MUSICAL THEATRE
Music, lyrics & book by Anais Mitchell, developed with and directed by Rachel Chavkin
At Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne 29 June 2025
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: **** (4)
This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on Sat 17 May 2025. KH
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| Abigail Adriano, Christine Anu and Noah Mullins in Hadestown-image Lisa Tomasetti. |
From the energetic, opening ensemble number, Road to Hell, Hadestown captivates its audience with its inventive blend of myth, music and modern storytelling. At this media preview performance, Noah Mullins plays Orpheus, while Eliza Soriano replaces Abigail Adriano as Eurydice, bringing fresh energy and nuance to this tragic love story.
This modern musical is a major feat of theatrical writing with music, lyrics and book written by the supremely talented Anaïs Mitchell and developed with director Rachel Chavkin. The narrative merges two Greek myths: Orpheus and Eurydice, and Hades and Persephone.
Mitchell’s genre-blending score fuses 1920s jazz, rhythm and blues, popular ballads, and aching love duets. The opening ensemble number is a foot-tapping feast, immediately immersing the audience in the show’s gritty, mythical world.
Mullins brings wide-eyed naivete and endearing gaucheness to the role of Orpheus, the musical and poetic genius whose songs seek to reshape the world. His vulnerability is heartfelt, particularly in the devastating Epic III.
Opposite Mullins, Soriano is a feisty, emotionally raw Eurydice who captures the character’s internal damage with moving clarity. Their duets are soulful and enchanting, especially All I’ve Ever Known, delivering a tenderness that underscores the story’s tragic stakes.
Adrian Tamburini is a towering highlight as Hades. His rich, dark velvet bass and statuesque presence make him both a menacing and strangely magnetic god of the underworld. Elenoa Rokobaro is phenomenal as Persephone, lighting up the stage with her powerhouse vocals and effervescent charisma as the goddess who brings summer to the world above.
In contrast, Christine Anu feels miscast as Hermes. While her vocals match the show’s style, her limited acting range struggles to carry the weight of the narrator, especially when placed alongside the emotional depth of other performances.
The trio of Fates — Sarah Muir, Jennifer Trijo, and Imani Williams — provide a compelling chorus. Echoing ancient Greek theatre, they foretell doom with eerie beauty and are in perfect harmony, both musically and dramatically.
The ensemble of singer-dancers injects every moment with energy, filling the stage with multiple characters, vivacious choreography (David Neumann) and layered vocal harmonies. The on-stage band is exceptional, with memorable solos from trombonist Griffin Youngs.
This production of Hadestown doesn’t just retell a myth — it reanimates it with heart, heat and haunting harmony. Mullins and Soriano sing a story of doomed love that feels devastatingly alive. We desperately wish that the ending will be different, but we all know this story; To quote Mitchell’s lyrics, “It’s a love song. It’s a sad song’”.
by Kate Herbert
Cast
- Hermes: Christine Anu
- Orpheus: Noah Mullins
- Eurydice: Abigail Adriano
- Persephone: Elenoa Rokobaro
- Hades: Adrian Tamburini
- The Fates:
- Sarah Murr
- Jennifer Trijo
- Imani Williams
- Workers:
- Eliza Soriano
- Afua Adjei
- Sam Richardson
- Iosefa Laga'aia
- Devon Braithwaite
Hadestown cast -Adrian Tamburini on balcony- image Lisa Tomasetti - Swings:
- Molly Bugeja (Dance Captain)
- Jessie Monk (Assistant Dance Captain)
- Jack Lyall
- Joshua Kobeck
Creative Team
- Music, Lyrics & Book: Anaïs Mitchell
- Director: Rachel Chavkin
- Choreographer: David Neumann
- Scenic Design: Rachel Hauck
- Costume Design: Michael Krass
- Lighting Design: Bradley King
- Sound Designers: Nevin Steinberg & Jessica Paz
- Music Supervisor & Vocal Arranger: Liam Robinson
- Arrangements & Orchestrations: Michael Chorney & Todd Sickafoose
- Dramaturg: Ken Cerniglia
- Associate Director: Tiffani Swalley
- Associate Choreographer: Alex Lugo
- Musical Director: Laura Tipoki
- Associate Lighting Designer: Trudy Dalgleish
- Associate Sound Designer: Shelly Lee
This production is presented by Opera Australia and JONES Theatrical Group, with original Broadway producers Mara Isaacs, Dale Franzen, Hunter Arnold, and Tom Kirdahy.
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