The lovechild of Greek mythology, New Orleans style jazz, symbolic choreography, poetic yet narrative lyrics and award-winning stars is Hadestown. And Saturday night on October 4, at the Walter Kerr Theater, the lovechild took the audience alongside a tragic yet exciting tale about hope, capitalism, sacrifice and love.
On the hour and a half train ride from Southeast New York to Grand Central station, expectations were set high for Hadestown. As a gal who’s been involved in theater since seventh grade, playing everything from a fairy queen in a Shakespearean comedy to a Greek king and father who sacrificed his child to the Gods, in one lens, I was looking at the musical from a theatrical perspective. As for the other lens, I was half blind. I’ve never been a musical kid; my only experience being my addiction to Hamilton and Sweeny Todd, and my role as The Mayor in SpongeBob the Musical my junior year of high school,and I had never seen a Broadway show before. As for Hadestown specifically, my knowledge was embarrassingly desolate. All I had to piggyback off were three songs my roommate played for me, accompanied by an insightful rant about some iconic stars that were on the original Broadway cast. Alongside a spoonful of knowledge from a middle school theater class that was about all things Greek mythology. In conclusion, I know the story of Eurydice and Orpheus, and not a thing about musicals,and in many elements, my naivety made the experience much more memorable.
Undeniably one of the components that make Hadestown such an incredible show is the score. It’s a fusion of American folk, blues, and New Orleans inspired jazz (and as someone who hails from New Orleans themselves, it gets my stamp of approval). The combination of genres provides a rather unique orchestra experience; spoiling the audience with groovy trombone solos, with some of the instruments being played by dominating character trio, the Fates, and mystical moments from Orpheus’s “lyre” (it’s just an awesome guitar). And when you combine it with the vocals and acting of the actors, it’s a euphoric space where each actor made their mark. The previous Next to Normal star Jack Wolfe’s voice carried emotional depth, versatility and almost this mystical beauty to it, perfectly encapsulating the Greek musician Orpheus. Morgan Dudley brought a unique pop twist backed by her powerful vocals, all whilst tapping into the vulnerability that comes with her role as Eurydice, arguably giving the character an interpretation never to be seen before. Together, Paulo Szot and Rebecca Naomi Jones perfectly portrayed the strained and complex marriage between the iconic Greek gods/goddesses as Persephone and Hades, taking the audience through a roller coaster of laughs and tears. Yet their individual performance shouldn’t be ignored. Tony Award winner Paulo Szot also provided a twist for his Hades, with a comedic tone atypical of the usual stoic and serious caricature given to the character. Notably, I couldn’t take my eyes off stage with his chilling delivery of Why We Build The Wall, casting a cloud of control and fearmongering (it was goosebumps galore). Rebecca Naomi Jones is also not a stranger to Broadway, with her performances in Passing Strange, and being the first woman of color to play the character Laurie in Oklahoma!. Jones gifted the stage with plenty of laughs as an independent and free-spirited wine drunk party rocker, which undoubtedly shinned through in her performance of Our Lady of the Underground, in which she was magnificently unhinged. One could not ignore the third God of the main cast, Hermes. However, I was blessed with a unique performance from understudy Eddie Noel Rodriguez as Hermes, with the cast member Kurt Elling not being present that night, and without a doubt, Rodriguez filled those shoes with soul and charisma, especially his impressive belts. The audience couldn’t have asked for a better guide that night. And one could not have Hadestown without the dazzling and ever haunting Fates, to which Marla Louissant, Jessie Shelton and Kay Trinidad provided a harmonious blend while each performer maintained their own unique goddess like presence. These queens were my favorite, I seriously couldn’t take my eyes off them. Last but certainly not least, what would a musical be without its chorus that ties it all together; from their symbolic choreography to their beautiful vocal commentary, the chorus members could not be ignored. Together with the main cast, they crafted a beautiful night for years to come. I would be a liar to say I didn’t watch the last 15 minutes of the performance with teary eyes, and when the performers were granted a roaring standing ovation, it was more than deserved. It was undoubtedly a sad song, tale and it was a damn tragedy, just like the human experience. And that, like Hadestown, is what makes it so powerful.
And since you’ve asked, Way Down Hadestown, Chant and When the Chips are Down are my top three songs. There’s so much chaos and groove ensuing in them all, it’s hard not to love them.
