By Nick Nitkowski

I’ve known about “Hadestown” for a while. Everyone was saying how great it was and that it was the next “Hamilton” and that it’s such a grand spectacle. Of course, me being a fan of “Hamilton”, I wanted to know more about “Hadestown”. But unfortunately, it wasn’t touring, and I personally couldn’t afford a trip to New York to see it on Broadway. So, I waited. I waited while actively avoiding listening to any of the songs, right up until some version of the show came to town, and eventually, it did. So, when I got to see the show for the first time, I was amazed! I loved it! And while the cast of the touring company was great, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would have been like to have seen the show with the original cast members. Fortunately, we now get to see exactly that because we have a new Pro-Shot from the West End featuring the original cast members and the best part is that it won’t cost an arm, a leg, or a soul, but a simple movie ticket to see it on the big screen!

For those of you who may not be in the know, “Hadestown” is a jazz-style musical about the story of a poet named Orpheus who falls in love with a girl named Eurydice, but when she finds herself in the underworld known as Hadestown ruled by none other than Hades himself, Orpheus must do what he can to rescue her.

As expected, the show was fantastic! The magnitude of which was greatly heightened with the original cast that provides that unique spark that makes it work, much like “Hamilton”. Using a simple set piece, everyone shares the stage, including the band members providing the music for the show. It’s so unique and works so well. 

All of the performers did an amazing job. They help make the show what it is, in my opinion. We have Reeve Carney as Orpheus and Eva Noblezada as Eurydice who both have a great love connection in the story, which only makes sense since they met during their time doing “Hadestown” and fell in love for real and soon got married in real life. We have Andre De Shields as Hermes, who has great charisma and guides the audience through the story very well. We have Amber Gray as Persephone, who portrays her as drunk most of the time, but can also be caring and heartfelt. And last and definitely not last, we have Patrick Page as Hades who has a menacing presence and a deep voice to boot. Speaking of which, during one of the performances before filming the Pro-Shot, Patrick Page injured his leg, but instead of cancelling the recording, they made a special cast for his leg and a cane that fit his character and I was genuinely surprised by how mobile he still was with the cast on, making Patrick Page a fittingly unstoppable force to be reckoned with.

All of the songs are great in this show. Any theatre kid probably already knows the whole show by heart, but for those unaware, they are all very catchy with an infectious jazzy vibe. And like I said before, the band is on stage with the cast during the entire show. I’m not sure if this is something that hasn’t been done before, but I can certainly say that I’ve never seen it before. Every other show has the orchestra in the pit either below the stage or off to the side depending on the venue, but rarely, if ever, do they share the spotlight with the actors performing. 

Overall, if you have not had the privilege or funds to see “Hadestown” live on stage, this is the next best thing. To watch it performed through the big screen with professional camera angles and shots that not even the audience members who were there could see. It is an amazing show that I feel everyone should give a chance. Especially if you’re into musical theatre. Simply put, if you liked the pro-shot of “Hamilton”, you’re going to like the pro-shot of “Hadestown”. It is easily worth your time to see it and with only 5 nights in theaters, your time to do so is limited, so don’t Wait For Me and get going to see it on the big screen as soon as possible.

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟  🌟 stars