Overlake takes on Hadestown for this year's US musical

It's a story that's been told for centuries - and now Overlake's Upper School Musical Production class is retelling the myths of Orpheus and Eurydice as well as Hades and Persephone with the musical Hadestown. This is the first time Overlake is tackling what theater director Bill Johns calls challenging. "Hadestown is a challenging show in a multitude of ways:  it is almost entirely sung. There are a huge number of dances. There is magic, stage combat, intricate lighting, fog, and a live band feet away from the actors," says Johns. "Somehow we have to tell an ancient story and make it accessible to a modern audience and do it in a way that is both entertaining and instructive. That all said, we’ve got an amazing group of young performers who are up to the task. Their work is inspirational already, and we are still two months from production."

We caught up with the class as they were preparing to show a short bit of the musical to attendees at this year's Grandparents and Special Friends Day earlier this month. The class vacated their usual Fulton stage to move their production to the Berier McCaw Hall inside the new Student & Community Center, where the attendees from the special day will be able to easily watch.

When the full production is unveiled, it will be in Fulton Theater, January 23 and 24. This is a big undertaking, with some new features in store for regular theatergoers. We won't share all the fun details, but the live band will be some place new. "We’re putting the band onstage with the actors!" exclaims Johns.

Check out a slideshow of the rehearsals inside the Student & Community Center and stay tuned for a link to purchase tickets!