Review: HADESTOWN at Majestic Theatre

Last year at about this same time, my husband and I went to New York City for my birthday. It was the big 5-0, so my husband planned a great trip to one of my very favorite cities. Included in this trip were tickets to see Hadestown on Broadway, and I could not have been more excited! All the theatre people I knew were obsessing over this show, and I was so ready to join in! And then we watched it. We kept waiting for it to be everything we had heard it would be--everything we wanted it to be. But we didn’t like it. I’ll give you a second to take that in because believe me, I am fully aware that this is not the popular opinion. I mean, the show won eight Tony awards, so it obviously has something special. We loved some of the moments of the show and the production value, but something about it just didn't draw us in.  It ended, and we kind of just stared at each other and shrugged, wondering if we missed something.

So, when we had the opportunity to see the show again in San Antonio, we were skeptical. I mean, if we didn’t enjoy it in NYC, what were the chances we would enjoy it as a tour? After some thought, we decided to give the show a second chance and hoped we would like and appreciate it more on a second watch. And we did. Sort of. To be honest, for me the show still has a weird score that I can’t really get excited about, and the story has some problems. If I’m going to believe that Orpheus would travel the long road to hell to rescue Eurydice, then I need to see them fall in love in a big way in the beginning. Instead, the staging in the scenes where they are falling love is a bit presentational and cold, their moments together feeling mostly contrived rather than honest. They sell it better in the second act, but not believing the beginning of their love story made it hard to root for them as things progressed. 

That said, we did enjoy so many aspects of the show at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio. The sets and general production value were breathtaking. The choice of location, set, and concept provided the perfect atmosphere for such an epic tale. The Workers Chorus was possibly my favorite aspect of the show. Those performers were fantastic, and I loved the worlds they helped create. The choreography by T. Oliver Reid, based on the Broadway choreography by David Neuman, was stunning. The detail in the movements drove the story and painted the stage with emotion. I also couldn't get enought of Katelyn Crall, Miriam Navarrete, and Alli Sutton as the Fates. They were simply wonderful and entertaining! And we loved Namisa Mdlalose Bizana as Persephone. She was talented, spunky and warm. Jaylon C. Crump, as Hermes, was an absolute star. What a special performer! He was flawless and helped us connect to some important moments in the show. Of which, honestly, there were plenty. There were some moments in this show that took my breath away and gave me chills, and showed me why this show has been such a hit.

And the audience was all in. The energy in the place was palpable, and people were having a great time. That’s the important thing, really. Not whether a critic like me loves everything about it, but how the show affects an entire audience. And this show delivered an unforgettable performance for its San Antonio audience. The part of the show I’m still thinking about, though? The orchestra. They were incredible! Specifically, the trombone player, Haik Demirchian. He just nearly stole the show with amazing musical talent and a delightful performance! We left smiling as the orchestra continued to bring down the house with joyful and exciting exit music. 

Overall, we were glad we gave this show another chance. It will never be my favorite show, but it doesn’t have to be. It had some beautiful moments and some important messages about knowing what you are meant to offer the world and about not giving into doubt. Despite any negative opinions I have of the show, it did give us that. And that’s a pretty powerful thing to give.

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