Frequently my readers and friends will be shocked with how many times I have seen certain musicals and plays. While I know I have a unique disposition to tolerate repetition what shocks me is how brilliant creative directors find new ways to present the material so it doesn’t feel like I am seeing the same show over and over again. This was no more the case than at the current production of Hadestown: Teen Edition I saw over at The Ruth. With their creative choices they take something which could feel expected and bring new life into it- or should I say new afterlife?

I would say The Ruth in general has carved a cool niche for themselves in the Northern Utah theatre scene by being the home for great and innovative dance choreography. Whether their main stage or teen performances I am always blown away by the stunning use of dance in their shows. This production of Hadestown is no different. It has many strengths but the true standout is the choreography choices by director Brighton Sloan and choreographer Amelia Rose Moore.

I especially loved the decision to have both a singing and dancing Hades and Persephone. I have never seen those characters portrayed this way. Sometimes we’d even have the singers watching the dancers as if the movement was helping them absorb the moment and internalize what is happening. I saw the TThS cast and it had Cannon Hadfield and Layleigh Stone in the singing roles and Katelyn Lee and Kerby Grob in the dancing. This combination of music and dance is worth seeing this production alone for. Truly stunning. I also found Hadfield’s acting to be particularly strong and he brought a devastating layer to Hades one doesn’t always see (and was good at hitting those low notes as well.)

It is also very smart for them to stage Hadestown now because they can use the Once on this Island set which is perfect for the New Orleans beaten down vibe of this musical. Literally all they needed to do was remove the sand/water and add a couple of signs (scenic designer Carter Thompson.) Probably because they are double cast they have a smaller ensemble of 12 (I’ve seen as many as 40 in some teen productions) but as they frequently go into the aisles it did not feel small. All the leads are excellent and I honestly have come to appreciate Hadestown more as a teen show over the years- Orpheus (Tayson Simons) and Eurydice’s (Jacey Lee Robbins) story just rings more truthfully when told through young eyes!

The only critiques I’d offer is they could have used lighting more to create that underworld feel. There is some use of small flickering lights but only one miner light held by Orpheus. Also because of the unusual nature of the stage at The Ruth the final walk of Orpheus and Eurydice out of the afterlife doesn’t feel as epic or engrossing as it sometimes does because some of it was happening behind me or in a cramped space on stage. I’m not sure how you get around that but my gasp wasn’t as big when he turns around as it sometime is.

Still this production of Hadestown: Teen Edition at The Ruth is definitely worthy of your time especially for the dance elements. It would be a great way to introduce young people to musical theatre and this amazing show. It is playing through 7/25 and tickets can be purchased here.

Hadestown has music, lyrics and a book by Anaïs Mitchell based on the greek myth Orpheus and Eurydice. It first premiered on Broadway in 2019 and it is still currently playing. I saw it in 2021.

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