Hadestown is currently playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne.
More information and tickets can be found at hadestown.com.au.
There’s a reason hardcore theatregoers rave about Hadestown. It’s the perfect combination of phenomenal storytelling, compelling songs and even though you know how the story ends, you hold out hope that it’s going to change.
With music, lyrics and book by Anaïs Mitchell, Hadestown premiered off-Broadway in 2016. Following productions in Canada and London, it premiered on Broadway in 2019 to critical acclaim, receiving 14 Tony Award nominations and winning eight, including ‘Best Musical’ and ‘Best Original Score’.
On a surface level, Hadestown combines two love stories from Greek mythology – young lovers Orpheus (Noah Mullins) and Eurydice (Abigail Adriano) and also the ancient crumbling marriage between the gods Hades (Adrian Tamburini) and Persephone (Elenoa Rokobaro). In this world, Hadestown is an industrial wasteland controlled by Hades, the god of the dead.
But the genius of Hadestown lies within its contemporary creative lyrical metaphors, which can easily be misinterpreted and missed if you aren’t carefully paying attention. The musical has themes of environmentalism, capitalism, poverty, greed, destiny, power, politics and ego.
Director Rachel Chavkin said on PRI’s Living on Earth with Steve Curwood:
“The image of the climate being out of whack has been a core one for Anaïs since she started writing the show. As we thought more and more about shaping the world that Eurydice and Orpheus are living in — a world caused, in Greek mythological terms, by the decay of the ancient marriage between Hades and Persephone, a world that is out of balance, where it is either freezing or blazing hot, where food becomes scarcer and the idea of stability becomes harder to imagine, and a character, Eurydice, who has spent her life running — all of those things kind of crystallized while we were making the show.”
Chant is the perfect example of a multi-layered song. As Persephone sings, “In the coldest time of year, why is it so hot down here? Hotter than a crucible. It ain’t right and it ain’t natural,” she’s literally talking about the weather in Hadestown, but she’s also referencing climate change. And even though we’re knowingly destroying our world, we continue seeking those modern-day comforts, while holding out for a better outcome.
Then you’ve got the Act I closer, Why We Build The Walls. The characters sing about building walls to keep out poverty, which could be interrupted as the greed of those in power who keep their resources to themselves.
The finale, We Raise Our Cups, is a beautiful tribute to the dreamers and pushers who fight for injustices when everything is against them and the possible seems impossible. To the ones who seek change and continue to see the good in a world filled with so much darkness and misery. Just like Orpheus and Eurydice, we’re doomed to keep making those mistakes and repeating the same patterns.
Speaking of music, there’s no argument that the soundtrack is incredible. Not only has Mitchell written a collection of memorable showstoppers, the songs defies all genres incorporating jazz, blues, funk, soul and rock. Stand-outs include Chant, When The Chips Are Down, Road To Hell and Wait For Me.
The strength of Hadestown also lies in performances of its leads. Mullins (who goes by the they/him pronouns) was my favourite in Opera Australia’s production of Rent last year, but here they get to showcase their incredible range. They effortlessly move between the poet’s nativity and shyness to determined and brave.
Eurydice, however, is a more complicated and complex character, torn between what she knows and the man she loves, and Eliza Soriano (who filled in when Adriano was unable to perform on opening night) did an excellent job.
Tamburini’s deep bass-heavy voice filled the theatre with intensity, often times terrifying and intimidating yet sometimes sweet, while Rokobaro’s joy as Persephone radiates as vibrant as the flowers she blooms. She effectually conveys the struggles Persephone faces living above and below the surface.
Rounding out the main cast is legendary Australian singer-songwriter and actress, Christine Anu as Hermes, messenger and herald of the gods and the narrator of Hadestown. There’s always a risk with stunt casting and sadly Anu is the weakest of the cast. It’s not that she’s bad, she’s just not as good as others and I think underutilised. Although wonderfully charismatic and her voice incredible, it is her use of her natural ocker accent that threw me off.
And while I understand that this is a creative choice by Chavkin, who I am not criticising, as Hadestown is meant to defy all space and time, so the use of different accents is appropriate (Adriano also speaks in a slightly Australian accent), it just didn’t work for me personally.
The musical is enhanced by the musical talents of Sarah Murr, Jennifer Trijo and Imani Williams as the Fates; the small, yet important, ensemble (Jessie Monk, Afua Adjei, Sam Richardson, Joshua Kobeck and Devon Braithwaite); and live on stage band led by Musical Director Laura Tipoki, with a stand-out performance from trombone player Griffin Youngs.
Set design by Rachel Hauck is minimal but layered so it never feels boring and works in harmoniously with choreography by David Newmann and Bradley King‘s lighting design. In fact, King does things with lighting I’ve never seen before especially during Wait For Me, Wait For Me (Reprise) and Doubt Comes In. Never have I seen lighting done so well before in creating tension.
Hadestown an impressive and ambitious piece of theatre. It’s such a cliché to say it’s like nothing I’ve seen before, and yet it’s just that. It’s tragic yet hopeful and works well as a standard story and for those looking to delve into something richer.
5/5 STARS
TINSEL and TAP SHOES 