Hadestown
Music. Lyrics, and Book by Anaïs Mitchell
Developed and Directed by Rachel Chavkin
Choreographed by David Neumann
The Fox Theatre
October 11, 2022
Hannah Whitley, Matthew Patrick Quinn, Nathan Lee Graham, Maria-Christina Oliveras, Chibueze Ihuoma, Cast and Musicians of Hadestown
Photo by T. Charles Erickson
Hadestown North American Tour
Hadestown, the Tony-winning Broadway musical, is now onstage at the Fox. I’m happy to be able to see it again, having seen it in New York three years ago. I loved it then, and was looking forward to seeing the tour and seeing if it’s as impressive as it was on Broadway. I’m glad to report that it’s a wonderful production, with a few necessary set and staging adaptations, but still with stunning production values and a great, Broadway-caliber cast.
The story is adapted from Greek mythology, set in a nebulous time and place reminiscent of the Depression-era USA. Featuring a primarily folk/folk-rock/jazz/blues score by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, the show took a long road to the Broadway stage, starting out with small productions in New England, and eventually to a concept album, then an Off-Broadway run and stops in Edmonton and London’s National Theatre before finally arriving on Broadway and winning several Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The story features several figures from Greek legend, including the god Hermes (Nathan Lee Graham), who narrates the story, and Hades (Matthew Patrick Quinn), who rules over an industrial underworld known as Hadestown, and whose marriage to Persephone (Shea Renne on Opening Night, understudying principal Maria-Christina Oliveras) has become rocky, affecting the normal progression of the seasons and causing much consternation in the world above. The main focus, though, is on the relationship of earnest young poet/singer Orpheus (Chibueze Ihuoma), and the world-weary Eurydice (Hannah Whitley), whose story is compelling even when you do know how it turns out. The story is also engaging in the way it incorporates the excellent band into the action, as well as the ensemble and notably the enigmatic Fates (Dominique Kempf, Belén Moyano, Nyla Watson), who are a constant presence throughout.
The cast for this tour is terrific, even considering it is not the original touring cast. The level of excellence here is impressive. Graham, as narrator/mentor figure Hermes, is dynamic and in great voice, with a vibrant physicality. Ihuoma and Whitley are also standouts, with their strong chemistry and compelling performances and vocals. Quinn makes a suitably menacing Hades, working well with Renne, who gives an impressively complex performance as Persephone. Kempf, Moyono, and Watson display strong presence and vocals as the Fates, and the ensemble is strong in support. This is a first-rate production from start to finish, performing David Neumann’s strikingly inventive choreography with energy and power, and effectively carrying the intensity and emotion of the story.
In a technical sense, the production dazzles just as much as it did in New York, with some impressive adaptations to Rachel Hauck’s eye-catching set design so that it works better on tour. Most notably, the lift in the middle of the stage has been replaced by big “elevator” doors that suggest movement between the “up” and “down” worlds more than directly showing it. The lighting by Bradley King is also stunning, as are the meticulously detailed costumes by Michael Krass. The staging is thoroughly thrilling, keeping up a pace that fits the rhythm and mood of the score, as well as the intensity, heart, and occasional humor of the story.
Hadestown is one of my favorite recent musicals, and I’m glad its touring production is so strong. It helps a little in following the story if you know at least a little about Greek mythology, but you don’t have to know all the details to enjoy this wonderfully original take on an oft-told legend. It’s hauntingly intense, marvelously cast, and thrillingly energetic. It’s a remarkable production.
Maria-Christina Oliveras, Chibueze Ihuoma, Matthew Patrick Quinn, and Cast of Hadestown
Photo by T. Charles Erickson
Hadestown North American Tour
The North American Tour of Hadestown is playing at the Fox Theatre until October 23, 2022
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