While still selling out on stage in New York City, HADESTOWN, has been faithfully filmed and showing on cinema screens this week only. Winning 8 Tony Awards in 2019 including Best Musical of the Year, this is a New Orleans style musical that is the story two young lovers in a relationship complicated by the devil himself- Hades. He drags Eurydice to Hell for his lover but the boy, with help from his mentor Hermes follows them in to the depths to save her.
Filmed during a performance in March 2025 in London’s West End with all the principal actors from the Original Broadway Opening Night cast. The director of this “Pro-Shot” brings an intimacy to the filming, not just a performance captured on camera. His cinematography and editing takes the movie audience right into the show almost to the point of participation. While occasionally giving us a view of the audience in the auditorium during filming it re-enforces the overall concept of being performed “live” as we enter this world.
Created by Anais Mitchell as a concept album and directed for the stage by Rachel Chavkin (both Tony Winners); theatrically HADESTOWN was a masterful work, and by moving it on to film by filmmaker Brett Sullivan, the production is enhanced becoming magnificent.
Broadway Legend, Andre De Shields (Tony nominated as the original WIZ in 1975) at almost 80 years old is Hermes the narrator of the tale as he guides the boy through his travels. He is perfection in his Tony winning role; you just can’t take your eyes off him as you hang on his every word. The lush music is performed by Reeve Carney as the boy, Eva Noblezada as the girl, with scary Patrick Page as Hades and Amber Gray as his wife.
With this amazing cast, the wonderful staging and the atmospheric cinematography this is without a doubt the definitive ephemeral staged production of “HADESTOWN” – now captured forever.
———————————————————————————————–
HADESTOWN has been extended to run through Thursday, August 5th at theatres nationwide. If you are in the Boston area, like Ben, you can see it at the following theatres:
Entertainment Cinemas, Leominster MA
Regal Solomon Pond Cinemas
Maynard (MA) Fine Arts Theater
O’Neil Cinemas at the Point, Littleton, MA
AMC Framingham 16