Film Review: Hadestown (2026)

I have known about Hadestown since around the time the off Broadway cast recording came out. That was like 2017ish. And so, when the Broadway cast recording came out, I really wanted to see it with the original cast because they were so phenomenal. I did not see it with the original cast when I saw it back in 2024, but I still adored it anyway (and cried).

When this proshot was announced I was over the moon. I was SO excited to see it. And that is what I did today.

And I cried.

Okay so, the cast? Phenomenal.

I wasn't sold on Reeve Carney when the OBC recording first came out, but now after seeing him perform in this I get it now. He made some... odd choices, but overall his stage presence, his voice in conjunction to his acting. Ugh. It was just amazing. His voice feels very "punk rock"ish, which is not necessarily how most Orpheuses sound. I liked him a lot more actually being able to see what he's doing in the context of the actual stage production.

Eva Noblezada as Eurydice???? Ohhhhh my god. And she was losing her voice when this was filmed! There were some choices made to work around the voice loss and I think it added to her performance really. It's really added to the sense of desperation Eurydice feels during the story. Ugh. So good. And she is probably one of THE best singers on Broadway right now.

And Patrick Page as Hades, ohhhhh. Oh god. That did something to me. Hey Little Songbird and the way he was downright purring. Oh god. I'm a sucker for a good bass voice anyway. And I could just FEEL that intimidating energy of Hades through the screen. He was also in a cast during this, he completely tore his Achilles tendon. The costumers made him a custom boot, and gave him a sick looking cane. I know his choreography and stuff was supposed to be different, but it was barely noticeable, truly. And I like how he incorporated his cane into his physical expression. Very cool!

Amber Gray was lowkey my gay awakening when I first listened to Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 and watched the bootleg on YouTube (AND WE NEED A REVIVAL OF THAT SHOW I AM SO FOR REAL). Anyway, she was phenomenal as always. She said in an interview that she wished she had toned down her performance but respectfully I have to disagree with that. It was so lively and really made Persephone's character so much more charming, and it also made her frustration and hurt all the more palpable.

André De Shields is the GOAT of Broadway in my humble opinion. He has been in the game for so long (since 1967!!!! That's 60 years next year!!!!), and he played Hermes the best out of anyone I've heard. His stage presence is just delightful and so full of energy. His delivery of it all was just SO good. SO amazing. I love him, I love his work, it's hard to believe he's 80! Watching his performance just filled me with joy!

And the Fates. THE FATES!!!!! They were not a part of the original Broadway cast, but rather from the Weat End. They. Oh god. Oh god. I think I'm in love with them. The low alto???? Oh my god her voice was so rich and deep ughhhhhhh. All of them really. Bella Brown, Madeline Charlemagne, and Allie Daniel, all of them. They always steal the show for me and this was no different.

Also, the workers! They were so great. I loved their voices and their blend. Yeah :)

So onto the film itself!

The way this was filmed made it feel so intimate, for lack of a better word. It truly felt like you were there onstage with them. It also felt very artistic in the way they went about it. During Wait For Me I, the stage opens up to reveal lights, and chains descend from the ceiling which the workers chorus hangs the giant lamp lights. It's so cool. Anyway, the way they filmed this part was from a low angle so you could see it all opening up in this huge grand way. And during other parts, like when the fog comes out during the same song, the camera focuses on Orpheus trying to make his way through, and you can't see much else besides the lights. It was. Ugh.

I keep saying its so cool, but IT WAS! It was so amazing. Just. Aaaaaaaa! I loved it, I really did. Whoever was in charge of the cinematography did such an amazing outstanding job. And I LOVED being able to see the small details in the costuming, like the feathers on Hermes' suit jacket.

I may be biased, because I love theatre as an art form. I did theatre in high school, many of my friends in college were theatre majors. This kind of stuff is something I love and am passionate about, and Hadestown IS one of my all time favorite musicals. If you haven't listened to the cast recording and you like theatre, do it. For real. I think this one is also accessible to those who aren't familiar with theatre. It doesn't feel musical-theatre-y. It has a really unique sound.

10/10

I loved it, me and my friend were in the theater crying. It was so beautiful. So, so beautiful. It's a limited run so there's only a couple days left to see it, but if you can you should.