T. Charles Erikson
The hit, Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hadestown is touring North America (the tour actually started in 2021 with a different cast including Nicholas Barasch, who is now appearing on Riverdale as Julian Blossom), and this is a show I have been eager to see even though I knew next to nothing about it going in except that it won the Tony for Best Musical and that Baltimore’s own André De Shields won for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical. And I assumed it might have something to do with Hell based on the title and the performance presented on the Tony Awards. What I was surprised to learn was that the story is actually taken from Greek myth, two stories in fact, featuring Orpheus & Eurydice and Hades and Persephone (and the classic 1950 Jean Cocteau film Orpheus is a favorite of mine).
Entering the theatre, the audience is greeted with the sight of what appears to be a café, or a speakeasy as it is described in the official materials, in some indeterminate world that very well could be an alternate universe version of New Orleans. Hermes (Nathan Lee Graham) introduces the players in the story with the song ‘Road to Hell’, and we quickly learn about Orpheus (J. Antonio Rodriguez), who works at the speakeasy; Eurydice (Hannah Whitley), who wanders in seeking food and shelter from the bleak Winter outside; The Fates (Dominique Kempf, Belén Moyano, Nyla Watson), who can’t help but interfere in everyone’s business; the Workers (Jordan Bollwerk, Jamal Lee Harris, Courtney Lauster, Eddie Noel Rodríguez, Racquel Williams), who function as a Greek chorus; Persephone, who brings the warmth of Spring and Summer to the world; and Hades (Matthew Patrick Quinn), the King of the Underworld himself. Despite Hermes’ suggestion not to be rash when speaking to Eurydice, Orpheus can’t help but ask her to come home with him … because they’re going to be married. First words out of the kid’s mouth. Persephone arrives and things change for the better, and Eurydice finds herself quickly falling in love with Orpheus, who has been struggling to finish writing a song. But Hades come to collect Persephone earlier than expected, plunging the world back into the depths of Winter.
T. Charles Erikson
As food becomes scarce again, and with Orpheus laser focused on finishing his song, Eurydice goes to seek out food but is tempted by The Fates and King Hades to board the train to Hadestown where she won’t have to worry about food or the cold. She calls out to Orpheus, but he doesn’t answer, so she bids him farewell and travels to Hadestown. There she finds it’s not all as promised — Persephone also discovers the changes Hades has made to the place — and she is quickly assimilated into the group of workers, her memories of who she is and where she came from quickly fading away. Orpheus discovers what Eurydice has done and Hermes tells him the only way for him to get to Hadestown without a ticket is to walk … and he does, begging Hades to let Eurydice return home with him. But she’s signed a contract and even with Persephone strongly suggesting he let the two lovers depart, Hades isn’t sure he can — if he does, he will appear weak and if he doesn’t, they will become martyrs. Hades allows Orpheus to sing his song and strikes a deal: they can leave but Orpheus has to lead and if he looks back to see if Eurydice is following, she is immediately banished to Hadestown forever. Is it an offer they can’t refuse? And will Orpheus be able to trudge from the Underworld, a long and treacherous trip, without looking back? Or is it all a trick of the Devil?
I have to admit it took me a little while to get into the story of Hadestown, but by the time they got to the song ‘When the Chips Are Down’, I was fully invested in the story, the performances and the amazing production. The five leads are all terrific. Nathan Lee Graham’s Hermes serves as Orpheus’ mentor or sorts and as our narrator, commenting on the goings-on sometimes with humor and joy, sometimes with menace and sadness. Lana Gordon is outstanding as Persephone, a benevolent god who brings everyone in the speakeasy food and wine … lots of wine. She also gets to really cut up in the Act II opening number ‘Our Lady of the Underground’, and she brings a lot of layers to the character, torn between we love of Hades and her love for the people above ground. J. Antonio Rodriguez brings a sweet innocence to Orpheus, and has a killer falsetto when he sings, which is a complete contrast to Matthew Patrick Quinn’s Hades, who menaces the others with his deep, booming voice (reminiscent of the How the Grinch Stole Christmas singer Thurl Ravenscroft). Hannah Whitley is also outstanding as Eurydice, also bringing many layers to the character as she goes from just a girl who wanders in, to falling in love, and making a choice for her own survival.
The five cast members who play the Workers are always there to happily sing along, but once they become workers in the new factory in Hadestown, they are more downtrodden with a lot of physical choreography (this show puts the cast through their paces, literally, with a turntable stage that allows them to keep walking without moving across the set). My favorite characters are The Fates, always tempting the characters with this-or-that scenarios. All three actresses were terrific, but I could not take my eyes off of Dominique Kempf. The way she moved, the way she could switch her facial expressions from happy to threatening or judgmental or just plain bitchy and then right back into a happy smile had me mesmerized.
T. Charles Erikson
Also mesmerizing is the production design which is fairly simple — a single set featuring the band on stage, acting as part of the story, an upper balcony, and a wall that opens when the Hadestown train arrives or departs. There are a couple of surprises built in to the set as well and it was all magnificent. The lighting design was gorgeous, particularly in the use of colors like the reddish-orange that bathed the stage when Hades sang, or the blue-greens for Persephone as a contract. Really some beautiful work by Rachel Hauck and Bradley King, respectively. The costume design by Michael Krass was also terrific, mixing many different era from the plantation worker-meets-jazz baby looks of The Fates, to the Prohibition era outfits worn by Hades and Persephone, to Hermes’ silver suit, to the thrift store looks of Eurydice and Orpheus. to the casual streetwear and heavy leather overalls worn by the workers above and below ground. Really great work that has a lot of visceral impact.
The direction and staging of the show is a bit different, from what I’m told, from the Broadway production due to the limitations of a traveling show, but it’s no less impactful and the use of the turntable really adds a lot to it, reminiscent of the turntable used in Hamilton and Shout Sister Shout!. Director Rachel Chavkin truly earned her Tony Award for direction, keeping the story moving but allowing those moments for the characters to pause for the emotional impact the audience needs to feel. The sound design was great, no one was ever drowned out by the music (although I’m not sure why the mics were off during the curtain call song). The Tony-winning music & lyrics, and the Tony-nominated book by Anaïs Mitchell is just stunning. The two stories are interwoven expertly, and the songs are fantastic at being as integral to the story as is the dialogue. Put all of this together and it’s hard to resist hitting the road to Hadestown.
Hadestown runs about 2 hours 30 minutes with one intermission. Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Hadestown runs through April 16 at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre. Other cities on the schedule include Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Richmond, Washington DC, Chicago, Toronto, Ottowa, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Seattle, Indianapolis and more. Visit the official website for more information. Use our Ticketmaster link to purchase tickets.
Hadestown – National Tour Trailer
Hadestown
Check our Ticketmaster link for ticket availability.
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