Downey High’s Hadestown sets a new standard for student theatre

Francisco Castellon as Hades in “Hadestown.” (Photo by Chris Nelson)

DOWNEY — Downey High School’s April performance of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hadestown Teen Edition is the best theatre production at the Downey Theatre in decades. It’s the best high school musical I have seen in a long time. It is a stunningly visceral experience and exquisitely original.

Hadestown, with music, lyrics, and book by Anaïs Mitchell and directed by Rachel Chavkin, received 14 Tony nominations and won eight Tony Awards in 2019. It is still running on Broadway and touring. The awards included Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Actor in a Musical, Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Sound Design, and Best Orchestrations.

The original Broadway cast album also won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2020.

It is based on Mitchell’s 2010 concept album Hadestown, which featured artists including Ani DiFranco, Greg Brown, Justin Vernon, and The Haden Triplets.

Hadestown revolutionizes musical theatre by blending a concert performance with storytelling, using folk, blues, and New Orleans jazz that is pure poetry rather than traditional realism. It challenges musical theatre conventions by presenting a poetic story, lyrics, music, choreography, and design in a continuous atmospheric flow of song.

The entire show is scored, including the speaking parts. It is a modern folk opera. It also owes a debt to decades of experimental theatre.

Theatre is collaboration. Producer, director, and designer Chris Nelson has assembled a remarkable team. He joins forces with musical director Jef McClure, choreographer Kei’la Ryan, jazz band director and conductor Corneliu Olariu, costumer Regina Chavez, and stage manager Darlene Richard Chavez. Together, they have worked creatively with eight talented principal actors and an expanded ensemble of 22. This cast of 30 is supported by an outstanding onstage jazz orchestra of 12 and a crew of 10, fully utilizing the professional capabilities of the beautifully equipped Downey Theatre. It’s a joy to see.

The cast and orchestra are assembled on an open stage. Hermes (Charlize Leslie-Barrera), the narrator, and the company open the show with the rousing “Road to Hell,” one of the highlights. Leslie-Barrera is a delight.

Hadestown is a reinvention of a Greek myth set in a Depression-era American industrial factory graveyard for exploited souls. It symbolizes a descent into death, poverty, and desperate, soulless labor, contrasted with its jazzy New Orleans musical style and flair.

Hades (Francisco Castellon), king of the Underworld, and Persephone (Sonia Navarro), the goddess of harvest and fertility, are married. Persephone spends half the year on Earth (spring and summer) and the other half in the Underworld (bringing fall and winter). Orpheus (RJ Escurel), a poor, struggling songwriter, falls in love with Eurydice (Celine Bautista), who is trying to survive in a cold, brutal world. He vows to write a song that will bring back spring.

When Persephone returns to the Underworld and winter comes, Orpheus becomes consumed with his songwriting and neglects Eurydice. The Fates (Katia Maldonado, Giselle Bispango, and Angelina Mejia) taunt her with doubt. She ventures to the Underworld and sells her soul to Hades for food and warmth, only to discover it is no paradise. Eurydice faces a life of labor and confinement. The production delivers stunning visual design, lighting, costumes, backdrops, and choreography as the cast navigates this world.

Orpheus journeys to the Underworld to rescue her, softening Hades’ heart with his song. Hades offers a compromise: Eurydice may leave, but Orpheus must lead the way without turning back. If he looks, she will be lost forever. Filled with doubt by the Fates, he ultimately looks back and loses her.

This is a perfect cast and ensemble.

RJ Escurel is outstanding as Orpheus, delivering both the heart and voice of the dreamy poet-musician determined to bring spring back to the world. He is a member of the award-winning Epic Jazz Choir.

Celine Bautista brings both heart and voice to Eurydice, a young woman seeking safety and warmth. I have watched her grow and develop as a performer over the past four years.

Francisco Castellon is a standout as Hades. This is his best performance. He conveys the cold, controlling ruler of the Underworld with a bass voice that is dramatic, sinister, haunting, and powerful.

Sonia Navarro shines as Persephone, bringing energy and complexity to the role. I have watched her grow over the years as well. Navarro has been in every musical and leads the Epic Jazz Choir.

Charlize Leslie-Barrera commands the stage in her multifaceted role as Hermes, the narrator. A constant presence in the Drama Department, she was also a Music Center Spotlight Award semifinalist.

Giselle Bispango, Angelina Mejia, and Katia Maldonado form the spellbinding trio of Fates (Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos), embodying the voice of doubt with haunting unity in movement and song.

Celine Batista as Eurydice, RJ Escurel as Orpheus in “Hadestown.” (Photo by Chris Nelson)

The Workers function as a stylized ensemble, performing rhythmic work songs and choral pieces that mirror industrial labor. Their music, using call-and-response patterns reminiscent of American slave work songs, underscores themes of exploitation and solidarity.

Choreographer Kei’la Ryan creates a stark contrast between worlds. The Underworld is rigid and repetitive, reflecting labor and control, while movement in the upper world is fluid and expressive, representing freedom and community.

Song highlights with these young voices include:

Act 1

“Road to Hell” — Charlize Leslie-Barrera and company deliver a high-energy, jazzy introduction driven by her strong performance.

“Come Home With Me” — RJ Escurel, Celine Bautista, Charlize Leslie-Barrera, and company establish Orpheus’ idealism and his immediate love for Eurydice.

“All I’ve Ever Known” — A central love ballad filled with tenderness and emotional intimacy.

“Way Down Hadestown” — A vibrant New Orleans jazz ensemble introducing the Underworld.

“Chant” and “Chant (Reprise)” — Complex ensemble numbers with overlapping storylines and rising dramatic intensity.

“Hey, Little Songbird” — A standout moment, with Castellon’s voice both sinister and seductive.

“Wait for Me” — A crowd favorite with soaring vocals and iconic staging.

“Why We Build the Wall” — A chilling, authoritative anthem with striking modern relevance.

Act II

“Our Lady of the Underground” — Sonia Navarro leads an upbeat jazz number with a speakeasy feel.

“Way Down Hadestown (Reprise)” — The catchiest song, building tension without repetition.

“Road to Hell (Reprise)” — A strong closing number.

“We Raise Our Cups” — The curtain call finale, a toast to endurance, hope, and art in dark times. It honors Orpheus’ optimism and transforms tragedy into inspiration. There is hope.

Downey High School Principal Tom Houts has demonstrated educational leadership and excellence throughout his career. He has been unwavering in his support of drama and arts programs. This production represents an exceptional opportunity for students to perform at the Downey Theatre. As he retires this year, we honor his contributions and wish him well.