NEDERLAND -- Elizabeth Evans has served as Nederland Middle-Senior High School’s (NMSHS) choir and theater director for 40 years. This semester, she is retiring from the position.

Wanting her final spring musical to be special for everyone involved, she allowed her students to decide which show they would perform. One suggestion thrown into the ring was Hadestown.

The original musical, written and composed by Anais Mitchell, was first released as a concept album in 2010. The final production was first performed Off-Broadway in 2016. It moved to Broadway in 2019, winning eight Tony Awards.

A revitalization of Greek mythology, the show has since become a worldwide sensation. Now, it has been brought to Nederland through a version tailored for high schools – Hadestown: Teen Edition.

In Evans’s final show as director and music director, she also provided costumes, operated backtracks, and designed tickets. Kiona Goodman served as assistant director, Joshua Lake served as technical director, Lucille Schalz served as choreographer, and Penny Bodnar served as stage manager.

This production of Hadestown: Teen Edition serves as the perfect denouement for Evans’s time as a Nederland instructor. With a small but mighty cast, seamless technical transitions, and eye-catching production choices, this production is a visual spectacle from start to finish.

Switching to a personal perspective now, the theater and choir program at NMSHS is what first hooked me into live performance. Acting in plays and musicals from my 7th grade year in 2014 to my senior year in 2020, theater has become one of the most important aspects of my life.

I have seen first-hand what Ms. Evans and the students and staff in her productions have created. Even then, when I first heard that Hadestown: Teen Edition would likely be her final musical, I couldn’t help but wonder if Nederland could pull off the show’s scope.

A couple of weeks before opening, I dropped by the school to check in with Evans about her transition into retirement and the musical itself. When she told me that the students had chosen the show, that the cast and crew were unbelievable, and that this show was a must-see for the community, my worries turned into anticipation.

I have only been an audience member for a couple of shows at NMSHS in the past. This was the first show where, standing up when it ended, I felt my hands and legs shaking from awe and adrenaline. In my eyes, the cast and crew of Nederland’s production of Hadestown: Teen Edition have accomplished something miraculous.

I felt hooked by the show from the opening scene, instantly captivated by the energy and confidence exuded by Aya Pelkhum Donahue as Hermes. As the other players are introduced, the actor’s strengths are made clear to the audience.

Kyle King, Ben Brodsky, Glori Howell, Dylan Karowe, and Ben Weber play workers tied to the control of Hades. Amelie Bodnar, Skylar Dulude, Eliza Moore, Mars Gervais, and Sierra and Anna Tomlinson play fates that follow Eurydice as part of her subconscious throughout the show. While their lines are primarily sung or spoken together, their seamless coordination as individuals and as a group allows the vibrancy of the world-building and the choreography to shine.

Morgan Lake is a revelation as Hades, embracing an intimidating and imposing presence from his entrance and never dropping it. Hazel Kelley lets loose as Persephone with an explosive vocal range and a nimble yet pliable range of motion.

Hazel’s sister, Lola, brings an inner complexity to Eurydice, hopeful yet hesitant about the world around her. Finally, Aya’s brother, Keahi, brings a vulnerable optimism to Orpheus through his tenor range, line delivery, and physicality.

Lola and Keahi also served as lighting designers for the show, conveying the intentions and desires of each character and the urgency of each moment. To bring these ideas to life, River Lemaster served as the lightboard operator, and Axel Ruvalcaba and Adeline Buckland served as the spotlight operators.

Elizabeth Evans, Josh and Morgan Lake, Aya and Keahi Pelkhum Donahue, Lola and Hazel Kelley, Sierra and Anna Tomlinson, Kai and Finn Leavens, Amelie Bodnar, Evekyn Leary, Jace Thurston, River Lemaster, Ciel Seavers, Rory McLaughlin, Araelia Livingston, Jackson Watts, Mars Gervais, Penny Bodnay, Kale Mahorski, Dylan Karowe, Eliza Brundege, Grizzly Steuck, Leo Filippello, Axel Ruvalcaba, Tyler Goodnow, Mila Coykendall, Maisie Schaub, Adeline Buckland, and Eli Weiner served as the technical stage and build crew, creating a gorgeous set that renders the school auditorium almost unrecognizable.

Seavers, Mahorski, Karowe, Leavens, and Schaub served as grips, and Brundege served as the property mistress. Aya and Sierra also served as dance captains throughout the show.

Hadestown: Teen Edition demonstrates the best of what NMSHS has offered over the last 40 years of Evans’s time as a director. The student and staff body may be small, but the tight-knit arts program has always pushed to achieve the extraordinary. This is most certainly a finale the school will always remember.

You can still see Hadestown: Teen Edition for another weekend, so be sure to email nederlandmshs2@gmail.com to reserve a ticket for Thursday, April 10, Friday, April 11, or Saturday, April 12 at 7 p.m., or on Saturday, April 12 at 1 p.m.