Literally jumped when I saw this was a 5 star review. This is my favourite show of all time and so much of what I love about it is summed up in the last song "some birds sing when the sun shines bright, our praise is not for them; but the ones who sing in the dead of night, we raise our cups to them" what a gorgeous sentiment to go out on

Thank you for putting forth the idea that it’s okay to change your mind and relationship to a work of art/piece of media!

I'd never been an "If It's True" girlie, but seeing Donal Finn's rendition of it pulled my attention in such a way that it's now one of my favorite songs in the whole show. And I'm so glad you brought up the youthfulness that he brings to the role as well. It's nice to see that combined with the naivete that we often see to the role, but it adds a whole new dimension to it.

I've not been able to stop talking about Doubt Comes In, it's one of the most gorgeous lighting designs I've ever seen, so simple but clever and effective. Love that you pointed out the pocketwatch, I didn't completely get what was going on there, so clever!

The term “redneck” has been attributed to the red bandanas worn by striking workers in Appalachia, which ties into the labor organizing themes for Orpheus as well! ❤ the costume design

I saw Hadestown on Broadway on the last preview before opening night, and I think your point about familiarity with the show rings true for me, because the context /does/ add something: knowing the myth and the story, I started losing it when Orpheus and Eurydice *succeeded* for that brief moment of joy when everyone wants to believe that it will turn out alright. The horror and certainty that their joy will not last: that none of our joy is infinite, and that our tragic fate as human beings is inevitable absolutely broke me, and I sobbed for the last 20 minutes of the show. It was the single most powerful theater experience I've ever had. I think too, though, that this can make MANY stages of experiencing the show powerful. Someone who sincerely holds the belief that it will work out--who is encountering the story for the first time the way a child on their first life encounters death--will be gut-punched by that ending, and it's logical that many people will reject the story, as children do, if they are not in the right place to receive it. They may see it as "well that was pointless / meaningless" or "this wasn't the show I was set up to believe in" the way that children sincerely hold a belief in their own immortality. The amazing thing about Hadestown for me, is that it is fully aware that the story will be told again and again, and that when you're finally ready: when you, the lens, have changed from experience or time, the show will hold new and ever deepening meaning, and it will linger in its own odd piece of eternity: changing and cycling and true--a tragedy and a strange hope of immortality.

I love the various accents because it reinforces the idea that the story has been told time and time again. If you see multiple productions of the show, you can see these differences in the people despite the fact that everything is much the same in its foundation, which could also be a reinforcement of the idea that these stories were told differently by every storyteller because it was all oral.

me after seeing five stars and "I finally get it": FINALLY!

The only way to describe what Patrick Page did with his amazing bass that not everyone else can is he put _soot_ on it.

In the US context, you can also see the name ‘Hadestown’ as a parallel to original Indigenous place names being replaced with the names of European settlers who claimed the land and the environmental destruction that came with the introduction of capitalist settler colonialism, especially coal mining etc.

OH MY GOD (HEY) ITS HAPPENING EVERYBODY REMAIN CALM

I love that you had to see the show multiple times to get it, to me it shows how you're someone open to learning something new as you engage with stuff. And it speaks to how rich the show Is, as an interpretation of greek myth and tragedy, society, love, power etc. It's really something you can examine from multiple angles.

I think constantly of Orpheus's toast, early in the show. "To the world we dream about. And--" and then that *moment* where the whole cast turns to the audience, cups raised, as he says, "--the one we live in now." It gets me every time. Both timeless and impeccably, gutwrenchingly current, every time.

I haven't gotten to see the show performed yet, just because of where I live and my life, but I connected with the show immediately when I heard the music. My mom's family is from New Orleans, and that's a culture and a musical language that I have a deep love for and understanding of. I heard that trombone and knew exactly what the story was doing. There are brass bands that walk through certain streets and everyone just joins in the parade and starts dancing, often with hankies and umbrellas. It's called a second line. Jazz is also very much connected to death, since there's a long tradition of jazz bands playing in funeral processions. They start out sad and then become celebratory. Bands will often have a non-musician in a snazzy suit with a sash who leads the parade. Hermes really takes that role here. It's a music tradition really interwoven with oral storytelling, with joy and with deep sorrow. Jazz gets invoked superficially a lot of the time, but this show gets the depth of it right.

I'm going to cry, I'm so thrilled to hear you get this show and the catharsis it offers.

I finally saw it at the weekend after years of anticipating and (unsurprisingly) loved it. I know the soundtrack back to front at this point but some of the moments of laughter in it surprised me (in a good way), and obviously it hits so much harder seeing it performed. I'm no theatre expert but really enjoyed all the performances and their characterisation, and Melanie La Barrie as Hermes is such a perfect fit. Already planning another visit!!

I really enjoyed the range of accents. I want a West End cast recording. Such a sweep into the story from the first “arite”.

I went to see Hadestown on Friday with my boyfriend as a first time viewer, and we were both blown away. Couldn't agree more with this review when it comes to the detail put into the storytelling. Loved Grace Hodgett Young as Eurydice, but were mostly in awe of Hades... who we only found out afterwards was an understudy! It looks like he might have been played by Christopher Short - and the charm, personality and take he brought to Hades was scene stealing.

I’ve seen the show twice on Broadway, and two west end previews. While it was already my favorite show before I went to the previews, something about this production made the puzzle pieces fall into the place. Like you, I prefer Dónal Finn as Orpheus. I didn’t care much for If it’s True before, but the way he sold it it’s become a favorite from the show. For the first time I could connect with the character, which made the stakes feel much higher. In my fourth viewing I cried watching the show for the first time. Hades’ and Persephone’s chemistry, Persephone genuinely looking happy and free during Epic 3 and the dance was so touching. Generally the performances gave a lot of weight to the more hidden intentions of the show. I love how your review highlighted some of them. Great review, thanks :)

I'm so happy to hear that you have warmed to Hadestown so much. I usually agree with you on most things, so I was very surprised to hear in earlier videos that Hadestown left you underwhelmed. It's one of my favorite musicals of the 21st century, and I couldn't believe that someone with thoughts that usually mirrored my own didn't fall for this show the way I did. Anyway, now that you have officially given it 5 stars, all is well, lol.

I saw Hadestown on Broadway a couple of years ago & loved it. Hearing your excitement about it today makes me wanna go back & revisit it. lol

I saw Hadestown for the first time on Broadway. It blew my socks off on that first time. I didn’t need to acquire a taste, I drank it all like a shot haha ❤ At the end of the first act I was so overwhelmed I could not clap. I just sat there. I wanted to clap but my arms wouldn’t move. I went to see the west end production 2 days ago and it was brilliant as well. I love this show so much.

Yay, been waiting for your review.. I cannot wait to see it and have booked a ticket for August.

I’m so excited! We booked tickets for April 12th, my actual birthday. One of my best birthday presents, haha. I discovered this show during the pandemic and have been in love with it ever since.

I completely agree that this show takes multiple viewings/listens to appreciate it. When I left the theater I liked it, thought it was interesting. Went home and started listening to the cast recording and taking a deep dive into the lyrics. That’s when I really fell in love with this show.

It’s interesting that it took you so long to warm to the show, I went to see a touring production a few years ago and immediately fell in love with the complexity and uniqueness of the music and lyrics and I was crying at multiple points

Hi Mickey, I follow you for a few years now and enjoy your reviews (& other content) immensely. I saw the show last friday and it was everything I hoped it would be. Especially the light design during Doubt Comes In had me in a chokehold. It was so well done 🖤

I absolutely love this show! The message they send you off with is so moving. I about screamed when I saw the tour is coming back to my city again next year.

I have seen Hadestown 7 times now between Broadway and US Tour and it is emotional everytime. The first time I heard Hermes say "but that is why we sing it, in hopes that one day it might turn out differently," I knew I would love this show forever. I'm always shocked by that gasp at the end when he turns around and people didn't know it was coming but you really want to believe in their love. This last time I saw it with Ani DiFranco, the moment Persephone and Hades dance was the perfect courtship and I had tears in my eyes.

I'm so glad you've fallen in love with Hadestown like so many of us! It's one of those shows that deserves all of the hype it gets, in my opinion. I got to see it on Broadway last year and it was even better than I thought it would be - that act 2 scene hurts when I listen to the cast recording, but it REALLY got me when I saw it. (I saw Jordan Fisher and Solea Pfeiffer and they were incredible unsurprisingly.) I'm so glad the West End cast is doing just as well! Like you've touched on, there are so many elements of this production that are absolutely phenomenal the more you analyze them, from the lyrics to the costumes to the stage direction. One of my favorite things is when they talk about the winds changing, it is always associated with the fates themselves, plucking at her clothes, messing with her candle. Obviously, you can take this literally in that it is nature itself changing, which reflects the deteriorating relationship between Hades and Persephone and affects the people above. But "the winds are changing" is also about the world beating Eurydice down again and again (the wind blowing out her candle/her hope/her change) and how she's still trying to hope/find a reason to live in a world that makes it impossible. Hermes says "he (Orpheus) will make you feel alive" and it's something that Eurydice, someone who has had nothing but strife, latches onto and why she falls so hard. Hadestown is my favorite kind of show because it has amazing details from a technical standpoint but is so rich in detail throughout the story and lyrics that you can analyze it for days and still find new things. And now I'm going to listen to the cast recording AGAIN because it really a song/show you gotta sing again and again.

This video is everything I was waiting for and hoping for!! And I’ve never even seen the show (apart from, uh, slime tutorials), what with living near Melbourne, Australia. This is the one show I’d spend the money to travel to see, if I only could! I’m still in love with the score and soundtrack. So happy to hear that the West End cast are killing it.

Thank you for this! The reviews were confusing me so much very excited to see it on Thursday!!

been waiting for this! ive got a ticket for the 23rd im ridiculously excited ❤

I saw HADESTOWN on Broadway with the original cast and it blew me away and definitely deserved all the recognition. After listening to your review I need to see the production again to get all the insights that you delineated. 👍🙏😎🤪

Mickey, your whiskey analogy is absolutely SUPERB.. brilliantly said. I'm FINALLY seeing this show on this coming Saturday (my 30th bday present!) and let me tell you I cannot WAIT. I'm worried that my socks could not be blown off as my expectations are sky high.. but the whiskey analogy gives me something to hold on to.

So excited to see hadestown in June! This is an amazing review, your honesty with your experience with it and how that's changed is great! as an aspiring classics student I think everything you say on the function of myth and how hadestown has used that for more modern purposes is spot on! I think that's my favourite part of the show- taking ancient content and posing the question of how it's relevant today :]

I love that you had such a journey with this show! I've always loved Hadestown ever since the off-Broadway recording came out, but I didn't completely "get it" until I saw it live (US touring production). I started ugly crying when it hit me, because the ending is such a beautiful metaphor that you can take so many interpretations from. The world might be painful, but in order to create a better world, we have to be like Orpheus, seeing how it could be (but also not completely ignore the way it is). And maybe telling the story over and over won't change the ending, but if you forget the story and stop telling it, then the hope of it "turning out this time" is truly gone. It really feels like a show about hope in the end. UGH I can talk about this show for ages. It's so great to see the moment where it clicks for someone else too.

I saw a touring version and thought it was resplendent. Thanks for your review. Always thoughtful

I've been anticipating this review!!!

Goddamn I'm so excited to watch this. All chuffed that I've booked to watch it twice (purely because I wanted to experience it from the stalls at first but I also prefer from higher up)!

Going to come back to this one - seeing it on Thursday and I'm so excited 😁

5 stars!! How exciting!!

Oh my goodness, I really hope I get to see this show someday. I already love the cast recording. ❤ Thank you for sharing your perspective and review.

Thank you for explaining what my mind couldn't quite express after watching this!

Yea went to see this in London absolutely amazing got a standing ovation

Looking forward to this in July!

It's been interesting to see your take on Hadestown evolve, because I've seen only the original US tour, and that production absolutely did blow my socks off! There was plenty of spectacle, and the show immediately leapfrogged into my all-time top few favorites. Now after hearing you discuss lots of cool details, I want to see it again even more than I did before! Anyway, in that original tour company: Levi Kreis as Hermes gave delightful slightly-mischievous elder brother, rather than than parental, vibes which worked very well. Kevyn Morrow's Hades had richness and passion and magnetism. (I've no idea what he's doing now but if you ever have a chance to see him perform, do!) Nicholas Barasch's Orpheus was beautifully naive and ethereal. The Fates' close harmonies thrilled. The entire company was delightful, and every single word was crystal clear. Perhaps I understood the story and poetry of it better on first viewing precisely because of the amazing diction and perfect sound design...seeing the show for the first time, I came to a great many realizations about the different allegorical levels on which the story operates, things I had completely missed when just listening to the cast album. (Especially in If It's True.) And now I think there's still a lot more to be discovered...I may reprioritize this one higher for my upcoming trip to NYC, as it seems likely to be quite some time before it's back on the US West Coast, and I keep hearing that the Broadway set is something special.

hope you saw the Sideshow concert, it's one of the best shows I've seen in london. Rachel tucker is also going to be in wild about you in concert and I'm giving that a try too. Rachel Tucker always delivers.

And the theme of loving, over and over, in spite of the inevitability of death! To live is to die, and there's no beating the house on that one. But we must love - knowing that it all ends in death - or else ... we aren't really alive. It'sa sad song. But we've got to sing it again. 😭

Just booked my ticket for Saturday!

I saw the touring show in Toronto knowing nothing going in (beyond the basic original myths). I loved the fates, and the ensemble. Hades hit the "I missed you" line perfectly, had a great shift in body language in the second act. I found Orpheus as a character a challenge, and I don't know if it's that the performer had trouble with hitting those tough notes, or I just have a broader issue with that kind of character. perhaps I'll just need to see it again

Got tickets booked for the end of May and i can't wait! I'm taking my husband, who is not as much of a musicals fan as I am (he likes them well enough, but I'm the one who listens to original cast recordings obsessively); however, he studied classics at university. I think our respective views are going to be very interesting to discuss post-show

In the time waiting for this episode to come out, I've listened to the whole soundtrack, the excitement is real 😄

Naming Hades' realm as Hadestown also hearkens back to the very American idea of "company towns" where the company ran your entire life, and you were stuck there forever.

Loved this review - going to see it on Thursday and this has made me even more excited to see it after first seeing it on Broadway in 2019! Just a friendly tip from an Irish gal - Dónal’s name is pronounced like Dough-nal 😊

Hi Mickey Joe! I met you at the interval the night of the first preview and commented on the swinging lamps being underwhelming. Did they sort that out in previews? Thanks for the 5 star review and your appreciation of this work of art!

I saw this for the first time earlier this month and loved it so much that I immediately bought another ticket for November - front row, Dress Circle, no expense spared! Grace would have moved to Broadway by then so be interesting to see a different Eurydice. You're right about the individuality of the performers coming through: everyone looked like they were thoroughly enjoying themselves giving off an infectious energy that was contagious! Currently my #1 show of 2024!

I apologize for the incoming essay: I just watched your previous review and now this one after seeing it. This gives me hope that maybe I'll see it again one day and like it more! My opinion at the moment it's around the 3.5/4 range. In the spirit of the video, I've encountered a lot of stans saying I don't "get" it, which I currently disagree with (in that I understand some choices they make I just don't agree with them). However, I did love/didn't previously realize the point you made about how this show used a Greek myth to explain a current phenomenon-- the same way they were originally used! I also am intrigued by the idea that the different performers can have a large impact on the show given the lack of dialogue and largely metaphorical lyrics-- I feel like that alone could up my enjoyment of the show. My main gripes were the show were: The blend of metaphorical and literal didn't quite work for me in some places. I'll own it, maybe this part I truly don't "get." But in some places it just felt a little lazy. I will say my brain got stuck on Eurydice's choice to go with Hades-- it just didn't make sense to me. It would've made more sense if it hadn't been a choice (i.e. she died, literally or metaphorically). I know the creatives were like 'we want to give her agency! make her own choices!' and that's great, but would love for that choice to have made more sense! The whole time I was just sitting there being like 'what is orpheus eating?? how is he staying warm??' Not flipping the order of 'wait for me' and 'build the wall' was nonsensical to me. I get that it's more of a cliffhanger and it's a reminder the show isn't happy, but I really don't think you need that reminder. Especially since I think one of the strengths of the show is it makes you believe there could be a happy ending when you KNOW there won't be. I found it very hard to even pay attention to 'why we build the wall' after the high that was wait for me. (Also the 'anyone need a drink' line was so corny.) The age-old critique that the music blends together was true for me and also really made it drag in some places. Finally, this is definitely my smallest problem but still stuck with me: I wish the ending had made Orpheus's choice more clear-- the interesting thing about the myth to me is debating the reason he turned around (or saying it's a blend of things!). At my performance it didn't feel like any choice was made which just makes it feel like a cop out to me. I will say I also find it funny when I read 'well this show isn't supposed to be a blockbuster that blows you away!! if that's what you want of course it's not for you!' My favorite recent show is Kimberly Akimbo, I don't need spectacle to adore a show.

Saw it this week and loved it! Just FYI, Donal is pronounced like DOUGH-nal, with more stress on the first syllable

I missed it at the National and have been impatiently waiting for it to come back. I've seen it twice already and I love it so much! The cast is fantastic, their accents really add to it, especially Hermes! I desperately want a Original West End Cast Recording of this cast - they are so brilliant!

You don’t know how happy I am that my fav theatre critic FINALLY gets this show xD

I saw it on Thursday and loved it. Donel sounded like he was struggling a little with the higher notes but I think he might just have been having a bad night. I loved the whole cast, particularly Hermes. What do you think the chances of a London cast recording are?

I have always adored Hadesdown since I followed it from it's West End production to Broadway and got to see it tour I think Anias is a lovely writer/composer and the story is just so beautifully crafted I got to see it on tour (in America) and God was it spectacular glad to see it being fully appreciated

ohmygod, YES! Happy to see you have fallen so hard for this show. SO many layers. I can't afford much live theater in the US, and it definitely took two or three listens through the cast album for it to grow on me. And GROW it did!! The Hadestown Tiny Desk Concert (kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jrGnd6l1qdjDhnU.html) produced by the National Public Radio here was also a great introduction since the full album, like the live production, is SO RICH/DENSE. I fell in love with the album during some BORING lab work in grad school, listening to the full album 10s of times before finally seeing the touring cast on stage in Seattle this fall. As someone who has only seen the live production once, I really appreciate your detailed analysis of the staging, sets, and choreo. This is SUCH a rich production on SO many levels. I had CHILLS in the back of the theater during the final number sung without mics. I also love your discussion of accents and performances from the UK cast - wishing for a cast album to experience! I love that the show means different things for different people - for me the message about the value and purpose of art was especially potent. As a kid, I was in a production of Once on This Island that has a similar theme... but Hadestown just hits so much harder. Orpheus, the artist, described as someone who "could make you see how the world could be / In spite of the way that it is." On grief and hope, Hermes' line in the finale, "To know how it ends / And still begin to sing it again / As if it might turn out this time." Someone I knew in college saw the show on Broadway shortly before passing away from cancer and posted on his socials about how that theme was meaningful to him as someone who knew how his own story would end but found ways to get up everyday and live for every day that he had. For more details about the lyrics and development of the show, I HIGHLY recommend the book Mitchell put out, "Working on a Song" (www.amazon.com/Working-Song-HADESTOWN-Ana%C3%AFs-Mitchell/dp/059318257X). It's relatively cheap (no frills, paperback), contains all the lyrics of the final Broadway production along with notes about her songwriting process, the show development, lyrics and other changes.

I absolutely adore this show and was so lucky to FINALLY be able to see it for the first time in the UK! Whilst I loved everybody's characters, I fell in love with Hermes by Mel. I feel like the character is kind of just there in certain versions, but Melanie was such a stand-out to me. She really brought the devestation and the sense she knew the ending. Everytime i looked at her, she seemed to be staring at Orpheus with this kind of terror. Absolutely phenomenal.

I was skeptical from the tony performance. I listened to the obc recording and was all in. I've seen it 4x as well and it's my fav musical. The us tour ruined it for me but i went to see solea and jordan and they were just as good as reeve and eva. Be careful with tours bc the second leg tour turned out into a comedy and i had to walk out at intermission. I can't believe it took so long for you to convert but welcome!

I saw it last year on Broadway. I came out of that theatre in awe of the whole show. I thought the whole story just came together beautifully....I must admit though, to not being convinced Reeve Carney's portrayal of Orpheus. Eva Noblezada on the other hand was amazing! Have booked tickets for this summer, again at the Walter Kerr Theatre.

“To know how it ends and still begin to sing it again as if it might turn out this time…” It’s truly an amazing, stunning piece of story telling and theater. I’ll stand by it till I die. (With the exception of the original Epic III…)

I was so excited to go and went on the second night but Donal and Grace were not gelling. Their dance number was awkward, bordering on under rehearsed. Grace shouted through Flowers and just came over too angry for me. The elder leads however were superb. They made the whole thing a must see. The MT performer friend I went with was new to it and really was underwhelmed which I was sad to see as I thought she’d love it. I’d like to go again after summer and sit further back though. I’d be interested to hear Mickey Jo where you think the ideal seat would be. I was far too close in the 5th row.

HADESTOWN is effing brilliant!

I absolutely love seeing you absolutely love things 🥰

Nailed it - it’s not a sparkling champagne but a smoky whiskey. Saw it on broadway and very excited to see it on home turf!

A question - since the show was in London previously (although maybe not technically west end? idk how these things work haha) but didn't feature in award nominations that I can tell, how does that affect its eligibility to be nominated for awards e.g. the Oliviers? Is it seen as a revival? Or since it has undergone some change, is it new/could it be nominated for its music etc? You might not know but have been wondering!

Finally saw this on broadway and immediately came back to your reviews. The biggest message I gather is how powerful people sew doubt in the public so they fight each other rather than the power that is causing their pain in the first place. Orpheus’s inability to trust himself and his love at the end shows the true power of the oppressor.

He finally understood the politics of Hadestown lol. I'm so excited to see it in three weeks!

Hadestown is 2.5 hours of transcendent humaning -- hope and despair, joy and pain, loss and recovery and loss again. I saw it at the Lyric Theatre last Friday in London, 18 years after my first viewing in Rutland, Vermont when it was just an unexpectedly fun, grassroots rock opera. I am still reeling from the West End experience. I felt completely broken open when the curtain was going down. I cried, a lot (my sleeves were wet from tear wiping) and I can't stop talking about it to anyone who will listen. Sure there are many parallels to today's world and prescient messages about life and people and power and human weakness, but it's mostly, for me, a timeless tragic love story, told through brilliantly clever, melodic, catchy and devastating lyrics. Anyone who has been in love and lost a loved one, be it to death or otherwise, will recognize the universal truths of how everything ends. I have always been a huge Anais Mitchell fan. Anais Mitchell played the part of Eurydice at that original show I saw in 2006. I walked out of that show 18 years ago saying--"that woman is annoyingly talented and that musical will make it to Broadway one day." Like pretty much any musical, other than Lion King, it helps to be familiar with the soundtrack before seeing the show. Even though I had heard the soundtrack through and through, I still picked up on so many unexpected nuances from watching it live, and now I appreciate the lyrics even more. Especially "If it's true," (Ugh!) "All I've Ever Known," and "Doubt Comes In." The entire cast nailed it in my opinion. Particularly the fates and Hermes. Donal Finn as Orpheus took a minute to grow on me and boy did he. By the end, I was right by his side in his darkest, doubt-filled hour. Go see it! Bring tissues.

Hey Mickey, mind if I ask for your thoughts on a subject that I've been mulling over? Specifically, how should the economics of theatre change to make it not only more financially viable, but also potentially more quantitatively accessible? It's not really a secret out there that the economics of making a profit for a show are... very much high risk, low reward. A few hundred consecutive shows, minimum to turn a profit, and you damn better be an adaptation of a pop culture work, or a Tony winner to last a run long enough to get there, while there are only a dozen or so new musicals per year, and a score or so of new plays, all fighting for limited stage real estate, in some of the most valuable real estate out there. And when shows lose money, they BLEED it to the tune of thousands per week, or a total loss of six to seven digits at the end of run.

I love this Hades. I think the guarded portrayal is spot on in the first part. Not showing how much he truly missed his wife and melting in the second act.

Okay, I just saw it last night absolutely blind (my preferred way to see anything) and I didn't love it, for literally all the reasons you mentioned. But I'll admit I missed a lot of the nuance, the story felt quite thin to me without it. I also sat in the gods and found it a little difficult to understand some of the lyrics (maybe due to reverb? but I could have done with a little more diction, could be a sound problem) and just found I didn't emotionally connect at all really. I'll definitely give the cast recording a listen and give it another go in theatre too, I loveeed the New Orleans jazzy folk vibes and you're right, the central performances were fabulous.

Can anyone give insight on how Orpheus's character has changed since the early iterations of the show?

I went to the 2nd preview and I was blown away! Really love the staging(Doubt comes in shows high class theatre direction), the band and most individual performances. But I really had issues with the fates, didn’t like them performing wise but also their position in the show. Zachary is a powerhouse, Gloria was a huge surprise, Melanie kicked ass and Grace showed us she’s the new star of the West End.

Thanks for another intelligent and thought-provoking view. And, challenging my response to the show which I found incredibly disappointing (anticipating being shouted down for that). I went with a totally open mind & the intention of enjoying it. Obviously, theatre is subjective, so I feel strange that I felt little emotional connection within 15 minutes. (Perhaps it was just me & being new to the material . Seeing At the Sky's Edge a week previous forced unintended comparisons). Although I enjoyed some performances (especially the ensemble), I felt little chemistry between some of the key characters and definitely with me as an audience member. I feel rather bad for saying this, although I felt there were moments of emotional connection toward the end of Act I and Act II at which the "peak" was lots and I disengaged again. As a supporter of inclusive casting, I felt a sense of a "box ticking exercise" which felt inauthentic and manipulate (despite the individual performers being fantastic). Again, I realise the show has a huge fanbase whom I may offended. However despite wanting to love the show, I left emotionally disengaged and disappointed. All said with the greatest respect to the creatives cast and crew. Although with the expensive seat prices we paid, I don't think I can afford to return to see if the show "grows on me." I believe there's incredible theatre produced in the UK right now. Perhaps this one was just the wrong show on the wrong night for me. Thanks @mickeyjoe for bringing so much of it to our attention.

it’s a small thing but it’s pronounced d-OHnal, like donut, cause of the ò

Had a similar reaction to the show. At first, I left away thinking it was a stellar cast (Lillias, Eva, Reeve, Patrick) and set but just an okay show. When I started listening to the album and picked up on the lyrics I missed seeing it, I realized how brilliant it was.

I saw Simon Oskarsson as Orpheus today (11th July matinee) and I HIGHLY recommend seeing his performance of the role to anyone who hasn't seen it... (He's doing 20th, 21st, 22nd September.) Acted every. single. second of it _so_ gorgeously and earnestly and with this _perfect_ hesitance (and intensity! If It's True). Just outstanding and forever Orpheus to me ❤ I also recommend front row for seeing it all up close 🤩 B18 specifically for his _eye contact_ through the _whole_ iconic ending of Wait For Me (Reprise) 🥹 Oh _and_ Madeline Charlemagne as Eurydice!!! _Smashed_ it. Absolutely loved her. Couldn't be happier that I got to watch these two in these roles. They couldn't have been better.

It‘s so interesting to me that having seen the show on stage so many times, you‘ve only now picked up on all the nuances in terms its of societal commentary! Meanwhile all my friends and i, unable to see it on stage and thus only experiencing the show through the recording, have been discussing and interpreting them since before we even really pieced the plot together. Really shows how the way one experiences a show influences our understanding of the whole thing! (also, as a german i could not be more annoyed when people complain that the show is a short-lived commentary on Trump as if the 2016 election campaign somehow invented the concept of walls. Just the line „we build the wall to keep us free“ is like a triple historic deepcut to me and to this day i remember the chill it gave me the first time i heard a translated version)

I only listen to the soundtrack (and fanart animatics), and I love it. Maybe me being involved in environmental activism, being fan of Opera and of mythology take me closer to the show sooner

after watching your review, went and bought myself a ticket

I went to see Hadestown in London last night, and it was spectacular. However... the enunciation was lacking. I literally couldnt understand half of the lyrics they were singing, so whilst it was beautiful, i probably wouldnt have understood what was happening if I wasnt already intimately familiar. My poor mother, whose first language is not english, didnt understand most of it. Which is a shame given how vibrant i know the lyrics are!

Show the book inside, please!

Not seen it yet but want to. Seen a couple of performances, i might just go to see the Fates especially Allie Daniel 🤩 I like them Not usually a fan of love stories but this one sounds interesting

I am so surprised it took you so long to warm up to this show! I loved it from the first moment I heard the concept album and then the cast album. I wonder if Mitchell's aesthetic is distinctly American in a way that doesn't resonate as much with the UK audience...??? Anyhow, the first thing I fell in love with was the gorgeous orchestrations. The second thing was the poetry of Mitchell's writing. The third was (when I finally saw the American tour) the design of the show (those moments during "Wait for Me" and "Chant" just blow me away). And finally, when all was said and done, I fell in love with the powerful thematic resonances of the story. I really appreciate your attention to the attention to detail in the show. I think part of what makes it so powerful is that it is written in a way that universalizes the issues it is bringing up. While it does have resonances with modern politics, it leans less into the particulars of those resonances and searches for the human heart in those issues so that people on various sides of issues can still relate to its way of handling its themes of power, oppression, environmentalism, etc. It seeks to be "mythological" in that sense.

Anaïs Mitchell is a beautiful songbird of a folk singer. Her songs are truly transcendent and I urge everyone to listen to her own albums, especially HYMNS FOR THE EXILED and YOUNG MAN IN AMERICA. Also, her collaboration with Jefferson Hamer CHILD BALLADS is worth a listen, and a lesson in folk song history. This piece of theatre is not a musical, it is a Folk Opera.

I wish all of London theatre critics were open to rethink their opinions

hey mickey jo

I really liked the show, and it definitely had me crying. The only thing is, i feel like Orpheus could be a better character if he were less of a sweet ingenue who suffers from doubt, and more of a golden boy who has always gotten away with things based on his charm and luck who is undone at the last step by his own hubris. Because that's always the lesson in Greek myths - you fuck around with the gods, youre going to find yourself hoisted by your own petard. He turns around when he steps into the light like, Babe we made it! You still here? Then poof - he realizes that he didn't follow the rules to the letter and Hades got him. First time he's had real actual Consequences that he can't charm his way out of. But maybe next time, next time, he'll be more careful!

I also love a nature myth and updating them for the present times, when we feel often so disconnected from Nature. (Spoiler: we really really aren't.) Spring follows Winter, but winter follows Spring. And we're entwined with and responsible for the planet but we don't and can't *control* it.

I saw this yesterday, and i really liked it. i don't think the romance between orpheus and eurydice worked and the orpheus actor had some cringe high notes, but i believed it on the level of a sibling love. hades and persephone were great, and the hermes actress was great and fixed a lot of what i didn't like about the broadway soundtrack. I give it 4.5 stars/5.

Long time subscriber, first (I think) time commenter. Really enjoyed this review although I had a different experience seeing Hadestown for the first time 10 days ago. A few thoughts: - The Irish woman in me compels me to correct the pronunciation of Dónal: it's DO (as in DO-re-mi or DOUGH) - nal (as in tonal). Basically it's pronounced like tonal with a D, not Donald without the second D. - I saw the West End production fresh for the first time on Thursday 24 Feb with Simon Oskarsson covering Orpheus. I'd never listened to the soundtrack before this performance. I was very impressed by the production quality and the evident talent of the whole cast and band but I was not moved at all: I would give it 3 stars but could see that score increasing if I get more invested in the score. - I think Hadestown is actually more comparable to a song cycle/contemporary opera than a musical. In that sense, it's very difficult for an audience member to process everything that's happening on stage/in the score on the very first viewing. - The people in the audience who were really moved by the show seemed to already know the show and score by heart: that's cool but it can also explain why UK reviewers new to the show were not blown away to the same extent. - It's debatable whether it's a flaw or a strength of the show that it takes such familiarity with the material and multiple viewings to love it. (I say this as a Spring Awakening superfan who listened to the OBC recording hundreds of times before ever seeing a production live.) - The score itself requires such extremes from Orpheus that several songs sung by Simon Oskarsson sounded off the voice because of how high they were, and the challenge of hitting those notes as a swing who isn't singing that score multiple times a week. Again, that suggests it's far from a typical musical. - I absolutely loved the lighting and stage design and would have loved to have more dramatic lighting moments. - I'm keen to go back and see it again later in the run after listening to the soundtrack and with Donál Finn as Orpheus to see if it lands differently.

Loved your in-depth review! Really thought provoking :) I saw it on Tuesday on West End and then Saturday on Broadway. To be honest, it took seeing it on Broadway to really connect with it. I am now in love with the story, the staging, the music, everything (in no small part, thanks to Jordan Fisher). I had those moments of goosebumps/tearing up etc whereas when I left the WE, I thought it was just ok. I think the WE version really suffers from being in such a poorly designed theatre. Theres probably only a decent view from 20% of the seats and really impacts how you connect with it. The ‘moment’ at the end was stronger in the staging on Broadway but again, maybe that’s could I could see it better! The talent on WE are all individually incredible but the emotional storytelling fell a bit flat for me. I think over time their chemistry, timing etc will get stronger! The Broadway chorus were quite a bit tighter musically and especially choreographically than WE, but again, they’ve been doing it much longer so not a fair comparison. I think personal preference comes into play for how I enjoyed the performances. I prefer a more mixed register for Orpheus and wouldn’t mind if Donal switched into his chest voice more often. I completely agreed with you re: the Trinidad & Irish accents fitting the theme beautifully. For me, the thick midlands accent really took me out of the moment and I wouldn’t mind if they toned it right down to a more neutral accent (again, totally a personal preference as I’m not English so it might not be as distracting to other viewers). Melanie La Barrie and the fates were exceptional!!