Hadestown (Broadway) Review

I saw Hadestown on Broadway twice, with OBC, Lana Gordon and Jewelle Blackman as Persephone.

Ever since Hadestown came out on Broadway, anyone who knew me well enough knew that I was obsessed with the soundtrack. Greek myths have been a passion project ever since I grew up reading the Percy Jackson series, which means that I was yet another Gen Z kid who spent too much time at the library.

I still do, as this is a book/movie/theatre/travel blog now and this is what I do for a living. Anyways, I was absolutely obsessed with the Hadestown concept, but when I went to college in New York City, I tragically never got the chance to see it.

I’ve now seen the show twice. The first time was a chance encounter because I knew someone who knew someone, who then got me a ticket into the show. I was in the standing room, which I honestly don’t recommend for longer shows like this, but I got to be in the back where the orchestra was and even saw Reeve Carney creeping his way through the back to make his grand entrance in Act II.

I then saw the show again in May of 2022 with my sister, who had never been to a Broadway show before, and got to see the entire original cast again, except now Jewelle Blackman was Persephone. The first time I saw it it was Lana Gordon in the role, and it was two completely different experiences.

Here’s my review!

Original Broadway Cast + Notable Replacements

The first time I went, I had every single original cast member except one of the Fates and obviously Persephone. I knew the songs and the story going into it, so I was more focused on how it was presented on the stage. The three standout performers for me were André de Shields, Eva Noblezada, and Patrick Page. André de Shields is my personal favorite actor from the show, as he truly embodies the role of Hermes. I genuinely think he’s a tough act to replace, although I have not seen any of his understudies.

Patrick Page in the recording also comes across completely different as Hades on the stage. The mic stand that Hermes uses also doubles as an amplifier at times, so when Hades screams out things like “I conduct the electricity city,” they crank the sound up to that he echoes across the entire theatre. Moments like that are very encompassing, reverberating down into your soul. I liked also how the characters are blocked so that certain ones (the Fates, Hermes) are constantly on the stage.

However, there was a distinct difference between the time I saw in December 2021 and May 2022. I felt like the cast was honestly getting weaker overall—the only one who I thought had a better performance at the second time was Patrick Page. There were new Workers (the giant man Timothy Hughes had left the show two weeks before we saw it) and I felt like their voices were also out of harmony, but I think I come into this opinion with a bias and preference for the original workers I’d seen previously.

Now here’s the debate I had with myself about Jewelle Blackman versus Lana Gordon as Persephone. The first one I saw was Lana Gordon, who seemed to riff off of Amber Grey’s Persephone from what I knew.

She was more reminiscent of the kind of Hadestown Persephone I, someone who had chatted with fellow fans, was familiar with. Jewelle Blackman previously was one of the original Fates, and you could tell from her voice. Her Persephone was less gritty, but more mournful and full of sorrow just from the color of her voice alone.

I do, unfortunately. fall into the camp of not liking Reeve Carney’s voice in real life. It’s very nasally and whiny, so when I experienced I was like oh god. It fits Orpheus and the way he portrays him (this kind of awkward, sheltered kid who believes in the magic of the world), but I just could not get with it. Eva is absolutely divine though, I love her voice a lot. Reeve and her work really well together, so I think pairing them opposite was a good idea.

Set Design + Stage Blocking

The first time I was at the back of the orchestra, which means that you can’t see the upper half of the stage if you’re standing. Whenever Hades or someone went to the top of the staircase, I could not see anything going on up there. The second time I saw the show I was on the balcony, which some people don’t like because it’s steep and you have to lean a little forward to see the front half of the stage, but I liked that set-up a lot because of the way that you could actually see the entire stage minus that tiny front portion.

The first act of Hadestown is set up so that the stage acts as the real world, so they begin with chairs. The band is actually on the stage and they do involve them in the show—there’s a trombone solo where he gets up out of his seat, moves towards center stage, and people dance around him. There’s exits via small steps on each side of the stage, then the staircase that leads up into what is often Hades’ domain. At the center of the bottom stage, there’s a rotating circle—similar to Hamilton—that is used beautifully towards the end of the show.

Actors really use this stage well in terms of blocking. Whether it’s Orpheus sitting in his little corner or Hermes lurking in the background, watching everything unfold in front of him, none of the space is wasted. One of the most beautiful moments of blocking is when Eurydice is being antagonized by the Fates, who steal her backpack and coat, leaving her with nothing but her own desires.

Another stunning moment of pacing is during “Chant II,” as the workers stand still in the center circle, Orpheus paces the middle circle, and Hades and Persephone are opposite to each other on the outer circle. They time their walks so that Orpheus and Hades are stalking each other while Persephone is on the edge, helplessly watching what’s to come.

The best moment of the show, however, comes with “Wait For Me” and “Doubt Comes In,” This show in particular likes to play with light and shadows, so this is where you really begin to see this come in.

“Wait For Me” is when Orpheus prepares to descend into the Underworld in the darkness, and as the workers swing the lamps at him, he must dodge them all and make his way to Eurydice. The walls in the back open up in this moment, flooding the world with light as he shouts out “I’m coming,” really giving me, the viewer, hope for what’s to come.

Then, in “Doubt Comes In,” the stage is pitch black. There’s fog, and I didn’t spot this until I was sitting in the balcony, but they move the actress playing Eurydice off the stage.

The center circle goes underground and brings the Fates up with their lanterns, who then taunt Orpheus about how Eurydice isn’t there. We’re fully sucked into his head in this scene because they did actually remove her from the stage, so it’s literally his worst fears coming true. Then, when he finally turns around at the door and discovers Eurydice is not directly behind him, the world is awash with light again.

Overall Thoughts

For those who don’t know the myth, I think this is a really good show to see anyways. It’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea though, because there are small details that really enhance the show’s message that you can easily miss.

My sister didn’t know the myth and completely missed the fact that Hermes drives home the fact that this is a sad song that can only end in tragedy, and both times I saw it there were a ton of gasps when Orpheus actually did turn around and ruin everything.

This is a fascinating show for me to analyze just because there’s so much clearly packed into it.

There’s an avenue to explore about this very much might be a play within a play because all of the gods seem aware—minus Persephone and Hades, but they’re trapped in the cycle forever anyways of spring coming and going—what’s going to happen. Hermes seems resigned, but he tells the story again and again in hopes of what the world could be.

It’s simply excellent theatre at the end of the day. Some shows I wouldn’t see again, but Hadestown was something I felt I had to see twice to understand. If I had unlimited money, perhaps I would see it again one more time. But I don’t, so here we are. I’d like a different cast next time just to compare their interpretations of the story and the character, although it’d be a tough challenge to beat André’s performances both times I’ve seen him.