Sometimes, a show that has been long-planned meets a moment; the Culver City High School’s Academy of Visual and Performing Arts has the moment with it’s current production of ‘Hadestown.’ Anaïs Mitchell’s show had it’s original premier in 2006, opened on Broadway in 2019, and now has a ‘school edition’ available. While toning down some of the more graphic references of the professional text (we are, after all, in Hell) the show misses none of the nuance. But most schools do not have the training, the tech and the talent to pull this off. AVPA does.
This unique reframing of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice weaves the tale of Hades and Persephone in with Hermes and the Muses, using the whole palette of Greek mythology to tell the story about love and loss, and art. The winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, it’s a pivot-point for American theater.
It’s a challenging vocal score. Hades singing the bottom bass notes on full power, both Eurydice and Persephone shining through the soprano scale, and Orpheus taking the tenor voice into what he hopes is world-healing vibration. Every one of the lead singers in the cast was exceptionally good. The entire cast was exceptionally good; and the show is double cast. A whole new set of faces will be on stage this coming weekend.
The performance on Saturday, March 7, 2026, could not have been imagined as a better showcase for the AVPA. Every department and discipline involved came through to create a professional level of production.
The orchestra, small but sensational, played live accompaniment for the show, under the direction of Dr. Tony Spano. The original music, that brings folk songs and jazz together in their best storytelling shapes, was played by outstanding musicians, all of them students. The choreography displayed the robot-like rigidity of the Workers ensemble, and let the Muses shimmy with mischief. The set and tech crew built a world that reflected the darkness, and still let the light come through.
Kudos to Lee Margaret Hanson, who did a brilliant job at direction and casting.
The community was there to enjoy it. While not all seats were open at the Robert Frost auditorium, the venue was crowded with ticket holders, and the applause was heartfelt.
The final shows next weekend will run from March 12 to the 15, Thursday through Saturday evening at 7 pm, and then a final matinee on Sunday at 2 pm.
For tickets, go to avpa.org
