From the tapping of your feet, to the shock encaptured on your face, “Hadestown” will fully immerse into an atmosphere you’ve never seen before. Starring Jose Contreras as Orpheus and Hawa Kamara as Eurydice, Lafayette’s Heymann Center brought everyone in for the night of their lives on Jan. 27-28.
No words can do this Broadway show justice—it was a complete masterpiece. “Hadestown” is a mix between the Greek mythologies of Orpheus and Eurydice and Persephone and Hades. Through these intertwined stories, a story of love, hope and loss is portrayed in such a beautiful manner.
As someone who loves film, music and all things theatre, I must say, this was one of the best musicals I have ever witnessed. When I first walked in, I was full of excitement and anxiously waiting for the clock to strike 7:30 p.m. When the performance started, all I could do was just admire the stage.
The set was intentionally arranged, creating such a comfortable setting, one that made you want to sit up there with them. Then, it started. The lights went out, the stage lit up and Rudy Foster, Hermes, presented us with the first few lines, fully captivating me in the scene. From then on out, I knew truly how good this was going to be.
Each song released a new voice into the atmosphere, filling your ears with such a sweet melody. I had personally listened to the entire “Hadestown” soundtrack before watching the play and, wow, this cast had delivered each line with such perfection. So much so that I had to question if they were the original cast in hiding.
Especially Foster. His delivery exceeded expectations every time he spoke, sounding just like André De Shields, the original Hermes on Broadway. Similarly, Namisa Mdlalose Bizana, who played Persephone, performed just as strongly, if not better, than Amber Gray. Trust me, I’m just as shocked as you are.
However, I think specifically Contreras and Nickolaus Colón, Hades, deserve their own recognition. And if my unprofessional opinion stands a chance in any way, I must argue that they have been the best actors for these roles. Yes, yes, I understand that I am putting Contreras above Jordan Fisher’s 2023 performances but, if you had watched what I did, you would understand.
Additionally, Colón has such a mesmerizing voice. Every time a line was sung from his mouth, I was removed from all my surroundings and could only pick up his words. It’s insane, the depth his voice could extend to and the control he had within it.
Moving away from the actors, I want to acknowledge the ensemble and the music. One of my favorite things about “Hadestown” is that their orchestra plays more of a “band” role, playing live, scattered across on the stage. This setup makes everything feel so real and alive.
In the song, “Our Lady of the Underground,” Persephone introduces the audience to all of the musicians and their instruments. All on stage are the trombone, cello, violin, bass, guitar, keys and drums, which are hidden in the back separately. Even just the slight acknowledgement during the performance that there are musicians playing brings this fun, lively feeling into the room. It genuinely feels as if I am in the scene with them.
The ensemble also helped further this feeling. First off, their choreography was remarkable, causing movement within me right in my chair. Wanting to move the way they were, to dance the way they were. Erin McMillen, who plays in the ensemble, moved with genuine playfulness. It felt like she was having the time of her life, which in itself brings so much joy to the audience.
This is what Broadway is all about. Bringing life and excitement into the audience’s life, enticing them to leave their own for the one portrayed on set. If you know anything about the storyline of “Hadestown,” you would know that such an unfortunate ending shouldn’t still spike people’s desire to be immersed in the story. Yet, “Hadestown” provides this overwhelming feeling to go back—to restart the storyline again just for the pure feelings it releases.
“Hadestown” is definitely one for the books. This show is something that I will never forget, I mean how could I? I’ve run out of synonyms to use to explain to you all how deeply nourishing this was to my soul. A story with pain and hurt, but joy and content and oddly enough, peace.
The story itself is wildly written with details that I would never even think to encompass and alongside that, the performance given at the Heymann Lafayette Center brought this show from a 10 to a 100. This night will forever be imprinted on my life, and if you ever have the opportunity, I strongly recommend you see “Hadestown” for yourself, because my words simply could never do it justice.