The Buell Theatre is one of Northern Colorado’s most well-known theaters- ‘Broadway’s home away from home,’ as stated by their website. This weekend was the last they hosted the Broadway sensation Hadestown- and I was lucky enough to see it.
Hadestown is a fairly recent musical written by Anais Mitchell. Skillfully tying together the Greek myths about Orpheus and Eurydice, and Hades and Persephone, Mitchel delivers a musical that is joyful and tragic unparalleled by anything else.
Hadestown has been on tour since October of 2021. The casts’ performance was incredible in the energy and emotion that it carried. Chibueze Ihuoma and Morgan Siobhan Green’s performances as Orpheus and Eurydice were intensely moving and beautiful. Paralleling their story, Kevyn Morrow and Kimberly Marable brought new life to Hades and Persephone which felt genuine and more real than many on-stage love stories.
The leads weren’t the only members of the cast who created an incredible performance. Levi Kreis acted as the god Hermes- in this story a kind narrator and friend of Orpheus. Belen Moyano, Bex Odorisio, and Shea Renne embodied the divine
Fates- cruel at times, but unbiased to all. Their harmonies pushed the narrative along in a truly chilling way.
The chorus members of this show were impressively hard working, and really made the show what it was. The performances by Jordan Bollwerk, Lindsey Hailes, Courtney Lauster, Jamari Johnson Williams, and Marquis Wood set the scene for a world in turmoil, but where people rejoiced in being together. In the second act, they doubled as citizens of the underworld, who worked endlessly under Hades. After hearing Orpheus sing, however, they learned again how to reclaim their identities and freedom. The members of the chorus created subtle and touching sub stories while dancing and singing incredible numbers.
Besides rich musical composition and ingenious staging, Hadestown at the Buell showcased near perfect lighting and sound.
‘I think of the lighting design of Hadestown as a visual score for the music,’ Bradley King, who designed the lighting for the tour, told Harman. Indeed, the lighting intensified the effect of the score, and was ingeniously planned and executed.
Overall, Hadestown was easily one of the most well-executed and moving musicals to come to the Buell Theatre. As performances continue across America, there are sure to be many amazing memories made. If there is a ever a chance for you to see it, I would highly recommend going.
Eddy Merritt is a junior at Poudre High School. She is head author of Cacophony blog, and this is her first year writing for Poudre Press. She is deeply involved in Fort Collins culture, and is inspired by the work her peers do.
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