While wandering through the Victoria and Albert Museum, I came across a small, jeweled red flower glimmering inside a glass case. I thought it was so beautiful. It was delicate, detailed, and sparkling with bright colors. It started to reminded me of the red flower in Hadestown. It reminded me about the symbolism behind the red flower and the soul of the show. It takes me back to the heartbreaking love story of Orpheus and Eurydice.
In Hadestown, the red flower is a symbol of spring coming again, hope, and most powerfully, love. When Persephone disappears into the underworld, the world above turns cold and colorless. And then, when Eurydice leaves, so does love and hope. But Orpheus never gives up fighting for his love by going down there to find her and using his song to set her free. He sings for love into the world, and that love takes shape not only in the melody but for nature. He wants to bring back the color and the warmth of spring through his song. My favorite and pivotal moment in the musical was when Orpheous sings his unfinished song and a red flower appears. It’s like magic. A single flower blossoms in a place where it shouldn’t be able to grow. It becomes a symbol of spring returning, and of love’s power to change even the darkest places.
This flower I saw at the V&A reminded me of the rose and that feeling of love. It wasn’t just pretty, it felt like it had a purpose or a meaning. It could’ve been that flower that was left behind in the Underworld after Eurydice’s final goodbye. Almost like a final trace of her. A trace of what Orpheus brought to life with his music. Even when they were torn apart again, the flower remained, symbolizing that love existed there, even in a place built on shadows. The show tells us, “It’s a sad song, but we sing it anyway.” This flower felt like that song: sad and beautiful at the same time. It doesn’t erase the loss, but it reminds us of the love that once bloomed. Seeing this rose in the museum made me feel like the story of Hadestown was still unfolding in the world around me. It reminded me how powerful a symbol or an object can be and all the memories and meanings it brings. A single flower can mean hope, love, and new beginnings.
Theatre in London U of A 