“It’s a sad song, but we sing it anyway.” These are the words that Hermes (André De Shields) sings at the beginning of Hadestown: The Musical, in theaters for five days only, starting July 24. This pro-shot from director Brett Sullivan puts Anais Mitchell’s Tony-winning musical on the big screen with a brilliant eye for how to frame this spectacular show.
Hadestown: The Musical tells the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, played by Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada. These two quickly fall in love, but Orpheus must find a way, through his music, to bring spring to the surface, since Persephone (Amber Gray) has been with Hades (Patrick Page) in the Underworld for so long. When Hades believes that he is losing Persephone, he lures Eurydice to the Underworld. Orpheus goes to rescue her by trying to reignite the flame of love between Persephone and Hades. With the help of Hermes, Orpheus finds Eurydice, but he must pass a test in order for them to be reunited.
The musical itself is a towering achievement of both storytelling and musical composition. The vocal performances throughout are incredibly demanding, and the cast makes it all look effortless. If you’re looking for inspiration beyond this review to go see the film, I recommend going to YouTube and finding their performance of “Wait for Me” at the Tonys. To film Hadestown: The Musical, Sullivan reassembled the original Broadway cast for several performances in London’s West End, and it is absolutely astounding to have the opportunity to see them in this film.
The tenderness between Carney and Noblezada (who met playing the roles and eventually married) is electrifying, and the way that their duet “All I’ve Ever Known” is filmed with a beautiful intimacy that pulls us into their romance. Yet in “Wait for Me,” the filming is far more chaotic, conveying the anxiety Orpheus feels as he enters the Underworld. The choreography is the same as it is in the live performances, but Sullivan does an incredible job of creating something that still feels unique in the film. He also has an innate sense of when to move in close to show what the actor is experiencing and when to pull out wide so we can enjoy the full ensemble, even showcasing the pit in several sequences.
During the rehearsals for Hadestown: The Musical, Patrick Page tore his Achilles tendon, meaning that he performs his role in a boot. The costumers did a spectacular job making it part of his costume, and Page is such a professional that I barely noticed until the end of the first act during the remarkably powerful “Build the Wall.” And honestly, knowing that he was experiencing that agony makes his performance in “Epic III” even more emotionally rewarding.
I know that it is weird to write about this on the weekend that another huge Greek epic is being released (my thoughts on Christopher Nolan’s latest next week!), but this is a remarkable musical and a perfect capture of that musical. Hadestown: The Musical is a tale that is very specific, but has broad applications. It is a film about love and poverty and the persistence of story. “To Orpheus and all of us. Goodnight, brothers, goodnight.”
Rating: 5/5
This review originally appeared in The Dominion Post on July 18, 2026.
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