Hadestown Review – Outstanding, Captivating, Entertaining, A Must See

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Category: Indies, Docs, Foreign Film

Published on Tuesday, 23 June 2026 13:17

Written by Janet Walker

Hadestown, from Bleecker Street, a story of love and trust and the price of desire, brings to the screen the original cast of the 2019 Tony winning smash hit musical, filmed live from the Lyric Theater in London's West End.  

As the story begins we meet Hermes, played by André De Shields the conductor, an old man,, who has lived life, and he introduces the players in song. We meet the Fates, played by Belle Brown, Madeline Charlemagne, Allie Daniel, Persephone, played by Amber Gray, Hades, played by Patrick Page, Orpheus, played by Reeve Carney, a naïve young man, an artist, poet, and musician, and his muse, Eurydice, the girl who takes his breath away with one glance, played by Eva Noblezada.

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In the first act, we enjoy watching Orpheus, attempting to woo, Eurydice, after be told to play it cool, don't wear your heart on your sleeve. And as an artist, he is captured immediately by name, and without hesitation he explains she is the woman he will marry.

The exchange between Eurydice, and  Hermes, we learn Orpheus is rash, and even as he rushes into this relationship, he is sincere, and his songs are magical. Put to the test, he plays an unfinished song and the world changes.

She is convinced and the two wed. Persephone arrives about this time, from below, as we learn, she too was once an earthly dweller, who would gather fresh flowers from the greenest of hills, as she is summer, until one day, she meets a handsome stranger, magnetic, who draws her into his world, not realizing she would need to leave her once a year to dwell below in his.

When Persephone dwell in upon the earth she is dressed in the colors of spring, bright green, carrying a bag of with a springtime bouquet, she is bright and lovely, and when it is her time to descend to Hadestown, she is dressed in widow black, although her personality is a vibrant below as it is above. Her power in the underworld, which seems throughout the majority of the play, as dulled over time, is really only dormant.

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As the Fates would have it, the love between Orpheus, and Eurydice, who is unaccustomed to the artists life, and accustomed to feigning for herself in the cold, harsh and brutal world, she ventures out, believing it is her responsibility to find the food and wood to keep them, as Orpheus is toiling away on his song, unaware of the need for food and unable to feel the increasing chill in the air, mesmerized only by the words on the page, the song in his soul.

The fates rush in, whispering, bringing doubt, causing the battle in our minds to become full blown, overwhelming, creating rash decisions, poor choices, and soon, Eurydice, decides to sell her soul for a piece of bread and warmth.

And soon the train arrives and she too is taken to Hadestown.

This ushers in the second act, which takes place predominately in Hadestown.

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We understand that the King of Hadestown rules with an iron fist. Through song, we understand why he built the wall, that protects those, and keeps others, who want what they have out. He also controls the fates, who at his beckoning whisper their eroding war cries, grinding down the resolve.

When Orpheus finds Eurydice is missing, he is unable to control his emotions. The conductor explains, the road to Hadestown is hard, a long walk on the railroad track. Orpheus is resolute: he will travel to Hadestown and bring her home.

As he arrives, we understand Hadestown is a place where no one dares raise their expectation of a brighter tomorrow. This is as good as it gets, the cog in the wheel, be quiet, don't try, stay in line, all you need is here.

Orpheus arrives, and suddenly Eurydice begins to remember, to remember her name, her life, her love. This sets up the battle between the boy, Orpheus,  and the King. The boy, brash, fearless, the King, wise in the ways of the world, jaded, and long past the notion that romantic love is enough accepts the challenge. And once again the boy, Orpheus, who has seen magic appear when his words found life, once again sings, and the heart of the king, melts, the love he once buried for Persephone, is alive.

This become a dilemma; damned if you do and dammed, as the fates tell us, if you don't and becomes the catalyst for the finale.

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Hadestown is outstanding. A brilliant, captivating musical, with strong performances, and a jazzy soundtrack, which also went on to win a Grammy for Best Musical Soundtrack. A first-rate, entertaining and enjoyable opportunity to be a part of the continued success of this smash hit.

Patrick Page, who plays the King of Hades, as viewers will see wore a medical boot during this performance, as he tore his Achilles tendon, and depended heavily on the cane, which complimented his performance. After reading the boot was not a prop but needed for medical purposes his performance is elevated to a whole new level.

The heightened energy of the ensemble cast, all of whom deliver exceptional performances, intensifies and translates flawlessly on to the big screen. I'm sure it will be absorbing on the tall movie theater screens.

Hadestown, the stage play continues its long-running show on Broadway and the West End and is coming to select theaters for an exclusive five day run, beginning July 24, 2026. It is a must see.

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Country: UK.

Language: English.

Runtime: 141 minutes.

Director: Brett Sullivan.

Producers: Mara Isaacs, Dale Franzen, Hunter Arnold, Tom Kirdahy.

Executive Producers: Tyler DiNapoli, Danny Gabai, Michael Glassman, Kevin Iwashina, Miranda King, Mickey Liddell, Kent Sanderson, Pete Shilaimon.

Writer: Anaïs Mitchell.

Director of Stage Production: Rachel Chavkin.

Cast: Reeve Carney, André De Shields, Amber Gray, Eva Noblezada, Patrick Page, Belle Brown, Madeline Charlemagne, Allie Daniel, Lauren Azania, Tiago Dhondt-Bamberger, Tyesha Higgs, Waylan Jacobs, Christopher Short, Lucinda Buckley, Francessca Daniella-Baker, Winny Herbert, Miriam Nyarko, Tarel Merchant, Ros Stephen, David Kadimikasa, David Delarre, Daniel Higham, Beth Symmons, Brad Webb.

Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade.  A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Under the banner of her production company, HL Productions, LLC, Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She has also published "Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story," and "Days, Times, Seasons, and Events: A Collection of Poetry & Prose," which can be purchased here. She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a member of the International Federation of Journalists.