Hermes (Levi Kreis), the suave and soulful messenger of the gods and conveyer of souls into the afterlife, invites you to “Ride that train to the end of the line” at the Ahmanson; and the ride, we must add, is phenomenal.

Hadestown, the heavenly and scorching eight-time Tony Award-winning 2019 musical, mines ancient, but infinitely moldable Greek myths, bringing together the who’s who of the classical world and blending their stories for a modern rendition by Anais Mitchell (music, book, and lyrics) and director, Rachel Chavkin. The brilliance of Mitchell’s writing is that by contemporizing the myths she has lost none of their charms while making them stunningly relevant to our times — thus even adding heft to them. The same Greek characters you’ve come to love have been resettled in a Depression-era version of New Orleans and tweaked with a dose of Henry James.

The same Greek characters you’ve come to love have been resettled in a Depression-era version of New Orleans and tweaked with a dose of Henry James.

Eurydice (Morgan Siobhan Green), hungry and oppressed, can’t let her love for the recklessly romantic Orpheus blind her to the harsh realities of life. “Lover tell me if you’re able / Who’s gonna lay the wedding table? / Time’s being what they are / Dark and getting darker all the time” she belts so stirringly that we hope there’s an R&B album in her future as there was for Heather Headley. Tormented by the Fates (played with deliciously wicked sass by Belén Moyano, Bex Odorisio, Shea Renne), she descends the oppressive underworld of the tyrannical, but charismatic industrialist and climate change villain, Hades (Kevyn Morrow). And Orpheus (Nicholas Barasch), poor, idealistic and naive, embarks on his hero’s quest, pursuing her not with a lyre, but his guitar and a rousing falsetto. Add to the mix a vivacious, scene-stealing Persephone (Kimberly Marable), who has grown disgusted with husband Hades, and only feels happy and alive when she’s above ground for half the year, making nature flourish and hitting the moonshine for fun rather than to numb herself when with him.

Rachel Hauck’s scenic design seamlessly switches between the speakeasy ambiance above ground to the hellish, industrial wasteland of the underworld. The music, which won both a Tony and also the 2020 Grammy for best musical theater album, is delightfully soulful and melodious, effectively moving the story along so that there’s barely a lull in the drama. A musical like Hadestown is the reason why we bother to don masks and go to the theater; because when it’s done right, we are not merely entertained; we identify and merge with the unfurling spectacle.

— G. Dhalla

Hadestown plays at the Ahmanson Theater through May 29th. Tickets HERE.