The Cast Photo by Mikki Schaffner

The musical follows the stories of several Greek gods, with the primary relationship being Demeter (goddess of the harvest) and her daughter Persephone. Earthbound Persephone longs to break free from Demeter's protective oversight to finally meet the other gods and to find her true calling. When that opportunity avails itself, Persephone unwittingly allows Aphrodite (goddess of love) to cast a spell to make Persephone fall in love with Hades, ruler of the Underworld. Demeter springs into action to try to save her daughter, finally resolve unfinished business with Zeus, and realize her true powers.

The book by Marcus Stevens does an excellent job of presenting the ancient stories of the Greek gods through a lens that is applicable to what is happening in the world today. Most of the gods are presented as power hungry or vapid publicity or pleasure seekers. The touching mother-daughter relationship of Demeter and Persephone is universal. The desire for purpose, family, and independence are also themes that are common to audiences, and there are moral lessons to be learned in the story as well. The show possesses sufficient humor, action, and conflict, along with strong motivations for the primary characters. The storytelling does lag a bit in the middle of the intermissionless production, with some further development of the Persephone and Hades relationship needed. Also, the plot lacks any big surprise. With the outcome known to many theatregoers (the story of Persephone and Hades is also found in current Broadway hit Hadestown), the absence of tension is one of the weaknesses inherent to the material. Yet the book is an engaging one and should improve with further tweaks.

The score likewise offers much to admire. Stevens also supplies the lyrics, many of which are extremely witty, with unique (and true) rhymes and likewise skillfully bridge the gap between Greek mythology and modern references. The music by Oran Eldor covers a number of styles–pop, rock, folk, disco, and traditional Broadway–and is highly melodic and a good fit to the tone of the piece. Most of the songs are very effective in either propelling the action forward or laying bare further details of the motivations or feelings of the characters. Some of the numbers for Hades could be stronger or written in a style more fitting of the character or plot. The opening "It's a Myth" provides ample backstory and setup, and "My Own Place in the Pantheon" is an effective "want" song for Persephone. "Ew!" comically describes Aphrodite's travels down to the Underworld through some tricky and fun wordplay. The show's best song is "You'd Be Surprised," which chronicles Persephone's discovery of her true calling and power.

Director/choreographer Kathleen Marshall has won three Tony Awards and is best known for her staging of revivals of musicals on Broadway, including Wonderful Town, Anything Goes, and The Pajama Game. For Mythic, she ensures strong development of characters and motivations behind the various relationships, some appealing blocking, high energy, and generally clear storytelling. There are a few spots where additional creativity would benefit the staging, especially in the special effects and transitions between Earth, Olympus, and the Underworld. Marshall's dances are vibrant, with flowing movement which is pleasing to the eye. Hip hop is also incorporated amusingly. Bryson Baumgartel leads a wonderful-sounding six-piece band.

As Persephone, Analise Scarpaci displays spunk and splendid singing, and captures the substantial emotional arc of the character with aplomb. Mamie Parris (Demeter) is a Broadway vet and a wonderful fit as the Earthy goddess and caring mother. Her stage presence and solid vocals are strong assets to the show. Michael Park is well-known from stage and TV credits including Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. He playfully and comedically captures the jealous, overwhelmed nature of Zeus as he tries to fend off a power grab from his many offspring. Savy Jackson is delightful as the mostly shallow Aphrodite who starts to understand her own power. Jackson gets lots of laughs but provides layers to the character beyond the words on the script. Julius Thomas III makes the most of his moments as Hades, though this role is the one which needs the most retooling. His acting choices bring welcomed depth to the role. The eight ensemble members display versatility and skill in conveying the multiple fun supporting characters.

The design team consists of some of the best in the business. Kenneth Posner's lighting, melded with laser effects by Adam Biscow, produces an amazing color and light palette which fills the stage and beyond. It's one of the most impressive lighting displays of a musical in recent memory. There are even some not-so-subtle nods to Posner's work on Wicked, which are both mesmerizing and nostalgic. The costumes by Linda Cho (The Great Gatsby) are attractive, well-suited, and entertaining. Hopefully, if the show does make it to Broadway, the outfits might be expanded, particularly for the Underworld. The set by David Korins (Hamilton) is somewhat subdued, providing clearly defined spaces for each of three main locales, but without the details to really elevate the settings. Thankfully, the lighting fills those gaps to a large degree.

Kudos to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for presenting a musical with Broadway dreams for the second season in a row (after last year's Rutka). Mythic has a strong team in place and the makings of a Broadway-worthy piece. While further development and fine tuning is necessary, the framework and elements are already there, prepared for more work by the creators. This production, with the noteworthy cast, director, and designers, is one no theatregoer in Cincinnati should miss. The enthusiastic reaction by early audiences is very positive, with good reason.

Mythic runs through October 19, 2025, at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, 962 M.t Adams Circle, Cincinnati OH. For tickets and information, please visit www.cincyplay.com.