Time Loopin' Jazz: Love, Loss & Lessons Learned in Hadestown!

With no preconceived knowledge of the storyline and no idea of what musical adventure I was about to go on, I was immediately drawn in by the thunderous voices and energy that pulls you in from the moment the show begins. There is no slow draw to the attention as I was instantly captivated by the presence of the majestic narrator Hermes who exists both inside and outside the time loop. Hermes drew the audience in with some interactive theater that was received with roaring "oooohs" and "aaaahs", laughs, and clapping. Each and every cast member in this performance was equally talented both in their singing and dancing abilities.

Being one that loves a good love story, the sweetness of character Orpheus and his devotion to his love Eurydice, despite her moment of weakness which drew her to the underworld, had me rooting for his win at love. I was captivated by this likable character Orpheus, a poor musician, who provided a cut between the loud jazz inspired music of the cast and his high tenor melodic sounds that were accompanied by the guitar.

The steam engine was prevalent throughout which mirrored the steam engine energy and power of the voices in the cast. The sweetness of Orpheus contrasted with the deep, seducing voice of Hades which highlighted his presence on the stage. The energy and setting further entranced the audience with the jazz inspired band tiered on the sides of the stage as part of the set. I couldn't help but bop my head, tap my feet, and discreetly dance in my chair as the band played, feeling as if I was in the time-period myself. This was only complemented further with the 1800 inspired outfits mixed with modern day costumes.

Every character was a main character in their own right. The three fates that were all seeing and all-knowing helped characters realize the consequences of their actions. Their presence helped to make clear the storyline and the overall deeper meaning or message being conveyed.

Although the ending was not what a hopeless romantic like me would hope for, the moral and the lessons learned from the characters, with a pervading lesson on true love, outweighed the sadness I felt for Orpheus and Eurydice. I will say that I had goosebumps throughout the entire play and the music made me feel as if I was in the front row.

Story Covered By: Staff Writer
Plymouth Performing Art's Network