[Review] Hadestown: The Musical – a Must-See Adaptation

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Hadestown: The Musical lands in theaters on July 24th for five nights only. Here is a review by new writer, Emma Stone (my daughter, not the actress)

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Hadestown, a folk musical created by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and produced by Todd Sickafoose, began as a small locally-touring production in 2006. Four years later, Mitchell released it as a concept album, then began working on a revamped version of the production aimed for a larger release. It debuted off-Broadway in 2016, then took New York by storm when it finally premiered on Broadway in 2018. Hadestown: The Musical brings the original Broadway cast to the screen, capturing a 2025 West End reunion performance as an official multi-camera pro-shot.

Hadestown retells the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in a New Orleans-inspired Jazz Age setting. The Underworld becomes an underground factory at the end of a railroad, Hades is an apathetic foreman, and Eurydice is a struggling girl on the streets. A shabby guitar replaces Orpheus’s lyre. The divide between gods and men is showcased by a balcony on the upper level of the set — and as the Fates flow between the worlds of the human and divine, so too do they freely walk both levels of the stage. Hadestown took the world by storm when it first opened, and now, seven years after its Broadway debut, the original cast’s performance has been brought to the big screen for everybody to see.

I’ve been a Hadestown lover ever since I first listened to the album in 2018. Greek myth retellings are one of my favorite types of media, so naturally, it became a staple in my music rotation. Listening to the album on its own highlights the beauty and tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice’s relationship above all, placing Hades and Persephone as more of an accent — a narrative foil that showcases what happens when you lose the spirit of your love to time and resentment. However, the Broadway performance completely changed the emotional experience for me. Through body language alone, Patrick Page and Amber Gray brought Hades and Persephone to life just as potently as Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada’s Orpheus and Eurydice. It was their heartbreak that brought me to tears and left me with a soaked face mask at the curtain call.

In the same way that the live performance gave me a new perspective on the story, so did the film. A musical pro-shot will never feel exactly like seeing the show in person. A good one will make up for the difference by bringing unique advantages to the table, and Hadestown: The Musical certainly delivers. Close-ups on the actors allow us a much more intimate connection with the characters, cinematic compositions take us directly into the scene, and careful focus draws the viewer’s eye to where it’s intended to be. Most importantly, it immortalizes the original Broadway cast’s performance — not only can it be enjoyed even after the actors retire, but those who were too poor or too late to buy a ticket can now enjoy the show as well. Added behind-the-scenes footage makes the film feel like a love letter to the musical.

Carney, Noblezada, de Shields, and Page all lent their own flair to the characters. Amber Gray’s Persephone is electric, raw and furious. Her spring-green dress stands out against the set’s warm browns and reds. She bares her teeth to the camera. Her raspy, growling voice and defiant attitude set her ablaze against the rest of the cast. Page’s Hades stands tall and distant, an untouchable patriarch — but on camera, the subtleties in his expression betray emotions we don’t get to see outside of the film. Noblezada’s Eurydice sobs openly onscreen, baring her grief for all to see. And of course, at the head of it all, Carney’s plucky Orpheus sings with wide eyes and an open heart.

No matter the format you experience it in, Hadestown is a must-see. The screen capture does an excellent job of preserving the soul of the show in a new and intimate way.

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