I Raise My Cup to Hadestown: Hadestown Review
Hadestown tells the Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice with a jazzy-apocalyptic twist. As warned at the outset by the MC of the evening, the god Hermes (André De Shields), this is a sad song. The world only has two seasons now, winter and summer. The boiling heat and freezing cold are leading drought, famine, and desperation. Orpheus (Reeve Carvey), Hermes’s ward, is a sweet singer-songwriter who plays the lyre. When he sees Eurydice (Eva Noblezada), a young woman who has known a life of hardship and poverty, and falls instantly in love. He tells her he is working on a song to bring back spring. Despite her instinct to remain closed off to avoid risking loss, Eurydice decides to give him a chance. When winter comes early, Eurydice pushes him to finish his song. Yet while he toils away, she struggles to find food and water. Sharing the story with this young couple is Hades (Patrick Page) and Persephone (Jewell Blackman). Many years ago, Hades saw Persephone and brought her back to his domain, Hadestown. Now Persephone is forced to spend half the year in his underground world (which leads to six months of winter) and half the year walking in the sun (bringing with her summer). Married life for the two gods has not been kind to Persephone who loves being under the sun. Her unhappiness, along with Eurydice’s desperation gives Hades an opportunity to lure Eurydice to Hadestown with the promise of shelter and security. When Orpheus discovers that she is gone, he determines to rescue her by finding another route into Hadestown. Once there, he convinces Hades to release her by singing the song he’s been working on – the song reminds Hades of his and Persephone’s love and the God of the Underworld agrees to let Eurydice go on one condition: he must walk ahead of her all the way back without looking back at her. As this is a tragic tale, he looks back too early, forcing her to return to Hadestown.
The music of Hadestown is fun, if perhaps not as catchy as a show like Six. Even while touching on tough subjects – climate change, unionizing, the value of work – the tone remains hopeful. It was clear throughout the night that the cast themselves were having a blast as they performed, which is always rewarding to see. Most of the story was conveyed via the songs and the words were sometimes difficult to decipher or drowned out, making it occasionally difficult to understand and follow what was happening. Knowing the Greek myths in advance of the story helped.
The performance that most stood out to me was Persephone. Her depression felt palpable even as she’s playing everything up for laughs. It’s clear that she misses the sun and is miserable in her marriage, spending much of her time drowning her sorrows with dandelion wine. It’s not so clear if there had once been an aspect of mutual love in her relationship with Hades or if it was entirely under duress.
The descent to rescue Eurydice is dark and harrowing and There were some particularly interesting use of props and lighting that stuck with me well after the scene ended. Down in Hadestown, the people may be guaranteed security and “freedom” but their lives are heavy. They must “keep [their] head[s] low” as they build a wall meant to keep out the enemy: poverty. The time spent working has made them forget themselves and their identities and Eurydice will slowly lose herself as well.
One other thing of note was that Orpheus appeared to be on the spectrum. He is described as “touched by the gods” which I took to be a play on the euphemism “touched in the head.” It would explain some of his mannerisms, lack of social awareness, and obsessive focus. While I could not find anything to specifically confirm this, it is nice to see a lead character who may not be neuro-typical, a rarity in just about all forms of entertainment.
The ending feels like a little murky, like the lesson to learned isn’t quite developed. Perhaps it’s that the journey not the destination is what’s important. Or maybe it’s about holding onto hope and seeing the potential in the world like Orpheus did despite everything. It might be that even sad stories are worth remembering. Possibly it was about learning not to give into doubt the way Orpheus did. Whatever the lesson, it’s a song worth singing and a play worth watching.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Official Synopsis: Welcome to HADESTOWN, where a song can change your fate. This acclaimed musical by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and director Rachel Chavkin is winner of 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical and the Grammy Award® for Best Musical Theater Album. It intertwines two mythic tales — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — as it invites you on an unforgettable journey to the underworld and back. Performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, singers and dancers, HADESTOWN invites you to imagine how the world could be.
Lyrics, Music, & Book: Anaïs Mitchell
Produced By: Mara Isaacs, Dale Franzen, Hunter Arnold, and Tom Kirdahy
Directed By: Rachel Chavkin
World Premiere: Barre, Vermont. 2006
Opened on Broadway: April 17, 2019
Runtime: 2hrs and 30min, including 15 min intermission
Watch the trailer:
Photo: Orpheus and Eurydice in Hadestown. Courtesy of Hadestown.