As a note, I have not seen the West End show performed, this is simply a review of the released cast album.
I’ve referenced “Hadestown” in my other cast album reviews, but never had an excuse to talk about it in-depth. This is because the musical originally premiered on Broadway in 2019 – which is five years in human time and an eon by journalistic standards.
This all changed recently, however, when “Hadestown” transferred to London and subsequently released a live recording of the West End cast.
Out of respect for the performers, this is not a comparison of the Broadway and West End albums, but rather an analysis of the West End on its own merits. It’s inevitable that different performers will provide different interpretations of characters, and I would rather celebrate this than advocate for rigid consistency in theater.
“Hadestown” is a show that already defies the conventions of musical theater.
It’s a contemporary opera, with the entirety of the story communicated through music. However, it doesn’t adhere to the traditional musical theater style. This is a folk opera that weaves its web through jazz and folk music.
This can be credited to the background of composer and lyricist Anaïs Mitchell, a folk performer in her own right, who cobbled “Hadestown” together over the course of a decade. Some of the show’s songs were initially written for other venues – or written as protest music – and then later fit into the story as it evolved for the stage.
“Hadestown” is the retelling of Greek myths through the lens of contemporary strife. Interweaving the story of Orpheus and Eurydice alongside Persephone and Hades, “Hadestown” offers a commentary on art, nature, and the ability to create change.
The story is ill-defined in setting, presenting a world in crisis.
There are no longer four seasons, rather there is a scorching summer and blizzarding winter. This is because Hades (Zachary James) and Persephone (Gloria Onitiri) have fallen out of love. Seeking to right the world, Orpheus (Dónal Finn) tries to compose a song that will remind the gods and nature of what has been lost and what can be regained. However, in his pursuit of the perfect song, Orpheus neglects his own love, Eurydice (Grace Hodgett Young), who sells her soul to Hades in exchange for work, food, and shelter to escape the Fates (Bella Browne, Madeline Charlemagne, Allie Danel) who haunt Eurydice with reminders of her hunger and pain. With the help of his guide, Hermes (Melanie La Barrie), Orpheus sets out with his guitar to Hades’ domain to retrieve Eurydice and right the world.
The plot is, admittedly, abstract. There’s little tangible conflict because so much of the story either takes place in a speak-easy type venue, or in the title city itself. The real stakes of the story are emotional.
This is true of the lyrics as well, which are deliberately ill-defined and poetic. I often find myself with bits of this poetry still caught in my mind.
Orpheus and Eurydice’s duet “All I’ve Ever Known,” includes the stunning lines: “I knew you before we met / and I don’t even know you yet / all I know’s you’re someone I have always known.”
Or, from Eurydice and Orpheus’ banter in “Wedding Song,” singing: “Lover when I sing my song / all the trees gonna sing along / and they’re gonna bend their branches down / to lay their fruit upon the ground / the almond and the apple / and the sugar from the maple / the trees gonna lay the wedding table.”
“Hadestown” is a show of brilliantly executed motifs. In “Promises,” Orpheus and Eurydice echo their lines from “Wedding Song,” to show their devotion.
This is true of “Wait for Me,” as well, which includes the stunning couplets: “I’m comin’ wait for me / I hear the walls repeating / the falling of my feet and / it sounds like drumming.” Which, in “Wait For Me (Reprise)” is changed to: “I’m comin’ wait for me / I hear the walls repeating / the falling of our feet and / it sounds like drumming.”
The language is vivid, but the story itself is unembellished – left to the imagination.
Because of this, strong performances are necessary for anchoring the audience to the story. The actors must ground the story by authentically representing the character’s psyches.
The cast more than rises to this challenge.
La Barrie is charismatic and mercurial in her turn as Hermes. She imbues spoken word with sharp insight and sings with a shiver-inducing power.
Finn is visceral as Orpehus. His approach makes Orpheus less naive and more deliberately optimistic in spite of the world which makes his eventual descent into despair all the more harrowing. He shines particularly in songs that allow him to mix pretty vocalizations with raw feeling, such as “If It’s True,” in which he perfectly switches between a clear belt and a guttural yell.
Hodgett Young has one of the most captivating voices I’ve heard recently. I’ve mentioned her in passing before for her minor role in “Sunset Boulevard.” While “Sunset” proved she could support a narrative, “Hadestown” proves she can drive it. Her voice is perfectly clear and capable of the vocal rigors of Eurydice, but she never polishes her performance to the point of inauthenticity. She feels achingly real.
Onitiri imbues Persephone with a kind of maternal edge. She is harsh and hard, beaten down by the world, but still fiercely protective of humanity. It’s clear her life has not been easy, but she continues to live like the nature around her – growing in the most inhospitable of circumstances.
James humanizes Hades in an honest way that makes Hades understandable if not always likable. His fervor comes across in “Why We Build the Wall,” where he performs like a preacher delivering a sermon. There’s no truly evil intent, but James does not shy away from showing the flawed logic that has converted Hades from an expressive lover to a self-protective idol.
The combined vocals of Browne, Charlemagne, and Daniel haunt the musical. They perfectly represent the conflict of each character all the while remaining distant. The Fates do not serve man but rather reflect their imperfections and insecurities.
These things together create an imperfect portrait of humanity.
Man is complicated and flawed and often makes mistakes. Man loves boundlessly, but will hurt those they love without meaning to. But, the story warns, do not look at this story and lose hope. Rather, look at man’s imperfections and remember, too, what they are capable of.
Man may not triumph in “Hadestown,” but man’s soul – and hope – does.