Looking Back: Bringing Hadestown to Life

By: Michelle Wu '27

As the end of the school year draws to an end, let’s take some time to reflect on the work of Cate’s performers in  the spring musical, Hadestown. This year’s ensemble, a total of 25 singers, dancers, and actors, brought the house to life with fifteen choreographed and sung-through musical numbers. Notably, seven student dancers in Dance Company, Cate’s advanced dance program, choreographed the ensemble four of the fifteen ensemble-heavy numbers. Perrin Veltman ‘26 and Claire Ziebart ‘26 collaborated on “Livin’ it Up on Top,” a lively, energetic song where Persephone (played by Lauren Hubbs ‘26) makes her second grand appearance. Sophomore-freshman duo, Kay Ercil and Maddie Walton, took the lead on “Way Down Hadestown.” Sophomores Makayla Niu and Sophie Cruz both worked on “Chant,” the first song set in the underworld. Last but not least, senior Colette Chang took charge of the opening of “Way Down Hadestown (Reprise).” 

In addition to the dedication of Dance director Bethany Sutherland and the contributions of Cate’s own student choreographers, the selection of Hadestown was a thoughtful, long-winded process. Choral director Gabriel Di Gennaro explained, “Ms. Downey and I share ideas with each other throughout the school year, even when we’re currently working on a musical.” Reflecting on the extensive involvement in the selection process, Mr. Di Gennaro noted that they considered several key factors, including “student strengths, the technical demands of the show, and plot themes.” 

Both teachers ultimately settled on Hadestown – a show newly released for high school productions in April 2024 – because, as Mr. Di Gennaro remarked, “We had the students to not only do it, but do it well.” This consideration, which many often overlook, is actually one of the most important aspects in the selection process. Before securing the rights to Hadestown, the directors were not fully certain beforehand who would audition and therefore did not have a comprehensive understanding of the prospective ensemble’s vocal profiles and acting experiences. Mr. Di Gennaro and Ms. Downey had to make sure that there were multiple candidates for the lead roles as part of their contemplation. However, there was certainly no precasting; the directors’ primary goal was to simply ensure a smooth progression through auditions, call-backs, and casting. That being said, the other popular options many students called for, such as High School Musical, Rent, and Little Shop of Horrors, were not chosen because the teachers prioritized the aforementioned key factors.

Behind the scenes, the rehearsals were undeniably demanding and time-consuming, especially the Saturday rehearsals and long evening rehearsals leading up to opening night. Betsy Peters ‘27 confessed, “The time pays off, but it can drag.” For many varsity athletes like Betsy, not only did the musical occupy their free time, but it also took them away from sports practices. On top of rehearsals, the performers also missed a few school events, such as the April 11th trip to Riverpark, during which the cast stayed on the Mesa to perform at Mesa Dinner, and the April 19th trip down to the Grove. Ian Sheshunoff ‘26 echoed the challenge to balance social life, academics, athletics, and rehearsals. He shared, “I set aside the last two and a half weeks before opening night, which would be reserved in their entirety for preparations.” For the performers, juggling all the roles they play at Cate was a challenging task, but many carried their load with pride. 

Apart from the ensemble’s investment, it is important that the technical crew – the “techies” – receive the acknowledgement for their contributions. The techies dispersed throughout the Hitchcock Theater. They were backstage, in the booth, and on the second floor. Led by Richard McDonald, the tech crew consisted of Ian, Akemi Oloritun ‘26, Maddox Tanaka ‘27, Arelic Rodriguez ‘27, Precious Adje ‘27, Ethan Guerrier ‘27, and Seth Lee ‘28. Due to the behind-the-scenes nature of their work, their effort easily goes unnoticed. When asked to share a responsibility that not many know about, Ian pointed to refilling the drop boxes above the stage that were used to release flower petals during the song “Epic III.” “They are simple to use,” he explained, “but they must be refilled by hand after every show.”  Due to space limitations in the wings, the “techies” had to stay after every performance to make space by rearranging the chairs in the pit, instruments, lights, and curtains so the machine could be pulled through. Moreover, since the ensemble picked up petals on the stage, the tech crew also had to go through everyone’s worker aprons to gather the petals prior to refilling the drop boxes. Additionally, the tech crew helped construct the set,  conducted calls on the lighting changes, followspots, sound effects, and the projector. 

Last but not least, the band also played an instrumental role in the production. Written almost like an opera, Hadestown is a sung-through show. The singing never stops, so neither do the instruments. For the first time in several years, this year’s pit featured a student-only band. Not only did the student instrumentalists play nonstop, they also conducted themselves. Mr. Di Gennaro handed the task over to them and remained backstage, helping the ensemble with the off-stage microphone. Remarkably, guitarist Alex Ke ‘27, pianist, accordion player Ben Elkin ‘27, and drummer Philip Choi ‘26 started many of the songs. The band relied upon each other, catching each other’s cues and synchronizing with the singers.

From choreography to lighting cues, Hadestown was the product of months of collaboration, discipline, and creativity across all corners of the Cate arts community. As the curtain falls on this year’s musical, the cast, crew, and band leave behind more than just a performance – they mark a shared achievement that highlights what is possible through hard work and collective effort.