The goddess Persephone, played by Natalie Shuckhart, makes her entrance in a scene from the Marshall High School fall musical, “Hadestown.” The show runs Friday through Monday, at the Schwan Community Center for the Performing Arts at MHS.

MARSHALL — This year’s musical at Marshall High School is a very old story – but one that still resonates with audiences, cast and crew members said.

“Hadestown,” which re-tells the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus in a modern setting, opens Friday at the Schwan Community Center for the Performing Arts. MHS students said it will be exciting to get to perform a current Broadway musical.

“All of the songs, they’ve been challenging, but they’ve been very fun, because for a lot of us they’re songs we’ve heard before, with the popularity the show has had on Broadway,” said cast member Karsten Springborg. “Being able to sing those songs in a performative environment is very fun.”

Ethan Shuckhart said “Hadestown” was “a dream show” for him, especially after getting to see a live performance earlier this year. “Finding out that I was going to be able to do that less than half a year later was really something,” he said.

“Hadestown” follows the story of musician and singer Orpheus, as he travels to the factory-like realm of the god Hades in search of his lost love, Eurydice.

“The thing that’s so incredible is, it’s still a very new and successful play,” said director Dan Smith. A teen edition of the musical was only just made available for high schools last year, Smith said.

As Orpheus, Ethan Shuckhart said he’s enjoyed getting to show a different side of himself as a performer.

“It’s been different to play an emotion-heavy character,” he said. “A lot of the time I’ve ended up playing more comedic characters. So it’s certainly a chance to show my acting ability.”

There are a lot of emotional and dramatic moments in the play, MHS students said. “That’s really pushed us to get better in our acting, and then get better at working together and performing at a higher level what what we expected out of ourselves,” said Springborg, who plays Hades.

One of the unusual things about “Hadestown” is that it is sung throughout, Smith said. “It’s a challenge for (the students) as actors, to learn how to tell a story through song.”

“There’s definitely some parts, with the choreography and the emotion added, where it’s hard to sing well, but it’s not the point to sing well anymore,” said Kaden Deuel, who plays Eurydice. “It’s just to show that emotion and give your best performance.”

Getting those emotional moments across was one of Deuel’s favorite parts of performing. “I have a solo called ‘Flowers,’ that is very poetic. It’s not directly saying exactly what is happening, or what (Eurydice) is thinking,” Deuel said. “It’s more versatile, and you kind of have to, like, take a minute to process what she’s saying.”

As the messenger god Hermes, cast member Eh Dah Kee acts as a narrator for the play’s story. In order to get into the role, she said, “It’s like you really have to connect with others, and see other people’s point of view.”

“It’s really fun,” she added.

The score of the play is also challenging to sing, Smith and cast members said.

“It’s definitely the most difficulty I’ve had doing a role. It’s got an absurd range,” Ethan Shuckhart said. Ethan worked on singing falsetto for parts of Orpheus’ songs, while Springborg sings in a lower register as Hades.

“That’s one of my favorite things, is when I get to just sing low in general,” he said. Springborg said he also enjoyed how commanding the character of Hades was.

Natalie Shuckhart said playing the role of the goddess Persephone meant learning a more jazzy singing style. “It’s a lot different than what I do day to day,” she said. She had been working on more “growly” vocals for Persephone’s songs.

Ethan Shuckhart said for cast members, part of the fun of “Hadestown” has been the fact that there’s a lot of ensemble work. “It’s not just 100% focused on the main characters,” he said.

“It’s just such an experience,” Deuel said of being in the play. “With the people we have in the cast, they’re so great, and we work together so well.”

Performances of “Hadestown” will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Monday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets will be available at the door.