By D. Witte

See, Orpheus was a poor boy
But he had a gift to give
He could make you see how the world could be
In spite of the way that it is

                           HERMES from Hadestown

That is the message to the audience from Hadestown that speaks to the present moment. It’s a story about hard times, and how people respond. It’s an archetypal journey to the underworld (Hades) and back. It’s the Greek myth of Eurydice and Orpheus and Hades and Persephone convincingly repeated in a Steampunk setting that powerfully reflects deadening cycle of working masses in a continuous struggle to exist. This musical visits familiar themes of greed and unethical labor practices juxtaposed with the enduring power of love.

I recently had the opportunity to attend this production by the gem of Janesville, WI Parker Arts Academy. I have to say, I was a little dubious when I first read the term Steampunk in the description, but I brushed those concerns aside, opening myself to a new experience. Thank goodness I did, it is a production I will not soon forget.  

Hadestown is chock full of familiar symbols, which speak to our deeper natures. The red rose, symbolizing love and the circular gears, symbolizing eternal cycles were two of those iconic symbols for me. The love stories were predictable but there was one song in particular that struck a chord with me. In fact, one of my companions agreed, it was “worth the price of the ticket.”  Why We Build a Wall sung by Hades, Jacob Schmaling, the King of the Underworld, joined by his chorus of minions slaving away to build that wall. Here is a link to the YouTube version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2pxbyf_tgE  with the cast of the original Broadway production. I think you’ll find it ironic and stimulates deep introspection. Even more remarkable in that it was written a decade before the wall was even proposed!! In fact, Hadestown was first performed in Barre, Vermont, in 2006 and took a 12-year journey to get to Broadway in 2019.   At the 73^rd Tony Awards, Hadestown received 14 nominations (the most that year) and won eight, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. On Jan. 4, 2023 Hadestown became the longest-running show at the Walter Kerr Theatre with 918 performances and is still playing.

Here are the haunting lyrics from Why We Build A Wall:

[HADES]
Why do we build the wall, my children, my children?
Why do we build the wall?

[ALL TOGETHER]
Why do we build the wall?
We build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free

[HADES]
How does the wall keep us free, my children, my children?
How does the wall keep us free?

[ALL TOGETHER]
How does the wall keep us free?
The wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free

[HADES]
Who do we call the enemy, my children, my children?
Who do we call the enemy?

[ALL TOGETHER]
Who do we call the enemy?
The enemy is poverty
And the wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free

One commentator notes: “Obviously, a wall around the underworld would be meant primarily to keep people in. But the most effective way to keep people in is a mental wall: the idea that something outside is worse.

The circular argument made by the residents of Hadestown is that building the wall provides meaningful work and a common goal: specifically, the work of keeping out those poor people who lack meaningful work and a common goal. Stories of the underworld often tell of people forced as punishment to perform useless, never-ending tasks – in Hadestown, the people have been convinced to do so willingly.”

I share this experience with you, to invite you to take a chance and see something besides the typical fare of mind-numbing programming offered by TV. There are many local theaters putting forward excellent live musicals and plays. Find one in your area. Although this production ended earlier this month, in Janesville, every production I’ve seen by Parker Arts Academy is done in a clearly professional manner, I highly recommend them.