On Feb. 11-16, “Hadestown” arrived at the Orpheum in Minneapolis, inviting the audience to “come in from the cold” and witness Anaïs Mitchell’s reimagining of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. We laughed, cheered, cried and all left the theater inspired by the phenomenal performance brought to the stage.
A squad of four Mac students – the writers and a friend – made the Uber trek to the theater to witness the show, which holds a special place in each of our hearts. Here we hope to relay some of our thoughts on the show, which was arguably the best way to spend Valentine’s Day.
The story of “Hadestown” is narrated by Hermes, the Greek god of many things, including messengers and travelers. Jaylon C. Crump easily won over the audience with their electric performance of Hermes. Crump, the first non-binary actor to officially play the role, brought a hearty dose of levity to what can be a very bleak show. Their joy was a counterbalance to the show’s darker moments.
Accounting for the gods that are shown within the musical, the role of Hades, the show’s primary antagonist, was played by Nickolaus Colón. Colón absolutely dominated the stage with his presence, moving with the gravitas one would expect from the god of death himself. In the original Broadway production of “Hadestown,” Patrick Page played the role like a hardened factory foreman. Colón took a different approach, instead portraying Hades as a politician with a flair for the dramatic. His unique performance made the show feel even more relevant than it already was, particularly during the Act I finale “Why We Build the Wall.”
Hades’ wife, Persephone, who is unhappy in her marriage and desperate to leave the confines of the Underworld when she can, was played by the incredible Namisa Mdlalose Bizana. Bizana captured her bright—and drunk— energy perfectly in Act I. This portrayal had some of us worried that she wouldn’t be able to match Persephone’s intense melancholy in Act II, but she absolutely did. Her voice also helped to match this dichotomy – it could be both intimate and growling as the moment called for. The energy Bizana brought to the stage was magnetic and helped guide the emotional heart of the story ever on.
The star-crossed lovers Orpheus and Eurydice were excellently brought to life by Bryan Munar and Megan Colton, respectively. While Munar started a little shaky he quickly found his footing in the role, bringing out Orpheus’ emotional side with immense ferocity in Act II. For any readers familiar with the original Broadway cast of “Hadestown,” he sounded less falsetto than Reeve Carney (who originated the role) and more like Jordan Fisher (who took over after Carney’s departure). Colton had a wonderful stage presence, showing the shift dies and becomes desperate to return to the living in expert detail. Her voice also displayed a depth of quality throughout that was astounding.
Other notable members of the production were the Fates, portrayed by Katelyn Crall, Miriam Navarette and Alli Sutton. They brought a mysterious and haunting presence to the stage whenever they were on, which was amplified by how well their voices worked together. The worker’s chorus, composed of Randy Cain, Miracle Myles, Kaitlyn O’Leary, Mikaela Rada and Joe Rumi joined them onstage. The harmonies the ensemble brought throughout the musical paired with the joyful energy at the beginning that shifted to the downtrodden employees working under Hades carried the show.
Like its Broadway counterpart, the national tour of “Hadestown” does not hide the band in an orchestra pit. Instead, band members play onstage, occasionally interacting with the actors during the show. This production’s band never missed a beat and perfectly matched the energy of the performance. Though every instrumentalist did well, Haik Demirchian, the trombonist, stole the show. “Hadestown” features a number of trombone solos, and Demirchian played them all with ease while also frequently engaging the actors and moving around the stage with the music.
Regarding the staging of the show, one core feature of its New York home theater is the turntable in the center of the stage. Similar to the double turntable in “Hamilton,” the turntable here would normally serve as a part of the choreography. In “Hadestown,” it can also be an elevator, used as a visual motif for going down to the Underworld realm of Hades multiple times.
The Orpheum has no such turntable built into the stage, meaning the choreography had to be adapted to accommodate the loss. The dances have to be altered to fit the staging limitations. Frequently, the actors would simply walk off stage dramatically in place of where the elevator aspect would normally be in play. The drama of these exits was heightened by lighting and fog effects which created the illusion of an otherworldly threshold.
While this loss was felt more acutely on songs such as “If It’s True,” “Chant III,” “Doubt Comes In” and “How Long,” the show managed to remain energetic and still fill the existing choreography with imagery and symbols to indicate movement and build suspense. They even managed to keep other elements of the iconic Broadway staging, including the swinging lights from “Wait for Me,” which is also the song that arguably caused the most tears to be shed.
Nearly six years after its Broadway premiere, “Hadestown” remains as relevant and compelling as ever, and its story and characters have been beautifully realized in this national tour. Though this tour’s Minnesota run might be over, it is likely that theater companies across the country will continue staging “Hadestown” for years to come. We definitely encourage you to go see “Hadestown” if you get the chance. The show is, to use Orpheus’ words, a testament “to the world we dream about, and the one we live in now.”
