Now Playing: 'Hadestown' is a beautiful blend of blues music and mythology - WOUB Public Media

“Hadestown” is getting a pro-shot treatment with the Broadway cast, and WOUB Public Media reviewer Gordon Briggs says the film captures more than a straight concert recording. He describes the musical as a blend of blues, Greek mythology, and modern American folk and New Orleans jazz. The story reimagines Orpheus and Eurydice in a post-apocalyptic depression-era New Orleans, with Hermes narrating and framing both the romance and the turbulent pairing of King Hades and Queen Persephone. Briggs highlights Orpheus as a hopeful working waiter and depicts Eurydice as tough and independent. He also praises Reeve Carney’s vocal performance and notes that close-ups in the recording create intimacy that a live theater seat can’t—especially during yearning numbers and facial-expression moments.