Friday, August 5, 2022

Hadestown at the Eccles

The Broadway musicals Hadestown, Jagged Little Pill, SIX, and Moulin Rouge have been at the top of my must-see list for years.  I get to see ALL OF THEM this year (I'm so excited) and I started with Hadestown last night at the Eccles Theatre.  It was even better than I was expecting!  With the name Phaedra I have always been fascinated by Greek mythology so I loved this retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice (even though it is very tragic).  I also really loved how the story includes commentary on climate change, poverty, capitalism, exploitation of workers, nationalism (I think the song "Why We Build the Wall" perfectly encapsulates everything that is wrong in the world today and it is an incredibly powerful moment in the show), fatalism, and, ultimately, the power of music to show how the world ought to be rather than how it is!  The music, which is a mix of folk, jazz, and Cajun, is absolutely amazing and I loved every single song but my favorites were "Any Way the Wind Blows," "Livin' It Up On Top," "Way Down Hadestown," "When the Chips Are Down," "Wait For Me," "Flowers," and "Doubt Comes In."  The stage, which is reminiscent of an old New Orleans neighborhood, is really simple but the use of a turn table and atmospheric lighting is breathtaking, especially in the numbers "Chant," Wait For Me," and "Doubt Comes In."  The man cast, including Levi Kreis as Hermes, Kevyn Morrow as Hades, Kimberly Marable as Persephone, Chibueze Ihuoma as Orpheus, and Morgan Siobhan Green as Eurydice, is brilliant and I loved every performance.  I was particularly blown away by Morrow's rendition of "Hey, Little Songbird" because he is so sleazy and Green's version of "Flowers" (it brought a tear to my eye).  I also really liked how the Fates (Belen Moyano, Bex Odorisio, and Shea Renne) are integrated into the story and how the choreography of the Workers (Jordan Bollwerk, Lindsey Hailes, Courtney Lauster, Eddie Noel Rodriguez, and Marquis Wood) mimics an assembly line in a factory.  I loved this musical!  I loved it so much (it is second only to Hamilton in my affections and that is high praise if you know me) and I definitely recommend getting a ticket if you have the opportunity!  It runs at the Eccles through August 7 (go here for tickets).

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