Broadway's Back and So Is Hadestown

 

In front (L-R): Eva Noblezada, Andre De Shields, Reeve Carney, and in back (L-R): Patrick Page and Amber Gray in "Hadestown." Photo by Matthew Murphy.

After a long 18-month intermission, Broadway is now reopening for business with old favorites such as "Hamilton," "Lion King," and "Wicked," resuming performances and new shows waiting in the wings such as "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Diana," and the revivals of "Company," and "Funny Girl" (with Beanie Feldstein) as the months progress. It's also the start of a new era as the theatre capital of NYC has promised to make progress in diversity, equality, and business in light of both the Black Lives Matter movement and the bullying behavior of now-disgraced producer Scott Rudin. This fall, there will be seven new plays opening on Broadway by black playwrights. The theatre is moving forward in these times. No more turning back to the past.

For myself, I'm glad to finally come back to the theatre, and I was thrilled to see my first show after a long wait. That show is the 2019 Tony Award winner for best musical, "Hadestown," and I can tell you this. It was indeed worth waiting for because it gives us one of the best and most haunting love stories ever to be sung on the Broadway stage in many a memory. 

Now playing at the Walter Kerr Theatre, "Hadestown" is based on the classic Greek story of "Orpheus and Eurydice." Taking place in a dark and murky town, Orpheus (Reeve Carney), a waiter in a cafe and a musician, falls in love with Eurydice (Eva Noblezada) and promises her that they will get married after he completes a song to make the season of spring come alive. But when the cold weather causes them to struggle without much food in their apartment and with Orpheus still trying to finish the song, Eurydice decides to go to the underground place known as Hadestown. 

Ruling Hadestown is its namesake, the sinister Hades (Tom Hewitt, taking over for its originator Patrick Page until October 31st), and his estranged wife, Persephone (Amber Gray). When Eurydice arrives in the town, she signs her life away to become a worker in Hades' factory. Orpheus soon decides to go there to rescue Eurydice, but there's one problem. Once someone signs their life away in the underground, they are forgotten and never to be seen again in the world above. Guiding the audience throughout the show is Orpheus' guardian, Hermes (Andre De Shields), and a trio of singing Fates (Jewelle Blackman, Jessie Shelton, and Maitland Torres).

Leading an exuberant cast, Carney and Noblezada make a terrific couple. As Hermes, Shields delivers a dynamic performance for which he won a Tony Award two years ago. Hewitt is marvelously twisted as Hades and Gray gives a bonafide show-stealing performance as Persephone. She even kick-starts the second act with her rocking rendition of "Our Lady of the Underground" and recognizing the hard-working onstage seven-piece band bringing the music to life. My kudos even go to the female fates and the five-person singing/dancing ensemble for their top-mark work here.

Anais Mitchell's jazzy, folk-style score and book are fantastic, as is Rachel Chavkin's direction. David Neumann's rhythmic choreography will blow you away once you see it. Michael Krass' ragged costumes, Rachel Hauck's sets, and Bradley King's lighting is a perfect match for the dark material that's presented on stage eight times a week. 

At one point in the show, Orpheus gives a toast "to the world we dream about and the one we live in now." Well, I would like to give a toast to Hadestown for being my first post-COVID lockdown theatrical show. I couldn't have picked a better performance to mark my theatergoing return than this one. Also, here's a toast to the new Broadway that we dream about and the one we live in now.

The Buzz on "Hadestown":

Rating: ****

Bottom Line: A hell of a great show.

Suitable for: Ages 12 and up.

Playing at: The Walter Kerr Theatre, on 219 West 48th Street (between 8th Avenue and Broadway) in Manhattan. For tickets, go to seatgeek.com or todaytix.com or call 888-985-9421.