all the flowers will bloom.”
“To me, that’s where the real message of the story lies,” said Carlson. “It resembles how the world is today and how it could be changed, and holds onto hope that there could always be something better.”
Even while they grapple with logistical details, Ryder said meaningful elements of the work are not lost on the cast or crew.
“(Last year’s musical) Wind in the Willows was a fun show about friends, but this one has a much deeper message and you can take more out of it,” he said. “It’s a show I’ll look back on and think about how much I learned about my life – how much I learned about how to be a better person.”
“It definitely makes you reflect a lot more on your life and your choices and the way you’re turning out to be,” Russek agreed. “It takes the art form to another level because it’s more self-reflective.”
Hagstrom Durant said the themes are weighty, even while the music and movement are filled with life.
“It’s heavy. It’s not a light, happy, chirpy musical,” she said. “There are some really fun moments, but overall, it’s a sad song about the cycle of life. (Musical Director) Zack Carlson-Giving and I both agree that it’s through the arts that we can tackle, discuss and maybe even find some of the solutions to problems that we’re having in our world today.”
For Russek, who has seen the show live on Broadway and at the Orpheum, the chance to portray a favorite character in her favorite musical is a wonderful opportunity in her senior year.
“It’s cool to get to play a dream role,” she said. “Overall, it’s a really great show. We’re hoping to captivate the audience and get them to think about life in today’s age in comparison to the story.”
• Tickets are available online at https://www.buffalotheater.org/home.
