Hadestown - NT / Lyric Theatre

That’s true but it’s the first time I’ve seen a solicitation for investment in a shows future, Disney, Rudin and Sonia Friedman are far more discreet about their involvement in enhancing shows at the National.  This just sort of offended me. 

Here you go:

Did nobody see Mission Drift in the Shed (a great strange fever dream of a show, which I loved)? That gives a good idea as to Chavkin’s very different approach to musical theatre. I love Mitchell’s music (I’m a sucker for anything folky) and Chavkin’s a good fit for a show that isn’t your typical fare. It’s likely to be hampered, though, if people have different expectations of narrative, use of song etc.

On the NT doing new musicals, does anyone remember Jean Seberg in the eighties? There was Honk (fine but not really the sort of show that needed to be there) and London Road and Jerry Springer the Opera, neither of which couldn’t have been given the opportunity commercially, given their different approach. The Light Princess, which was fine but with Marianne Elliot not quite making the case for it. I’m thinking if there were any more, Tyger way back in the seventies, a sort of William Blake revue, Hiawatha in the early eighties adapted by Bogdanov (broadcast on Channel Four but I’ve never seen a copy).

Guys! You had me quite worried. Naughty Theatreboard!
I thought this was great! Seems like it’s been trimmed and tightened since others have posted, with each act just over an hour. I don’t think the revolve was over used, it worked well to show the transitions between Earth and Hell (Hadestown). There’s are a few areas that could be developed and tweaked but I’ll go into that further another time.
I have got to say though, the sound on this was phenomenal!!! I’m really a stickler for sound on shows and can get quite judgey but this was borderline flawless, for a show less than a full week into previews, nailed it. A really full bodied sound. And by god Patrick Page’s baritone-bass almost stole the show, rightfully so.

In its current form it is a bit marmite.
I can’t sleep, thinking about it and I think I’ve just cracked what’s wrong with it.

Oh I did but alll the thoughts remain this morning.

Fundamentally yes. Aside from the fact he’s the odd one out on stage looking and sounding like he turned up at the wrong show (more American Idiot than Orpheus), he’s written poorly. As a principal character, technically lead - it’s his story ultimately - he’s under developed and lacking a few crucial elements.
It’s not helped by the fact that all the other principals address the audience and recognise them in their songs, Orpheus sings at the audience but doesn’t ever engage them and that isolates him. As there’s no connection to the audience your left not really caring about his fate at the end.

There is a really obvious (in my opinion) solution to this but I’m not posting that yet.

Definitely not the drum revolve was my opinion. Looks smaller and nearer the front of the stage.

THE MAIN THING is that it's a show in the National Theatre that doesn't completely stink, always worth marking in recent times.

Right then. Sat at a computer now so I can type up my thoughts properly.

On paper, this adaption of the Orpheus story works but it's somewhat lost in translation on stage. I think the fundamental reason this doesn't work is the audience doesn't buy into the Orpheus/Eurydice relationship. He too quickly propositions her with marriage for no reason and then abandons her to write music, albeit to secure their future, resulting in Eurydice's frustration triggered deal with Hades. Reeve Carney lacks the ability to connect to - and engage - the audience in the same way the other principals do. I was genuinely surprised to read he can actually play the guitar because the two chords he strums unconfidently for the duration of the production demonstrate no ability. The love song that the whole show revolves around (see what I did there?) is the weakest of the lot and that is a big issue. It should be the biggest, most provoking of the evening but its bi-chord composition lacks substance and leaves you feeling empty and questioning Hades' resolution.

Another flaw I found, was that there wasn't a solid enough definition of when or where this piece is rooted. There are strong visual clues to the Depression-era in its visual styling but then theres a jukebox on stage. Why? At no point does anyone go near it. There is no reference to it or interaction with it. Ever. It is pointless and only serves to demonstrate a distraction in the designers objective. They'd be better served loosing that and putting a big, rusty, steel radiator there which hints at and ties the implied location to the later seen Hadestown. In terms of design I think they could play more on the steampunk elements make more of it.
It's also not obvious why everyones in the same space at the beginning, or what the space is. It could be a bar, but theres no bar, because it's prohibition era I assume. But that leaves questions and uncertainty. Audiences need spoon feeding. They'd be better playing on the Prohibition element, making it obvious everyone's in a prohibition bar to start with; Hermes' bar with The Fates as his bar maids and we (the audience) the guests. 

Hades needs to loose the sun glasses. With his leather trenchcoat he looks like he's fallen out of The Matrix and even if thats a deliberate, very juvenile pun (Morpheus/Orpheus) it doesn't look right because of the unclear setting of the piece. If they want to give Hades an element of mystery and physical barrier which he removes to 'reveal' he should have a Stetson. Yes, probably means they'd need a second microphone, the additional embedded in the hat, but its a necessary complication.

I think Persephone needs to channel more of her inner Mrs Lovett. She's a good character but jumps too quickly from drunk to sober and back. She'd work if she was a bit more continually unhinged. Also stop calling her wicker bag a suitcase or actually give her a suitcase. That wicker bag another prop looking very out of place.

Generally the lighting was good but Act 1 is too bright overall. Again for the implied prohibition-era there was too much light exposing everything including the writing.

Absolutely agree that Act 1 should end with Wait for Me and Act 2 open with Build the Wall. There was a 'song' towards the start of the second act which isn't on the live Soundtrack, cant remember much about it other than is being quite dissonant; perhaps it was more dialogue with underscored noise either way it was an absolute chore to sit through and needs cutting or rehashing.

Those are some of the more prevalent thoughts I've had. I did really enjoy it however and have to once again say how brilliant it sounded. I think if they give Orpheus a reason to love Eurydice (there's a really obvious, simple solution here that the writers are scratching around but haven't excavated yet) and fix the love song thats the majority of the battle fought.

Agree that there are some overwhelming problems with the production, but I still took a lot from it and will probably try and see it again. The music is beautiful (for the most part, there are some glaring errors) but was genuinely disappointed with the changes made to what is the 'heart' of the piece for want of another term, Orpheus' song "Epic" which had an addition at the beginning something along the lines of Here is Hades, and Persephone, "I don't know how it ends/ but this is how it begun..." which seemed to do nothing other than ruin a really (otherwise) beautifully written song. It should start with "King of diamond, king of spades, Hades was king of a kingdom of dirt.."

Admittedly I've been a fan of Reeve Carney's music for a long time, and while I was taken with his voice I thought he was underused for all the talent he has. Strange they didn't use his musicianship for much other than some pretty flat guitar chords. I know he was what many of you felt was wrong with the show - but for me it was more the lack of chemistry he had with Eurydice than his own performance (which I found compelling). I was sat rather close (Stalls H) so can't speak to how he was read further back but he definitely interacted with the audience a lot and drew you in.

As most of you have said Act 1 should end with Orpheus' arrival in Hades, an extension of their walk out of the underworld, and more made of Orpheus' look back at Eurydice. But please, NOT more actual walking... some of that running on the spot gave me horrible flashbacks to Obsession.

I'll take a ticket to the Persephone show any day of the week. Amber Grey was phenomenal.

For me it's a a 5 star show hiding beneath 3 star direction, so you have to squint a bit to see how magnificent it could be.

Not at all. Its all self explanatory.

Listening to the live recording on Spotify now and reliving the show over in my head. Absolutely need to see this again.