Review: HADESTOWN at the Orpheum Theatre Minneapolis

Minneapolis goes down to Hadestown as the first national tour of Hadestown tours through Minneapolis at the Orpheum Theatre March 15 - 20th.

Winner of eight 2019 Tony® Awards, this acclaimed new musical by celebrated singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and innovative director Rachel Chavkin

Hadestown intertwines two Greek mythology tales focusing on the love story between Chibueze Ihuoma (Orpheus) and (Sydney Parra) Eurydice, and that of Kevyn Morrow (King Hades) and his wife Kimberly Marables (PersephoneIt). The story is narrated by Levi Kries (Hermes) a love story in the journey to the underworld and back.

I have been looking forward to seeing this show since I had heard of it. It's one that I didn't know a whole lot about and only a few of the songs. The production I saw had some cast changes for performance. The role of Orpheus normally played by Nicholas Barash will be played by Chibueze Ihuoma. The role of Eurydice normally played by Morgan Siobhan Green will be played by Sydney Parra. The ensemble roles of Worker normally played by Sydney Parra, Lindsey Hailes, and Chibueze Ihuoma will be played by Alex Lugo, Ian Coulter-Buford, and Eddie Noel Rodríguez.

The scenic design by Rachel Hauk gave the feel of being in the underworld and the world above. Bradley King did an excellent job with the lighting design that enhanced the scenic design by giving it a mood and feel that was visually appealing to the story. Michael Krass designed the costumes, which were so intricate for the underground and the world above.

The musicians for this musical are onstage the entire time which adds to the scene under the music direction of Cody Owen Stine with arrangements and orchestrations by Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose. The cast had incredible vocals and fit their characters well. I enjoyed the opener "Road to Hell, Way Down Hadestown, When the Chips are Down, and Flowers." The entire cast including the ensemble all sang with authenticity and rawness that made their characters so believable that you forget they are actors. The ensemble had impressive choreography by David Neumann.

Taken the journey to the underworld at the Orpheum Theatre is not to be missed! The music, story, and cast are all great! It's obvious why this musical won the Tony Awards. I would recommend taking the opportunity to see it while it's here!

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Photos: T Charles Erickson

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