Seckman High School students will perform “Hadestown: Teen Edition” at Rickman Auditorium, 747 Jeffco Blvd., in Arnold.
The theater group is scheduled to perform the teen version of the Tony Award-winning musical at 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, March 27-29, and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 30. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased through seckmantheatre.ludus.com or at Rickman.
The musical tells the intertwining love stories of Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades and his wife, Persephone through songs inspired by American folk music and New Orleans jazz. Sophomore Myranda Tucker is playing Orpheus; junior Anna Fischer is playing Eurydice; junior Jacob Row is playing Hades; and junior Maddy Procter will be Persephone.
“It is a really fun story told in a fun way,” said senior Elle Salender, 17, of Arnold, who is a member of the ensemble. “With Greek mythology, you really don’t see the stories told through music, and I think the character acting through the music is incredible.”
Director Chris Owens, who is Seckman High’s theatre and debate teacher, said there is little difference between the teen edition and the musical that won eight Tony Awards in 2019.
He said the main difference is the expansion of the ensemble with Seckman casting 14 in the ensemble instead of the original five.
He also said some lyrics have been modified to be more family friendly, and the key for some of the songs was changed to be more accessible to a teenagers’ vocal range.
“You are basically getting the same show that you would see on Broadway,” Owens said. “You will see a unique take on some classic mythology stories with an excellent score. You can hear this Tony Award-winning score in your hometown with a really talented group of kids who are doing a fantastic job with it.”
Salender said she believes having more performers in the ensemble helps the show.
“I think having so many vocal ranges in our ensemble really helps give depth to songs that they wouldn’t have had otherwise,” she said. “It is great to be part of a group of people who are all working toward the same goal of enhancing the show and making it more real. I think we are making it come to life.”
Owens said he was looking for a musical that wasn’t as technically challenging as the school’s production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” on Jan. 16-18. That production featured both middle and high school students.
“We did the magical with Harry Potter in the fall, and we are doing mythical with Hadestown in the spring,” he said.
Senior Burke Sebastian, who shares the role of Hermes with junior Noah Brownlow, said had never heard of “Hadestown,” and she initially did not want to be part of the production.
“I was not excited to do it when I first heard it, but I like it now,” Sebastian, 18, of Imperial said. “I didn’t know anything about it when we started. I learned the music. I don’t love the style of music, but I have come to appreciate the story.”
Owens said Sebastian will play Hermes in Friday’s and Sunday’s performances, and Brownlow will perform on Thursday and Saturday. He said the role was split between the two because it may be played by either a man or woman, and they were both impressive during tryouts.
“Instead of choosing one, I thought this is an opportunity for them both to show their talent” he said.
Sabastian and Salender both said their favorite performance in the musical is the song “Livin’ It Up on Top,” which is the sixth song in Act I.
“It is when Persephone brings summer back to the people,” Salender said. “There is a huge dance break. We all have a lot of fun. I think you can really see how much fun the cast is having. We really play off each other’s energy.”
Owens said “Chants,” which is the 11th song performed in Act I and is reprised in the 10th song in Act II, and “Way Down Hadestown,” which is the eighth song in Act I and reprised in the second song in Act II, are two of his favorite scenes.
“You don’t want to miss the numbers when you have different characters on stage in different settings,” he said. “They are called ‘Chants.’ You can see action going on in the underworld, while action is going on above ground. We see the characters’ stories intersecting within the song. It is kind of a complicated song, and it sounds and looks really cool how it is woven together.
“Of course, ‘Way Down Hadestown’ is a fun number in the show.”
Senior Macey Foreman, junior Ava Shores and freshman Peyton Hegel portray the Fates, and the ensemble also includes seniors Thomas Wilson and Pho Hundley; juniors Lillian Pirtle and Maggie Mertz; sophomores Isabella Lorgrasso, Paige Shafer, Kaitlyn Stairs, Issie Stegmann and Addie McCarty; and freshmen Cal Baker, Jackson Frick, Jay Jackson and Mary DeBoard.