Aggies made their way down to Hadestown this week as the touring production of the award-winning musical “Hadestown” made its Texas A&M debut at Rudder Auditorium. The jazz-infused retelling of Greek Mythology was a hit, bringing over two thousand audience members into the theater.
“Hadestown” follows the ancient tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice, intertwining it with the love story of Hades and Persephone. The show takes place in a 1920s-inspired jazz club, bringing the myths to a Roaring 20s-era aesthetic.
With themes of love and sacrifice, “Hadestown” has been a Broadway staple since its opening in 2019. The musical was written by Anaïs Mitchell in 2006, and now nearly 20 years later the traveling tour has captured audiences around the United States with Aggies getting to enjoy front-row seats to the underworld.
Architecture sophomore Bruno Schoech was one of the many audience members who got to enjoy the ever-repeating tale firsthand.
“It was beautiful, they did a fantastic job … ” Schoech said. “I love how they used the lighting to emphasize how magical it was. They overall use the lighting to the fullest.”
With the transition of the show from Broadway to Rudder, the technical aspects of the show had to be simplified. What once required a round table floor that would spin with the actors on it, was now further emphasized by circular choreography and distinct lighting. Schoech wasn’t the only one to note on the show lightning.
Visualization junior Diego Gonzales also found himself mesmerized by how the show used lightning to tell the story.
“Because also when you use lighting, you’re directing people’s eyes,” Gonzales said. “On stage, there’s no camera, so everything has to be in either the staging or the lights.”
Gonzales pointed out a specific moment in the show where the lightning was a central component.
“It’s the ending of the song ‘Chant’ where Hades says, ‘If you don’t even want my love I’ll give it to someone who does,’ and they put two spotlights on Hades and Eurydice,” Gonzales said. “You have to let the audience know he’s talking about her, he’s going after her now. It’s those moments that make it so amazing to watch.”
Those familiar with the myth may know that in the end Orpheus fails to follow Hades’ orders, and turns around to face Eurydice, dooming himself and his lover. Orpheus in the myth is bound to repeat his actions over and over again.
“Hadestown” ends in the same way that it began. The cyclical nature of the show is what makes its many themes deep-hitting. The emotional beats are just as complex as the staging and the technical aspects of the show.
“It’s so devastating because they start it all over again,” Schoech said. “Hermes tells you, ‘We’ll sing it as many times as it takes for people to learn the lesson.’ But they can’t tell you what the lesson is, you have to learn it yourself. That’s what makes it so powerful.”
Though “Hadestown” is set in the 1920s, the themes are ever relevant to students and audiences now.
“One of the important themes is failure and learning from it … ” Gonzales said. “But the whole point of the show is that they sing the song again, they tell the story again and attempt to learn from it and change things.”
One of the most impactful moments in the show happens towards the end, as Orpheus turns around. This scene left the audience agape, waiting for the consequences to drop. It is said in the show that Orpheus’ flaw is seeing the world for what it could be.
Environmental geoscience senior Luke Hill resonated with the tragic character of Orpheus.
“If you say you wouldn’t have turned around, you wouldn’t have been Orpheus … ” Hill said. “You wouldn’t have gone on the journey in the first place.”
Part of what has made “Hadestown” so relevant to audiences is how audiences can find parts of themselves embedded in the themes — especially here in Aggieland.
“One of the major themes of ‘Hadestown’ [is] living with the joy of life and respecting the community around you,” Hill said. “I think that A&M has a very strong internal community within like the students and alumni so I think [‘Hadestown’] pretty well connected to A&M in that way.”
“Hadestown”s visit to A&M was more than just an opportunity for students and locals to see a Broadway show at an affordable rate, it was also a chance to engage with a musical that speaks to the cyclical, tragic and romantic human nature.
“It’s a beautiful story … ” Hill said. “In the end, they put you back through the process of meeting the characters for the first time again and now you know that they are doomed and it’s just … so good.”
“Hadestown” tells the story of love — gaining love and losing love, just to repeat it all over again.
“It’s so much better when you do know the ending … ” Gonzalez said. “Because the point of the show is that you do know, but you’re watching it anyway. You’re singing the song again anyway. And that’s just … that’s just an awesome way to tell a story.”
Though the train to “Hadestown” has already passed through A&M, it left the audiences with a new understanding of the classic Greek myth. For those who missed it, Hermes says that they will “sing it again.”
