When I first saw Hadestown in 2022 on Broadway I honestly walked away with mixed feelings. While most of my friends seemed ready to declare it the next musical masterpiece I felt it was more style over substance. Therefore, I was excited to give the material another chance- this time in the Teen Edition at Riverton High School. Now having seen it I still have some of the story issues but I was blown away by what the teens did and everyone involved should be commended.

Hadestown is the creation of (book, lyrics and music) Anais Mitchell based on the Greek myth Orpheus and Eurydice. It tells the story of Orpheus who goes into the underworld to try and save his love. Along the way we have all kinds of characters like Hades, Persephone and Hermes.

One of my friends who is a Hadestown superfan expressed concerns about it being appropriate for a teen edition but he needn’t be. The team have done an excellent job making it appropriate for older teens and it’s a perfect show for high schoolers to do because it has huge ensemble scenes which allow for many young people to get their first taste in theater. At Riverton director Erin McGuire has taken this strong adaptation and seemingly thought of everything to make a winning production.

On Broadway so much of the appeal of Hadestown is the incredible production values which made it interesting to see a more stripped down version at Riverton. The set is simple but the lights and steampunk elements (including industrial projections on the side walls) make for an immersive experience. Everything went off seemingly without a hitch from the trap doors to the lighting, to the fog elements. I especially loved when the large cast (over 80 kids) comes out into the aisles with their lights and movement. They also didn’t have any major sound issues which is usually a problem at high school productions.

The cast is also excellent with teens taking on these challenging roles loaded with exposition, dance, complex emotions and more. The highlight was Ethan Hull as Hades. His deep bass voice is incredible in songs like “Hey Little Shepherd. He should absolutely apply for the Jimmy Awards. I think he’d be a shoe-in. Emma Tyson was also strong as Persephone in songs like “Living it Up on Top” and “Why We Build the Wall.”

The music is also a standout of the show at Riverton with an on stage band of 7 musicians, some of them professional adults. Especially for a show like Hadestown we need the gritty grounded reality of live musicians as opposed to a prerecorded track. It makes all the difference in the world.

If you haven’t seen Hadestown I thoroughly recommend checking out Riverton High’s production. It may be a teen edition but it’s also an incredible edition! It is playing for one more day tomorrow and I highly recommend it. You can purchase tickets here.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks. Please take a look here.