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Hadestown
Broadway Across Canada
Shows run through Aug. 27, National Arts Centre (1 Elgin St.)
Tickets via Ticketmaster.ca
Reviewed Aug. 22, 2023
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The touring production of Hadestown that’s at the National Arts Centre this week is one of the less dazzling shows to come out of Broadway in recent years. With its neutral colours, moody lighting and tightly focused on-stage action, it lacks the sweeping impact of some of the big, splashy productions we’ve seen lately, while the harsh sound quality on opening night made it difficult to follow the story.
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This is the show in which the book, lyrics and music were written by one woman — Anaïs Mitchell, a singer-songwriter from the folk-music scene — and that in itself makes it a rarity. She’s only the fourth woman in Broadway history to handle all three aspects of creating a musical, and the fact that it went on to win some major awards — a Tony for best musical and a Grammy for the show album — constitutes a show-biz phenomenon.
Directed by Rachel Chavkin, the tale is a version of the ancient legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, interwoven with a love story, of sorts, between Persephone and Hades. It’s set in a bleak world populated by workers in ragged clothes, lending a post-apocalyptic feel to the proceedings.
The music, played by an on-stage band, is great — a rootsy blend of folk, blues and soul with a New Orleans vibe. The singing, however, was marred by uneven sound quality that made the higher-pitched voices hard to hear. Orpheus (played by J. Antonio Rodriguez), Eurydice (Hannah Whitley) and even Hermes, the messenger (Nathan Lee Graham), were unable to overcome this problem, despite their best efforts at projecting.
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The sonic muddiness left Hades, played by Matthew Patrick Quinn, to carry the show, especially in the second act. His foreboding stage presence and deep, rich baritone mesmerized, making it hard to take your eyes off him. As Persephone, Maria-Christina Oliveras was a welcome presence, too, with her comedic skills and colourful dress bringing a light-hearted sensibility to the production.
Also noteworthy were the three mischief-making Fates, a trio of talented women (played by Dominique Kempf, Belén Moyano and Nyla Watson) who not only nailed the harmonies but also played instruments (violin, accordion and triangle) while singing and dancing.
Overall, though, the technical difficulties diluted the emotional impact, leaving me cool towards a show I wanted to love. Here’s hoping the gremlins were stomped out after opening night.
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Q&A: Hadestown’s Anaïs Mitchell on the making of her Broadway musical
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