J. Antonio Rodriguez and Company (Photo by T Charles Erickson)
Reviewed by Julia Stier
Ahmanson Theatre
Through October 15
RECOMMENDED
Like Persephone in the spring, Hadestown has returned – to the Ahmanson, that is.
The Tony award-winning musical – written by Anaïs Mitchell and developed with and directed by Rachel Chavkin – is back for a two-week stint, having first been a part of that theater’s 2022 season.
Named after Mitchell’s own imagined name for the “Kingdom of Stone” that Hades rules over, Hadestown is a musical retelling of two famous Greek myths: that of Hades (Matthew Patrick Quinn) and Persephone (Lana Gordon) – the King of Death and the Goddess of Spring, and how their entanglement created the seasons; and the cautionary tale of Orpheus (J. Antonio Rodriguez) and Eurydice (Amaya Braganza) – Orpheus being the man who went down to hell to retrieve his wife, only to lose his faith, and ultimately her, at the last second.
A couple other characters of mythic proportions (pun intended) are along for the ride, including the Messenger God, Hermes (Will Mann) and the Three Fates (Marla Louissaint, Lizzie Markson, and Hannah Schreer).
From those first brassy opening notes, the tone is set for the entire show – this isn’t going to be some stuffy retelling of an age-old story. With an almost entirely sung-through score, the songs (dripping with poetic lyrics and set to bluesy, folksy, and New Orleans-style jazz arrangements) take audiences on an intoxicating ride to the Underworld.
As an avid Hadestown fan myself, I had no problem following the lyrically-rich tunes. However, the overall consensus-advice from talking to other theater–goers who were experiencing the show for the first time is to listen to the album a few times before coming.
With two compelling couples as the central focus, multiple viewings of the show – all of which have been productions at the Ahmanson, with two different casts – has, for me, made it clear that it’s the actors themselves who help pinpoint which couple the story is about.
This time around, it’s Hades and Persephone’s show.
Quinn and Gordon as the two ancient lovers ooze personality and charisma. Quinn as Hades effortlessly dips into notes as low as the Underworld itself, while Gordon, as Persephone, exquisitely embodies a woman whose sweetness has turned sour.
Rodriguez is an especially innocent Orpheus, and is a nice foil to Braganza’s rough-and-tumble Eurydice. Mann as Hermes is commanding yet gentle, and Louissant, Markson, and Schreer as the ever-present Fates use their tight harmonies to add a chilling, underlying feeling of doom to the entire story.
Of the many Tonys that Hadestown took home in 2019, including Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, and Best Original Score, the category that Hadestown really put on the map was Best Scenic Design of a Musical. That award went home with Rachel Hauck, whose designs continue to thrill, as she takes us from a homey bar above ground, to the dark depths of stone and steel below.
The Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave. downtown LA. Opens Wed., Oct. 4; Tues.-Sat., 8 pm, Sat., 2 pm, Sun. 1pm & 6:30 pm; through Oct.15.
https://www.centertheatregroup.org/tickets/ahmanson-theatre/2021/hadestown/. Run time approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.
