Hadestown - NT / Lyric Theatre

Are we going to end up with a Venn Diagram instead of a list view to show where they overlap? It would be prettier at least? ☺️

I've deliberately stayed clear of this show to go into it with a fresh mind which I did today.

This production is so well put together, amazing stage craft, direction and design work. A really strong cast with Dónal Finn and Melanie La Barrie being the standout performers. I preferred Grace H-Y in Sunset and found her kinda cold here though she gave great vocals.

I think Eurydice as a character was the reason I just didn't connect with this show as her relationship with Orpheus seems needed for the plot rather than something I actually believed in.

The material (despite the immaculate band) doesn't float my boat. There is some great individual numbers in there but the book is slow and thin with plot. The lyrics are caked in so much endless metaphor that the whole score is pretty tiring after two and a half hours of it. It all comes off as slightly indulgent.

However, I think Hadestown really succeeds artistically and I can't think of a more poetic show to succeed in the West End in recent years. This is the show that the producers of "Opening Night" thought they were making!

When I scrolled down at the checkout page it told me where my seats were the other week. I don't think there's set seats for each performance, more of a case of what they have left. I had a fairly central seat in row J of the stalls. Would have been £170 had I booked it full price.

The show itself has grown on me since seeing it. I loved Melanie and am now ruined for any recordings that don't feature her. I didn't really feel the chemistry between Orpheus and Euridice, I found Hades and Persephone's relationship more compelling.

I don't really know the right words musically, but I think I would have appreciated Orpheus' songs better had they not been sung so high. There are only a few instances where I like that style of singing and this wasn't one of them. As others have said the La's feel like a placeholder, and they work as such the first time they're used as the song is unfinished, but I don't think they should have been in the finished song.

Having not seen the show before I found the opening a bit strange, it felt very much geared towards repeat visitors, which this show doesn't really scream as the type of show for that really, but by the end it made sense.

I saw this at the end of April, knowing very little about it, having not listened to the Broadway Cast recording and I thought it was beautifully staged and the music was fabulous. We had Christopher Short as Hades and Madeline Charlemagne as Eurydice - the cast were all excellent but standouts by quite some way were Melanie La Barrie as Hermes ad Gloria Onitiri as Persephone - just exceptional.
I don't know if it is a product of not knowing the score and more than the basic mythology, but I did struggle to feel the love story between Orpheus and Eurydice and subsequently, buy into the motivation for Eurydice's decision. I don't think this was to do with the cast - more that I didn't have the time to buy in to these elements.

However, my reason for posting now is that I went to the Hay Festival on Monday and listened to Anais Mitchell talking about her new book, Working on a Song. She talked about bringing the work to the stage and it's evolution. Her talk was interspersed with 5 of the cast bringing us some of the songs and I'm now convinced that I need to revisit this because I suspect a second visit may hit differently. It was such a privilege to hear Anais singing Why We Build the Wall and watching her watch the cast bringing her songs to life. It was an excellent talk (which will probably be available on the Hay Player for anyone interested)

A friend of mine is visiting London and has booked Hadestown, but has hearing issues and wondering about what accommodations the Lyric makes or what listening assisted devices are available. Thanks.

TodayTix now do Rush Tix for Hadestown.

If it’s any help Nimax has a section on accessibility here. Click on the drop down menu for the Lyric and then scroll down for information. nimaxtheatres.com/accessibility/

If they did this I might finally go and watch it.

Any rumours on who is going to be taking over from Grace for Eurydice or when Grace’s last show is confirmed to be?

Bit of a oddball this one, wins over by the end but solely down to a powerful ensemble cast and clever effective staging rather than the book and score but was bit underwhelmed at the interval after a first act preamble setting the scene and little else.

Mainly wanted to see it for Zachary James and he is great in his number but it's a short burst like the other leads who seem to be centre stage far less than the amazing five workers who do much of the heavy lifting on the show and must be on stage 80% of the time and do have more of a story arc than the leads, Christopher Short and Waylon Jacobs were especially strong in these roles.
Did buy the cd from Ebay so will see if the tracks stand out more there, surprised its a double cd , like others have noted apart from the la la Las and building a wall lyrics could not remember a single tune. Merchandise stand was doing brisk business before and after but fairly regular stuff, surely this show should have branded playing cards and drink glasses for sale.
It's different enough so hopefully will have a decent run and while not in hurry to see again would pop in if had spare theatre slot. It seems rare to see the complete first cast on stage so good chance when seeing it again it will be a different cast mix.

Donal Finn - couldn't understand for much of the show. Wasn't even sure if he was speaking English at some points. Terrible diction.

Nope. 

Compare his diction to Grace, crystal clear, could understand what she was saying.