Hadestown: The Musical

I really love the musical Hadestown so, even though I had just attended a production the day before, I was thrilled to see the pro shot that is now in theaters last night.  It is absolutely amazing and I felt like I was inside the Lyric Theatre in London where it was captured but with a much better seat than I could probably afford (I wanted to applaud after every number along with the audience).  I loved the dynamic camera work and editing because you really get a feel for the entire experience with lots of wide shots of the entire stage and the crowd along with close upd of the cast which emphasize details that may have been missed during a live performance.  I was particularly struck by a shot of Hades and Persephone sitting on the balcony during "Epic I," because my eyes are normally on Orpheus during this scene and it was interesting to see their current dynamic as he sings about their early romance, and by the shot of Orpheus writing his song during "Hey Little Songbird," because my focus is usually on Hades and Eurydice as he tries to lure her to the underground and seeing Orpheus so oblivious makes Eurydice's decision more justified.  Of course I also loved seeing the five original members of the Broadway cast and all of them gave me goosebumps at various points.  Strangely, Andre de Shields is probably the most restrained Hermes I've seen but I think this really works for the character because he is reacting to the narrative as it unfolds along with the audience.  I especially enjoyed his voice and facial expressions as the tone becomes darker in "Way Down Hadestown (Reprise)," "Wait For Me (Reprise)," and "Road to Hell (Reprise)." I have always found Reeve Carney to be a bit tentative (I have listened to the Original Broadway Cast Recording hundreds of times) but seeing his performance changed my mind about his interpretation because he is absolutely captivating (I couldn't take my eyes off him during all of his songs).  I was impressed by his facial expressions and physicality during "Doubt Comes In" but I was blown away by his vocal performance of "If It's True" because, even though it is restrained, it is still incredibly powerful.  I get his appeal now!  I love Eva Noblezada's voice so I think I got goosebumps during every one of her songs but her emotional version of "Flowers" just about destroyed me (I had a similar reaction when she calls out for Orpheus during "Wait For Me (Reprise)" because it is so plaintive).  Her chemistry with Carney (her real-life husband) is off the charts in "All I've Ever Known."  Amber Gray is a force of nature as Persephone (see what I did there?) and she absolutely owns the stage in her over-the-top rendition of "Our Lady of the Underground."  I have always been a big fan of Patrick Page (I was able to see him in the title roles for Macbeth at the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Cyrano de Bergerac at PTC) and I am so happy that he was able to perform after rupturing his Achilles tendon (I think the boot and cane he uses makes him even more menacing).  I also got goosebumps during every one of his songs but the smirk on his face when the Workers first respond to him in "Why We Build the Wall" is especially chilling because it shows that he enjoys having them under his complete control.  One of the most poignant moments for me was when Hades and Persephone dance at the end of "Epic III" because Gray cannot hide her emotions when Page is able to execute the choreography!  Finally, I also enjoyed seeing the current West End cast members integrated into the production.  Allie Daniel, especially, is mesmerizing as Fate 3 and I liked seeing each of the Workers (Lauren Azania, Tiago Dhondt Bamberger, Waylon Jacobs, Christopher Short, and Ryesha Higgs) have a moment to shine as individuals in "Chant (Reprise)."  I loved this (it is up there with the pro shot of Hamilton for me) and I cannot recommend it enough, especially for anyone who has not seen a live performance of the show.  It is in theaters for a limited run (but I've heard rumors that it has been extended).

Note:  I saw this with The Odyssey (my fourth viewing!) as part of a Greek mythology double feature that the kids are calling "Hadessey."  I spent over six hours sitting in a theater but I regret nothing!

Hadestown: Teen Edition at the Ruth

Yesterday both my sisters and I went to see Hadestown: Teen Edition featuring students from The Ruth Academy and we think it is the best version of this show we have seen!  It might even be better than the Broadway touring production!  The teens in this show are insanely talented and there was not a weak link in the entire cast (even in the ensemble because they were all amazing dancers).  Hermes acts as a master of ceremonies on the road to Hell and Ezekiel Binkerd was incredibly charismatic in the role.  I could not take my eyes off him as he strutted around the stage in the songs "Road to Hell" and "Way Down Hadestown."  I also really loved his interactions with the audience and the emotion in his voice in "Road to Hell (Reprise)" was very moving.  Orpheus is a poor boy with the gift of music who sees the world as it could be and William Madsen (who played Hermes in SCERA's recent production) gave the best performance as this character that I have ever seen.  Orpheus requires an impressive vocal range and most actors who play him are a bit tentative and soft.  Madsen's voice was incredibly clear and powerful, without losing any vulnerability, and I was amazed at his enunciation (my sister and I commented that this is probably the first time we've heard all of the words to "Epic I," "Epic II," "If It's True," and "Epic III").  Eurydice is a hungry girl who has only experienced the world as it is and I loved Sarah Kenny's performance because her voice reminded me of Eva Noblezada (she originated the role of Eurydice on Broadway).  She sang all of her songs with tremendous passion, including my favorite "Any Way the Wind Blows," but her rendition of "Flowers" was on another level (it brought tears to my eyes).  Persephone is the vibrant goddess of spring and Claire Hendershot was an absolute hoot as she juggled her life above ground with her life with Hades in the underworld.  She had the stage presence of someone much older and her versions of "Livin' It Up on Top" and "Our Lady of the Underground" definitely got the crowd cheering.  Hades is the ruthless ruler of the underworld who believes he is keeping his people safe by keeping them oppressed and Jackson Marsh played him as a bitter old man.  His deep raspy voice was menacing in "Hey Little Songbird" and angry in "Why We Build The Wall" (this song always gives me goosebumps and the way the ensemble reacted to his rage in the final note was devastating).  I loved how his expression slowly changed in "Epic III" and the way this characterization continued as he sang "His Kiss, The Riot."  The Fates act as a Greek chorus who whisper their doubts in the ears of the characters and Fletcher, Jane Pollard, and Lexi Williamson (she performed this role in SCERA's recent production) harmonized beautifully in "When the Chips Are Down" and "Doubt Comes In" but I was especially impressed by their a capella performance of "Nothing Changes" (more goosebumps).  I was also struck by how they continually circled Eurydice throughout.  In addition to the brilliant performances, I loved the staging because the ensemble was integrated more than usual in this production.  Several couples mimicked the movements of Orpheus and Eurydice during "Come Home With Me," "Wedding Song," and "All I've Ever Known" and I think this really emphasizes their connection.  I also loved the addition of a Young Persephone (Jocelyn Schrader) and a Young Hades (Jacob C. Parson) who acted out the love story described in "Epic I," Epic II," "How Long," and "Epic III." Finally, I loved the choreography in "Wait For Me (Reprise)" and "Doubt Comes In" because the ensemble formed a maze that Orpheus and Eurydice must find their way through.  Even though there were no live musicians performing on stage (which has always been a highlight for me), I found this show to be absolutely exhilarating!  I would shout from the rooftops for people to go see it but, unfortunately, the run ended yesterday.  After this incredible production I will definitely be seeing more shows featuring the Academy in the future!

The Lightning Thief at Empress Theatre

I have been obsessed with Greek mythology all my life for obvious reasons (google my first name) so I was really excited when the Empress Theatre announced The Lightning Thief as part of their 2026 season. I was so excited I got a ticket for opening night and I had the best time watching this energetic show with a large and boisterous crowd! Perseus "Percy" Jackson (Elias Silva) is expelled from his fifth school in as many years after he kills a Fury masquerading as a substitute math teacher named Mrs. Dodds (Cheryl Cripps) on a field trip. His mother Sally (Monique Derr) takes him to the beach to explain why he has powers that he cannot control but, before she can reveal anything, they are attacked by a Minotaur who kills her before Percy can kill it. Soon after, his Latin teacher Mr. Brunner reveals that he is really Chiron (Konnor Hafen), a centaur, and that his best friend Grover Underwood (Parker Skeen) is really a satyr, a goat-like creature, before taking him to Camp Half-Blood, a refuge for the children of humans and gods. The camp counselor Dionysius (Josh Starr) introduces him to Luke Castellan (Beck Bassett), the son of Hermes, Annabeth Chase (Eloise Derr), the daughter of Athena, Silena Beauregard (M. Francis Le), the daughter of Aphrodite, Kate Gardner (Fiona Derr), the daughter of Demeter, and Clarisse LaRue (Lucy Bawden), the daughter of Ares. He also eventually discovers that he is the son of Poseidon (Josh Starr). However, he is accused of of stealing Zeus's lightning bolt and must go on a quest to retrieve it from the real thief, Hades (Konnor Hafen), to prevent a war between the gods. On the journey to the Underworld, Percy, Grover, and Annabeth encounter three Furies, Medusa, and the Chimera but, when they finally arrive, Hades informs them that they have been manipulated by Ares. This culminates in an epic battle in which Percy is helped by Poseidon. They return to Camp Half-Blood heroes but learn that they must face an even bigger threat. I really love this show because, while it is an amusing and clever take on Greek mythology that will make you laugh, it is also a poignant story about the struggle to fit in and feel good enough and seeing this young and talented cast embody this struggle so well is incredibly moving. Silva is an enthusiastic and charismatic Percy who is very entertaining to watch but I was most impressed by his touching performance of "Good Kid." I had a similar reaction to "My Grand Plan" by Derr and "The Tree on the Hill" by Bassett because the emotion is palpable and they gave me goosebumps. The ensemble cast, most of whom play multiple parts, is also outstanding but my favorites are Hafen because he is absolutely hilarious as both Chiron and Hades and Cheryl Cripps because she brings the house down as Charon in the song "D.O.A." The minimal set, which features three large columns made of fabric and plaques representing all of the gods, and the contemporary costumes (I especially loved the Camp Half-Blood t-shirts) are very effective and I really enjoyed the energetic choreography. Finally, one of the reasons I love seeing shows at small community theaters is because they have to be really clever when it comes to special effects (they usually don't have the technical wizardry or the budget for elaborate spectacles) and this production does a brilliant job of portraying the monsters with just colored lights, shadows, and projections. This is so much fun and it has an important message about belonging so I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through August 8.

Rose of Nevada

I was absolutely mesmerized by the movie Enys Men so I was excited to see Mark Jenkin's latest, Rose of Nevada, at the Broadway yesterday.  When the fishing vessel Rose of Nevada disappeared from a Cornish village thirty years ago, the effect was catastrophic.  The community has not yet recovered economically and the families of the lost fishermen, Alan and Luke, are still mourning the loss.  The boat mysteriously reappears and Mike (Edward Rowe), the former owner, decides to hire a new crew and send it back out to sea.  He recruits Nick (George MacKay), a husband and father who desperately needs money to repair his roof, and Liam (Callum Turner), an itinerant worker who sleeps on the dock.  Even though neither one of them have experience, they return with a substantial catch but the village they return to is thirty years in the past.  Liam is mistaken for Alan and is warmly welcomed by Alan's wife Tina (Rosalind Eleazar) and his young daughter while Nick is mistaken for Luke and is taken in by Luke's parents (Adrian Rawlins and Mary Woodvine).  They both realize that something is amiss and go back out on the boat thinking that they will reset the timeline but, when they return to the past again, Liam happily settles into a life with Tina.  However, Nick is increasingly distraught and goes to extraordinary lengths to return to his wife Emily (Mae Voogd) and young daughter but eventually becomes conflicted about condemning his community to poverty and grief again.  What I love about Jenkin as a filmmaker is the way he uses images rather than dialogue to tell the story.  He opens with a series of static shots and it is immediately clear that the village is suffering from an economic depression.  He also uses several extended sequences of Nick and Liam working on the boat (fishing is hard work) to establish that they have an aptitude for the job despite the fact they have no experience.  I also love the ambiguity in his movies, especially in this narrative, because you are never really sure if Nick has been displaced in time or if he is suffering from madness.  I was particularly struck by a recurring photo of Alan and Luke taken on the boat because the movie ends with Nick and Liam in that same photo.  Finally, I loved the use of degraded 16mm film, because this emphasizes that these characters are in another time, as well as the unsettling sound design and otherwordly score, because it creates such a haunting atmosphere.  I really dug this and am now eagerly awaiting the next movie from Jenkin.

Note:  I basically spent the whole day at the Broadway because I saw The Odyssey in 35mm (my third viewing!) next.  It gets better every time I see it!

Once at CPT

I went back to CPT last night to see Once on the Mountain America Main Stage with both of my sisters. I love this show so much and, because the people sitting around me didn't know anything about it, I was really hyping it up! Luckily they all enjoyed this production as much as I did! A Guy (Nathan Bowser) is busking on a Dublin street when a Girl (Lindsea Garside) strikes up a conversation with him because she likes his music. He reluctantly tells her that he wants to give up on music because all of his songs are about a girl who left him to move to New York. The Girl encourages him to play more of his music for her and eventually helps him record a demo. He begins to have feelings for her and reveals that he may have written the songs for another girl but now he is singing them for her. She knows that she needs to reconcile with her estranged husband for the sake of her daughter and that he needs to go to New York and play his music for his former girlfriend so, even though she loves him, she tearfully convinces him to go. The ending is bittersweet (I always get tears in my eyes) but I think the theme is universal because most of us have had people enter our lives for a brief moment and have a profound impact on us. I absolutely loved the staging of this production (every version I have seen has been slightly different) because the set features a Dublin street and the exteriors of a repair shop, a music store, the Girl's house, and a pub. Minimal set pieces for the interiors of these locations are brought on by the ensemble through a large garage door on the street and the lights inside each building are illuminated to denote where the scene is taking place (I think this is really clever). Every member of the ensemble, including Brandon Garside, Theresa Chatelain, Faith Driggs, Isaac Carrillo, Ryan Boam, Kristen Alley, Jacob Draper, David Johnson, Alec Halpin, and Katie Lewis Higbee, plays multiple instruments live on stage and the way they are integrated into the narrative is brilliant (they are all unbelievably talented). The folk music is beautiful and hearing my favorite songs, "Falling Slowly" (even if you are not familiar with this show you might recognize this), "If You Want Me," and "Gold," gave me goosebumps! Bowser and Garside are outstanding as the leads and they give incredibly passionate performances (Garside's rendition of "The Hill" is especially powerful). Finally, the original Broadway production features a lot of profanity but this version, much like the one at HCTO, omits it so it is suitable for everyone. This show is grand and it definitely deserves to be seen by more people so I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on the Mountain America Main Stage at CPT through August 18.