Monday, May 2, 2022

'Hadestown,' At Ahmanson, Is A Helluva Musical

By Darlene Donloe 

There is a reason why Hadestown won eight 2019 Tony Awards® including Best New Musical.

It’s the music, the acting, the choreography, the lyrics, the direction, the lighting, the sound, the set design, the script, and the costumes.  

If I left anything out, it’s for that reason, too. 

For all of those reasons and more, this is one of the best musicals ever to grace Broadway or the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. 

When these various elements are firing on all cylinders, it makes for a tremendously enjoyable night of theater. 

Believe the hype! This play, a reimaging of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice amid a funky score, is a must, must-see!! 

This is a totally-engrossing show about good and evil, love and fear, destruction and redemption. 

There’s a lot going on in this musical by Anais Mitchell (music, book, and lyrics) and developed with director Rachel Chavki.  They deliver something unquestionably timely and seductively entertaining.

Hadestown is a helluva show. 

It’s too much fun. It’s a nonstop, thrilling ride through a dark world.  The dialogue is crisp, poignant, and smart, and the acting is terrific and on point.

The heart and rhythm of the show are infectious.  

Hadestown follows two intertwining love stories — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone.

Performance after performance the temperature continues to rise in this show, whether it’s the principal performers or the ensemble cast. There is no weak link to be found in this show. 

The audience is invited on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back.

In the musical, Eurydice, effectively played by Morgan Siobhan Green, is perpetually hungry and struggling as she roams the world. 

Eurydice is subjected to some wear and tear by the Fates (Belén Moyano, Bex Odorisio, and Shea Renne) until starving and exhausted, she falls into the pit of Hades (Kevyn Morrow), King of the Underworld. 

Orpheus (Nicholas Barasch), her lovestruck suitor, who wants to marry Eurydice, is determined to bring her back from the clutches of Hades.

Anais Mitchell’s music and lyrics are hypnotic, and her melodies are captivating. Hadestown delivers in so many ways.

Director Rachel Chavkin keeps the rhythm of the show at a good pace. She makes good use of the entire, massive stage. Her use of a spinning floor for some of the dance movements is sensational and worth a standing ovation.

Hadestown has been transformed into a genre-defying musical that blends modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz to reimagine a sweeping ancient tale. 

Levi Kreis kicks off the show with a standout performance as Hermes, the storyteller/narrator who takes the audience on a slow, seductive excursion. 

Every principal performer is a standout including Nicholas Barasch (Orpheus), Morgan Siobhan Green (Eurydice), Kimberly Marable (Persephone), Kevyn Morrow (Hades), and Kreis.

The Fates are killin it. Their role is to determine the destinies of mortals, measuring their lifespans and apportioning their suffering. Their harmonies are insane. They include Belen Moyano, Bex Odorisio, and Shea Renne. 

The workers' chorus is spectacular in voice and in choreography. They literally steal the show, delivering show-stopping songs and choreography. It’s mesmerizing. Kudos to Lindsey Hailes, Chibueze Ihuoma, Will Mann, Sydney Parra, and Jamari Johnson Williams.

The Swings for the touring production include Tyla Collier, Ian Coulter-Buford, Alex Lugo, Eddie Noel Rodríguez, and J. Antonio Rodriguez.

The on-stage band is tight. 

Not to be outdone is the lighting and set design, both of which are characters unto themselves and are instrumental in bringing the play to life.

David Neumann’s choreography is exceptional and absorbing. He put his foot in it, – which, for the uninitiated, means he did an exceptional job. 

The acclaimed new musical is by celebrated singer-songwriter and Tony Award® winner Anaïs Mitchell and developed with innovative director and Tony Award® winner Rachel Chavkin. “Hadestown” marks the first time in over a decade that a woman has been the solo author of a musical: writing the music, lyrics, and book, and is the fourth time in Broadway history a woman has accomplished this creative feat. 

Hadestown won the 2020 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Theater Album and has been honored with four Drama Desk Awards, six Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical, and the Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical.

Hadestown, Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., 8 p.m., Tues.-Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday; tickets are $35. For information: (213) 972-4400.

Hadestown will also perform at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Cosa Mesa CA 92626, from August 9 to 21. Information at SCFTA.org 

On the DONLOE SCALE: (D) don’t bother, (O) oh, no!, (N) needs work, (L) likable, (O) Oh, yeah, and (E) excellent, Hadestown gets an E (excellent).

 

 

 


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