Why Hadestown is the Most Brilliant Musical Ever 

This was one of the best youtube videos I have ever seen. And I've seen shrek retold.

schafrillaaalalalalalalas

Our Lady of the Underground is one of my favorites, because it touches on something so often neglected in musical theatre: the band. Never before have I seen a musical that takes explicit time to thank the other musicians who help to make this experience. Hadestown really is all about bringing people together. Also, chaotic wine aunt vibes all the way babey

I so greatly wish that they had kept the original "ending" lines from when the musical was off-Broadway. In that version, when Orpheus turns around and sees Eurydice she says to him "You're early," and he replies "I missed you." The exact words exchanged between Persephone and Hades when he came to pick her up during Way Down Hadestown. I sobbed like a baby.

I feel like Orpheus turning around to look behind represents human error. It's not that he didn't have faith that Eurydice was there, but he was convinced that he was tricked.

Imagine one day when Hadestown performs its very last show and the ending is different. Closing the loop. I wanna be there to see it!

A few things I love about Hadestown that I’d like to add: 1) There is a reason behind Orpheus losing Eurydice. At the beginning of the show all Orpheus can see is how the world could be, he's blind to its harsh realities and it contributes to Eurydice's death. As the story progresses he grows more and more pessimistic and by the end he can only see the gritty reality of the world around him and doesn't trust Euridyce to follow him after everything that went down. He went 180° in the other direction (literally and philosophicaly) but it had the same effect on him. An excess of either optimism or pessimism can and will blind you to reality, its only when you strike a healthy balance between the two that you can make the world a better place. This is the lesson I took away from Hadestown. 2) Hermes is the perfect choice for a deific narrator in part because he’s a storyteller in the mythology. In the myth of Io, he lulls Argus to sleep with a long, boring story about the invention of the panpipes. So for Hermes to be telling us the story of Orpheus and Euridice is pretty appropriate. 3)The ways Chris Sullivan and Andre De Shields portray Hermes each have mythological merit. depending on whether you view him from a mortal’s or a god’s perspective. If you view Hermes from a god’s perspective you get Sullivan’s Hermes, one that’s young, exuberant, and mischievous. Sullivan’s Hermes leans more into his non-Cthonic traits. The god of thieves, liars, travelers, and herdsman, the musician who invented the lyre (the instrument Orpheus plays) when he was literally a few hours old. If you look at Hermes from a mortal’s perspective, you get De Sheilds’ Hermes. Compared to a mortal Hermes is impossibly old, and De Shields’ Hermes leans more into his Cthonic traits. In the mythology Hermes was one of two gods that lead the souls of the dead to the river Styx, the other being Thanatos. De Sheilds’ Hermes still has some fun-loving, mischievous tones, but they’re not as pronounced and he’s not as loud as Sullivan’s Hermes. He’s calmer, more collected, and seems wiser. And he’s more of a guide to Orpheus, “I took him underneath my wing,” Remember. And don’t forget the Soliloquy Hermes has during ‘Wait for me II’. I know both portrayals of Hermes have this, but Sullivan’s felt more like a break in character, but it didn’t for De Sheilds’ Hermes. 4) Hades can be kind of a softie in the mythology and I like that Hadestown portrayed this side of him instead of him just being greek Satan. He absolutely adores his wife. His first line in the entire musical is him saying “I missed you” to Persephone, and this comes after all the other characters talk about how big and mean he is. When he first brought Persephone to the underworld he showered her with lavish gifts and pampered her like the goddess she is. And his three-headed dog Cerberus? There is etymological evidence that his name means spotted. Hades named Cerberus, the fearsome three-headed guard dog of the underworld, the ancient Greek equivalent of Spot. 5) Our Lady of the Underground is incredibly important to Persephone’s characterization and here’s why: Persephone was feared by the ancient greeks. She was a bringer of spring, yes, but also a bringer of famine, drought, and plague once she was angered. Mortals would pray to her and Hades to curse people. She was so feared that most mortals wouldn’t even say her name because they didn’t want to risk her wrath, instead, they’d use epithets to refer to her. Listen to ‘Our Lady of the Underground’ again. When she asks a tavern full of mortals what her name is they don’t respond with her actual name, they respond with epithets. ‘Our lady of the underground’, ‘our lady of ways’, ‘our lady of means’, ‘our lady of the upsidedown’. Throughout the entire show, the only mortals to call Persephone by her name were probably drunk or too excited to be afraid, during ‘Living it up on top’. Otherwise, the only people to say “Persephone” are characters with deific blood like Orpheus, (who is technically a demigod, not a mortal), Hades, Hermes, and Persephone herself. Despite her being mostly benevolent during the musical, most mortals would never call Persephone by her name, especially in the underworld where she is the literal queen, they wouldn’t dare. I could go on but then there’d be a full-length novel in the comment section. Thanks for coming to my TED-talk.

I hope that one day they do a single performance where it ends happily.

One thing I love about this show is how every time Orpheus sings the lalala thing, the ensemble joins in, but in Doubt Comes In, when he sings it, no one repeats and they back up Eurydice's part instead, flipping everything and making Orpheus seem even more alone

Orpheus looking behind him is the biggest “Bruh” moment ever

It is a CRIME that you didn’t mention THAT iconic part in Wait for Me reprise. If you know, you know.

i love how even though you're upset and disappointed that orpheus turns around, you can't be mad at the writer or even orpheus himself because his actions are perfectly in character. one of the first things he does is immediately ask eurydice to marry him despite hermes telling him not to come on too strong. he's impulsive, he's driven by emotion, and he's not great at following directions. _of course_ he's gonna turn around.

Ok the fact that in Flowers, the only thing Eurydice remembers about Orpheus is that he "turned his face to mine, and then I turned away into the shade" is just the most painful, blatant bit of foreshadowing I've ever heard. That's literally what happens. He turns to face her, and she has to go back into the shade of the underworld.

we need a proshot i cant stand the low quality bootleg anymore

Schaff: Gonna talk theatre Theatre Geeks: You had me at Theatre

I'm a bit sad he didn't like Our Lady of the Underground because it has one of the best character building moments for Persephone. When she's in Livin' up on Top she has so much fun letting everyone know that all the stuff that's happening is because of her. But in Our Lady of the Underground she can't even get anyone to say her name. Only recognizing her as her as the wife of Hades

Something I noticed was when Hermes says “songbird versus rattle snake” in when the chips are down, in the original myth Eurydice dies by getting bitten by a snake. These lyrics depict hades as the snake that bit her and in the end killed her. That is brilliant.

You had me, "Why Hadestown is the most brilliant musical ever."

Schlaff: *makes this video* Theater kids: MY TIME HAS COME

It took me until now to realize that this is the definition of a pyrrhic victory. Orpheus did succeed, in the end. He lost everything he loved, but he succeeded at his original goal. He wrote a song that brought the world back into tune, bringing back spring and fall. Most people forget that and think he just failed at the end, but no, he probably saved humanity by stopping the fight between Hades and Persephone.

I find it utterly gut wrenchingly bittersweet how the end of Hadestown basically tells us “Orpheus saved the world, but lost his along the way”😭😭😭

Something to help you enjoy Lady of the Underground: Persephone is doing “the best she can” to not only replicate the celebratory feelings of the living world, but also giving the workers something in the way of memories. That’s why she’s not pedaling wine like in ‘Living it Up’; her wares in Hadestown are memories.

I have a theory: the entire show is set in a time loop made by Hermes, in which the only characters who remember how the original Greek myths went are Hermes and the fates. Since Hermes has an emotional attachment to Orpheus, he constantly attempts to intervene with the Orpheus/Eurydice story, but the fates always find a way to shift the story back into the side of the original mythology.

One point about Our Lady of the Underground. There's a reason it seems so disconnected; it isn't supposed to be part of the musical. At one point, during intermission, the actress playing Persephone was supposed to come out with the audience and play the song at the theatre's bar while the show was out, mingling and interacting with the audience as they got their drinks. The idea was scrapped due to logistical issues, but the song was written, so they crammed it at the beginning of act 2. Just a bit of trivia.

Oh, also another clever lyrical mirror: Way Down Hadestown - “Everybody looked, and everybody saw” Way Down Hadestown reprise - “They can look, but they don’t see”

Schaf: *Makes a video on Theater Town* Theater Kids: *I have waited 4, no 5 thousand years for this moment!*

I think he musical explains why Orpheus, despite performing a magnificent feat, looks back beautifully. The beginning of the musical establishes Orpheus = what could be and Eurydice = what is. This severity in difference causes Eurydice’s death. By Doubt Comes In, Orpheus and Eurydice have switched places: Eurydice sings about future faith and Orpheus is consumed by current doubt. They’re not on the same page. The same severity of difference causes her death again.

One of my favorite moments in Hadestown comes from "Our lady of the underground" from when Persephone sings "Look a little closer and there's a crack in the wall" as I take it to mean both there is a crack in the wall of the river styx, which is how Orpheus got into Hadestown, and ALSO that there is a crack in the 4th wall which is why she introduces all the band members to the audience

Me, seeing the title of the video: Ah yes, I love watching my opinions being affirmed

Not to mention Eva noblezada’s voice is pure bliss and she’s a queen

Something I think is a little detail and that’s easy to miss is that Carnations (The flower used throughout the musical) are one of the cheapest flowers. “Orpheus is a poor boy” so he only used a cheap flower. Of course I could be looking into that too much, because they also represent love and devotion.

Sometimes when I'm sad about lockdown, I like to think about the hypothetical first time Andre De Shields walks on stage after reopening, and the ENEGERY that first long pause and subsequent "Alright" is going to have. It gives me goosebumps.

Wow, it’s so interesting that Hades is portrayed ruthless “capitalist,” because in Greek myths he is the god of wealth among other things

headcanon: hermes and the fates are not the only ones aware of the fact that they “sing it again and again,” persephone is aware too. she’s trying to push for some kind of change, so as to break the chain; the “there’s a crack in the wall” line in our lady of the underground is her trying to show the workers the way out. but it doesn’t work, no matter how she tries, so she falls deeper into substance use as a way to numb herself out from being stuck in the loop

When Hermès says “...but we sing it anyway” after doubt comes in, I get chills man. Genuine chills. Love this show.

Okay, as someone who had studied Classics (and more specifically, Greek tragedy and myth), I feel SO passionately that this show is a beautiful modern interpretation of not just the myths it is based on, but the art form of Greek tragedy itself. The way the chorus is used, the subtle hints at mythological truths, and the true catharsis you get at the end is beautiful. It manages to take the core elements of Greek tragedy and modernize it for a more contemporary audience. Greek tragedy was composed to be sung or at least have elements of song from the chorus, which would serve as our narrator (much like Hermes and the chorus do in Hadestown). I don't even know how to properly put into words all the things this show does perfectly from a Classics standpoint, I'm honestly flabbergastedd

The ending doesn't just literally apply to the story of orpheus and eurydice. It can only be read as an allegory to any kind of revolution. A lot of unjust things in history aren't won over by one battle. Its often a series of battles and protests which eventually lead to a slightly better society than before. Like Orpheus. Even though he couldn't save Eurydice, he still brought the world back into tune. Sometimes, battles are lost. Yet the spirit and determination of the fighters continue to inspire the future generations fighting for the same cause. That's why stories of these fighters are retold across generations like the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. We hope that one day, things might end differently.

Now all we need is the 2 hour RU-vid exclusive about why Tamatoa is the greatest entity of all time

The thing that breaks my heart is that Orpheus's character development is what makes the ending so sad. Over time he has become aware that the world isn't always nice and kind and lively. He knows that people get hurt, or lie, or leave. So, when he has the chance to leave Hadestown, Eurydice right behind him; the fact that he knows how the world is, disregarding what it could be, leads to him doubting whats going on. It leads him to turn around.

Hadestown is my favorite grek-mythology based, anti-capitalist broadway musical about a labor strike to end climate change and establish socialism.

Not gonna lie, Hadestown is the only reason I have survived school this far. Edit: 2 years later and I still listen to it religiously. Not as often as I used because there’s so many great musicals to mix in to my playlist

I’m just gonna leave this idea here: Closing Night = He doesn’t turn

Every time I hear the la la la melody, I swear I get chills. Anais did an incredible job at creating such a fluid and beautiful melody that makes me want to listen to it on repeat

I love how the fanbase chooses to collectively forget that after Orpheus leaves Hadestown without Eurydice, he tries to kill himself over and over but fails every time. Eventually he was killed (by maenads or beasts, depending on the version).

"During a certain slime tutorial I watched " *I'm dead*

I always thought that it did make sense why Orpheus turns around in the end of the musical. The whole show plays with the duality of "seeing the world as it is" and "seeing the world as it could be", with Eurydice on the former side, and Orpheus on the latter side. Orpheus, through his relationship with Eurydice, changes as a character by having no other choice but to see the "the way of the world as it is", not only by the inhabits of Hadestown, but also by Eurydice herself. At the beginning of the musical, she insists that Orpheus see the way she sees the world, because doing so has been her way of survival. She is proven right when Orpheus abandons her, and she feels she has no other choice but to go to Hadestown, which, at the time, she saw as a potential "way that the world could be" (bright, warm, no suffering). However, in the end, she finds out that Hadestown is a literal hell, and she begins to question her way of seeing things. Orpheus travels to Hadesown to rescue her with the same view of "what the world could be", but he then gets that view shattered when he learns that Eurydice chose to leave him for Hadestown, which, in turn, plants a seed in his mind that maybe world isn't what he thought it was. He perseveres by playing his song for Hades, which he does through his continued belief in his view of the world with his new found view of how the world actually is, but, that seed has still been implanted. In the end, no matter how optimistic the ending seems to be, Orpheus still abandoned Eurydice, and Eurydice still abandoned Orpheus. Now the lovers are opposite of each other from where they were at the beginning: Orpheus showed Eurydice how the world could be through his song to Hades, but in turn, Eurydice's insistence at the beginning that Orpheus "see the world as it is" has come back to haunt her, as now his whole experience in Hadestown has blinded him to only "see the world as it is", as highlighted in the song "Doubt Comes In", and that is why he turns around. It plays on the delicate balance of the two viewpoints, and that there really isn't a clear answer as to whether its better to "see the world as it is", or to "see the world as it could be". Being too optimistic about the world can lead to willful ignorance and fear of reality while suffering occurs, but choosing to only see reality suffocates any ounce of optimism and hope, which can lead to personal destruction. That is how Orpheus could have come so far and fail at the last second against all reason. Its a sad tale, its a tragedy, because that is sometimes how the world works.

great lyrics? great acting? cool ass stage? AND criticizes capitalism??? hell yeah

I watched this show knowing absolutely nothing about it -- I won the lottery for it and was extremely fortunate to have gotten a seat 3 rows from the front in the center orchestra section, and let me tell you this was a transformative journey. Being that up close and having the swinging lights literally swing _right above me_ was mind boggling and mesmerizing, and having the characters tower and rise above me as if they were actual gods, along with the set transformation had me in mind-numbing disbelief at the overwhelmingly beautiful musical I just watched. Never had an experience like it before, and likely never will again. Favorite musical, favorite piece of art, hands down

Call it a hunch, but I think he likes Hadestown.

I feel like Our Lady of the Underground is very important in showing how Persephonie is not just unhappy with her life in Hades, but that she doesn't belong at all when being herself, she can only survive there by changing into something she isn't. She enthusiastically tells Orpheus that she will always fill everyone's cup when she is on Earth, but when she is playing the role of Hades' Wife she is charging people for her gifts, even while trying to cheer them up. She is trying to get people to cheer for her in the way they do above ground, but the refer to her only through her titles and Capital. The only one who actually says her name is... well... herself. She has this perception of herself that is just not compatible with who she is when she plays by the rules of her husband (Capitalism), and she refuses to see herself as she is now, trying to hold on to who she was.

By watching, WE are orpheus, seeing the show how it COULD be with a happy ending. Instead we dont see the world as it IS. Just like orpheus. It isp probably the most impressive parallel in the show, the connection between orpheus and us

schlaff: imagine writing a song for the whole musical and it sucks me: ugh like "your eyes" from rent schlaff: *plays "your eyes" from rent* I'M GLAD WE ALL AGREE........

when "build the wall" was written, it was just a metaphor.

Some of my favorite little details in Hadestown: 1. There's subtle costume design choices that tell you about the characters. My two favorites are Eurydice wears a ton of fake jewelry to show how she wants to live glamorously and all of the jewelry directly relates to her character, and all of the Gods have rhinestones somewhere on their costumes with Hades literally having it sewn into his pinstripes. 2. During "Doubt Comes In" the entire stage goes pitch black with the sole exception of a very dim spotlight on Orpheus, making it look like he's completely alone and showing things from his perspective. When the Fates sing their lantern lights up to show them in a different place in a different pose almost like they're teleporting, and when Eurydice sings a spotlight shines on her and the workers showing they're all still on the stage. 3. The beat in "Chant" is the steady, mechanical beat that Hades brings up as a sign of his order. When that order is questioned in "Chant (Reprise)" the beat gets a little hitch in it at the end. I'm sure there's more but brain no work

Our lady of the underground is more on Persephone than anything else, showing her compassion to the workers by showing them hope like sunshine in jars and a crack in a wall, and giving the workers the bit of humanity that they need, furthering her role as a character that embodies death and rebirth at the same time.

The a cappella part in Epic III really represents the magic of stage shows for me. No accompaniment, no editing, no cinematography or anything to embellish the moment. Just a group of people absolutely pouring their hearts out to an audience, hoping that they’ll receive the emotion. It’s amazing

i'm not standing for our lady of the underground shade. the way she relates to the workers??? the unfair and artificial commodification of natural goods under capitalism?? the alienation of the worker from nature and humanity in general?? the understanding that persephone resents hades for the way he treats his workers???????????

You talk about Hadestown WITHOUT mentioning "Why we build the wall?" Blasphemy! That is the single best villain song ever! And a brilliantly subtle critique of capitalism

I took my dad to see the tour in LA just yesterday. He said it was “fine”, and “if it’s about greek mythology why are they wearing modern clothes”. I tried to explain the show but it just went over his head. I think he would be happier if Hadestown was an italian opera. Oh well, you can’t please everyone. I thought it was amazing though.

Hadestown: A Folk Musical Schaffrillas Productions: The music has a folk feel to it!

I’ll just be gushing about “Hey, Little Songbird” in the back. Patrick Page’s voice in the song and in general actually scares me. The way his voice helps his character is insane and I can’t even put it in words. The song, it’s lyrics, and the performance is amazing. Also Eva Noblezada.

The cool thing about Hermes in Hadestown is that in Greek Mythology he was one of the several Greek gods who escorted the dead to Hades, I think it's interesting that they chose him as the narrator and the station master for the train to Hadestown

Yo. When Orpheus turned around at the end, and the music cut out, the theater I was in was FUCKING SILENT except for some people sniffling. We know how it ends, but hope it turns out this time.

What I love about this show is that you start wondering what would've happened if Orpheus hadn't turned around. You start to hope that they'll do one show like that. But the thing is, that could never happen. Never. And not just because of the whole "probably would have to write another ending song" thing, but because that's simply not what happens. I wish he hadn't turned around. But as Hermes says, even in the first song, "It's a sad song, it's a tragedy." Having that hope that things might somehow go differently someday is part of the experience. It makes us believe in the ending that could be, in spite of the way that it is. We hope to see something different, but that's not the way it is. And it's not because of character development that the show has to end up that way, not Orpheus learning how to hold on to those he loves, not Euridice learning to hope for what could be, but because that's just (bluntly) how it goes. We're supposed to hope for a different ending. We're meant to wish for more. (Also those who haven't seen the story and aren't particularly invested in the story would be confused by the ending if it went well) BUT ANYWAY. "Raise a Glass" is particularly important, I think, despite it not being my favorite song of the show. We are asked to raise a glass, not just to Orpheus and his god bending song, but to Hades and Persephone for fixing the seasons through the renewal of their love, in sorrow to Euridice for trusting in love even as Orpheus grew doubtful, to the Chorus for looking up even when a god was telling them not to, to Hermes for telling the tragedy of love, even if it hurts, because it must be told, and even to the Fates for helping us understand that this ending, like many other endings, was fate and can't and maybe shouldn't be changed. We are asked to raise a glass to the truth of the tale, to acknowledge what happens, and almost to promise to never give up hope that things could be different one day. Also, we basically know that the story is a loop. When we start the song again snd everyone shows up on stage in the bar wearing their original clothes, we think "oh. this is a loop. they're literally going to sing it again and again". Giving it a happy ending one time would break that loop and make it impossible for it to be sung again. It would save us all from another broken heart, though.

ok so i literally wrote an essay about hadestown and there's a few points i think i can add (they'll probably be under the read more so uhh contents: the symbolism of the flower and the themes it shows, the real tragedy of the ending, and a small easter egg that was probably unintentional but really cool so i'm putting it in here) 1. the flower we can all agree pretty much that it's a red carnation, right? like based on the shape of it. so, why not a rose? both flowers mean love and affection, but carnations have more than one meaning. think of international worker's day (and socialism in general), or the carnation revolution. both use the red carnation as a prominent symbol, and both are relevant to the workers (sub?)plot. there is a part of the show where it changes from one to the other, and its so obvious why they chose it: if it's true. we see orpheus almost give up on his love for eurydice and be defeated by how bad things really are, but then almost immediately shift his focus onto how other people also need help and the song ends with him asserting his love for humanity and the rights of the common person and being willing to stand for it. (also when hades puts the flower in his lapel he looks kind of like president mckinley, who is well known for his presidency having a great general economy but awful working conditions) 2. the ending i respectfully disagree that there's no point to the end and that the message is 'doubt is bad'. in the original, sure, but not in hadestown. throughout the show, orpheus changes from a naive, trusting boy into someone who is committed to change but aware that people take advantage of others. the tragedy in this is that, had hades asked orpheus from the beginning to do the same thing, he would have succeeded. the message is that capitalism creates the conditions to completely break your spirit, forces you to become distrustful, gives you reasons to believe anything good that happens to you is a lie, then laughs at you when you assume that that's true. no single person can be blamed for working within that mindset, and it's a tragedy that the events of the story lead to orpheus' ultimate failing. amber gray once said in an interview about hadestown that activism isn't about getting all your goals, it's about making it easier for the people after you to achieve them. orpheus did create real change, he just failed in his personal goal. (bonus: the easter egg in my essay, i found myself writing about how eurydice's position in chant is reminiscent of the triple burden of women talked about by many second-wave feminists. this got me looking at marxist feminist margaret benston, who said "the amount of unpaid labour performed by women is very large and very profitable to those who own the means of production." this was relevant to that paragraph i swear. anyway, she also wrote a chapter in an anthology titled 'for women, now the chips are down', which made me like 👀. ok thats it bye)

Wasn’t the whole meta thing also a common trait of old Greek epics?? Like when they were performed, didn’t they always open by addressing the audience and had a whole “let me tell you a story” thing.

"Why is it a tragedy?" Me, a Classical lit nerd whose studied Greek plays for years & specifically the structure of tragedies: Schaffrillas: Gives reasoning Me: oh okay that actually makes more sense today

Did... did I just cry over a *review* of a musical that I have never even seen??? Wth, this was beautiful. Excuse me while I go watch some slime tutorials and cry some more.

something abt it cutting to hermes himself saying "but we sing it anyways" just hit different

Me who has no knowledge of musicals but have read the percy jackson series: okay, lets see what this is about

The like final 30 seconds of Wait for Me reprise alone are enough to make it the best musical ever

i just watched the "slime tutorial" of hadestown, a musical I loved for so long. I love looking at how the choreography works with the lyrics. Its so beautiful. When orpheus turns, eurydice freezes and sinks down as if pulled into hadestown. It's as if they aren't acting they are truly upset, the fact that they lost the most important person theyve ever known. I may have not cried, but I could feel the pain.

Another cool thing I noticed in the lyrics of “Wedding Song” I love the double meaning when Orpheus says “the river will break their banks for us”. Literally, it’s saying the riverbank will move to reveal gold, but “breaking the bank” also means paying a lot of money since weddings are expensive lol

Ok, but just a thought about the ending? I have ocd, and for those who don't know, it's not a disorder of perfectionism or hand-washing. Ultimately, it's a disorder that feeds off doubt. The obsessions bother sufferers in part due to the fact that there is an element of uncertainty to them. What if my hands aren't clean? What if I left the oven on? So on and so forth. The compulsions are a way to get reassurance, but they only work for a moment and ultimately make the disease worse. This is why the ending of Hadestown speaks so personally to me. In order to get better, I have to struggle with the anxiety that comes with the uncertainty. Like Orpheus, I'm told not to do the one thing that I think will make me feel better. When he looks back, I can relate to the feelings of temporary relief, and then sadness when I realize that I had just given in to my compulsion. Then the message of hope that this is the way things currently are, and not the way they could be is amazingly encouraging to me. An EXTREMELY personal reading, I know, but just something I thought I'd share anyways 🙂

As someone who knows an absurd amount of greek myths and stories, I always understood the story of Orpheus and Eurydice to be about trust. Trust in the gods, and in ones self. No matter how powerful or strong you are, if you doubt yourself or the gods, you will ultimately fail. If Orpheus had trusted Hades' word, trusted the god, he wouldn't have lost Eurydice. If he trusted himself and his power (I mean he literally sang a whole into the Underworld, digging through the Earth with his voice) he would have had Eurydice. But he doubted himself and Hades, and he lost it all.

when hades finally sings "la la la" i get chills every time. he finally breaks and remembers everything- seeing it live must be so intense.

I think Lindsay Ellis put it best: It's a show that emphasizes the appeal of tragedies and theater especially. Performances, cast members, sets, musicians, etc, are dynamic and change. The orchestra that Persephone specifically names in the universe of the play changes. And it's that hope that if they can change, maybe so can the ending, that brings people back, that makes them hope. It's like NieR Automata and how it contextualizes death and game overs in its story: it's something that literally can't work as powerfully in any other medium.

This is the first musical I've really thrown myself into loving in a long time. Not only is the writing in the songs wonderful (there are strengths in every version), but the way they're written to be performed is interesting. Most of the womens' parts have lower ranges than "normal" shows on Broadway - this has been commented on by Anais Mitchell herself in some interviews. In a "typical" show women usually are cast in a higher soprano range and have to do a lot of difficult, belting, bring-the-house-down numbers. But that puts a lot more undue pressure onto the actresses and also excludes women who sing naturally in a lower range. Anais Mitchell instead wrote in her own range, and wrote songs for all types of female voices. So you get mezzo-soprano, alto, etc., even soprano notes that are much more comfortable for women to sing, while still being very impressive. Just look at Eva Noblezada and Amber Gray for two amazing examples of women who don't sing "high" but are still powerful on stage. And then, with the guys...MAN do they have some challenging stuff to do 🤣. I kind of find it funny that the tables have turned and now the guys have to do the "impossible" ranges women had been putting up with for so long. But the best part is, they're not done without thought; they're meant to show contrast and character. Orpheus is meant to be a young, happy idealist, so he has the highest range in the show and stands out from all the browbeaten cynicism around him. Enter Reeve Carney who, although he's taking over from a pretty good vocalist in the initial pre-Broadway run, gives the character what he needs to be the real hero of the play; youthful uncertainty, but a universal hope. Meanwhile, Hades' voice has to come from the literal depths of Hell, in complete contrast. Even though I wouldn't call him a villain, he's still the main opposing force. And damn, I really don't think they could have gotten anyone but Patrick Page for the part. If we're playing baritone limbo, the bar has to be all the way at the Earth's center before we find a note he can't hit. Big fan obviously 💖 These are characters on two opposing sides of a spectrum, not only in vocal scale but in ideology in the story. So the decision is done with intent and done beautifully. I really respect this show for its technical prowess, meaningful story, and for taking risks that pay off. EDIT: Also, the jazz. Definitely the jazz.

The fact that Persephone leaves with hades cause she loves him is actually true to mythology it’s just a more complex story so people usually go with the “hades kidnapped and trapped her” story line. The Kore and Hades story is my favorite though.

2:44 was genuinely waiting for you to say "I love Percy Jackson"

Nah I know he did not just say Lady Of The Underground was the worst song. A 30 minute video could be made on the hidden little nuancey things in that song alone!! 😤😤

me a person who's only listen to the original hadestown: oh yeah all I've ever know is her backstory so- Shaff: Their love ballad me: **THEIR W H A T**

About a year ago i watched this video in passing, Then hadestown came to the Bay area and i rememered, i thought it would be something to take my mom too for a fun night. I bought some overpriced resale tickets, and we saw it just the other day. Thank you for puting this show on the radar. I gave my mom a fun day out seeing a show, but it also moved her to tears throughout. IT truly made me feel good doing this for her, showing her this amazing show.

I remember seeing this musical in 2019 on a sumer camp field trip, never having really heard the soundtrack. For the rest of my days at camp all I heard was "la la la la la la laaaaaaa"

Muse’s son = musician Play the lyre = liar and a player Electric city = electricity ^ some of my favorite wordplay from the show

Maybe the reason for the tragic ending is to show us how the world really is, which is one where death isn't reversible. You can't just go to the underworld and bring back your loved ones, that is not reality. That would also make sense with 'Raise a Cup': in that song Orpheus stands for everyone who has lost a loved one. "Let all our singing follow him and bring him comfort" the musical is supposed to help those people deal with their loss. "But the ones who sing in the dead of night, we raise our cups to them", the music is for those people who are going through hard times but who are nevertheless keeping hope alive.

I actually stopped and listened to the whole thing in one sitting. And I have one thing to say.... *My Heart, My Soul*

I’m so glad it wasn’t just me that got super emotional during Epic III and how it united all of the workers against Hades, it’s so powerful and uplifting, but even more heartbreaking if you know how the story ends, he brings them so much hope but his own story ends so hopelessly.

Watching a profile picture of angry Tamatoa walk into a theatre is something I never knew I needed

I introduced my sister to Hadestown recently, and during "Hey Little Songbird" she commented that the whole thing about Eurydice going to the Underworld of her own accord kinda sounds like she committed suicide because she couldn't bear living in poverty any longer which... oh my aching heart! (Plus I feel stupid for never realizing in any of the bazillion times I'd listened to it.)

After watching this, I immediately listened to the Hadestown soundtrack straight through and I've now found my new musical obsession. THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO

I just got back from getting to see this live and nothing you could have ever said could have ever prepared me for the masterpiece that was this show.

"why Hadestown is the Most Brilliant Musical Ever" *you had me at Hadestown*

I love The Fates and their haunting alto melodies. To me, it somehow found a way to build and still be steady at the same time. Broadway needs more alto roles.

Wow! You've perfectly encapsulated everything I love about this show. So impressive! Quick story: I live in NYC and was in love with the music. It was about a year into the run, and I couldn't get tickets because the demand was so high. I happened to be in times square eating sushi in Black Sushi, when I noticed a female with dramatic makeup and a baseball hat with Hadestown logo. I asked the young lady if she was in the show. She turned out to be one of the Fates, played by the amazing Kay Trinidad. I expressed my love for the music, and my disappointment of not being able to get tickets. She immediately took down my email address and sent me the link to house seats. for $200 I had 5th row center on the aisle...AND she met me and my guest after the show, where we took pictures ON THE STAGE! An absolute transformative experience.

I think the purpose of the tragic ending is making the point that you need a balance between seeing the way the world IS and how it could be. Orpheus began utterly blind to reality but capable of seeing a possible better world. I always interpreted his looking behind as representative of how he's lost faith in the idea of that better world and has succumbed to cruel reality. He starts the play a visionary who is unwilling to meet the reality of the world, at the middle he has accepted reality but still retains faith that a better future is possible (and so inspires the workers to question the status quo and revolt), and at the end he has lost his hope in a better future and so destroys his chance at a a happy ending. I think the point is that, while you shouldn't be blind to the evils of the world, you also shouldn't let them overwhelm you. You can only improve things if you understand the way they are is bad AND believe they can be better. Though he himself lost faith in his own vision of a better world, his hope DID spread to other people - most noticeably Hades and Persephone, who end the play with some hope that they may repair their relationship. And, obviously, he did give hope to the workers and Euridice (albeit for a short period of time). Anyway, I feel like there are definitely thematic reasons for the play to remain a tragedy - though your weirdly meta interpretation is certainly an interesting theory.

Why Hadestown is the Most Brilliant Musical Ever but its just a bootleg of Hadestown

The story of Eurydice and Orfeous have a happy ending, after Orfeous dies (by being murder for signing to many sad songs) he got reunited with Eurydice and the legend says now they walk together side by side along the shores of the river Styx

Schaffrillas on the verge of tears when describing epic 3 gives me hope

Just watched the musical last night on Broadway and cried several times. They changed Hermes to Mrs. Hermes and the motherly way she addresses Orpheus was heartbreaking