Hawa Kamara says she sees a lot of herself in the character of Eurydice
RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com
Love conquers all — even if it can be hell.
The musical Hadestown retells the tale of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice in Anais Mitchell’s Tony-winning musical. The mythical journey to Hell and back follows the two characters through striking stage sets and powerful music. Queer actor Hawa Kamara (she/they) finds themselves on that journey, but for them, it’s a dream.
“It was the first musical where I thought to myself, ‘I can see myself in this.’
“Eurydice was a role that I saw a lot of myself in; an ingénue who had her own story and her own life, who wasn’t dependent on a man to move her story along,” Kamara said. “It’s wild how rare that is in a musical.”
Hadestown plays for one weekend on June 5-7 at Bass Hall.
On their Instagram, Kamara had posted about being in their dream show when cast in the principal role. Beyond seeing themselves in the role, they found a nuance in Eurydice that was attractive.
“There are so many aspects about Hadestown that resonate with me and how I identify as a person and artist. What I love about this show is that it really does differ from a lot of other contemporary musicals.
“I think the influence of the Greek timeless tragedy makes the musical very open ended, and in that vein, makes it innately inclusive of all people,” they said.
Kamara appreciates Eurydice’s fighting spirit. In fact, if there was a similarity between the two, it’s that.
“Life ain’t easy or fair, so she fights for her rightful share, and boy does she fight. I think that’s where we’re most alike, we are fighters against odds that seem impossible to defeat,” the actor said.
Kamara goes on about the character’s pragmaticism which is another point of admiration for the actor.
Amid all the burden of Orpheus and the dramatic songs, Hadestown is an atypical romance, and Kamara recognizes that love is worth fighting for.
“I also really admire her ability to love even after all she’s been through in life,” they said.
“Falling in love is a huge risk, especially when external elements make it hard for you to live comfortably. So to show that vulnerability and soft side of her is a privilege I get to have every night.”
On paper, Hadestown doesn’t seem the queerest of shows — minus just being a high-stakes musical.
Orpheus and Eurydice fight for their love. Persephone and King Hades are also in the throes of romance. What’s a gay to do?
Kamara sees it all differently.
“What isn’t queer about Hadestown? At its root, it’s about love, but it’s also about defiance of oppressive systems in place, which resonates so much to the queer community and our history,” they explained. “In my brain, Orpheus and Eurydice are very queer coded, they exhibit a lot of traits that are antithetical to what a stereotypical ‘man’ and ‘woman’ are.”
Although they are performing for a small run, there are some other things on Kamara’s mind outside of Hadestown.
“Well, I’m also looking forward to some yummy barbecue. In my humble opinion Texas has the best barbecue by far,” they said.
For tickets, visit BassHall.com.