Willowbrook to present fall musical, ‘Hadestown: Teen Edition’

Pictured at left is the promotional poster for this year's fall musical at Willowbrook, “Hadestown: Teen Edition.” The show will take place on Nov. 12, 13 and 14. Pictured second from left and third from left: Willowbrook students rehearse for the school's upcoming musical. Pictured second from right is the set design rendering by Marcus Petrella. "We are really fortunate to have a trained, professional set designer on staff; literally everyone in the production benefits from these renderings, and it is pretty rare to offer them at the high school level," said Regina Wathier, Willowbrook Theatre Director. "The day we reveal them to the kids is like Christmas morning – they look forward to it every show, and it really helps everyone conceptualize their work!"

Willowbrook Theatre invites you to take an unforgettable journey to the underworld and back as the school brings two epic love stories to the stage on Nov. 12, 13 and 14 during its fall musical, “Hadestown: Teen Edition.”

According to https://uk.hadestown.com, the show, which is set in 1920s/1930s New Orleans, “intertwines two ancient Greek mythic love stories – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife, Persephone. A deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience, ‘Hadestown’ invites you to imagine how the world could be.”

Willowbrook Theatre Director Regina Wathier said the dynamics and nature of the musical are unlike any show she has produced. It is a sung-through musical (meaning there is no spoken dialogue), and Wathier enlisted section leaders to assist and make sure all parts are prepared. A 12-piece band also is featured on stage for the entire show, and the set extends into the audience to create an intimate and immersive environment. Wathier said those aspects have brought everyone together by stretching their imaginations and creativity.

“This show is a prime example of the cyclical nature of stories and how great narratives come back over and over again,” Wathier said. “The students and I often remind ourselves that the time for this generation to experience this story is right now. It’s exciting and thrilling.”

Willowbrook junior Niamh Lashmet (who plays Eurydice), sophomore Ashlyn Ruane (who plays Persephone) and senior Kasey Barnett (who plays Orpheus) said they’ve enjoyed the challenge the show provides to communicate purely through song and dance. They said “Hadestown” explores love, loss, grief and hardship, and the main theme is that to love someone is to trust. They added that audience members can expect a show with music that’s fantastic and fun, and spectators should pay attention to motifs that repeat throughout to reinforce those themes and patterns.

“We want the audience to feel the same amazing energy we have on stage,” they said.

“Hadestown: Teen Edition”

When: 7 p.m. on Nov. 12, 13 and 14, 2026

Where: Willowbrook High School, 1250 S. Ardmore Ave. in Villa Park

Tickets: 

  • $10 for adults (13 years old and older)

  • $5 for children (12 years old and younger)

  • Free for those with a District 88 student ID or a District 88 Senior Gold Card (see details at www.dupage88.net/SeniorGoldCard)

  • Tickets can be ordered online at www.dupage88.net/WBTheatre.

  • Tickets also can be bought at the Box Office, which will open 30 minutes before each performance.

Kiwanis Club of Villa Park-Lombard Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser: 

For questions or more information: Contact Willowbrook Theatre Director Regina Wathier at rwathier@dupage88.net.