Hadestown is essentially the musical version of the Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice. Like Hamilton and Six, it puts a modern spin on a historical story, though in the case of Hadestown, it’s based on a myth.  While we’re on the subject, Hadestown has a much calmer tone than either Hamilton or Six. The music isn’t overly loud or jarring. There are no confetti cannons, thunder effects, or explosions. There are a few moments in which a train whistle blows, and I’ll do my best to point out those and other potentially uncomfortable moments based on the soundtrack and my memory of the show. The train whistle isn’t loud and I mostly knew when it was coming, but it still startled me whenever it blew.

The first song, “Road to Hell,” which introduces all the characters, is a fairly upbeat song.  I don‘t recall any lightning effects, but I’ll have to wait till I can see it again in person to make sure. The next few songs are mostly quiet and beautiful, until “Livin’ it Up on Top,” which is a party dance number as the characters celebrate the return of Persephone and spring. Therefore, the music sounds fun and exciting, but besides that, there’s not much to worry about. Jump to “Way Down Hadestown,” and the song begins with the sound of a train whistle blowing accompanied by an onstage smoke machine. 

The next song is “A Gathering Storm,” and there are some lighting effects to simulate the storm, but there are no thunder effects or extreme lighting effects. “Chant” is the next potentially surprising song simply because it involves a beat meant to create an effect that sounds like pickaxes clanking. The following songs, “Hey Little Songbird, When the Chips are Down, and “Gone, I’m Gone,” are tame and quiet. 

Next comes “Wait for Me,” one of my favorites because the song itself and the special effects work together beautifully. Nevertheless, it’s worth mentioning that there are swinging lamps in this song which the actors push back and forth like swings. As Orpheus sings his beautiful melody, the stage moves to simulate the doors of the underworld opening up in response to the song. 

After “Wait for Me” comes the final song of act 1, “Why We Build the Wall,” followed by “Our Lady of the Underground” at the beginning of act 2. Both songs are uneventful sound and lighting wise. The next two songs are quiet but heartbreaking as Eurydice seems to accept her fate as the newest lost soul of the underworld. Next comes “Papers,” which is more of a conversation between Hades and Orpheus, as Orpheus has been caught trying to rescue Eurydice. The music is instrumental, but it could be potentially loud and jarring as Hades confronts and orders an attack on Orpheus. 

The next loud song is “Chant (Reprise).” Following the lyrics, “Young man, you can sing your ditty, I conduct the electric city,” there is a noise that sounds like light bulbs popping and crackling. After “Chant (Reprise),” the end is near, and the final few songs are calm. Hades’s final song, “His Kiss, The Riot,” is more upbeat, but there are no surprising lighting or sound effects. 

Since this is an ancient and famous story, I don’t think that discussing the ending is a spoiler. In fact, the story itself is told as if the audience is already familiar with the story, but the characters wish to tell it anyway, hence the lyrics “It’s an old song. And we’re gonna sing it again!” But if you want to be surprised when you see this wonderful show, I can say that there are no unsettling effects through the end.

Hadestown is intense in parts but was manageable for me. Compared to some of the other musicals I’ve seen, however, like Hamilton and Beetlejuice, the sound and light effects are comfortable. From the perspective of a fan of greek mythology and Percy Jackson, I thought Hadestown painted a vivid and unique modern perspective on one of the most famous tales of ancient Greece. 

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If you want to know about the ending and final two songs, please read on:

Hades lets Orpheus and Eurydice go under one condition: Orpheus must make his journey back to the surface without checking to make sure Eurydice is still following. Tragically, he does look back, dooming Eurydice to return to the underworld, while he can do nothing else to save her. The final two songs, therefore, “Road to Hell (Reprise),” and “We Raise Our Cups,” stand to honor Orpheus and Eurydice’s story and send the message that even though their story is tragic, it is still worth telling.