Melbourne Reviews

The excited hum buzzing through the streets of Melbourne was palpable as the city added another beloved musical to its repertoire. Hadestown, the cult-classic musical by Anaïs Mitchell, which premiered Off Broadway in 2016, has become a favourite across the world with its driving force of a score and tragic narrative.

Based on two tales from Greek mythology—Orpheus and Eurydice’s tragic love story and the King of the Underworld, Hades, and the personification of summertime, Persephone’s unlikely marriage—Hadestown riffs on the ancient texts with its folk/jazz-styled score and narrative that is mostly sung through.

It’s easy to love this show; the music sits across genres, blending New Orleans-style jazz with folk, musical theatre and pop. There’s not a moment of filler, as every song is carefully placed to support the story and its characters. Played by a truly exceptional array of talent, Hadestown features Noah Mullins as the hopelessly devoted musician Orpheus, who is both bumbling romantic and flawed individual. Mullins’ performance is sincere without crossing into saccharine and his vocals transcend across ranges in a delightful display of musical acrobatics. Mullins’ Orpheus wears his heart on his sleeve, giving him moments of comedy against the fiercely independent Eurydice, played by Abigail Adriano*. They are an adorable match and Eurydice’s tough exterior is quickly worn down by Orpheus’ unabashed love.

The ongoing marriage of Hades and Persephone plays out in tandem with these two young lovers as they struggle to find equilibrium in their relationship. Proving that opposites really do attract, the King of the Underworld and his summertime Queen spend six months apart every year, giving Earth its seasons. Adrian Tamburini as Hades brings a certain gravitas to the production with his deep bass vocals and performance that is both charming and predatory. Persephone, played by Elenoa Rokobaro, is truly a force to be reckoned with, as she charms everyone she sees with her sunny personality and questionable taste in men. Rounding out the cast is Australian icon Christine Anu as the narrator Hermes. Anu’s distinctive vocals and cabaret-esque performance make the story accessible for those not up on their Greek mythology, but the jarring nature of an Australian accent is sometimes hard to ignore.

Including an ensemble of Fates (Sarah Murr, Jennifer Trijo and Imani Williams), who additionally provide their skills on percussion, keys, and guitar, and a chorus of strong singers, the show is perfectly set up with an onstage band to give it a lively party atmosphere.

Orpheus and Eurydice’s story is the kind of tragic romance that keeps people returning, hoping that this time it might be different. Even though many audience members were expecting it, the gasps could be heard at the heartbreaking moment of betrayal.

It’s hard to make a musical without a happy ending and without any concrete conclusion, but somehow Hadestown does it. It doesn’t show us how the world is but how it could be, which for a Greek tragedy almost counts as a happily-ever-after.