Nickolaus Colón (Hades), Jose Contreras (Orpheus), and Namisa Mdlalose Bizana (Persephone) in Hadestown North American Tour, 2025. Photo by: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
I got to see Hadestown at the Fabulous Fox in St. Louis, and wow. You know that feeling when a story grabs you by the heart and politely refuses to let go? That. The story of Orpheus and Eurydice, paired with the marriage of Hades and Persephone.
The cast was phenomenal, the music was gorgeous, and somehow a myth I’ve known for years still had me sitting there thinking, “Maybe this time it’ll turn out differently.” Maybe this time the struggle between light and darkness will all come out differently.
That’s the real magic of Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown. It’s a story about love, hope, longing, fear, bad decisions, impossible choices, and the deeply human habit of looking back when we should keep moving forward. In other words, it’s about all of us.
The music (also written by Mitchell) was bluesy and had a heartbeat that made it very much a part of the cast. The pianist shone as an actor and a musician. Music director Arman Walai Mohammad did a beautiful job with integration of the band and the cast.
My favorite part of the outstanding cast were the Fates. They sang and danced sarcastically, evilly, threatening and creepy and hilarious. These three women clearly studied their ancient Greeks. Thanks to Gia Keddy, Miriam Navarrete, and Jayna Wescoatt for the delighted cackles.
Also, I would like whoever designed the lighting to know that they owe me emotional damages. I’ll include Nickolaus Colón as King Hades in that action due to the sheer force of his voice. This deep basso made several in the audience swoon. It’s an experience.
Five stars. Bring tissues. And maybe a friend to talk about it with afterward, because you’re going to have feelings. | Melissa Cynova
