Review: HADESTOWN at The Orpheum Theatre Memphis

Way down in Memphis, there's a poor boy working on a song. If you are at all familiar with the Tony-award winning musical Hadestown, you know you can expect laughs, tears, gorgeous songs, and a story that's as ancient as, well, the gods.

This musical is one of my favorite shows of all time. I fell in love with the original concept album in 2010, which featured Ani DiFranco and Justin Vernon in the cast and even went on to earn a Grammy nomination. But Hadestown was in the works long before that.

In 2006, Anais Mitchell developed a song cycle and along with a few props, some musician friends, and some set pieces, she traveled across the United States in a school bus to perform the songs. It caught the attention of Tony-nominated director Rachel Chavkin, who began developing the musical for the stage with Mitchell in 2012. Patrick Page and Amber Gray also joined in the collaboration and currently play Hades and Persephone on Broadway eight nights a week. The show had an off-Broadway run in 2016, then went on to play in Canada and England, before premiering on Broadway in 2019. Several of the actors from the performances in Canada and England reprised their roles on Broadway, including Reeve Carney as Orpheus, Amber Gray as Persephone, Patrick Page as Hades, and Eva Noblezada as Eurydice.

Hadestown has undergone many revisions but it is still the same tragically beautiful love story that Mitchell set out on. It is a retelling of two famous Greek myths, featuring the gods Hades and Persephone, as well as the tragic myth of Orpheus, the son of a Muse and Eurydice, a mortal girl, combined with influences of jazz, folk, and blues. As a young child, I became obsessed with Greek mythology and have been thrilled to see some familiar stories appear in the arts in the past few years. In 2020, I took a special weekend trip to New York City for what I called a "Greek myth weekend" where I got to see The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical and Hadestown back to back. Hadestown also features the messenger god Hermes as the narrator, the Fates, and an extremely talented Greek chorus. The songs are both beautiful and chilling, and the set and costume designs wrap it all up into a spectacle worthy of the gods!

I admit, I am always slightly wary when I see a show on Broadway and then later see it on tour. Unsure of what is going to change and if I am going to like the portrayals. Hadestown National Tour does not disappoint! It is always a delight to see the actors making the characters their own and it is no different in this one. Levi Kreis has to be commended for his fun take on Hermes, taking the iconic character and giving him a little more dark humor than I am used to. It certainly worked for Kreis, who delights audiences from opening song to closing song. Nicholas Barasch and Morgan Siobhan Green portray Orpheus and Eurydice with enough naivety and charm to make them fan-favorites. Even if people are unfamiliar with the show, they may remember performances such as "Wait for Me" from the Tony Awards and Barasch's smooth-flowing high notes completely entrance the audience, just as the son of a Muse is supposed to.

Kimberly Marable and Kevyn Morrow give beautiful performances as Hades and Persephone, showing the audience there is more than meets the eye. Hades is portrayed and even talked about as being a cruel, cold King but during the lovely tune "Epic III", Orpheus reveals that Hades is more like the mortals than the King would like to admit. His love for Persephone makes him a common man and the moment he takes his Queen's hand for a dance makes the audience start to sniffle a little. Morrow brings life to the dark King and Marable's portrayal of the spring goddess-turned-queen of the underworld takes on many fascinating layers.

Three of my favorite characters have always been the Fates. Not only do they walk around looking ethereal and causing mischief but they are also playing instruments on the stage. Belen Moyano, Bex Odorisio, and Shea Renne make each Fate as unique as they are in Greek myths. In mythology, the Fates are responsible for different things; allotting time, creating the thread of life, or the darkest of all, the fate of death. "Always singing in the back of your mind", the Fates have some lovely harmonies and their synchronicity make them a delight to watch.

Instruments play a heavy role in the show as well. As mentioned, the Fates are playing various instruments and of course being the son of a Muse, Orpheus mentions that he plays the lyre, which he uses to sway Hades during "Epic III". The show also has the band onstage and Persephone even introduces each of them during "Our Lady of the Underground", giving them due credit and some appreciation that the band doesn't often receive!

The lighting design and the costume design both stunned me when I first saw the musical in 2020. During "Wait for Me", the lighting is almost like a separate character and helps move the story along as Orpheus descends into Hell. The costumes are as different as the characters wearing them. If you look closely, you will see the Fates have beautiful dresses that are only slightly different from each other and are tattered in some places to show that yes, these are goddesses but they have been around for a long time. Persephone's vivid green dress is shown when she comes above ground to celebrate Spring but she is dressed in elegant dark colors when she is back in the Underworld with her husband. The details of the musical are as fascinating as each lyric, bringing the musical together into an incredible sight and sound for the audience!

Hadestown is in Memphis for a limited time and plays its last performance on the Orpheum stage on February 6th. Come see how the world could be and raise a cup to the world we dream about, and the one we live in now.

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