It’s your first trip to Australia. Very few of us have seen you in the flesh before, and yet, you’ve already gathered a cult following. Impressive work.
You combine the mythological story of Orpheus and Eurydice, with that of Hades and Persephone. The setting is a grim world where the cycle of the seasons is out of kilter. Persephone, goddess of the seasons, is forced to spend half the year with her husband, Hades, King of the Underworld – leaving everyone and everything above ground to survive through harsh winters.
“The weather ain’t the way it was before. Ain’t no spring or fall at all anymore. It’s either blazing hot or freezing cold. Any way the wind blows.” – Eurydice, Act I
Orpheus is a young and talented musician, in love with Eurydice but too busy composing a song to notice that she is hungry. When she is tempted ‘way down under the ground’ by Hades, he embarks on a perilous journey to rescue her.
You blend modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz, with a bit of traditional Broadway – and use it to retell ancient Greek mythology. How did you dream up this combination? It doesn’t matter – it works. Your album has been streamed more than 350 million times since 2019, and won a Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album.
You’ve got us hooked on your catchy, toe-tapping jazz beats, and songs about love and courage. But also lyrics implying deeper themes of politics and climate change that are easy to draw parallels to in our current world. The anticipation of adding a visual to the music that some of us have been listening to since lockdown had reached a fever peak. No pressure.
Thankfully though, anyone who has sung ‘Wait for Me’ (your soaring ’11 o’clock number’), on repeat at the top of their lungs, will be satiated by Noah Mullins’ (Orpheus) rendition that sends shivers down our spine. As he dodges swinging lamps (amid as much smoke haze as an audience can possibly handle), while delivering powerhouse vocals… well, let’s just say this is exactly what we’d been waiting for.
The rest of your cast are also breathtaking. Abigail Adriano is a heartfelt little songbird who packs a punch. She effortlessly portrays all of Eurydice’s hunger, vulnerability and hope. Adrian Tamburini and Elenoa Rokobaro are every bit the Hades and Persephone we imagined, with impeccable comedic timing. Sarah Murr, Jennifer Trijo, and Imani Williams, as the ‘Fates’, are joyously wicked – and vocally flawless. And down in the underworld, your Chorus of ‘workers’, doomed to forever build a wall in a giant oil rig – well they almost sing and dance their way out of hell itself. That is some talent (even ignoring the ‘Minion’-esque get-up).
Yes Hadestown, you make us laugh and cry. But like most stories from long ago, you’re a cautionary tale, highlighting the weaknesses of us mere mortals. You’re a lesson in not giving in to temptation and doubt – told in the most beautiful way. And just so it’s not all gloomy, you remind us of one of the best gifts about being mortal: defiant optimism. This is best summed in the words of Hermes (Christina Anu), messenger of the Gods, in the show’s opening number:
“Someone’s got to tell the tale. Whether or not it turns out well. Maybe it will turn out this time. On the road to hell, on the railroad line.
It’s a sad tale, it’s a tragedy. We gonna sing it anyway.” Hermes, Act I
With love,
Hadestown is showing at the Theatre Royal until 26 April 2025, then Her Majesty’s Theatre (Melbourne) from 8 May 2025. Images: Lisa Tomasetti
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