Anais Mitchell’s cult musical celebrates its West End premiere upon its return to the place where it took its final steps. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if this godly love story is however dealt a mortal blow.
What is love but a constant struggle? It’s funny how the most precious, fulfilling feeling we can indulge in can also be the most hurtful and draining. We all know how the story goes – even if we’ve never heard it. Two lovers condemned to walk their separate ways by the fickle will of destiny. Sometimes we call it luck. Some others, we call it providence. But when we let our fate into the hands of others… Well, that’s another tale.
Welcome to Hadestown, a new take on the old Greek myth, transformed into a rhythmic, upbeat lore rising from Jazzy New Orleans’s underworld. A passionate drama involving romance, grief and sacrifice, the show brings out the heat and zest of the Prohibition Era through an acoustic depiction of the ancient inferno. Taking us through a whimsical journey into the depths of a crooner-coated abyss, the montage drags us into a flashy, uptempo ride of blazing excitement – blending its electric musical extravaganza with sumptuous visuals.
With music, lyrics and book by Anaïs Mitchell (the latter, practically non-existent, though), the piece succeeds in returning the chills we may have thought lost in this genre recently – featuring quite a comprising list of hauntingly memorable tunes, guaranteed to keep whispering to your ear for hours and hours after you leave the theatre. A triumphant score by all means, its inceptual beauty is only enlarged thanks to Michael Corney’s excellent orchestrations – providing the compositions with a level of intricacy, flavour and seductiveness one can’t help but feel completely taken by.
Directed Rachel Chavkin, the production cleverly lures us into its oxidized universe by crafting a rather inviting and captivating staging – its allure, stemming primarily from Bradley King’s exquisite lighting, weaving a detailed, transporting atmosphere that not only embellishes the narrative, but creates one of its own. In addition, Michael Krass’s lavish costumes draw out the fantasy through its stylized period charm, working in unison with Rachel Hauck’s set design. This last one, however, fails to astound in the same way as its counterparts – the problem coming from its lack of dynamism throughout the first third of the performance, unable to evoke as many spaces and textures as the script would require to fully work.
That’s an issue that, in any case, the writing is also flawed by. Though regaling us with an incredible repertoire, the recount seems to be in need of some extra components. Parts of the conflict are not sufficiently explored – thus, leaving the plot in a slightly shallow, rushed state. On other hand, the pacing looks a bit oversped at some points too (especially, the beginning), jumping from big number to big number without allowing the story to settle down and take its time to unravel – something that could be easily corrected through the use of recitative excerpts.
Nonetheless, the enticement is secured through the marvelous renditions that the production counts on. From band to ensemble, to all of its leads, the whole company steps on with remarkable strength and magnetism, boasting impeccable vocals and vigorous stage presence. Among them, the highest praise goes to Donal Finn in the role of Orpheus, endowing his character with a broken, naive force that bolsters the role’s appeal. A similar mention is fairly earned by Zachary James as Hades as well as Gloria Onitiri as Persephone, showing off exquisite singing skills blended with an infectious chemistry between them both.
A big-banded rock-carved road to hell, Hadestown blooms in the West End through a brass-coloured (and sounding) taste of spectacle and mystique. Despite a few elements to be improved to fully move away from the concept album into an entirely delivered musical, the piece is, in any case, an explosive fireball of underground glitz. It would only be just to say that the London scene has been blessed with this cursed romance which, just as this work, its flame never seems to wear down. Wait for me – I’m coming! We’re surely gonna be hearing that from the fans a lot.
All pictures credit to Marc Brenner.
Hadestown plays at London’s Lyric Theatre until December 2024. Tickets are available on the following link.