Hadestown Review - Katelyn Keyes

 My first impression of Hadestown was that this was a party on stage. The show had been talked up to

me by many of my friends and the audience was going wild as soon as the lights dimmed, and the

production certainly justified all the excitement. Hermes, the host of this party, was played by the

exuberant Jaylon C. Crump, who led the audience through the story with a passion that was shown

equally in happy and serious scenes. He also introduces each character as they make their grand

entrance into the party that is the opening number, “Road to Hell”. 

One of the first characters he announces is Persephone, played by Namisa Mdlalose Bizana, who, while having a nice voice, never quite gave the energy and commanding presence needed to play the boisterous Persephone. This was proven in her somewhat lackluster performance of “Our Lady of the Underground” that failed to have the power behind it necessary to make the song effective. In striking contrast, Hades (Nickolaus Colón), the next to make his entrance, brought the audience to their knees with his sonorous vocals that sounded just as powerful speaking as singing. His rendition of “Hey, Little Songbird” had me hanging on every word, and his joke in the beginning of “Epic lll” sparked loud laughter before getting lost in the sadness of the song’s entirety. Colón’s effortless charm brought a layer of sophistication to this show and leveled up each scene he was in. 

Next to join the party is Orpheus, played by Bryan Munar. I’ll admit, I wasn’t blown away at first, and I felt his performance of “Epic l” sounded raspy and slightly out of his range, but, he successfully changed my mind after “Wait for Me”. Belting seemed to be where Munar shined, and he brought the chorus in a clear voice that carried all of his well-shown emotion. And one cannot mention “Wait for Me” without talking about the set dynamics. The entire back wall of the set is slowly lifted up to give the illusion of the stage being lowered, a clever workaround for not having the resources of Broadway that actually lowers the actors into the stage. The climax of the song also brings in swinging golden lamps that give the whole scene a beautiful and mysterious feel. The reprise of the song manages to be even more jaw-dropping, especially the moment where the entire stage is glowing gold. There is no doubt in both songs that you are watching something special. 

The final party guest is Eurydice, played by Megan Colton. Her voice stood out to me, she sounded like a bell chiming through the theater, clear and bright. There were times when she sounded more like a pop singer than a musical star, but it differentiated her nicely from the other voices and fit her down-to-earth character.

All in all, Hadestown is not something you want to miss. It starts as a party, and though it keeps the lively pace throughout, the show gives a poignant message executed wonderfully by the talented cast that left much of the audience in tears. So come to Hadestown, laugh, cry, and lose yourself in the most interesting party you’ll ever go to.