Young performers taking a deep dive into the world of musical theatre are preparing to resurrect the underworld’s greatest hits. During two revue-style performances by teenaged artists enrolled in the Musical Theatre Intensive, Greek mythology gets a modern makeover in Upper Gibsons this weekend.
Songs from the Underworld plays at the Heritage Playhouse on July 26 and 27, featuring over a dozen singers, dancers and actors. Material from the Tony award-winning 2019 Broadway production of Hadestown anchors the show. Its plot follows a search and rescue operation through the netherworld led by the poet Orpheus. The object of his love, the penniless Eurydice, has been damned to infernal wage slavery. The recovery mission requires the pair to defy the fates and overcome doubt.
“We try to pull from a few shows,” said artistic director Varya Moysey-Rubin. Moysey-Rubin designed the performances alongside musical director Caitlin Beaupré and dance instructors Shantaya Cottrell and Emily Sherwood. “We do that so we have different flavours of things to showcase the different kids. The songs we’re choosing from Hadestown are relevant. They talk about the ocean’s rise, people going hungry, the atmosphere and the production of fossil fuels.”
The two-week production cycle demands a professional-level commitment from performers, Moysey-Rubin explained. But it’s designed to have benefits even for youth whose ultimate aspirations lie in fields beyond theatre. “There are so many reasons to be doing it,” she said. “It’s about the confidence and focus it builds, and how music develops all aspects of the brain.”
For Riven Dupuis, who portrays the god Hermes, a friend urged her to confront her stage fright by leaping into the limelight three years ago. “I’ve grown up with quite a bit of anxiety,” said Dupuis. “So being on stage and being a character really helps.”
The shady subject matter carries particular appeal for performers like Lyric Moisey-Rubin, a five-year veteran of the summer productions. “It’s an interesting combination of the Industrial Revolution and Greek mythology,” he said. He savours the role of Hades, king of the underworld. “But every year it’s a delight and I always learn new things. One of the things I’ve been focusing on this year is making sure I’ve got a good stillness on stage.”
Performer Julian Falkin embodies the song that Orpheus (played by Cody Kelso) strives to compose during his lovelorn quest. Although Falkin credits his parents with dramatic inspiration (“I felt like I was an artist because of my dad”), the musical theatre program widened his network. “I like meeting new people,” he said, “people who like performing and improv.”
Kelso explained that portraying Orpheus gave him new appreciation for the emotional depth of ancient mythology. “It puts another eye onto the world,” he observed. “It helps me look at the world in a different way. Trying to feel what it might look like makes me so grateful that I get to perform in this.”
Artists like Olive Stremlaw, who began singing with Moysey-Rubin’s youth company six years ago (and who appeared last year in the Driftwood Players production of David King’s Garage Sale), agree that the experience is unique due to an emphasis on individually-tailored feedback. “Whereas if you’re in a regular production, it’s less specific to each person,” said Stremlaw, assigned to the role of Eurydice.
“I love Varya’s instruction,” added Brielle Taylor, who portrays Persephone. “She’s so cool, for real. She’s the realest dog in the city. She taught me so many things about my voice, and [this year] I learned how to ground my posture on stage.”
Tickets for Songs from the Underworld performances of July 26 and 27 can be purchased online at synergyatplay.ca or with cash at the door. Affordable options are available by emailing [email protected].
