Last night I had the pleasure of seeing the tour of the Broadway musical “Hadestown” at The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia – only my second live show in over two years!
I was blown away literally the minute the show started. I was listening to this incredible, fast, jazzy bass line, and I thought to myself: “Is that a …. trombone?”
And it was. But it wasn’t being used in any way that Juilliard told me was allowed, or even possible.
And that was the gist of experience for me: the thrill of being exposed to an incredible type of music that I didn’t even know existed. Jazzy and haunting. Upbeat but dark. Fun and devastating. New Orleans meets folk meets Motown and spirituals and musical theater – with captivating and stunning visuals and performances to match.
The story itself is a wildly creative take on the Orpheus and Eurydice story, which is my favorite Greek myth (that’s what I loosely based “Paperweight” on as well). It’s such a beautiful story, and already contains so much symbolism about the nature of love and trust and doubt in relationships. But on top of that, Hadestown adds in terrifying and biting commentaries about industrialization, menial labor, xenophobia, and so many other topics that are more than a little bit pertinent these days.
Go see this show if you get a chance, on Broadway or on tour. It’s a truly unique experience.
