“Hadestown: Teen Edition" at the Center for Living Arts -- July 18 through 20.
Friday, July 18, through Saturday, July 20
The Center for Living Arts, 220 19th Street, Rock Island IL
Lauded by the New York Times as "gorgeous" and "hypnotic," and by the Hollywood Reporter as "utterly fabulous," the teen edition of the Broadway smash Hadestown enjoys a July 18 through 20 run at Rock Island's Center for Living Arts, the original staging of this youth-performed musical the winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Direction, and, for composer Anaïs Mitchell, Original Score.
In Hadestown, a modernized take on a timeless Greek myth, Orpheus, a passionate and talented musician, and Eurydice, an independent and resilient young woman, fall in love at first sight, as though it was – and perhaps is – destined by The Fates. Though neither has much to their name, Orpheus is determined that love will see them through anything. Their love blossoms in spring and flourishes in summer, but is tested when autumn and hardship come. Hardship consequently breeds doubt, and difficult choices must be made. When Eurydice unknowingly signs away her soul to Hades, master of the factory Hadestown, Orpheus is prepared to venture to hell and back, armed with nothing but his music and his love, to bring her home once more.
Following two intertwining love stories – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone – Hadestown invites audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. And as performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, dancers, and singers, the Center for Living Arts' Teen Edition of this magical show delivers a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience.
The show originated as Mitchell’s indie theater project that toured Vermont, and was then turned into an acclaimed album. With original director Rachel Chavkin her artistic collaborator, Hadestown has been transformed into a genre-defying musical that blends modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz to reimagine a sweeping ancient tale. Hadestown electrified audiences with its 2016 world premiere at New York Theatre Workshop, which is the longest-running show in that celebrated theater’s 40-year history. The production then received its Canadian premiere at Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre in 2017 and then a 2018 sold-out engagement at the London’s National Theatre. Co-conceived by Ben T. Matchstick, Hadestown was developed with funding from the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center and was further developed by The Ground Floor at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
This latest production at the Rock Island venue for student talents is directed by Center for Living Arts co-owners and artistic directors Dino and Tina Hayz, with Hadestown's music direction by Ben Holmes and Caroline Burmahl. The cast includes: Eli Hayz as Orpheus; Chloe Knobloch as Eurydice; Logan VanDeWoestyne as Hades; Emily WInn as Persephone; and Morris Nunn as Hermes. The Fates, traditionally played by “three old women all dressed the same,” have been expanded to nine talented young women: Addisen Kuffler, Elena Harper, Ellerie Hurley, Gabby Andersen, Jenna Kitterman, Lily Powell, Mary Huber, Olivia Kahler, and Payton Braddy. The Troupe/Worker chorus of 13 incredibly talented souls, meanwhile, is an integral part of this epic tale, creating the magic and mayhem known as Hadestown.
Hadestown: Teen Edition runs in Rock Island from July 18 through 20, with performances Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Admission is $15, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)340-7816 and visiting CenterForLivingArts.org.
