Story By John Mann
The Lighthouse Theatre Company in Albertville is opening their newest show on Thursday, bringing Hadestown Teen Edition to The Event Center in Boaz.
“Hadestown Teen Edition is different from anything we’ve ever done,” Lighthouse director Kellybrooke Brown said. “It’s very slow, very story heavy and the teen edition is actually really close to the Broadway script. There are a few changes and some lines missing but it’s really hard material and our cast has done a great job learning everything.”
Originally debuting on Broadway in 2019 Hadestown is a modern retelling of the Greek myth of Eurydice, a poverty-stricken girl who is lured by Hades down into the underworld (here a factory called Hadestown) leading her love interest Orpheus to try and rescue her. The story also features Hades’ jaded wife Persephone, as well as Hermes who serves as the story’s narrator and father figure to Orpheus.
New to the Lighthouse and taking on the role of Hades is Rowan Leak, who comes to the theatre from Arab. He is joined by many Lighthouse mainstays including Mari Jones as Persephone, who got her start in the first grade as Molly in Annie Jr., Cali Lavender as Eurydice who has been with the theatre since the age of four and Abram Witten as Hermes who debuted in The Addams Family two years ago as a sophomore.
“In this show Orpheus is played by Brady Gamble who has been in every show I’ve done at Lighthouse and we’ve become friends even outside the theater,” Witten said. “He’s phenomenal and has an amazing voice. Eurydice is played by Cali Lavender who I think has been here the longest of any of us and is another amazing singer. I’ve gotten to do shows with the three main Fates (Eliza Mateo, Ava Long, Emerson Johnson) but apart from Emerson in Mean Girls this will be the first chance we’ve had to really interact on stage. Rowan Leak is new and I didn’t meet him until this show but he’s been great to work with, he was quiet at first but has become a joy to be around and then this will be the first show I’ve done with Mari Jones, who plays Persephone, in a prominent role but she’s also been great.”
Originally, the show was going to take place at The Lighthouse’s outdoor stage in Albertville, which would have allowed for more elaborate stage and prop work similar to past shows like Grease, but threats of inclement weather during the show’s run led Brown to move things to The Event Center. The change in location means that the show will have to rely more heavily on the performances and choreography of the actors to sell the story.
Somewhat unique for the theatre Hadestown is a dramatic tragedy as opposed to the more upbeat shows they are sometimes known for and features a lot of complex musical performances and choreography for the young cast to learn.
“They’ve done an excellent job with the choreography,” Brown said. “It’s all very calculated and has to be done in a certain time and on a certain beat, it’s not wild and free like in some of our other shows. People think of Lighthouse and imagine a big, loud production but this is very different. We’ll have some levels and things like that but we’re really depending on the kids to sell this story more than props or costumes.”
The show boasts a big set list of songs which is fitting as it is a full length show with a two hour runtime. Brown describes the show’s music as “very acoustic and jazzy” invoking a New Orleans style feel, specifically highlighting the ninth song of the show “Way Down Hadestown” as one of the high points. The song is one of the more choreographed numbers in the show, in which Eurydice learns about all the good things that Hadestown can offer her as she tries to survive living on the streets.
Listening to the soundtrack for the show was what inspired many of the cast to audition for certain characters, including Jones as Persephone who really connected with the character through the music.
“I listened to the soundtrack and realized that Persephone was a character I really wanted to try for,” Jones said. “I love her range and everything about her, she’s such a moody character that I think fits me really well, and she’s such a wild character that let’s me have a variety of options in the performance. Working with the cast has been great they are so supportive and if you mess up we all laugh together and just move on. This is a really touching story to have worked on and getting to spend time together with everyone has been my favorite part of it.”
The Lighthouse Theatre Company’s Hadestown Teen Edition will open on November 20 at 8 pm. The show will run four times through the weekend with 8 pm shows on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets will be sold at the door while available but can also be bought online at lighthousetheatrecompany.ludas.com. The Event Center is located in Boaz at 201 Elizabeth Street.
More information about The Lighthouse can be found on their Facebook page under “The Lighthouse Theatre Company” or on their website at lighthousetheatrecompany.weebly.com.
“We want kids in the area, no matter what program they are involved in or where they go to school to know they can have a place here,” Brown said. “This will be a good way for them to see something they’ve never seen before in this county and feel welcomed and drawn to something they might be interested in. This will be the perfect show for anyone who hasn’t seen a Lighthouse show before to come out and enjoy.”
