YMMV / Hadestown

• Accidental Innuendo: "If you wanna hold a woman, son, hang a chain around her throat, made of many karat gold. Shackle her from wrist to wrist with sterling silver bracelets." Metaphoric Gilded Cage, or BDSM?
• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • Hadestown encourages the listener to question whether the characters are innocent or at fault for what happens to them, especially in the case of Eurydice. On the one hand, she did abandon a very loving and good man, but as the Fates point out, she has to look out for herself — as romantic and faithful as Orpheus is, he was not doing much to reassure Eurydice that they would be able to eat.
  • Are the Fates good, evil, or neutral? Do they have Omniscient Morality Licence, or do they consider themselves Above Good and Evil? Are they genuinely trying to help Eurydice, or Hades, or anyone? How much of the Fates' presences is supposed to be the characters' literal actions or simply the Fates standing in for other concepts the audience otherwise wouldn't be able to see. Over the course of the show the Fates seem to play not only themselves but also the storm that kills Eurydice, Hades' thoughts as he debates what to do with Orpheus, and the internal doubting thoughts of Orpheus as he leads Eurydice out of Hadestown.
  • Did Hades have sex with Eurydice or not? The wordplay of their songs in the earlier versions, as well as the moment behind closed office doors, implies it could go either way, and it's a popular fanfiction topic no matter which happens. Patrick Page, for the record, has said he seduced Eurydice to make Persephone jealous.
  • Why did Hades give Orpheus and Eurydice a chance to leave Hadestown? "How Long", "Word To The Wise", and "His Kiss, The Riot" imply that he let them go as a political ploy, but "Epic III", "Wait For Me (Reprise)", and "Road To Hell (Reprise)" imply that he was genuinely affected by Orpheus's song and wanted to give them a fair chance. Taken together, it's both — he was moved to let them go, but still had to keep his workers in line, so he arranged a test.
  • Persephone's speakeasy in "Our Lady of the Underground" was written to depict her as subverting her husband's rule behind his back by offering the workers contraband. A lot of fans interpret it as her keeping the workers in line with varying degrees of complicity, since she charges for her wares, unlike aboveground, or that she's assuaging her own guilt as much as she is helping the workers.
  • Persephone and Hermes' relationship can be seen as platonic, familial, or romantic depending on how the viewer sees their interactions, particularly the intro to "Our Lady of the Underground" having Hermes escort Persephone onstage and following it up with Persephone kissing him on the cheek.
• Ass Pull: In the NYTW and West End productions, Orpheus's character was much more confident and street-smart, and because of it reviewers and audiences found his doubt-riddled march out of Hadestown implausible, since there was no reason for him to suddenly doubt Eurydice or Hades and he'd been firing on all cylinders up to that point. Subsequent productions worked to foreshadow it by making his character innocent and naive at first, then become more cynical from his time in Hadestown and eventually doubt himself as well as the others.
• Award Snub:
  • Downplayed with Amber Gray losing out to Ali Stroker for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. While fans of this show were a bit sad that Gray didn't win, nearly everyone agrees that Stroker winning is still a very good thing, since she not only gave a terrific performance, but is also the first actress who uses a wheelchair to win a Tony. Despite the universal acclaim for Gray's performance, the long overdue landmark for disabled actors and actresses is enough to make most everyone happy with the outcome.
  • Another downplayed example is Patrick Page losing the Tony to André De Shields. While De Shields' win is widely regarded as very deserving, there are many fans who were rooting for his costar instead. However, the universal consensus that both actors gave excellent performances and their friendship off the stage helped to avoid any rivalry between their respective fans.
  • Played straight with Reeve Carney being left out of the nominations entirely, since all other principles were nominated and the show wound up winning a total of eight Tonys. Costars Patrick Page and Eva Noblezada both publicly expressed their disappointment with the snub, and the Hadestown Twitter made posts in support of him.
• Base-Breaking Character: Orpheus was originally represented as a cocky, self-assured, and smooth ladies' man, while the Broadway version is represented as a naive, innocent Manchild who initially has trouble winning Eurydice over. Some thought this was unnecessary and the character was fine the way he was, but others thought it was a more compelling direction to take him in and like the new Orpheus. This also opens up a debate about whether the end is more powerful when it shows a more headstrong or innocent-natured man failing, as a cocky Orpheus would have pride before a fall and it's more devastating when he finally begins to doubt, while the more innocent Orpheus undergoes development to become cynical and mistrustful, lending more credence to his distrust of Hades' deal.
• Broken Base: Although the Broadway version of the show is, to put it mildly, very popular, there's a fair share of fans who came in with the concept album or the New York Theatre Workshop staging (and its cast album) who strongly prefer certain aspects of those versions. "Epic III" is a big case of this, as some prefer earlier versions' more poetic lyrics and feeling like an epic poem, while others prefer the later version's simplicity, compassion for Hades, and improvised feel.
• Can't Un-Hear It:
  • The very distinct vocals of each main cast member can make it hard to think of these Greek legends without their voices playing in your head, especially if this show is the first time seeing their story play out.
  • Patrick Page and Amber Gray's extremely unique, rich, and deep voices combined with playing Hades and Persephone to universal acclaim in each production leading up to and including the Broadway one will likely make it hard to not think of them when future actors step into these roles.
• Cry for the Devil: It's hard not to feel sorry for Hades despite his actions, given that he's essentially doing it all to prevent himself from losing his wife.
• Diagnosed by the Audience: Hermes describes Orpheus as being “touched,” “naive,” and “sensitive of soul.” He also has No Social Skills, as seen when he asks Eurydice to come home with him and marry him as his opening lines (right after Hermes instructs him not to come on too strong, no less). Orpheus also has a tendency to become hyper-fixated on things that give him inspiration, like a rag used to wash tables, the flower he gives to Eurydice, and his song to bring back spring. He’s so focused on completing his song that even Hermes can't interrupt him, to the point where when Eurydice is driven to sign her life away to Hadestown he doesn't notice her call his name. Because of these, a majority of the audience for Broadway and tour sees Orpheus as neurodivergent.
• Ensemble Dark Horse:
  • A literal case of an Ensemble Dark-horse, Timothy Hughes, the 6'7" member of the ensemble has gotten a lot of attentions from the fans, with his Instagram followers jumping up 20% since joining the cast of Hadestown. The fact that he's Hades' understudy helps too.
  • Brian Drye, the trombonist, is much beloved in the fandom. He is the first instrumentalist heard in "Road to Hell", is the first one named when Persephone introduces the pit in "Our Lady of the Underground", and he even gets to join the cast onstage and dance with the ensemble (while soloing on the trombone) in "Livin' it Up on Top".
• Evil Is Cool: Hades' deep voice, pinstriped suit, steely glare, and Cool Shades make him a highlight of the show, and many Hadestown fanfics focus on him and Persephone over Orpheus and Eurydice.
• Fan Nickname: Timothy Hughes, the 6'7" ensemble member, is near-universally called "Tall Guy" by the fandom.
• Fan-Preferred Cut Content: A near-universal fandom opinion is that Persephone's verse in "Chant (Reprise)" should have stayed in some form, as it concretely shows her love for Hades and deepens their relationship, gives her a singing part in an otherwise Hades-dominating song, and was mainly cut for time. (Which version should have stayed is a matter of debate.)
• Fandom-Specific Plot:
  • Many a Fix Fic is built around Orpheus and Eurydice reuniting in some way. Some simply have Orpheus not turn around at the end, or run with the idea of the story being retold by having the characters be aware of and break the endless loops, allowing them to be happy. Post-canon Hades/Persephone reconciliation fics tend to include Hades bending the rules so Orpheus and Eurydice can reunite, while others have them reunite after Orpheus dies like in some versions of the myth.
  • Eurydice picking up where Orpheus left off post-canon and campaigning for better treatment for the workers is a popular fanfic topic, with some having her lead a resistance against Hades while others have her working with him and Persephone to bring change.
• Fanfic Fuel:
  • The story looping on itself as the characters try in vain to change the ending is a very popular fanfic topic, sometimes with different settings but the same basic plot, others having the different versions of the story be different loops, and others having the loop finally break.
  • What roles the other gods might have in the Hadestown universe is a popular fanfic topic, as is the question of, if they did disappear as the show hints, what happened to them and why. The Titanomachy is also a popular fanfic topic despite it never being hinted at in-show.
  • Orpheus's mother is mentioned only twice in the story — that she was a Muse (hinted to be Calliope, as in some myths) and abandoned her son to be raised by Hermes. Many fans have written fics about how and why the arrangement happened, with varying degrees of sympathy for her.
• Fanon:
  • Many fans interpret Orpheus's quirks, such as his hyperfixation on writing his song and lack of social skills when first talking to Eurydice, as him being on the autism spectrum or otherwise neurodivergent.
  • John Krause, who originated the role of Worker #3, interprets the chorus member, who he named Jax, and the worker as different people. Because of this and his friendship with Reeve Carney, several fanfics have Jax and Orpheus as friends up top, particularly post-turn.
• Friendly Fandoms: Fans of Hadestown are extremely friendly with fans of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, as they share a director and actor. There is also considerable overlap with the fandom of Hades, another work set in the Underworld in which Hades, Persephone, Orpheus, and Eurydice all play important roles.
• Genius Bonus:
  • The signature flower of Hadestown is a red carnation, which not only "blooms in bitter snow" like in the songs, but is also the flower of poets and passionate love, as well as a symbol of workers' rights and the labor movement.
  • In "His Kiss, the Riot," Hades compares Orpheus and Eurydice's kiss to the poisonous belladonna plant. Its scientific name is Atropa belladonna, referring to Atropos, the Fate that cut the thread of life, making it a very relevant comparison.
  • In "Road to Hell II," Hermes sings, "To know how it ends/ And still begin to sing it again/ As if it might turn out this time." Medieval versions of the story made Orpheus "Sir" or "King Orfeo," his wife kidnapped by the king of the fairies, and Orfeo successfully retrieving her. Sing it enough, through the centuries, and a happy ending is obtained.
• Hilarious in Hindsight:
  • Patrick Page holding Reeve Carney's lover captive may seem very familiar to those who remember them as the Green Goblin and Spider-Man.
  • The first half of "Epic III" was changed for Broadway due to Anais Mitchell seeing the climax of Ratatouille, where Anton Ego the food critic was moved by a simple dish, and deciding the song could afford to be a simpler expression of love. A year later, André de Shields (Hermes in Hadestown) played Ego in Ratatouille the TikTok Musical.
• Iron Woobie: Eurydice and Persephone in particular (Eurydice struggling with starvation only to become tricked into joining the workers forever, and Persephone spending half of the year away from the sunlight with a husband she's been slowly drifting apart from), although most of the cast could be considered this.
• Jerkass Woobie: Hades. Make no mistake, he's prickly and does some really crappy things. But he's so desperate to fix things with Persephone and impress her that it's impossible not to pity him a little bit. Especially when you realize that all of his amoral actions are in some, way, shape, or form due to his love for Persephone.
• Love to Hate: Hades is a very beloved villain thanks to the genuine menace he brings onstage, a combination of redeeming and impressive qualities, and being just as sympathetic as the innocent characters. Patrick Page's epic performance certainly helps as well.
• Memetic Mutation: After Reeve Carney got hit by a lamp during "Wait For Me" on August 29, 2019, fan art, jokes, and memes followed, with even Eva Noblezada making a lamp joke. The jokes only increased when Jordan Dobsan, when filling in for Reeve, also got hit with a lamp on March 9, 2022.
• Misaimed Fandom: If you go into the Youtube comment sections of "Why We Build the Wall", you can see some Donald Trump supporters not only under the assumption that the song was meant to comment on their president, but that the musical was in support of building the wall. They probably didn't bother to check out the whole show, because if they did, then they'd realize that a) the villain was singing this and that building the wall was supposed to be a big scam and b) the song itself was written 10 years before Trump even campaigned to be president.
• Narm Charm: The fact that Hades, lord of the underworld, abusive CEO, wears sunglasses at night. What’s more, he dramatically puts on his sunglasses before approaching Eurydice, like he’s some confident Casanova. Probably intentional.
• Older Than They Think: Some viewers unaware of the project's long history thought that "Why We Build The Wall" was written in response to Donald Trump's infamous political campaign and later presidency. In reality, the number predates that subject by a full decade, as does the debate over the Mexico-US barrier.
• Realism-Induced Horror: Eurydice's portion of "Chant I" brings up realistic fears. It's the dead of winter. A starving Eurydice is robbed of everything she has—by the Fates, no less—and can only scream to the cold for someone save her. It makes her the perfect prey for Hades, who lures her to Hadestown with a promise of food and warmth, and she's horrified to learn that the price for food and board is endless work and losing her memories of the world above.
• Retroactive Recognition:
  • Chris Sullivan portrayed Hermes in the NYTW production. He would later gain fame for portraying Toby on This Is Us, as well as the very unfortunately named Taserface in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
  • Damon Daunno played Orpheus in NYTW. He would later go on to earn a Tony nomination for his portrayal of Curly in the 2019 Broadway revival of Oklahoma!.
• Signature Song:
  • "Wait For Me" is the penultimate song of Act 1 and details Orpheus's journey to Hadestown to save Eurydice, with the chorus echoing his song and the visual staging of the scene being extremely memorable.
  • "Why We Build The Wall" is the final Act 1 song and is a chilling Crowd Song as Hades indoctrinates his workers into the fold, including Eurydice, while using circular logic to keep them in line.
  • "Way Down Hadestown" is essentially the theme song of the show and features the entire cast singing about Hadestown as Hades himself appears for the first time.
• They Changed It, Now It Sucks!:
  • The libretto went through many rewrites on the road to Broadway, so inevitably some fans like the earlier versions of the songs better than the Broadway versions, particularly Persephone's cut verse from "Chant II", which stayed long enough for Broadway preview performances before being cut to trim the length.
  • There's also people who strongly prefer certain actors from the New York Theatre Workshop's version of the show to the Broadway cast — specifically, there are outspoken fans of Damon Daunno's headstrong ladies' man portrayal of Orpheus and Chris Sullivan's vagabond trickster portrayal of Hermes over Reeve Carney and Andre de Shields, because their interpretations of the characters are very different and change the tone of the show.
  • The third "Epic III" verse was changed from Broadway to the West End and had its changes backported to the US versions, which made fans of the former lyrics—which had stayed from NYTW on—unhappy due to feeling the newer lyrics were very on-the-nose and less impactful.
• Unintentionally Unsympathetic: This was an issue audiences and reviewers had with earlier versions of Orpheus, particularly in London and NYTW. Instead of being seen as supernaturally confident and smooth with a good heart, he was seen as a flighty braggart who blamed Eurydice for leaving. Adding to this was that he had no established backstory, making him less sympathetic than the rest of the cast, who had reasons for what they were doing and why.
• Vanilla Protagonist: While Orpheus and Eurydice get to sing some beautiful music and prove to be engaging and likable in their own right, Hades and Persephone are widely regarded as the more interesting and developed characters. This also goes for their actors, with Patrick Page and Amber Gray getting a lot more buzz and acclaim compared to Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada.
• Visual Effects of Awesome:
  • The set/stage's gradual transformation into the underworld during "Wait For Me", from the mining lamps swinging over the audience right up to the moment where the entire set breaks apart.
  • According to ensemble member John Krause, his favorite part of the show is watching people react to the set breaking.
    John Krause: "We're directed to look out as if we're seeing it all happen, and people are like hitting each other and freaking out..."
    Ahmad Simmons (imitating an audience member): "MA! MA, WAKE UP! DID YOU SEE IT?!"
• What Do You Mean, It's Not Political?:
  • "Why We Build the Wall" has drawn a lot of comparisons to Donald Trump's tenure as President of the United States, to the point where some people don't realize that the song was written 10 years before his campaign even started.
  • What's more is all the anti-capitalist subtext. Hades is portrayed as the abusive head of a factory with terrible working conditions. To get workers, he tricks those who are hungry, lost, and impoverished into signing contracts to him, so that they're forced to work and make him ever more opulent while they literally lose their identities working.
• The Woobie: Oh, gods...
  • Orpheus just wants to play his music and write his poetry. Then his wife goes into Hadestown, never to return, and he basically goes on a suicide mission to get her back. And he instead manages to doom them both.
  • Eurydice, the aforementioned wife. Her reasons for leaving Orpheus are wholly sympathetic ones — she's terrified of starving, and will do anything to avoid that happening. For trying to survive, she winds up tricked into becoming a slave in Hadestown, and is ultimately trapped there forever.
  • Hermes becomes this when you remember that he basically raised Orpheus — the tragedy that plays out is befalling someone who is like a son to him. In the finale, he's on the edge of tears as he begins singing "Road to Hell II."
  • Persephone, who spends half the year in a place she absolutely despises, contending with a slowly-but-surely deteriorating marriage, despite the fact that she and her husband do still love each other. By the end of the story, she's watched a close friend doom his love and himself.
  • The Workers are doomed from the start to Hadestown's eternity of hard labor and lost memories, and there's no indication of things changing for them even after spring returns up above.

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