Maria-Christina Oliveras in ‘Hadestown’ North American Tour. (Photos by T. Charles Erickson.)
The Tony-winning musical Hadestown landed in Fort Worth on Tuesday. Based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, the musical take on the classic story was right at home amid the elegance of Bass Hall. A full-house didn’t hurt as the audience often roared with enthusiastic applause to a strong opening night of the final show of the 2022/23 season of Broadway at the Bass.
As Hermes, Nathan Lee Graham kicked off the show with the slow burn of the jazzy New Orleans style “Road to Hell.” He introduced the audience to the cast of characters and thus invited us all into the story. Graham’s charisma was immediate and captivated the audience that readily jumped onto that road to hell.
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Hannah Whitley was a stunning Eurydice. She played her with a tough exterior but a distinct fragility. When Whitley sang, it was with lovely vulnerability. Orpheus was played by understudy Jordan Bollwerk. Orpheus is a poet and singer with a golden voice that charms all. Bollwerk delivered the role with the spot-on sensitivity of an artist, but ironically, his high notes didn’t always land. Nonetheless, his leading man vibes were on point as both the hero and the romantic.
As Hades himself, Matthew Patrick Quinn brought it with a deep-voiced performance that was – ok, it was hot. He injected a strong sensuality with subtle humor to the role and then belted out these big numbers all with such ease. Maria-Christina Oliveras’ performance practically demanded the audience to watch her. Performing as Hades’ wife Persephone, Oliveras had the ideal audacity for the wine-loving goddess stuck in the Underworld.
Of particular notes. The Fates were a phenomenal trio. Played by Dominique Kempf, Nyla Watson and Cecilia Trippiedi, their harmonies were truly stunning. The band, which was onstage, was a handful of players that filled the stage and venue with big sounds and then dialed the music way back for the quieter moments and ballads.
Hadestown is a dense musical with songs that are dramatic over sing-songy showtune types. The show’s feel was less of a big Broadway musical and more like a moving piece of art that was breathtaking to look at and listen to. The set and lighting were moody and dramatic lending to the feel of Hadestown‘s darkness and aged feel.
Written by Anais Mitchell as an album first, Hadestown the musical was ultimately smart, challenging and satisfying. And here for a short time, so if you want to go to hell, do it quickly.
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Nathan Lee Graham in ‘Hadestown.’
Matthew Patrick Quinn, Hannah Whitley, Dominique Kempf, Nyla Watson, Belén Moyano in ‘Hadestown.’
The cast of ‘Hadestown.’
–Rich Lopez
