Music rules the day in hellishly delightful 'Hadestown' at Playhouse Square | Theater review

Feb. 3—Going to hell and back shouldn't be this much fun.

"Hadestown," singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell's Tony Award-winning musical, is on stage at Playhouse Square's Connor Palace, and it is, quite simply, a joy.

The show's tale is based on Greek mythology — it is constructed loosely around the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, with Hades and Persephone as key supporting players — but you can forgive yourself if you get only so wrapped up in the story.

That's because "Hadestown" plays more like an elaborate concert, where, with apologies to the gifted actors on stage, the real star is Mitchell's wonderfully jazzy-and-rootsy songs. With its collection of superb-sounding on-stage musicians — backed by a backstage drummer and introduced with flair to spare early in the show's second act by Brit West's Persephone — "Hadestown" feels like a visit to the coolest New Orleans club you can imagine.

Once the show's club-like stage first is populated with performers, we meet one of the most enchanting, Nathan Lee Graham. His Hermes is, essentially, our emcee for the evening, and Graham's well-dressed character delights in a round of audience play before getting the show on the road (to hell) with his engaging singing.

Hermes introduces us to Chibueze Ihuoma's Orpheus, a young musician working on a song. Upon meeting Eurydice — portrayed by Hannah Whitley, who grew up in Twinsburg — Orpheus is so taken by the young woman that he asks her to marry him. (Dude, come on.)

Well, she realizes he makes her feel alive, so Eurydice quickly falls for the young man.

However, seasons change, and Eurydice finds herself in the subterranean Hadestown, signing her soul away to the big man down there, Hades (Matthew Patrick Quinn), who runs a factory and wants to build a wall to keep others out. (Hmmm, that last part feels familiar in some way ... .)

Can Orpheus survive the long, difficult to journey to Hadestown and rescue the woman he loves?

Again, it almost doesn't matter as you sit back and take all of this musical magic in, starting with the infectious, toe-tapping opening number, "Road to Hell," in which, again, Graham is wholly entertaining. Other gems include "Way Down Hadestown," Act I closer "Why We Build the Wall" — led by Quinn, a tall drink of water and an impressive baritone — and that second-act opener with those band intros, "Our Lady of the Underground," in which West delights.

As for the leads, it took us a little bit to warm up to the singing of the 22-year-old Whitley, and we never quite got there with that of Ihuoma, as he often sings in a falsetto that may not be to all tastes. Nonetheless, the latter, a guitar-playing Nigerian-American actor, captures his character's requisite innocence and enthusiasm. And the former, who graduated in the spring from Ball State University, appears to have a bright future ahead of her.

And we shouldn't forget about a shout-out to the talented trio of ladies as the show's Fates, its personification of destiny: Dominique Kempe, Belen Moyano and Nyla Watson.

Mitchell spent years developing "Hadestown," which included her recording a 2010 concept album featuring Bon Iver's Juston Vernon and other guests.

Debuting in 2019 and directed by Rachel Chavkin ("Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812"), the Broadway production was nominated for scores of Drama Desk Awards, Outer Critics Circle Awards and Tonys, winning plenty, including the Tony for Best Musical. It's easy to see — and hear — why based on this touring version.

Exquisitely lit by two-time Tony winner Bradley King, "Hadestown" boasts naturalistic movements choreographed by David Neumann, some of them performed on a spinning disc in the stage's center, and fun costuming by Michael Krass. And we can't say enough about the crisp-and-clear sound design by Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz.

The music absolutely comes alive, the thrilling trombone of Emily Frederickson — also the show's assistant conductor — approaching supporting-actor status with its big moments. The cello (Kely Pinheiro), violin (Clare Armenante) and piano (Eric Kang, also the conductor) also sing.

Before the well-earned standing ovation and the onstage song and toast that follows, the players in this concert, er, musical suggest they could just run through the whole affair again.

We wouldn't have objected.

'Hadestown'

Continues through Feb. 19 at Playhouse Square's Connor Palace, 1615 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. For tickets, $25 to $120, visit PlayhouseSquare.org or call 216-241-6000.