By Emily R. Zarevich, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
“Waaaaaaay down, Hadestown! Way down under the ground!”
On Friday, July 31, 2026, the people of Burlington streamed into SilverCity Burlington Cinemas for a special movie-going experience. Some had roses pinned to their lapels, while others were wearing stockings with holes in them. Some were taking selfies with their tickets, while others exchanged tidbits of classic Greek mythology right before the lights dimmed. These people, who make up Burlington’s theatre fanbase, were there to see Hadestown: The Musical, a 2025 live film recording of the popular passion project written by the American composer Anaïs Mitchell.
The film, which began screening in cinemas across North America on July 24, 2026, opens with some incredible, and not to mention historic, footage of a crowd waiting in excited anticipation outside of the Lyric Theatre in London’s West End. Following this is an exclusive sneak peek backstage at the actors in their dressing rooms preparing for their cues. There are familiar faces, as this particular performance includes a set of actors from the original Broadway production of Hadestown in New York City. This version is directed by Brett Sullivan, who is also well-known for his work on productions of other big hits like Waitress and Kinky Boots.
Hadestown: The Musical is Ancient Greek myth relocated to an unnamed speakeasy during the Great Depression era. The god and messenger Hermes (André De Shields) is the speakeasy’s host and the mentor/father figure to Orpheus (Reeve Carney), a sensitive poet and musician with the power to inspire people through his art. Orpheus falls passionately in love at first sight with the beautiful but rugged runaway Eurydice (Eva Noblezada), who is skeptical about true love after years of hardship and heartbreak. He will go to any and all lengths to be with her, including following her down into the burning depths of hell.
Earth, which is suffering through extreme shifts of weather, is being watched over by the powerful god Hades (Patrick Page), who rules over the bleak, smoking realm of Hadestown, an industrial wasteland. Hades is married to the goddess Persephone (Amber Gray), who divides her time between Hadestown and Earth. When Persephone is present on Earth for six months, the sun shines, and the harvest is bountiful. But when she descends back into Hadestown for the other half of the year, Earth plunges into darkness, drought, and despair. Providing a Greek chorus to events as they play out are the three Fates (Bella Brown, Allie Daniel, and Madeline Charlemagne).
Hadestown: The Musical combines jazzy tunes, classic storytelling, and a bold statement on the devastating effects of global climate change to create a unique musical that leaves both a spiritual and intellectual impact. Its soundtrack covers a tender, idealized love story between two hopeful people, but it also explores the psychological impact that capitalism, starvation, and authoritarianism have on the public. In Hadestown, Hades is a tyrant with the PR disguise of an innovative engineer who sells his people the idea of “progress.” On Earth, hungry human beings fight over scraps of food and desperately seek firewood to survive the harsh winters, vulnerable as they are to the elements.
The cinematography of Hadestown: The Musical allows for some exceedingly powerful camera angles that elevate the intensity of the musical numbers. These shots would not be visible from the points of view of traditional theatregoers, especially those seated in the far back, which adds an extra element for the moviegoing audience. Expressions, character tics, and costuming and makeup details like fine stitching and body tattoos are captured by the camera.
There are close-ups of the faces of the condemned souls of the underground as they sing about their king’s building projects, with sweat dripping down their cheeks from the hard, endless labour that constitutes their afterlives. Side-stage shots of the singers bending their bodies and extending their arms over the audience break that very fragile fourth wall that separates fiction and reality. There’s one particularly chilling shot of the cast peering down into the hole that leads straight to hell, evoking that dizzying feeling of standing on the edge of a bottomless pit.
All the actors of Hadestown: The Musical are mightily emotionally invested in their roles, but one standout performance comes from Amber Gray as Persephone, the consort of Hades and Queen of the Underworld. The typical depiction of the character of Persephone in fictionalized retellings of her myth is that of a young ingenue at the height of her allure, who loses her innocence when Hades claims her as his bride. The Persephone of Hadestown: The Musical is, alternatively, an aging, jaded, alcoholic diva who is somewhat past her prime but can still keep her grip on an audience’s attention.
Gray plays grown-up Persephone reeling in the midst of a mid-life crisis. She’s twitchy and stumbling from drinking too much, and agonized by the extinguished flame of passion between her and her long-time husband, Hades. But despite her world-weariness and her dissatisfaction with how Hades governs Hadestown, Persephone lights up when above ground, bringing sunny weather to dark, desolate lands and lively music to bars. She is the true life of the party.
The musical is not subtle in its handling of political and socioeconomic themes. The iconic song “Why We Build the Wall” is a lyrical reimagining of real-life historical and contemporary instances of xenophobia and class wars that divide human beings. It’s also a mass declaration of hypocrisy. “We build the wall to keep us free,” sing Hades, Persephone, and their subjects, all of whom are shackled in some way to a contract, a commitment, a belief, or an ideal. The character of Hades embodies the conundrum of leaders throughout history who’ve allowed emotions and egos to impact their decision-making, rather than any sense of responsibility towards their people.
It’s a musical well worth seeing for those whose interests spread across music, mythology, politics, the environment, and the growing trend of filmed live theatre. Hadestown: The Musical is still having screenings at SilverCity Burlington Cinemas. Check the SilverCity Burlington website for tickets to remaining shows. This is a great chance to continue supporting your local cinema for those who have already seen The Odyssey and Disclosure Day.
