Finn Johnson

Hades with his workers in line behind him while singing “Why we Build the Wall.”

Beyond the Page’s Hadestown Musical opening night took place on October 30 2025. For tickets only being $15 for adults and $10 for students, it did not disappoint.

The songs throughout the play all captured our attention and not a moment felt wasted. The first song, “Road to Hell” showcases all of the highs of the play, with humor, good music and choreography that blew us away. While Road to Hell serves as the introduction, “Our Lady of The Underground” serves to bring us back from the intermission. The song keeps the humor going but really focuses on the singing and the music, with one of the highlights of the show happening during Persephone’s singing where she hits one of the most impressive notes of the whole play. The show wouldn’t truly be a Hadestown adaptation without the song “Way Down Hadestown.” When this song started we immediately felt the energetic atmosphere, and put us into the mood of the play. The show doesn’t only focus on the humor, however, with songs such as “Why We Build The Wall” serving solely to push forward the story, while still serving an important message.

Whether it was Hermes’ humorous anecdotes or Hades’ menacing presence, the actors blew us away. Every character invokes a distinct feeling, preparing you for the mood of the upcoming song. The two sets of main characters, Orpheus and Eurydice, as well as Persephone and Hades create an interesting comparison between the two love stories, one new and blossoming, and another slowly fading away. Throughout the story, the couples unexpectedly bond, changing the relationships between each couple. Adding onto the exceptional acting of the main characters, the narration was a true standout. Hermes, played by Andrew Stroman and Yadiel Bustillo, stayed in our minds as one of the best parts of the show. Throughout the show, Hermes served as a point of humor, but also a voice of reason. Hermes constantly argues against Orpheus’ naive intentions, wishing to protect him. In the songs, Hermes also proves to be a strong point, with the two actors having great voices that are complimented with the songs they are given. Hermes wasn’t the only great facet of the play, the Fates provided a great addition to the atmosphere. They constantly drift around the stage, contributing to the songs and narrating the characters’ inner thoughts. Hades workers also stood out, all working in sync, swinging their pickaxes, or dancing around tables. This well crafted atmosphere of actors lifted the show to another level, and it wouldn’t be the same without them.

Outside of the music and the acting, the set design and the lighting were both high points of the show. One of the first things we noticed when we walked into the theater was the set with a balcony and a large open center. The balcony was always in view and there were usually things going on in the background up on the balcony. Multiple times, characters such as the Fates or the gods popped out onto the balcony, quickly diverting our attention. The lighting also tied in with the story events going on perfectly; The lights turning red when Hades appeared, and when the lights pulse and sync with the music. During times when multiple actions were happening, the lighting shined on everything important, which guided us to know where to look.

Hadestown once again proved the pure talent of the theater department. Through its acting and its soundtrack, Hadestown kept our focus throughout the whole play and has stuck in our minds ever since seeing it.