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| Katerina Anderson, Jacob Price and the Cast photo by Audra Little |
highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)
Click here for more information on this production that runs through February 2
"Spotlight Youth Theatre's production of Hadestown: Teen Edition is impressive, brought to life by a wonderful cast with confident direction and striking choreography. From the haunting melodies in Anaïs Mitchell's score to the simple but effective set design, Spotlight's small venue provides an intimacy to this musical telling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. However, while the production and cast are excellent, the musical itself has a few shortcomings.....At times, it feels overly long, with certain scenes and songs dragging down the forward-moving momentum of the plot. While Mitchell's score has standout numbers like "Wait for Me," "Our Lady of the Underground" and "Why We Build the Wall," several songs feel repetitive, disjointed, and occasionally lack emotional resonance. Also, the somewhat simple lyrics never rise to the level of the music. ....While I have some quibbles with the musical, the Spotlight cast is exceptional and makes the best of the shortcomings in the material. As Orpheus, Jacob Price brings a youthful vulnerability and a clear singing voice with crisp notes that beautifully conveys the character's idealism and artistic passion. With a pure yet earthy singing voice, Katerina Anderson captures Eurydice's angst and raw emotional depth...The supporting cast is equally impressive....The Broadway production uses turntables, elevated set areas, and a scenic design that splits and opens up to reveal the underground. Here, Jack Taylor's assured direction shows you don't need all of those elements with staging that is crisp and clear and performances that are infused with emotion and allow the story to unfold with clarity." - Gil Benbrook, TalkinBroadway.com (click here to read the complete review)
