How Green Becomes Wood

Before Dark had a chance to respond, the lights dimmed, they made the announcement about the emergency exits, and then as the lights came up, the jazzy first song began as characters on the stage. On the top balcony of the set, a woman dressed in green fanned herself, and a man read a newspaper, although he was blocked by the paper. A chorus of people gathered at a table while another man in a grey suit with wings pinned to the lapel first began singing the classic train sound of Chugga, chugga, chugga, before the true first line began:

One upon a t ime there was a railroad line

Don't ask where, brother, don't ask when

It was the road to Hell, it was hard times

It was a world of gods and men

It's an old song

This singer went on to introduce the Fates, who harmonized beautifully as he sang. He introduced Persephone, who came down the steps of the balcony. And then, they sang

If you ride that trian

You ride that train

If you ride that train to the end of the line

Where the sun don't shine and it's always shady

It's there you'll find the king of the mine,

Almighty Mr. Hades

At this, the man reading the newspaper set it aside, stood, and raised his glass to the audience, his face neutral. And this man had dark hair, a dark beard, and wore a black pin-stripe suit. Dark looked up at that man and squinted for a moment, nearly missing the initial singer introducing himself as Hermes.
 
"What the hell?" Xander muttered aloud.

Alec tried to muffle his squeal while grabbing Xander's arm and shaking him. "Nowaynowaynowaynoway!!!"

"You have got to be kidding me," Xander said, forgetting to keep his voice low. He was still quiet, but easily loud enough for Daizi to overhear.
 
"Ba is up on stage," Xander told her, lowering her voice. "I am not joking. He just stood up, he's holding a newspaper, and he's got on a narrow pinstripe suit Ba would totaly wear, and he's... he's Ba."

"Ba when he's really sleek," Alec giggled, leaning over Xander to tell his mother.
 
Daizi shook her head, grinning from ear to ear, while she sat back and gently rubbed her husband's arm. Dark was still bewildered. The music was beautiful and the dance break the chorus had was incredible.

Hermes introduced Orpheus, a poor boy and the son of a muse, and Eurydice, a hungry young girl. The opening song ended singing:

It's a love song
It's a love song
It's a tale of a love from long ago
It's a sad song
It's sad song
But we're gonna sing it even so
It's an old song
It's an old song
It's an old tale from way back when
And we're gonna sing
We're gonna sing
We're gonna sing it again

Knowing the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, both Dark and Daizi were excited... and incredibly curious to know how their boys would react to it. Especially Xander, who would've just learned his parents had taken him to a musical which established itself as a tale of love from long ago.
 
Xander heaved a huge sigh and settled in. Oh goody. A singing love story. His favorite type! He couldn't wait to watch this whole saccharine thing play out in the usual predictable way. Misunderstandings, third act break up... who was going to be the one who didn't want the cute couple to get together? Mother? Father? It was usually a mother, but it could be a jealous rival, of course. At least the dancing was entertaining. He tried not to look too bored. It had barely started.

Alec was on the edge of his seat, watching with wide, gleaming eyes and an open expression. It was so beautiful! The singing, the dancing, all of it was truly astounding! Oh, it was magical! He clasped his hands, ready and waiting for the happy love story.
 
The very next song opened with Hermes explaining how Eurydice was a runaway from everywhere she had ever been. In her first lines, the music explained how the weather was only ever blazing hot or freezing cold these days and there wasn't a spring or fall anymore. Then the song, rather than introducing her like most women in love stories are, where they're bright and hopeful... Eurydice sang about how nobody sticks around and how a person is better off alone. During this song, the Muses sang

When your body aches to lay it down
When you're hungry and there ain't enough to go round
Ain't no length to which a girl won't go
Any way the wind blows.
Already, perhaps, different than what Xander was expecting, but Dark and Daizi were already not particularly heeding him, their attention too fully captured by the music and relating to the song in their own ways.

And sometimes you think
you would do anything
Just to fill your belly full of food
Find a bed that you could fall into
Where the weather wouldn't follow you
Wherever you go
Any way the wind blows.
 
The independent woman, the girl not like other girls, she was never, ever going to fall in love. Never heard that before. The runaway slave or whatever she was was a new twist to an old story, Xander supposed, but he wasn't entirely certain he was following what was happening.

Alec was sold. Completely and totally sold and in love with the story.
 
When Hermes encouraged Orpheus to talk to Eurydice, he warned him not to come on too strong. Orpheus went up to Eurydice and promptly said, Come home with me and proceeded to introduce himself as the man who was going to marry her. Eurydice was unconvinced. When Orpheus revealed himself to be a singer and a musician who played the lyre (the actor actually had a guitar), Eurydice called him out on being a liar and a player too, and when Orpheus said he's not like that, Hermes confirmed he was not like any man he had ever met. At first, Eurydice tried to resist hearing any of his nonsense, but when she agreed to hear him out at least a little bit, presuming he play her the song he had been working on, since he swore it'd bring the world back into tune. Although it wasn't finished, as he sang it, the actors did a bit of magic to make a flower suddenly appear in Orpheus's hands. This, it seemed, was enough to get Eurydice to give Orpheus a chance.

Then, the train pulled into the station, and off stepped Persephone, bringing summertime. When Hermes pointed out she was late, she instructed him to complain to the King of the Underworld and all of the characters enjoyed an upbeat, jazzy, dance number about living it up on top. Hermes said, Let the Poet bless this round, and Orpheus hopped up on a chair and exclaimed:

To the patroness of all of this
Persephone (hear, hear)
Who has finally returned to us, with wine enough to share
Asking nothing in return, except that we should live
And learn to live as brothers in this life
And to trust she will provide
And if no one takes too much
There will always be enough
She will always fill our cups
And we will always raise them up
To the world we dream about
And the one we live in now

There was a few beats of silence followed by Orpheus happily jumping down and returning to the joyful summer song. During the little speech, Dark thought he should remember it because it was the sort of thing he liked to say about his wife. There were never enough opportunities to raise a toast to his wife.
 
Xander had lost the thread of what was happening. Was the dude "Feus" or whatever his name was trying to kidnap the lady? Who was this new lady he was singing about? Oh, wait, she was the Queen of the Underworld, Persephone. He remembered her. But, wait, what was happening now?"

Alec swayed in his seat, humming along happily with the tune and enjoying every beat. He was almost sad it was going to be a love song focused on those two because the rest of the songs were so cheery and fun! Such a fantastic beat. He wondered if Peter, the jazz lover, knew about this play. Oh, and now he was returning to the summer song after saying a bunch of stuff their father would probably say to their mother.
 
After Orpheus and Eurydice finished singing about how they did not believed the winds would ever turn on them (a complete change from Eurydice earlier, when she claimed the wind always turned on you) so long as they stayed with each other. But then a train whistle blew, and Persephone groaned, claiming it had not been six months yet when he came to get her. The Fates sang she needed to get her suitcase packed and then the whole crew began to sing about Hades and life in Hadestown. Persephone mentioned she had to import some "stuff" to entertain herself, referring to alcohol, and then they sang about how many rituals and stories came from the Underworld (such as wishing wells). When they sang about Hades himself, they asserted he was incredibly wealthy and bought souls. Frankly, the way they sang *Mr. Hades is a mean old boss
With a silver whistle and a golden scale
An eye for an eye!
And he weighs the cost
A lie for a lie!
And your soul for sale
Sold!
To the king on the chromium throne
Thrown!
To the bottom of a Sing Sing cell* completely tickled Daizi's brain musically, but it was also just really fun imagining they were singing about Dark.

But then, through a fog machine, Hades (who until Living it up on Top had been watching from the set balcony) stepped through.

Persephone groaned and said, You're early.

Hades said, in a deep, rich voice, I missed ya.

And Daizi, imagining her husband, quietly squeaked despite how hard she tried to contain it, and not because she was laughing.
 
"Oh, that is so Mama and Ba!" Alec whispered, leaning forward, a wistful expression on his face as he watched. It was so beautiful! So precious. Maybe... maybe someday he could have that future? For a moment, he tried to envision himself in that future. He could see himself there easily, but... who was his Persephone? He realized with an odd jolt that he couldn't see Emma there. Emma... would never be like this. Not for him, not for anyone. That simply wasn't her. She might have a moment or two of "fangirling," but this consistent living in a near-fairy tale level of love? He couldn't see it. He quickly shook off the disconcerting thought and tried to focus on Hades and Persephone.

Xander couldn't help himself. He rolled his eyes at his mother's squeak. Oh, for heaven's sake! Well, okay, it was a very nice line, a good line, but this romance story was so tiring. Although Orpheus did have a good song. Pretty good. And the girl, he could see her point pretty clearly. At least things were going to work out for her and her winds were going to blow well for her.
 
Judging from Persephone's reaction to Hades, she was not nearly as happy to be reunited with her husband as Daizi was to be imagining it. Her thoughts were less in the direction of how sweet the moment was and more... private.

But then the mood of the musical began to shift: Orpheus remarked about how Hades came for Persephone too soon and then had to finish his song. Eurydice begged him to finish it quickly because a storm was coming on. Orpheus worked on his song, once more attempting to sing about Hades and Persephone, Eurydice looked for food, and as three back to back songs continued to build the tension, the chorus changed their outfits, and on a spinning table began to sing about keeping their heads low if they wanted to keep their heads. And amongst them, down below in the underworld, Hades and Persephone fought. Persephone told him what he had done to the Underworld was unnatural and Hades told her he did it all for the love of her.

Orpheus realized the seasons were wrong because the Gods had forgotten the song of their love. Eurydice cried out for Orpheus, singing for him to harbour her. Hades said if Persephone didn't want his love, he'd give it to someone who did.

Hermes sang:

It only took a minute. But the wrath of the Gods was in it.
 
"What is happening?" Alec whispered uneasily to Xander as the tone shifted and Hades and Persephone entered the Underworld.

"I think they are building a wall for... to protect something," Xander muttered back, squinting a little as he tried to hear the words better. "Keeping something safe, but I can't make out the words."

Alec frowned as the gods fought and the top world got worse. "This isn't right. They're married and love each other and it's supposed to be okay. Why are they fighting?"

"If you sush, maybe we'll find out," Xander scolded.

Then both fell silent at the sheer longing in Eurydice's wails. The woman cast for the role did an astounding job of putting fear and desperation and hunger in her cries. Subconsciously, they held hands, leaning into each other as the fight between lovers and the fight for life raged together, bringing out in them both unsettling feelings they hadn't experienced in a long time. They tensed, both wanting to escape, subconsciously remembering a different time and a different place, but this was just a play, right? It was supposed to end happy, but things... things were not looking good.

"Where the hell is that idiot?" Xander muttered angrily, truly distressed. "Feus needs to get his head out of his ass!"

Alec covered his eyes with one hand but kept peaking as Eurydice's fate became undeniable. "Noooooo!"
 
The very next song, Hades put on his sunglasses and went up to the surface where he met Eurydice, cajoling her to come down below. The actor's voice was deep and rich, and his music was absolutely within Dark's register, but this song was dark and creepy as he beckoned Eurydice to die in a way which seemed very much like manipulation and flirting. Then the Fates sang to Eurydice asked what she was going to do now that the chips were down and Eurydice sang that her heart would always belong to Orpheus, but it was her gut she couldn't ignore and went down to the Underworld.

Then, Orpheus, having at last finished his song, went to find Eurydice only to be told she was down below. Orpheus decided he would walk to wherever she went, and so he chose to walk all the way along the train tracks to bring her home. He kept singing for her to wait for him because he was coming and Hermes explained the hardship he'd face.

As he did, great lanterns dropped from the ceiling and swung, fog rolled in, and the chorus and the fates tried to stop him.

At the climax, flower in hand, the walls to the underworld parted, and bright lights behind him flashed as he sang

I'm coming wait for me
I hear the walls repeating
The falling of my feet and
It sounds like drumming
And we are not alone
I hear the rocks and stone
Echoing my song
I'm coming
 
"Wait, wait, Hades killed her?!" Alec hissed loudly. "WHY?"

"'Cause apparently, he's an a**hole," Xander muttered to him.

Alec scowled and folded his arms. "Not. Cool. Hades is supposed to be an accountant for the dead. Or have a head of blue fire."

Xander grunted in agreement.

Then the pair fell quiet to listen to Orpheus sing his song of longing. He really was a good singer, and Alec empathized deeply, so deeply, with his plight. Xander, less so. Even if he was a good singer. He'd better make a darn good - and fast! - explorer.
 
Dark and Daizi expected that to be the last song before intermission, but then there was one more song. Hades came out with a microphone on a stand, one which matched the old New Orleans theme, and sang about why the wall was necessary. The wall kept those in Hadestown free by keeping out the enemy, which was poverty. It was at that moment, both adults shifted curiously in their seats, recognizing this was not only the story of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Then the song ended, the lights came up, and after a few moments for the first act to sit in the feelings the first act inspired, they turned to their children to learn what they thought.
 
Alec and Xander waited to make sure they could talk before saying anything.

"It's so beautiful I want to cry!" Alec sighed wistfully. "Orpheus' love is so strong!"

"Feus is an idea, and the lady could do a lot better," Xander stated. "I get he had a job to do, but he left her to starve to death. Or be murdered."

"I don't think he murdered her. I think it was more like... an illusion? A metaphor?" Alec suggested. "I hope, because otherwise it doesn't make sense for Ba to come up from the Underworld to pick some random lady to bring back to the Underworld to do... something with. He's clearly still in love with his wife, so why does he need her? I don't really know."

"It makes no sense," Xander stated. "Why would the king of the Underworld come up? Nah, he'd send a lackey."
 
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