Rebecca Burnham

Creating 'esprit de corps' in even the mundane tasks.

I watched Hadestown today. It was the most inspiring musical I’ve seen since Come From Away and spoke to me in a more personal way than even that one did. I recommend it without reservation and with a sense of wonder. I also recommend proactively putting away any shoulder chips and approaching it as a tale that is far removed from partisan politics.

Adapting a mega-hit film to the stage (and vice versa) is financially attractive, because the story already has a committed fan base. It’s also risky, because those committed fans have expectations based on the original version, which may not be translatable to the new medium. Still, the stage version prioritizes a relevant story over special effects, with a theme that seems especially timely: love conquers division.