Review: HADESTOWN National Tour (DPAC)

When a musical makes as much of an impact on Broadway as Hadestown did when it first premiered, the first national tour cast has a lot to live up to. The original company of Hadestown was filled with beloved, much-awarded performers like Patrick Page, Amber Gray, André De Shields, Eva Noblezada, and Reeve Carney. The show won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Featured Actor (for De Shields).

Luckily, the tour of Hadestown manages to recapture all of the magic that the show had on Broadway, with a stellar cast stepping into the roles. The music by Anaïs Mitchell is just as beautiful and Rachel Chavkin's direction continues to shine. Notably, they have kept much of the staging, including having the band onstage, which adds much to the show.

HADESTOWN is a retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The young couple meets and falls in love, but "times are hard and getting harder" and Eurydice makes a difficult choice. Orpheus travels to the Underworld to try to rescue his lover from Hades's grasp. Meanwhile, issues within Hades and Persephone's relationship have messed up the seasons, making life difficult for everyone up above.

It's hard to pick a favorite thing about Hadestown because everything from David Neumann's choreography to Michael Krass's costume design is fantastic. It has some of the most creative lighting design, by Bradley King, of any recent show and has a beautiful set by Rachel Hauck. The way that the set is used, with its many entrances and seats, is clever and creative.

But the show is not over-designed and lets its music and cast be the main focus. The national tour cast is thankfully as diverse as the original Broadway company, showing the production's commitment to equality in casting. Each of the performers does an excellent job of making the role their own, never seeming like an imitation of the actor who originated the role. Levi Kreis is fantastic as Hermes, entrancing the audience from his very first line. Kimberly Marable nails the physicality of Persephone and has gorgeous vocals to match, while Kevyn Morrow's Hades is as charming as he is intimidating.

Morgan Siobhan Green's Eurydice is fierce, but her "Flowers" is heartbreaking. "Wait for Me" was another highlight of the show and Nicholas Barasch has not only the perfect youthful exuberance for Orpheus, but also got the humor of the role exactly right. His Orpheus is so endearing that even when he makes the ultimate mistake (the one that you dread coming if you know the myth the show is based on), it's hard to be upset with him. The small ensemble beautifully helps bring the story to life.

Despite having premiered off-Broadway in 2016, Hadestown still feels absolutely fresh and relevant to the times that we're living through. Perhaps this tale of a world that seems to be coming apart and the people trying to make ends meet speaks to us even more after the past years of the pandemic.

All audience members age 12 and older must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination status or a recent negative COVID-19 test. For more information, visit DPAC's website. Hadestown is at DPAC through February 27.

Photo Credit: T. Charles Erickso