August is hot as hell at Segerstrom and we aren’t talking about the weather. From August 9th through the 21st, Broadway fanatics can see “Hadestown,” a two-and-a-half-hour epic journey to and from the depths of the underworld, where the power of song and the purity of love may defy all odds.
This eight-time Tony Awards winner in 2019, and 2020 Grammy Award winner for Best Musical Theater Album, tells the legendary tale of Orpheus and Eurydice while introducing primary figures of the underworld in King Hades and his wife Persephone in this musical masterpiece written by none other than Anaïs Mitchell and directed by Rachel Chavkin.
There are a few underlying themes found throughout the performance – such as romance, climate change, and politics – as depicted by the extremes in temperature, the unbalanced worlds, and the magnitude of poverty.
Other more prevalent themes include love, greed, sacrifice, exploitation, isolationism, and power. What a rollercoaster of emotions this theatrical performance will invoke!
Nicholas Barasch plays Orpheus, a pauper who immediately falls in love with Eurydice (Morgan Siobhan Green) when he lays eyes on her.
Eurydice, who finds herself facing famine and an unbearable winter can no longer fight the temptation by Hades (Kevin Morrow) and the Fates (Belén Moyano, Bex Odorisio, and Shea Renne) to become a worker in Hadestown, even with Orpheus’ promise that his song will be so powerful it will cause Spring to arrive and eliminate all the worldly problems.
Queue in the unhappy marriage of Hades and Persephone (Kimberly Marable) and you’ve got yourself a truly seductive tragedy.
Will Hades and Persephone reconcile and learn how to love one another again? Will Orpheus be able to convince Hades to let Eurydice leave the underworld and if so, will trust be enough? Will Orpheus need validation and proof that Eurydice is following him out of the hollows of the underworld known as Hadestown and thereby banishing her for all eternity?
This show has it all: suspense, hope, love, turmoil, fear, and regret. All the necessities for a masterful performance that undeniably captures the attention of the audience.
Tickets start at $28 and it really is a must see that will not disappoint. Be aware that the production does utilize strobe effects and haze. So be prepared because it is a wild ride through the belly of the underworld.
