As fun as they are to watch, many a big-ass Broadway musical can seem a bit formulaic. That could never be said about Hadestown, a mashup of so many disparate stories and styles as to be a constant surprise factory.
The story is based on two Greek myths: First is the story of Hades and Persephone — the one where the lord of the underworld sorta kidnaps this daughter of Zeus and ag-goddess Demeter and won’t let her go. Through some tortured negotiations, Hades agrees to let Persephone spend some time in the world above, but he keeps increasing the amount of time she spends in hell.
Second is the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, a story with a number of variations but which essentially has Orpheus trying to rescue Eurydice from the underworld because she’s either died or been convinced it was a good place to go for a meal — which is what happens in Hadestown.
These stories serve only as a starting point, however, in a show written by Anaïs Mitchell that mixes up times, musical genres, and the stories themselves to construct a multi-layered folk opera that defies categorization. Set in what looks like a bar in the French Quarter, the on-set band (save the drummer) bounces from Dixieland to blues and jazz and folk while the exceptional cast sings and dances its way through 30 or so numbers to paint a picture so broad that it could be compared to a lot of things: climate change, slavery, imprisonment, immigration and borders, bad bosses — you name it. One of the things so fascinating about Hadestown is its seeming ability to allow audience members to project whatever the feel onto the action.
Kevyn Morrow as Hades and Morgan Siobhan Green as Eurydice | Photo: T. Charles Erickson
This touring Broadway cast has a lot going for it, particularly in the actors portraying Orpheus and Eurydice: Chibueze Ihuoma and Morgan Siobhan Green. As the guitar-toting suitor, Ihuoma is endearing as an innocent waiter in the bar who falls for the poor Eurydice who stumbles in wearing rags looking for something to eat.
As Persephone, Kimberly Marable is a delight portraying not only the object of Hades’s desire but also a narrator of sorts who moves some of the action along while flirting with the audience and calling out the musicians on stage as if we were at a concert. (To be sure, they deserved the recognition. One standout in particular is Emily Frederickson who gave me a new appreciation for the power of the trombone.)
Kevyn Morrow is our bad-ass baritone playing Hades, and he inhabits the role fully. Also on deck is Hermes (Levi Kreis), who also takes on some narrator duties as he vamps his way through the show in his super-shiny suit.
The primary characters are supported by The Fates (Belén Moyano, Bex Odorisio and Shea Renne), who act as a sort of supercharged chorus trio alongside the workers chorus — five versatile singer-dancers who portray a variety of characters. They’re particularly poignant when they transform into a steam-punk version of the oppressed worker slaving away in Hades’s factory: Hadestown.
This one may not be for everyone, particularly those who prefer the time-tested musical formula we’ve grown so accustomed to. But if you’re looking for a high-end Broadway production that defies some of those stereotypes, Hadestown is well worth the trip downtown.
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