Review: Gorgeous HADESTOWN Brings the Power of Mythology to Life at the Peace Center

Let me tell you a story.

It's a story of love and fate and music and dance and light and dark. It's a story of power and exploitation. It's a story of joy and fear and greed and division. It's a story about the power of stories.

And it's the perfect way to relaunch Peace Center's Broadway series.

HADESTOWN, Anais Mitchell's retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and winner of the 2019 Tony Award for Best Musical, opened its North American tour here in Greenville on October 5. Director Rachel Chavkin's production, set in a sort of New Orleans version of the underworld, practically seethes with atmosphere, from the literal suffusion of red light and fog to the music's potent blend of jazz, blues, and Dixieland. It's a combination that touches both the heart and the head - as all great stories do.

The show opens on the "Road to Hell," where we meet mythological characters we all studied in high school: famed messenger, and the evening's storyteller, Hermes; goddess of spring, and conflicted queen of the underworld, Persephone; innocent musician Orpheus; famed beauty Eurydice; the three mischievous Fates; and, finally, the devilish Hades himself. But these are not played as Greek gods in laurel wreaths and togas. These characters - and the chorus of workers around them - arrive outfitted in vests (dazzling silver in Hermes's case) and earthy jackets that would be right at home in the darker alleys of the French Quarter. And as Hermes leads us through the sung-through story, these characters come alive with a gritty humanity that remind us again why those myths continue to resonate all these centuries later.

Tony Award winner Levi Kreis makes for an enchanting Hermes, skillfully bridging the role of narrator and participant, both commenting on and guiding the action. He's also a helluva good singer, with a natural charisma that captures the audience from his opening smile.

As Orpheus, Nicholas Barasch sounds - and looks - like he's been kissed by the gods themselves. His earnest demeanor and crystalline voice accentuate the plaintive beauty of the character's heavenly songs. He's a perfect complement to the more grounded presence of Morgan Siobhan Green's Eurydice. Green brings a flittering yet soulful energy to the role, making you feel for her character's dilemma, torn between brutal hunger and her idyllic love for Orpheus.

As Persephone, Kimberly Marable is a delight, with the movements of her hair and her body almost becoming separate characters unto themselves. And in songs like "Livin' It Up on Top," she absolutely owns the stage. Presiding over it all from his perch above the stage is Kevyn Morrow, whose rumbling, deep-voiced Hades enchants even as it threatens.

Meanwhile, the Fates - dreamily embodied by Belen Moyano, Bex Odorisio, and Shea Renne - float in and around the proceedings, sometimes encouraging, sometimes taunting, always enchanting. Their harmonies on numbers like "When The Chips Are Down" is nothing short of breathtaking.

All of these primary performers are only made better by the dynamic ensemble of workers who weave in and out of the story. From their lighter moments as bar patrons to their slavelike chanting of "Keep Your Head Low," the five members of the Workers Chorus (Lindsey Hailes, Chibueze Ihuoma, Will Mann, Sydney Parra, and Jamari Johnson Williams) bring an alternately earthy and oily life to every scene.

Director Rachel Chavkin's staging makes for a swirling, engrossing evening on designer Rachel Hauck's gorgeously grungy sets, which are themselves filled with mechanical secrets and stunning uses of light. Choreographer David Neumann continues playing with the music and staging's fiery, circular rhythms. Combine all that with Michael Krass' costumes and Bradley King's lights and you've got some serious theatre magic at play. You won't soon forget "Wait For Me."

Speaking of which, Anais Mitchell's score is intoxicating, filled with catchy rhythms, haunting melodies, and clever word play. And the decision to place the excellent musicians on stage helps with the playful undercurrent of the piece, while also making trombonist Audrey Ochoa into a star in her own right. At the same time, the band's presence also accentuates the sense of Hermes telling us a story in real time.

And what a story it is. There's a reason these myths have survived for so long, and while HADESTOWN is beautiful to look at and inspiring to hear, undergirding the entire production are lessons and parables that continue to resonate in our own time. We all struggle with belief, both in ourselves and others. We all feel the compulsion to give in to our baser instincts. And most disturbingly, we still contend with forces of greed and exploitation and trickery and manipulation on both an individual and societal level. HADESTOWN drags these issues into the light, offering no answers, but reminding us how much truth can be found in a story.

And all that is just on the surface. The show is filled with layers, many of which will take time and thought - and maybe even additional viewings - to unpeel. A song like "We Build the Wall" could warrant a thesis all by itself.

HADESTOWN is a triumph. Broadway is back. Long live the power of musical theatre.

To post a comment, you must register and login.