A few weeks ago, Hadestown came to Philadelphia on its first national tour. Using jazz and blues, the musical tells the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice set somewhere reminiscent of New Orleans in the early 20th century. After our plans to go to the show on Broadway were dashed by COVID-19, my best friend and I did not know when we would be able to see Hadestown live. But, as a wonderful surprise, we were able to go to one of the final Philadelphia performances of the show.
After years of listening to the cast recording, I knew that the show was going to be amazing, but it was even better than I expected! The cast was obviously enjoying themselves, creating such an incredible energy in the theater and a feeling of joy and victory of having a live theater performance. Because of the location of my seats, I was unable to see some parts of the stage, but there was something to engage the audience on the different parts of the stage throughout the performance, so I never felt like I was missing out on what was going on.
The entire audience was engaged with the performance from the moment it started. Without any warning, the show opens by asking the audience to repeat after the actor who plays Hermes, the narrator of Hadestown. Something that is truly unique to live theater and was a special part of my experience with the show was the audience reactions. After “Wait for Me,” the most famous song of the show with its iconic swinging lights, the audience’s applause seemed endless. The scene was a captivating culmination of the cast and crew’s hard work and everyone in the audience took the opportunity to appreciate all of that effort.
Above all else, my favorite part of the show was how each of the actors made their roles their own. Each member of the cast had small details and flourishes in their vocals that set them apart from the original Broadway cast I had listened to on the recording, and I feel like that opportunity to make the role your own truly sets Hadestown apart from other shows. The musical heavily involves jazz and blues music which encourages improvisation. Because of this, there is so much more opportunity for little quirks and individual touches that make each of the show’s casts and performances unique. It creates a special experience for every audience that attends the show.
After seeing Hadestown live, I love it even more than I did before and wish that I could see it again! With the show’s success both on Broadway and on tour, I have no doubts that there will be more tours and opportunities to see the show in the future. If you ever find the opportunity to see this incredible show and its hardworking cast, I encourage you too! If you’re interested in the musical, you can find the cast recording almost anywhere you listen to music and will be able to hear the show in its entirety. Hopefully, it’ll help you see “the way the world could be!”