Beginning as a community theater project in 2006 and eventually moving to Broadway, “Hadestown” has been a hit musical since 2019. “Hadestown” reimagines the Greek myth of Eurydice and Orpheus, in which Eurydice dies from a snakebite, and Orpheus, her lover and a renowned musician, travels to the underworld to bring her back from the dead. “Hadestown” follows a similar story, with Eurydice going to the industrial underworld for safety and a job, and Orpheus trying to save her. The story of Hades and Persephone’s marriage is also covered. This April, ETHS Theater will be doing “Hadestown” as its spring musical, directed by Erin Claeys.
Orpheus will be performed by Rocco Dipadova, a senior who has been involved with ETHS theater since his freshman year. “Hadestown” will be Dipadova’s 12th show at ETHS. He’s been involved with theater since his freshman year, so playing Orpheus is a very exciting opportunity.
“I’m really excited to play Orpheus because it’s very challenging and will push me out of my comfort zone as a performer. Not only does it come with a lot of work, but it comes with needing to be a leader,” explains Dipadova.
Part of the challenge will be that Orpheus is required to play guitar during the musical, and while Dipadova has some experience playing guitar, it’s difficult to both act and sing while simultaneously playing an instrument. Considering that music is central to Orpheus’s character, it’s important that Dipadova is able to play the guitar well.
“Orpheus uses his guitar to change the course of his story, and as a tool to express his emotions and thoughts with other characters, so I need to make sure I’m very comfortable with it,” comments Dipadova.
These guitar skills, along with vocal technique, will be among the main focuses of Dipadova’s preparation for “Hadestown.”
The female lead, Eurydice, is played by Gemma Callam, a senior. Callam has been involved in theater since third grade and has been in ETHS theater since freshman year. “Hadestown” will be her ninth ETHS show. Eurydice will be a very new experience for her, since she’s used to playing more comedic roles, like in YAMO.
“Taking on a larger, more serious role is new and exciting. Being a lead carries a lot of responsibility, both to the show itself and everyone in the show,” states Callam.
As a lead, Callam will be doing a lot of singing and emphasizing the work that goes into the vocal component of this show. She’s spending a lot of time working on her music while also taking care of her voice so that it doesn’t become overworked. Apart from the excitement of a larger role, Callam is also looking forward to the impact and message behind the role of Eurydice.
“[Eurydice’s story] is so relevant to our world today, with so many people experiencing instability due to climate change and politics. I think it’s important to show how much of an impact that can have on their lives, and how we have to do everything we can to help,” explains Callam.
While similar to the Broadway version in most ways, this version of “Hadestown” will feature some changes from the original. ETHS Theatre will have a set that’s Greek-inspired, as opposed to the Broadway version’s, which is industrial and 1920s New Orleans jazz-club style. They can also take some liberties with the costumes, and some of the songs’ keys have been slightly changed to adjust for teens’ voices.
As a word to the wise, the entire cast and directors are putting a lot of effort into this performance, and it will be one you won’t want to miss. See “Hadestown” in the Upstairs Theater April 17-18 and 23-25.
