By the end of the opening song of Hadestown, there’s a declaration that “we’re going to sing it again.” While it’s a thematic tie to the larger story, it has also come to symbolize a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Tony-winning show is so successful that it was invited back to Los Angeles’ premiere live event venue The Ahmanson Theater for an exclusive two-week run. Whether you’re experiencing the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice for the first time or returning, there is a sense of celebration that runs through this victory lap. Many shows have come and gone through those corridors in the past year, but to have Hadestown return to packed crowds a year after its original tour stop only shows that it’s going nowhere. They will sing that song again and again and again and again… even if we all know how it ends.
In theory, Hadestown is the same show that it always was. Every lyric resonates just as strongly as it did the first time. The choreography remains as dazzling as ever. However, what makes it one of the shows most likely to have a long shelf life is how versatile the casting can be. Just compare the core cast to who made the rounds in 2022. While not terribly different, each variation brings with it an interesting wrinkle to what the musical can do. In 2022, Hermes was presented with the bravado of a 50’s rock star (played by one of the originators of Million Dollar Quartet) that made the setting feel like a raucous blues bar.
The current line-up features the more gospel and soul-oriented Will Mann. His towering presence over the cast plays well into the Greek God mythology, making him appear as a larger-than-life mentor to the impish Orpheus (J. Antonio Rodriguez). His voice is low, as if delving deep into his soul. It creates something somber, allowing the story to fully live up to the claim that “it’s a tragedy.” Even with an impressive levity with the comedy and romance elements, Mann helps to make the conclusion hold a deeper weight. This simple shift reflects Hadestown’s greatest strength of being about genres largely seen as nostalgic, indicative of an America that has formed its own lore. There’s room to experiment without altering the source material all that much. Even then, it shows that it may be being told again, but the tweaks are, like the best of live theater, the cream of the crop.
In the program, Rodriguez was singled out as being the lead for the first time. Those attending selective shows on the 2022 tour may have already seen him as an understudy, but here he’s the lead and very deserving of the role. Not only does he hit those withering notes with impressive dexterity, but he makes the naivety shine as he attempts to woo Eurydice (Amaya Braganza). You believe he buys into every decision that a poor boy working on a song would make. Similarly, Eurydice is given a rough exterior that allows her vulnerability to appear through the cracks. You believe as much in their love as you are the in-between details assumed about her past. She is a survivor, and Braganza knows how to carry that with force and tenderness.
The larger cast is just as great and deserving of their own accolades. Whether it be the harmonious shivers of The Fates or the seamless set changes by The Workers, the show continues to move with breathtaking fluidity. Even the choice to have the band onstage allows for the acoustics to linger with the audience in different ways. This is especially true in the final stretch where a thudding bass overwhelms in the few moments of minimalism where the stage is drenched in darkness, save for a few lights and disorienting harmonies. It remains one of the greatest pieces of modern theater with simple practicality. It allows for a sense of dislocation and, as the song suggests, doubt to come in. Because of how the story has been built, this lingering solitude is the most uncomfortable moment in a show about oppression and loss. It asks us to hope and find the light to move forward.
That is the thing. Yes, Hadestown can be classified as a tragedy, but that is to discredit everything else that it is. There’s a need for art to express our deepest emotions. It gives us a connection to the world around us and helps us realize what truly matters. There’s the oppression of loneliness, itself scary and likely to produce a hateful mindset. In a time where the world feels thrown into several lanes of despair, Hadestown’s sadness isn’t there to make us nihilistic. It’s there to remember what makes life worth living. What keeps us moving when a cold winter goes too long? It’s love and community. In a sense, Hermes symbolizes a connection to storytelling that generations before latched onto to help give the world meaning.
Why is Hadestown worth singing again? For starters, creator Anais Mitchell’s decade-long journey to get the show on Broadway shows in every song. There’s an endless amount of inspiration in every choice, reflecting on the small changes and collaborations necessary to make it work. For a show about sacrifice, Mitchell’s own story almost mirrors. More than that, it’s just a show that resonates with the human emotions we all carry. It’s the push to sing a song even if nobody believes in you. It’s about sacrificing yourself for love. It’s about seeing beyond your greed to remember what it is to feel wanted. At its core, Hadestown understands the drive of the human spirit better than most shows, and it does so without growing too tangential.
Though nothing expresses why the show has staying power quite like a moment midway through “Living It Up On Top.” In the jubilant number about how great it is to be alive, Orpheus takes a moment to toast the room. As he ends, he turns to the audience and pays tribute to “the world we live in now.” It’s one of the few moments where the fourth wall is broken. Silence enters the room for the first time. There’s something somber about it, but could it simply be that America has been in a dark period since it hit Broadway in 2018? Maybe there are those who see this silence as something more positive or cynical. It’s hard to really determine. The only hope is that everyone, even the seasoned vets, will return to this show in five years and find Orpheus’ toast hitting a different part of their soul. That is why they keep singing. That is why we’ll keep coming back, hoping to find the hope necessary to exist in the world we live in now.
Comments
Post a Comment