On July 24, Cross Walk (a division of Bleeker Street Films) and LD Entertainment will be releasing their much-anticipated live theater capture of the West End production of Hadestown: The Musical. The filmed performances took place on February 28 and March 1 of 2025 during the reunion run of the cast that included five of the original principals of the Tony winning Broadway production.
In the sung-through script, writer Anaïs Mitchell blends two traditional Greek myths — the love story of Orpheus and Eurydice and that of Hades, King of the Underworld, and his bride Persephone — to explore modern themes including class division and climate change. Along the way she has drastically altered the two heroines and their control over their own fates. Rather than dying tragically from a snake bite shortly after her marriage, Eurydice willingly chooses to follow Hades to the underworld and signs away her freedom. And in place of being kidnapped by her uncle Hades and forced into marriage, Mitchell’s Persephone is a boisterous illicit saloon owner who loves her husband enough to feel jealousy towards the younger Eurydice when Hades develops a wandering eye.
Filmed on location in London’s Lyric Theatre under director Brett Sullivan, there is little attempt to recreate the feeling of sitting in the best seat in the house. Rather, Sullivan seems to draw from his experience on concert films, attempting to visually bridge the divide between onstage and off. Opening with glimpses of backstage preparation, Sullivan employs swooping camera work that takes the viewer below, above and beyond the stage. Though the initial decent into hell is dramatic, it is more often quite hard to spot Rachel Chavkin’s Tony winning staging. David Neumann’s choreography is even harder to detect.
The film’s creative team evidently had Hadestown’s rabid fan base firmly in mind. Patrick Page tore his achilles tendon shortly before the show’s limited engagement. In lieu of using Phillip Boykin who performed the role for most of the run in Page’s stead, for the capture, they chose to fit Page with a customized boot and rework the staging to minimize the strain on his injury. While that choice will certainly thrill anyone who loves his signature combination of menace and seduction, the Lord of the Underworld should not limp. So while I deeply respect Page as a performer, his inclusion here doesn’t serve the production as fully as a different talented actor with two fully functioning ankles.
As for the rest of the cast, the legendary André De Shields is our host, sing-talking with emphatic articulation the role of narrator Hermes. The often drunk and raunchy Persephone is played with verve by Amber Gray who has appeared in every iteration of Hadestown. Reeve Carney was, by 2025, rather long in the tooth for the Orpheus role, creating an unlikely match for the radiant Eva Noblezada’s Eurydice (The pair are currently appearing on Broadway as Jay and Daisy in The Great Gatsby, so they apparently have great chemistry when experienced in person.) The Three Fates — Bella Brown, Madeline Charlemagne and Allie Daniel — are full throated and lively.
Recognized by theater critics and ticket holders alike as a an enterprising offering in a season of adaptation and revision, Hadestown became a certified hit, recently crossing 2,300 performances. With its energetic cast and committed live audience, this release of Hadestown: The Musical on film is sure to be a treat for the devotees of the initial concept album through to those who were able to enjoy any one of the many live performances. It will be in movie theaters for five nights only beginning on Friday, July 24. Ticketing information available on https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/hadestown-the-musical-83319. Running time is 141 minutes.
The Unforgettable Line 