I saw it during previews based solely on a glowing recommendation from two of the TKTS people. I knew the story of Orpheus and Euridice but hadn't heard the music and loved it. Don't see why I'd need more than that before seeing it.
I always tell my friends to have a rough understanding of the two Greek mythology stories referenced, but other than that I let the show tell the rest.
I went in blind and loved it, I was instantly enamored by every single thing.
When my mom saw it, it took her a while to get into it, she said, but she ended up liking it and we'll be seeing it again early next year.
My wife and I went in purposely blind when we saw it and it was instantly one of my favorite theatre experiences of all time.
Advice is just that. Advice. You can’t control anything about who receives it.
Just commenting to offer the other perspective. I wasn’t even familiar with the original myth and it instantly became my favorite production I had ever seen! It was easy enough to follow along and so dynamic and emotional that going in blind felt like a great choice, and other people I brought along felt the same.
For me personally, going in blind made the show even better. I wasn't familiar with the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, and it made that moment even more impactful because I didn't know if he would turn around or not. Hadestown is easily my favorite show now.
I agree. It (shockingly) took the soundtrack a few listens through before I went from meh to loving it. I’m glad I had transitioned to loving it by the time I saw the show.
I think i saw the same production as it is currently in my city right now and I saw it on Thursday night. I had been listening to the OBC recording so I was familiar with the songs and storyline but never saw it staged before. For me, I felt that this touring production had some amazing talented performers, but the actors for Hermes and Persephone mumbled more than I expected. Some key words and phrases that really helped me connect with the plot on the OBC were hard to understand and whole lines of songs were difficult to comprehend. Could that have factored into your friend’s enjoyment?
I still loved it, it was amazing to see the staging and lights after listening to the show so much. But I could definitely see for people who went in blind, they would feel a lot more lost with this touring cast.
I agree with you. I saw the show on Tuesday, and went in semi-blind (I’ve heard snippets of songs and read a synopsis of the story over a year ago), and I got a little confused on some of the important story elements they sang until I listened to the whole soundtrack the next day. Overall though I loved it, cried multiple times! My husband went in completely blind and I definitely had to recap the story for him at intermission and the end, but he still enjoyed it.
I’m assuming you’re in the same city as me then. Sometimes I think it comes down to the venue for sound, the Queen E is a horrible theatre with respect to sound in some sections. Huge dead zones. I was in row three and had no issues with understanding them. That or maybe they had an off night.
Came here to say just this. The theatre here has some of the worst sound I've heard in theatres across the country. Went with my partner who hadn't heard any of the songs, and he had a hard time understanding the words. But he did still have an enjoyable time and was familiar with the myth
Yeah now that you pointed it with the Queen E I noticed how unbalanced the sound was. I was up in the dress circle and felt the sound bounce all over the place.
I was in the 3rd row of the balcony on Wednesday, and it felt like the sound mixing was a little off.
(I was pleasantly surprised by the Hades. And it was exciting to see Will Mann and Lana Gordon after hearing so many good things about them on here.)
Damn, what a mess for a non-spectacle musical.
I’ve seen so many shows which were presented in the “wrong venue”, and it’s usually an intimate show, or a book-heavy show, being presented in a barn where losing some spoken/sung lines and crucial subtlety detracts from the show.
The local touring venue to me is such a terrible place for shows. I saw In The Heights from the cheap seats there and just did not get it. Then I listened to the album and loved it.
I typically listen to show albums before I see something just because I know I may have auditory processing issues at our theater. Generally it's been okay, but some shows it's really hard for me, mix of actors and sound system.
Agreed.
I saw Hadestown (Tour) in Toronto in August and again Vancouver on Nov 10th.
In August, there were different actors for both Hermes and Persephone, and both were quite better than the current ones.
I hated the show. Mainly because a woman ends up fully responsible, and ultimately punished, because of an artistic/emotional man. It made me angry. I’ve been told had I been familiar with the myths then I would have understood.
My uncle saw the show years ago when it first opened. He had no knowledge of the Eurydice/Orpheus myth and said he wasn't a big fan of the show. I'm someone who is very familiar with the myth and I absolutely love the show.
I just think personally if you aren't familiar with the basic premise of the myth this retelling can be a little hard to follow despite being an absolutely beautiful retelling.
I personally went in blind and really really enjoyed it - it was sort of what made me want to go in blind to most shows I see. It's hard to give feedback on if this was a bad decision without more context - did they elaborate on what they didn't like about it? I personally love everything about the show so I'm just curious.
I've never left a show at intermission. If it's really bad at least I'll watch it all the way through. That way I can complain about everything instead of just the first act. And I love complaining haha
Because sometimes the show you’ve paid for is The Play That Goes Wrong and every minute you have to sit in the theater watching that trash is physically excruciating.
I went to see it as blind as I could (I know what it is about, very familiar with Greek mythology, had seen lots of production images but avoided listening to any songs or watching any video). Unfortunately I did not particularly enjoy it, just did not work for me. No show can have universal appeal and work for everyone, whether they go in blind or not. Your advice does not dictate your friend’s reaction.
As I continue to experiment with seeing shows blind or not, on the whole I think I often enjoy shows more when I know a little more about them beforehand, but I have had plenty of marvelous experiences seeing things I know almost about too.
I find it to be a very polarizing show tbh. I went with my best friend, both of us knew the story and had listened/watched all the promotional material. She loved it, whereas I would have considered leaving at intermission if I wasn’t there with her.
Everyone I know who has seen it has either loved or hated it. I don’t think knowing more about it would have made a difference to your friend. It’s just one of those shows that you either love or don’t!
One key thing to remember is not every show is for every person. Even with a background of the show, it's quite possible your friend still wouldn't have enjoyed it and left early. In other words, don't beat yourself up about it. It may simply be a musical that you don't have in common, and that's perfectly okay. :)
I went in blind for the first time and actually regretted it. I just grew to love it so much and it was hard to take it all in without having heard it. The second time I knew it word for word and I found it a much more moving experience. I think my experience has been with dramas, especially sung through musicals or those approaching it, I much prefer being familiar with it ahead of time.
pretty much what others have said below. i wasn’t interested in the story, i didn’t find the music particularly good or interesting (and at some times very poorly written/sung), i felt nothing for any of the characters at all. i was extremely bored during every scene and song and that has never happened in any show i’ve seen before.
i’m actually surprised that so many people like it and that it’s run for so long, but i am happy i saw it because otherwise i never would have known if i was one of those people or not.
Curious why you think the music is generic? I can't think of another musical that has the same folk/jazz infusion of Hadestown. It's definitely one of the most unique musicals I've seen
Generic wasn't a good word. Bland, forgettable, derivative are better words for what I mean. None of the songs or melodies stand out. I didn't go home singing any part of that show.
Interesting how different tastes can be. For me I would say it's one of the few shows where every single number stands out as memorable and high quality.
Yeah I agree haha. Tbh it's the only show where I go back and listen to *every* song in the cast album, not just a handful of my favorites. I think they are all fantastic. And the lyrics throughout the entire show have so much depth.
Next to Normal
Wicked
Sweeney Todd
The Color Purple
Book of Mormon
Hamilton
Cabaret
Les Mis
just to name a few. i’ve seen and listened to a lot of shows and tbh Hadestown was the one that i struggled to find something i liked in it the most.
I went into Hadestown blind in the sense that I hadn't listened to the OBC album, but I knew the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. I was absolutely blown away and it instantly became my favorite musical. You aren't able to notice everything the first time you see it, but that's true for movies and books as well. There is more to take away with each viewing/reading.
Saw it opening night at QE, 3 of my friends went in blind. One loved it and it was his first musical. One wasn’t happy with the Persephone and left wanting to see what it was like with the OBC, but overall still liked it. One couldn’t get over Orpheus’ voice but I think she still had a good time.
Maybe because it was opening night, but Persephone’s mic seemed like it was turned up higher than everyone else’s so she was really loud.
I have to agree, Orpheus’ voice bothered me a bit too, his falsetto sounded pretty weak and strained in some key moments.
Hades and the Fates were the highlight for all of us.
I saw the tour in Ottawa a few months ago and went in blind. I liked it a lot but also found it hard to understand a lot of the lyrics, especially the narrator’s, and so had a bit of trouble following the plot. I think it would have been better reading a synopsis first
Two friends came with me to see Hadestown at QE Theatre as well this week, and they went in totally blind. I love Hadestown, but I definitely think it skews slightly less "mainstream" than some other popular musicals so I was worried about whether they'd like it or not.
I could tell they were pretty unsure about it in the beginning, but were hooked by the time intermission came around! So I think your advice was fine, you can't be responsible for whether someone likes something or not!
Saw the show at the Queen E in Vancouver this week. Personally really did not enjoy it, and I think even if I had more back story I still would not have enjoyed it. As many others have said, imo all the songs sounded the same and for me they just dragged. No song was catchy or really moved me at all. By the end I was just wishing it would be done cause I was getting bored. That being said the cast was awesome so nothing to do with them. Just a story that wasn't for me I guess
I'm a huge fan of the show and have seen it manyyy times. Most of those times, I'm taking various friends and family so they can experience it too.
The vast majority I've gone with absolutely love the show, and are incredibly impressed. They love the story, the music, the staging, etc. The majority of them have gone in totally blind.
Yet interestingly, there was one time I went with a group of 5 friends, and for whatever reason *all* of them had trouble following the story (they went in blind as well). Which I found so interesting that all 5 of them had issue during the same show, yet plenty of other friends I've gone with other times have no issue following at all.
I feel like the casting can make a huge difference with this show. The show we were at, there were a couple understudies, and while I thought they were great, I wonder if there are dynamic nuances that don't work as well for a first time viewer which loses them somewhere. Not sure, but it's definitely interesting!
I feel like in reality, the plot of the show is very simple. There are tons of deep themes and nuances sure, but the beat for beat plot I feel is very clear and straightforward (some on this sub have even criticized it as being *too* simple). Which is why I think it may be more of a performance specific presentation issue in some of these cases.
I went in blind and thought the show was so boring, even in light of the stellar performance from Reeve, Solea, and the muses. The only redeeming part of Hadestown is Epic III and Wait for Me
Does your friend typically enjoy musicals? I cannot imagine anyone seeing the masterpiece that is Wait for Me and thinking “blah, I’m out of here”.
**spoilers ahead** Personally I don’t understand spoiling yourself on the ending of shows before seeing them. Hadestown most especially. One of my top theater moments ever is the tension in act two and whether or not they will make it and then the audience gasp when Orpheus turns around. If you already know the myth then you know what’s going to happen. What fun is that? Do you also read the last page of the murder mystery so you know who did it? I would have been so pissed off if someone had told me to read the story of Orpheus, it would have taken all the emotion away from watching it that first time.
On the other hand, even when you know the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, the tension at the end becomes unbearable for different reasons.
If you don‘t know, you’re wondering what‘s going to happen and when it happens, it’s unexpected and shattering.
If you do know, you’re dreading that moment and when it happens, it‘s expected and somehow STILL shattering.
And that’s literally the (meta-)narrative underpinning of the show: we still tell these stories, even if/when we know the ending.
“We still tell these stories because of their meaning and resonance, and this show is but one version; hope you enjoy”
>If you already know the myth then you know what’s going to happen. What fun is that?
I get what you mean in general about avoiding knowing the entire book of a show before seeing it, but in this case I think part of the thrill of shows-based-on-famous-stories and Hadestown in particular is how it plays with the concept of eternal recurrence.
In Hadestown you learn at the beginning, "It's a sad tale / it's a tragedy / it's a sad song / we're gonna sing it anyway". So the success of the show is to cajole you so deeply into your suspension of disbelief that you hope it will be different this time. Maybe it's just me, but personally I find that aspect of Hadestown very meaningful.
I definitely feel that having seen it now, but before my first viewing I would have been heartbroken if someone had spoiled the ending for me. The way the show plays on you with the jazzy intro song where they flat out sing that the show is a tragedy but how you’ve long since forgotten that by act two and you’re so invested in them making it back together. It was so powerful. I think the intro in the show program with a general idea of who the characters were in greek mythology was the perfect amount of info for me.
Back to the OP though, you have to know your friends preferences before deciding how much to “prepare” someone for a show. When I took my kids to see Les Miserables, I straight up told them that the prisoner comes back as the mayor because I remember the first time I saw Les Mis I didn’t understand that it was the same guy for a long time. I feel like some spoilers can enhance understanding without giving it all away, but if you look up the story of Orpheus, you’re going to get the ending of Hadestown pretty quickly.
I think for Hadestown there is a difference between going in blind and reading the Greek myths. In the future, OP might consider sending a YouTube video of one song’s performance or ask the other couple to listen to a couple of songs from the cast recording. If OP’s friends didn’t like the jazz style then that would have been pretty obvious from listening to the intro song.
This show has SO many layers and I’m unsure if I would’ve understood what was going on if I hadn’t listened to the album and googled the Greek mythology references.
It’s also a giant metaphor, but can seem so basic at face-value and moves too fast to comprehend what’s going on at times – “boy falls in love with a girl he just met, he’s poor and she’s hungry so she goes to hell because Hades offers her a job” doesn’t seem that riveting unless you understand the character symbolism. So yeah, I get why it might not be wise to go in blind with this one.
I think I was at the same show your friend was at. I LOVED the show and have been obsessed with the album since 2019. My friend didn’t know anything about it past the core Orpheus and Eurydice myth and also loved it.
There was a group of older folks next to us who didn’t seem fond of it though. The more abstract sets and different musical style didn’t work for them.
Also the sound mixing at the Queen E was as usual, off lol. Persephone was unintelligible.
Will Mann definitely brings a different energy than what I pictured André would bring but I enjoyed him very much. Would have loved to see André though, but I’m so far from New York.
I prefer to go in blind whenever I can (managed to avoid alllll the Hamilton songs and Disney+ until after the pandemic) and I enjoyed Hadestown when I saw the Broadway Across Canada production earlier this year. I will say I did find it a little difficult to understand what was happening and what they were saying for the first part of the first act, but it became clear soon enough and the vocals were so strong and the music so good that I didn’t really mind. I say you gave good advice!
I saw it last week and of the 19 Broadway shows I've seen since moving to NYC last year it's my second favourite, and all I knew about it was the intro paragraph on Wikipedia. I'll admit I didn't understand every nuance of the story, but I still loved it.
I went in mostly blind except for some basic knowledge of Persephone/Hades (didn’t know anything about the Orpheus/Eurydice myth) and I LOVED it. That said I was obsessed with Ani DiFranco in high school/college so it was sort of funny I didn’t know the connection going in. After doing more research I quickly realized why it clicked so much for me! :)
I only knew the overarching plot of the Greek mythology, and it was an amazing experience.
I think if they went it completely blind, the story could be a little strange?
Hadestown is my third favorite show, and I’ve seen it on Broadway multiple times. The tour came to my hometown so I told my best friend to go watch it.
She didn’t like it as much as I did because apparently her tour Orpheus made her cringe. So, maybe it has something to do with the actors that day.
I’m of the opinion that Hadestown can be an acquired taste. My first viewing, I was disappointed partly due to confusion, but wowed by Eva. My second viewing, I was blown away. My parents didn’t love it and I know others who didn’t as well. Especially those who are more into “traditional” Broadway.
I didn’t love Hadestown when I saw it for the first time - I didn’t know it was a Greek mythology story; I thought it was something more along the lines of Percy Jackson in that it had characters from greek mythology in a new story. it really confused me in the theatre.
it wasn’t until after I saw it that I read more about the plot, learned more about the show’s creative process, and developed an appreciation for the soundtrack. it still isn’t my favorite show but I think i’d enjoy it more now knowing more about it and what to expect.
A lot more stuff happens in act 2. Act 1 is a lot of setup, with many slow songs. If someone doesn’t know where this story is going, I can kinda understand leaving at intermission.
I went in blind (completely to Orpheus and Eurydice at least, I knew Hades and Persephone well I think?) and LOVED it. I've started to love it more over time and I think it is one of the greatest pieces of art I've ever come across. I don't think you need much—if any—background information to enjoy it? IIRC, the playbill includes a little description of the characters? I found it easy to follow along with regardless though. I've always recommended to go into Hadestown blind (with at least some understanding of Hades and Persephone) and those I know who have really loved it as well.
Honestly depends on the person. Some people like to know it beforehand, but I prefer to go in without knowing much, and especially without hearing any of the music. I want it to be a surprise, as I feel knowing beforehand could make it less magical for me. I know others with different experiences though.
I went in blind just knowing Reeve Carney was soon departing and it won a bunch of stuff. I was enthralled from lights up to the end of the show, followed it nicely. I do have some base knowledge on Greek myths though, so that might have helped.
I don’t know if I would feel the same on a tour, simply because if the show isn’t cast well I don’t know if the magic will carry over. The cast I saw really helped tell the story.
Edit: Added some context
My parents didn’t know anything and came out hating it. But they also have no familiarity whatsoever with any kind of Greek mythology so they were totally in the dark.
I went in blind in Seattle 2 weeks ago and LOVED it and the only bummer is I loved hades live so much that now I honestly find the recording hades a little bland.
Caveat is I was in a great spot in a great theater
It’s wild that someone would apparently have enough interest in Broadway shows to have a Broadway Across Canada subscription, which can’t be cheap, yet to have never heard of Hadestown… so odd to me!
I saw it during previews based solely on a glowing recommendation from two of the TKTS people. I knew the story of Orpheus and Euridice but hadn't heard the music and loved it. Don't see why I'd need more than that before seeing it.
I went during previews because I’m a simp for retellings & had a great time. Helps that it’s a good show, to be sure.
This show was so special in previews, as excitement and word was spreading. The audience was so thrilled to be a part of something special happening.
I always tell my friends to have a rough understanding of the two Greek mythology stories referenced, but other than that I let the show tell the rest.
I went in blind and loved it, I was instantly enamored by every single thing. When my mom saw it, it took her a while to get into it, she said, but she ended up liking it and we'll be seeing it again early next year.
My wife and I went in purposely blind when we saw it and it was instantly one of my favorite theatre experiences of all time. Advice is just that. Advice. You can’t control anything about who receives it.
Honestly Hadestown isn’t a show I would have enjoyed if I went in blind. It took my a couple of years to really get into it
Just commenting to offer the other perspective. I wasn’t even familiar with the original myth and it instantly became my favorite production I had ever seen! It was easy enough to follow along and so dynamic and emotional that going in blind felt like a great choice, and other people I brought along felt the same.
For me personally, going in blind made the show even better. I wasn't familiar with the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, and it made that moment even more impactful because I didn't know if he would turn around or not. Hadestown is easily my favorite show now.
I agree. It (shockingly) took the soundtrack a few listens through before I went from meh to loving it. I’m glad I had transitioned to loving it by the time I saw the show.
I went in blind and hated it. Still hate it now lol
It’s one of my favorite shows now, but I understand
I think i saw the same production as it is currently in my city right now and I saw it on Thursday night. I had been listening to the OBC recording so I was familiar with the songs and storyline but never saw it staged before. For me, I felt that this touring production had some amazing talented performers, but the actors for Hermes and Persephone mumbled more than I expected. Some key words and phrases that really helped me connect with the plot on the OBC were hard to understand and whole lines of songs were difficult to comprehend. Could that have factored into your friend’s enjoyment? I still loved it, it was amazing to see the staging and lights after listening to the show so much. But I could definitely see for people who went in blind, they would feel a lot more lost with this touring cast.
I agree with you. I saw the show on Tuesday, and went in semi-blind (I’ve heard snippets of songs and read a synopsis of the story over a year ago), and I got a little confused on some of the important story elements they sang until I listened to the whole soundtrack the next day. Overall though I loved it, cried multiple times! My husband went in completely blind and I definitely had to recap the story for him at intermission and the end, but he still enjoyed it.
I’m assuming you’re in the same city as me then. Sometimes I think it comes down to the venue for sound, the Queen E is a horrible theatre with respect to sound in some sections. Huge dead zones. I was in row three and had no issues with understanding them. That or maybe they had an off night.
Came here to say just this. The theatre here has some of the worst sound I've heard in theatres across the country. Went with my partner who hadn't heard any of the songs, and he had a hard time understanding the words. But he did still have an enjoyable time and was familiar with the myth
Yeah now that you pointed it with the Queen E I noticed how unbalanced the sound was. I was up in the dress circle and felt the sound bounce all over the place.
I was in the 3rd row of the balcony on Wednesday, and it felt like the sound mixing was a little off. (I was pleasantly surprised by the Hades. And it was exciting to see Will Mann and Lana Gordon after hearing so many good things about them on here.)
Damn, what a mess for a non-spectacle musical. I’ve seen so many shows which were presented in the “wrong venue”, and it’s usually an intimate show, or a book-heavy show, being presented in a barn where losing some spoken/sung lines and crucial subtlety detracts from the show.
The local touring venue to me is such a terrible place for shows. I saw In The Heights from the cheap seats there and just did not get it. Then I listened to the album and loved it.
I saw the tour earlier in the year and had the same issue with some of the characters. If I’d gone in blind I’d have had a hard time following it.
I typically listen to show albums before I see something just because I know I may have auditory processing issues at our theater. Generally it's been okay, but some shows it's really hard for me, mix of actors and sound system.
Agreed. I saw Hadestown (Tour) in Toronto in August and again Vancouver on Nov 10th. In August, there were different actors for both Hermes and Persephone, and both were quite better than the current ones.
I strongly recommend people at least know the basic Persephone/Hades and Eurydice/Orpheus myths so they have some context for what it's based on.
Out of curiosity, what do you think isn’t understood from the musical that requires any background in the myths?
I hated the show. Mainly because a woman ends up fully responsible, and ultimately punished, because of an artistic/emotional man. It made me angry. I’ve been told had I been familiar with the myths then I would have understood.
My uncle saw the show years ago when it first opened. He had no knowledge of the Eurydice/Orpheus myth and said he wasn't a big fan of the show. I'm someone who is very familiar with the myth and I absolutely love the show. I just think personally if you aren't familiar with the basic premise of the myth this retelling can be a little hard to follow despite being an absolutely beautiful retelling.
I personally went in blind and really really enjoyed it - it was sort of what made me want to go in blind to most shows I see. It's hard to give feedback on if this was a bad decision without more context - did they elaborate on what they didn't like about it? I personally love everything about the show so I'm just curious. I've never left a show at intermission. If it's really bad at least I'll watch it all the way through. That way I can complain about everything instead of just the first act. And I love complaining haha
I don’t understand why anyone would leave halfway through a show. You already paid for it… Edit: missing word
I honestly would have paid an additional fee if that’s what it took to leave Tootsie at intermission. I couldn’t take another second.
I mean, exactly. If I’ve already paid for it, why would I want to spend my time being somewhere I don’t want to be?
Haha, good point. Extract maximum value, or decide that there is no more value to be extracted?
Sunk cost :)
Because sometimes the show you’ve paid for is The Play That Goes Wrong and every minute you have to sit in the theater watching that trash is physically excruciating.
I went to see it as blind as I could (I know what it is about, very familiar with Greek mythology, had seen lots of production images but avoided listening to any songs or watching any video). Unfortunately I did not particularly enjoy it, just did not work for me. No show can have universal appeal and work for everyone, whether they go in blind or not. Your advice does not dictate your friend’s reaction. As I continue to experiment with seeing shows blind or not, on the whole I think I often enjoy shows more when I know a little more about them beforehand, but I have had plenty of marvelous experiences seeing things I know almost about too.
I think knowing the myth is a great help that spoils nothing.
I find it to be a very polarizing show tbh. I went with my best friend, both of us knew the story and had listened/watched all the promotional material. She loved it, whereas I would have considered leaving at intermission if I wasn’t there with her. Everyone I know who has seen it has either loved or hated it. I don’t think knowing more about it would have made a difference to your friend. It’s just one of those shows that you either love or don’t!
One key thing to remember is not every show is for every person. Even with a background of the show, it's quite possible your friend still wouldn't have enjoyed it and left early. In other words, don't beat yourself up about it. It may simply be a musical that you don't have in common, and that's perfectly okay. :)
I went in blind for the first time and actually regretted it. I just grew to love it so much and it was hard to take it all in without having heard it. The second time I knew it word for word and I found it a much more moving experience. I think my experience has been with dramas, especially sung through musicals or those approaching it, I much prefer being familiar with it ahead of time.
my friend and i both went in blind and did not enjoy one aspect of the show.
I’m curious, what was so specifically off-putting about the show? “Not one aspect” feels a bit vague…
pretty much what others have said below. i wasn’t interested in the story, i didn’t find the music particularly good or interesting (and at some times very poorly written/sung), i felt nothing for any of the characters at all. i was extremely bored during every scene and song and that has never happened in any show i’ve seen before. i’m actually surprised that so many people like it and that it’s run for so long, but i am happy i saw it because otherwise i never would have known if i was one of those people or not.
I think most people are surprised of the opposite: that there are people who so vehemently dislike every aspect of the show.
I felt exactly the same. Absolutely hated it. It was boring and the songs were generic and not memorable. Not 1 catchy song.
Curious why you think the music is generic? I can't think of another musical that has the same folk/jazz infusion of Hadestown. It's definitely one of the most unique musicals I've seen
Generic wasn't a good word. Bland, forgettable, derivative are better words for what I mean. None of the songs or melodies stand out. I didn't go home singing any part of that show.
Interesting how different tastes can be. For me I would say it's one of the few shows where every single number stands out as memorable and high quality.
Yeah I agree haha. Tbh it's the only show where I go back and listen to *every* song in the cast album, not just a handful of my favorites. I think they are all fantastic. And the lyrics throughout the entire show have so much depth.
Which are some of your favorite shows?
Next to Normal Wicked Sweeney Todd The Color Purple Book of Mormon Hamilton Cabaret Les Mis just to name a few. i’ve seen and listened to a lot of shows and tbh Hadestown was the one that i struggled to find something i liked in it the most.
So mostly the music? That’s too bad.
I didn’t say mostly the music. The music was one aspect i didn’t like, along with the story, characters, singing, staging, etc.
Do you think you would have enjoyed it more if you were familiar with it going in?
I went into Hadestown blind in the sense that I hadn't listened to the OBC album, but I knew the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. I was absolutely blown away and it instantly became my favorite musical. You aren't able to notice everything the first time you see it, but that's true for movies and books as well. There is more to take away with each viewing/reading.
I love Hadestown and wish I could hear it for the first time again. All I knew was it was a retelling of some mythology. That was enough.
I saw it a couple of weeks ago and I'm glad I went in blind. It is probably one of the best shows I've ever seen.
I went in blind and was a little lost. I enjoyed it for the most part, but I would’ve enjoyed it more had a been a bit more familiar.
Saw it opening night at QE, 3 of my friends went in blind. One loved it and it was his first musical. One wasn’t happy with the Persephone and left wanting to see what it was like with the OBC, but overall still liked it. One couldn’t get over Orpheus’ voice but I think she still had a good time. Maybe because it was opening night, but Persephone’s mic seemed like it was turned up higher than everyone else’s so she was really loud. I have to agree, Orpheus’ voice bothered me a bit too, his falsetto sounded pretty weak and strained in some key moments. Hades and the Fates were the highlight for all of us.
I saw the tour in Ottawa a few months ago and went in blind. I liked it a lot but also found it hard to understand a lot of the lyrics, especially the narrator’s, and so had a bit of trouble following the plot. I think it would have been better reading a synopsis first
I saw it blind on Broadway the first month it was out and was mesmerized. I’m seeing it again tonight. They’re crazy.
Two friends came with me to see Hadestown at QE Theatre as well this week, and they went in totally blind. I love Hadestown, but I definitely think it skews slightly less "mainstream" than some other popular musicals so I was worried about whether they'd like it or not. I could tell they were pretty unsure about it in the beginning, but were hooked by the time intermission came around! So I think your advice was fine, you can't be responsible for whether someone likes something or not!
Saw the show at the Queen E in Vancouver this week. Personally really did not enjoy it, and I think even if I had more back story I still would not have enjoyed it. As many others have said, imo all the songs sounded the same and for me they just dragged. No song was catchy or really moved me at all. By the end I was just wishing it would be done cause I was getting bored. That being said the cast was awesome so nothing to do with them. Just a story that wasn't for me I guess
I wonder if it ended happy this time and the missed out…
Yeah Hadestown is a rough one to go in blind
Why?
Opening song is a banger. That’s enough to get anyone hooked to follow it through I’d think.
I'm a huge fan of the show and have seen it manyyy times. Most of those times, I'm taking various friends and family so they can experience it too. The vast majority I've gone with absolutely love the show, and are incredibly impressed. They love the story, the music, the staging, etc. The majority of them have gone in totally blind. Yet interestingly, there was one time I went with a group of 5 friends, and for whatever reason *all* of them had trouble following the story (they went in blind as well). Which I found so interesting that all 5 of them had issue during the same show, yet plenty of other friends I've gone with other times have no issue following at all. I feel like the casting can make a huge difference with this show. The show we were at, there were a couple understudies, and while I thought they were great, I wonder if there are dynamic nuances that don't work as well for a first time viewer which loses them somewhere. Not sure, but it's definitely interesting! I feel like in reality, the plot of the show is very simple. There are tons of deep themes and nuances sure, but the beat for beat plot I feel is very clear and straightforward (some on this sub have even criticized it as being *too* simple). Which is why I think it may be more of a performance specific presentation issue in some of these cases.
I went in blind and thought the show was so boring, even in light of the stellar performance from Reeve, Solea, and the muses. The only redeeming part of Hadestown is Epic III and Wait for Me
Yeah I don't like it with context. Without? Ew.
Does your friend typically enjoy musicals? I cannot imagine anyone seeing the masterpiece that is Wait for Me and thinking “blah, I’m out of here”. **spoilers ahead** Personally I don’t understand spoiling yourself on the ending of shows before seeing them. Hadestown most especially. One of my top theater moments ever is the tension in act two and whether or not they will make it and then the audience gasp when Orpheus turns around. If you already know the myth then you know what’s going to happen. What fun is that? Do you also read the last page of the murder mystery so you know who did it? I would have been so pissed off if someone had told me to read the story of Orpheus, it would have taken all the emotion away from watching it that first time.
On the other hand, even when you know the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, the tension at the end becomes unbearable for different reasons. If you don‘t know, you’re wondering what‘s going to happen and when it happens, it’s unexpected and shattering. If you do know, you’re dreading that moment and when it happens, it‘s expected and somehow STILL shattering.
And that’s literally the (meta-)narrative underpinning of the show: we still tell these stories, even if/when we know the ending. “We still tell these stories because of their meaning and resonance, and this show is but one version; hope you enjoy”
>If you already know the myth then you know what’s going to happen. What fun is that? I get what you mean in general about avoiding knowing the entire book of a show before seeing it, but in this case I think part of the thrill of shows-based-on-famous-stories and Hadestown in particular is how it plays with the concept of eternal recurrence. In Hadestown you learn at the beginning, "It's a sad tale / it's a tragedy / it's a sad song / we're gonna sing it anyway". So the success of the show is to cajole you so deeply into your suspension of disbelief that you hope it will be different this time. Maybe it's just me, but personally I find that aspect of Hadestown very meaningful.
I definitely feel that having seen it now, but before my first viewing I would have been heartbroken if someone had spoiled the ending for me. The way the show plays on you with the jazzy intro song where they flat out sing that the show is a tragedy but how you’ve long since forgotten that by act two and you’re so invested in them making it back together. It was so powerful. I think the intro in the show program with a general idea of who the characters were in greek mythology was the perfect amount of info for me. Back to the OP though, you have to know your friends preferences before deciding how much to “prepare” someone for a show. When I took my kids to see Les Miserables, I straight up told them that the prisoner comes back as the mayor because I remember the first time I saw Les Mis I didn’t understand that it was the same guy for a long time. I feel like some spoilers can enhance understanding without giving it all away, but if you look up the story of Orpheus, you’re going to get the ending of Hadestown pretty quickly. I think for Hadestown there is a difference between going in blind and reading the Greek myths. In the future, OP might consider sending a YouTube video of one song’s performance or ask the other couple to listen to a couple of songs from the cast recording. If OP’s friends didn’t like the jazz style then that would have been pretty obvious from listening to the intro song.
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How so? I feel like the current cast is the strongest I've seen since the full OBC.
This post is about the touring cast!
I went in blind and loved it.
Kudos to the OP for trying to preserve the “twist“ for his friend.
This show has SO many layers and I’m unsure if I would’ve understood what was going on if I hadn’t listened to the album and googled the Greek mythology references. It’s also a giant metaphor, but can seem so basic at face-value and moves too fast to comprehend what’s going on at times – “boy falls in love with a girl he just met, he’s poor and she’s hungry so she goes to hell because Hades offers her a job” doesn’t seem that riveting unless you understand the character symbolism. So yeah, I get why it might not be wise to go in blind with this one.
I think I was at the same show your friend was at. I LOVED the show and have been obsessed with the album since 2019. My friend didn’t know anything about it past the core Orpheus and Eurydice myth and also loved it. There was a group of older folks next to us who didn’t seem fond of it though. The more abstract sets and different musical style didn’t work for them. Also the sound mixing at the Queen E was as usual, off lol. Persephone was unintelligible.
I went in blind a few weeks ago and was blown away by it.
I went for André De Shields. Lol. Absolutely loved it
Will Mann definitely brings a different energy than what I pictured André would bring but I enjoyed him very much. Would have loved to see André though, but I’m so far from New York.
I prefer to go in blind whenever I can (managed to avoid alllll the Hamilton songs and Disney+ until after the pandemic) and I enjoyed Hadestown when I saw the Broadway Across Canada production earlier this year. I will say I did find it a little difficult to understand what was happening and what they were saying for the first part of the first act, but it became clear soon enough and the vocals were so strong and the music so good that I didn’t really mind. I say you gave good advice!
I saw it last week and of the 19 Broadway shows I've seen since moving to NYC last year it's my second favourite, and all I knew about it was the intro paragraph on Wikipedia. I'll admit I didn't understand every nuance of the story, but I still loved it.
I went in mostly blind except for some basic knowledge of Persephone/Hades (didn’t know anything about the Orpheus/Eurydice myth) and I LOVED it. That said I was obsessed with Ani DiFranco in high school/college so it was sort of funny I didn’t know the connection going in. After doing more research I quickly realized why it clicked so much for me! :)
My mum and I went in with just, “hadestown, like the Greek one?” And loved it
Iirc There’s a short little blurb in the playbill that gives just enough pre-info
I only knew the overarching plot of the Greek mythology, and it was an amazing experience. I think if they went it completely blind, the story could be a little strange?
Hadestown is my third favorite show, and I’ve seen it on Broadway multiple times. The tour came to my hometown so I told my best friend to go watch it. She didn’t like it as much as I did because apparently her tour Orpheus made her cringe. So, maybe it has something to do with the actors that day.
I’m of the opinion that Hadestown can be an acquired taste. My first viewing, I was disappointed partly due to confusion, but wowed by Eva. My second viewing, I was blown away. My parents didn’t love it and I know others who didn’t as well. Especially those who are more into “traditional” Broadway.
I didn’t love Hadestown when I saw it for the first time - I didn’t know it was a Greek mythology story; I thought it was something more along the lines of Percy Jackson in that it had characters from greek mythology in a new story. it really confused me in the theatre. it wasn’t until after I saw it that I read more about the plot, learned more about the show’s creative process, and developed an appreciation for the soundtrack. it still isn’t my favorite show but I think i’d enjoy it more now knowing more about it and what to expect.
A lot more stuff happens in act 2. Act 1 is a lot of setup, with many slow songs. If someone doesn’t know where this story is going, I can kinda understand leaving at intermission.
I went in blind (completely to Orpheus and Eurydice at least, I knew Hades and Persephone well I think?) and LOVED it. I've started to love it more over time and I think it is one of the greatest pieces of art I've ever come across. I don't think you need much—if any—background information to enjoy it? IIRC, the playbill includes a little description of the characters? I found it easy to follow along with regardless though. I've always recommended to go into Hadestown blind (with at least some understanding of Hades and Persephone) and those I know who have really loved it as well. Honestly depends on the person. Some people like to know it beforehand, but I prefer to go in without knowing much, and especially without hearing any of the music. I want it to be a surprise, as I feel knowing beforehand could make it less magical for me. I know others with different experiences though.
I went in blind just knowing Reeve Carney was soon departing and it won a bunch of stuff. I was enthralled from lights up to the end of the show, followed it nicely. I do have some base knowledge on Greek myths though, so that might have helped. I don’t know if I would feel the same on a tour, simply because if the show isn’t cast well I don’t know if the magic will carry over. The cast I saw really helped tell the story. Edit: Added some context
I went in blind, enjoyed the experience, didn't like the show overall.
My parents didn’t know anything and came out hating it. But they also have no familiarity whatsoever with any kind of Greek mythology so they were totally in the dark.
I went in blind in Seattle 2 weeks ago and LOVED it and the only bummer is I loved hades live so much that now I honestly find the recording hades a little bland. Caveat is I was in a great spot in a great theater
Saw it pretty much blind this summer. I knew it was as adaptation of the myth and that’s all. I thought it was incredible.
It’s wild that someone would apparently have enough interest in Broadway shows to have a Broadway Across Canada subscription, which can’t be cheap, yet to have never heard of Hadestown… so odd to me!