NYT: ‘Hadestown’ Hits Movie Theaters, and Theater to Stream in July — Page 3

Thank you to everyone who praised and recommended this pro-shot. It made me go see it with my cousin and we both loved it. I had never seen it on stage or even heard a song from it before. Great score, great direction, great performances, and a great filming. A stellar experience. I got chills a few times. So glad I didn’t miss this!

I saw this today and echo the many praises for this film. The camera work is wonderful. You feel like you are immersed in the story. When I got home I checked Fandango and saw the run in my city has been extended another week, through Aug. 6.

This was perfectly captured -- this should be the gold standard for filming a theatrical production; you honor the fact it's on a stage, while still using the tools that cinema offers. I was much more emotionally affected by this than I thought I'd be!

One hiccup, at my showing, we started to hear thunder -- maybe just some audio bleeding from the movie next door? Thunder clap *right* as Hades entered through the top doors to confront Orpheus -- that was cool! A bit later, right as he asks Hades if they can leave...power out. Emergency lights on. 😑

So that sad song will be sung again for me, going to catch the last bit next week! (Even though I think I know how it ends...) But not entirely mad I have to see it again (for free!)

Updated On: 7/29/26 at 11:33 PM

The box office numbers should start dropping as of Thursday, because even though the proshot is remaining in theaters into next week, the number of screens will fall. And in my area, the showing times are grim, with a lot of early morning times in its few theaters.

Still, the Hadestown proshot has reached $15.775 million since its release. That is just behind Hamilton, which it will pass domestically soon enough. Hadestown has not been released outside of the United States. I wonder if there are any plans to do so, especially because it was filmed in London.

I agree that the sort of unexpected success of the movie may lend to lower box office - ads take extra $ and time to change / with Spider-Man in particular playing more or less all day + Odyssey still selling out, there just aren't the screens. But still very cool to see and hopefully strengthens the case for more released pro shots and this remains a great success.

Also sorry to hear of the few posters who didn't have audiences as behaved / engaged - comes with the territory I suppose of a movie theatre vs. a Broadway house, but still, can see how it'd ruin the experience quite a bit.

Back to the film itself: went for a second time last night, with a slightly smaller but no less captivated crowd. Dropping in the 'Spoiler' box for one small moment of different staging that I found brilliant / immediately reduced me to additional tears:

Updated On: 7/31/26 at 04:16 PM

schubox said: "JT2030 said: "I agree that the sort of unexpected success of the movie may lend to lower box office - ads take extra $ and time to change / withSpider-Manin particular playing more or less all day +Odysseystill selling out, there just aren't the screens. But still very cool to see and hopefully strengthens the case for more released pro shots and this remains a great success.

Also sorry to hear of the few posters who didn't have audiences as behaved / engaged - comes with the territory I suppose of a movie theatre vs. a Broadway house, but still, can see how it'd ruin the experience quite a bit.

Back to the film itself: went for a second time last night, with a slightly smaller but no less captivated crowd. Dropping in the 'Spoiler' box for one small moment of different staging that I found brilliant / immediately reduced me to additional tears:

"

Speaking of Ihad maybe the worst audience member I've been with at a show. Taking flash pictures of the screen. Clapping after ever song. Live streaming herself reacting to songs, recording the screen, and sobbing as loud as she could right as Wait For Me (Reprise) started. Was extrememly distracting"

Where did that person think they were, behaving like that - an actual Broadway theatre? (j/k) - kidding aside, I'm *so* sorry that you had to put up with that. I don't see how anyone could enjoy the pro shot around that behavior, and "live streaming themself reacting to songs" is wild. Hope you can revisit either in another showing or when it's streaming and not having such epically rude behavior taking place.

Maybe because it was a surprise hit after an overload of gloom about theater that seemed to catch everyone off guard, but I have been thinking about the reason for the proshot’s success.

My list of reasons:

It’s a really good proshot, as has been mentioned repeatedly, that embraced its role as a proshot (if anything, almost too much - there were a few too many audience shots). Embracing its staginess was unavoidable for a musical like this, so they embraced it.

It’s emotionally compelling and fun to watch. I have been struck by the number of online comments from people saying they usually dislike musicals but loved this. The main cast were at the top of their game.

Theater kids. There were plenty of them at my showing. I have never heard a movie theater explode with so many loud conversations after the proshot ended. Allowing high schools to stage it probably didn’t hurt the box office.

Moviegoing is back in style. I saw The Odyssey last night in a packed house while the usually deserted theater was filled with families seeing the latest Spider-Man movie. Earlier this year, there have been two low-budget horror hits and the Michael Jackson movie as well.

Hadestown feels more relevant than ever. I haven’t seen the show in a few years but I was struck by how the musical, started two decades ago, hits hard. Orpheus’ speech about the world we live in now? Hadestown itself? Hades’ emotional torment and his brief moment of happiness. (Damn, Patrick Page and Amber Gray are magnificent.) The show’s neat trick of telling a tragedy but ending with a thin glimmer of hope, even if we’re probably kidding ourselves? I really liked Hadestown when I first saw it in 2019, but I have tended to rank it below my top tier 21st century musicals. The proshot makes a very strong case that that the show is actually underrated.

Updated On: 8/3/26 at 11:10 PM

I caught it today and what a time it was.

I still think Philip Boykin is THE voice of Hades, but Patrick Page is easily the Heart of Hades.