At Greeley West High School, the theater department is turning up the heat this spring with a powerful production of Hadestown. If you are unfamiliar with this musical, it is a Tony Award winning musical that blends ancient Greek mythology with New Orlenas inspired jazz and folk music. The show will be performed in the Greeley West auditorium opens this Friday, April 11 and plays for two weekends. Excitement is in the air as opening night approaches. This show is very meaningful as it marks a farewell performance for longtime director Ms. Peggy Freemole, who is retiring after years of dedication and hard work to the theater program.
The cast and crew have been working endlessly to bring Hadestown to life. From detailed choreography to haunting musical arrangements and a set design, every detail in this musical is a product of days and days of teamwork and dedication. The costumes have been very specifically curated to express the jazzy setting of the underworld and the incredible and immersive environment that the student run tech has constructed that will immediately catch the audience’s attention straight into the world of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Now, the process of course comes with a lot of challenges. Senior Efrat Semere, a student in the ensemble, shared,”The most challenging part of rehearsal for me is remembering all the song names and what dances we’re doing. The dances are very exciting and entertaining to watch, however, they do take a lot of time and work to learn. Another part of it is the choreography within the dances, alot of it is strict movement, and it’s completely different from what we did in Chicago.”
Hadestown is way more than just a performance for the theater students, it’s a tribute to everything they’ve learned in theater. “Hadestown is a very special show for Greeley West to perform. It’s a farewell show for Frem (the best theater teacher ever) since this is her last show before retiring. We want to show her how amazing of a teacher she is and how grateful we are for her, and show to the people who are coming to watch our show how amazing we perform and what we’re all about,” Semere stated.
As part of the ensemble dancers, Semere embraces how intense the role is. “I am a future dancer within Hadestown, and I really really love my character because as one of the hard-core workers in the show, I get to participate in the show for the entirety of it,” Semere shared.
With most of his high school career in Greeley West theater, Semere said,”This show, in my opinion, is the easiest because after doing this for most of my high school years, I feel like I’ve gotten used to timing and the rhythm of the performances. I still do feel stressed about tech week and the show itself, but I am very confident I will perform well and this show will be very pleasing for the audience to watch.”
When it comes to what people don’t see, Semere says, “Something people don’t really realize is that even though it looks like a perfectly oiled machine on stage, it takes various hours and hours to perfect dances, to block everything on stage-which is the place where characters are- and their spots, and also remembering every single scene transition and the lines that go with the songs.”
Freemole chose Hadestown for her final show because of its emotional toll, rich storytelling, and challenge. Her love, devotion, and belief in her students shine through every rehearsal. And as an emotional goodbye, Hadestown speaks to both endings and new beginnings for her, making it the perfect curtain call for Freemole’s amazing career.
And if Hadestown could be summed up into three single words? “Greek mythology, Mardi Gras, and Louisiana.” Semere stated.
