Photo by T. Charles Erickson
‘Hadestown’ – Music, Lyrics & Book by Anaïs Mitchell. Developed with & Directed by Rachel Chavkin. Music Supervisor & Vocal Arrangements by Liam Robinson. Choreographed by David Neumann. At the Boch Wang Center through April 28
By Linda Chin
The intoxicating, eight-time Tony Award-winning Hadestown is back in Boston for a limited run, giving fans the opportunity to experience its otherworldly magic for the first, second, or eighth time. Haunting but harmonious and hopeful, Hadestown is a musical retelling of the distinct but interwoven love stories of two couples – Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades and Persephone, rooted in Greek mythology. The overarching themes of climate change and capitalism, the ruthless dictator Hades, who sings about building walls, and the blend of musical traditions bring these centuries-old tales to contemporary times.
Hermes (Will Mann) is the narrator. The young lovers Orpheus (J. Antonio Rodriguez) and Eurydice (Amaya Braganza) embody love that is passionate and idealistic, that those in love might go to great lengths for, but that when tested by poverty or desperate circumstances, can be fleeting. Older, more mature, and married, Hades (Matthew Patrick Quinn) and Persephone (Lana Gordon) represent love that was once filled with passion but has cooled over time, that has weathered storms and conflicts, that has involved power struggles and compromise, but has lasted a millennium. The other duo involved in Hadestown is director Rachel Chavkin (Natasha and the Great Comet, Moby Dick, and The Great Gatsby, soon-to-open at the ART), who won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical, and singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell.
who won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Original Score (and was also nominated for Best Book of a Musical.)
Hadestown, which originally took shape as a concept album Mitchell wrote in 2010, illustrates that an album, musical, or even a song, can change one’s fate. The musical, while dark and somewhat depressing, has captivated multigenerational and multicultural audiences with its universal message of hope. The soulful, sumptuous score is filled with beautiful ballads and rousing anthems, but the song that Orpheus has been optimistically working on may just show you how the world can be. For tickets and information, go to: https://www.bochcenter.org/events/detail/hadestown
