Hadestown
by Anaïs Mitchell

Name: Hadestown
Brand: Anaïs Mitchell
SKU: 9780573708855
Rating: 4.74 (201 reviews)

BroadwayWest End

Highlights

Female

Male

120 minsMulticultural CastingUnit Set/Multiple SettingsContemporary Costumes/Street Clothes

Awards & Recognition

Drama Desk AwardDrama League AwardOuter Critics CircleTony Award

Winner! Eight 2019 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Orchestrations Winner! Four 2019 Drama Desk Awards Winner! Six 2019 Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical Winner! 2019 Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical

What readers are saying

Readers rave about the emotional depth and poetic storytelling of this musical, often describing it as a modern masterpiece. Many find the music and lyrics to be captivating and thought-provoking, enhancing their overall experience. The adaptation of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth resonates deeply with audiences, making it a favorite for theatre lovers.

Poetic and stunningCaptivating music and lyricsEmotional and thought-provokingA modern masterpieceStoryline could use more depth

Synopsis

This intriguing and beautiful folk opera delivers a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience.

Following two intertwining love stories — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of immortal King Hades and lady Persephone — Hadestown invites audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back.

Inspired by traditions of classic American folk music and vintage New Orleans jazz, Mitchell’s beguiling sung-through musical pits industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love.

Press Reviews

"Sumptuous... Gorgeous... As good as it gets... You wish you could live in the glowy moment forever."
— The New York Times

"Utterly fabulous... arrives on Broadway with a furnace-like blast of creativity."
— The Hollywood Reporter

"A transporting musical hit... Anaïs Mitchell’s score is a joyful combination of folk, pop, Dixieland and blues that will make you want to rehear it as soon as the lights come up."
— Time Out

"Unforgettable. Simply one of the most exquisite works of musical storytelling I’ve seen in my more than 25 years as a theater critic. In its supple convergence of story and song, Hadestown represents a step forward for the art form."
— Los Angeles Times

"Visionary and ravishing. An intricate and gorgeous feat of songwriting, a vehicle for dynamite performances and a courageous experiment with form, Hadestown is cause for celebration."
— New York Magazine

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Principals (5f, 3m) +	—	—	(5f, 3m) +
Ensemble	—	—	—
ORPHEUS Lyre-playing poet, gifted and naïve	—	—	Lyre-playing poet, gifted and naïve
EURYDICE A runaway, tough and vulnerable	—	—	A runaway, tough and vulnerable
HADES Compulsive industrialist, boss-king of Hadestown	—	—	Compulsive industrialist, boss-king of Hadestown
PERSEPHONE Queen of nature and the seasons, a lush	—	—	Queen of nature and the seasons, a lush
HERMES Charismatic guide and storyteller, mentor to Orpheus	—	—	Charismatic guide and storyteller, mentor to Orpheus
FATES Three sisters, vicious and delicious, voices in the head	female	—	Three sisters, vicious and delicious, voices in the head
WORKERS Spirits of labor and community, a physical and choral presence In the Broadway production, the WORKERS were performed by an ensemble of five performers.	—	—	Spirits of labor and community, a physical and choral presence In the Broadway production, the WORKERS were performed by an ensemble of five performers.
AUTHOR'S NOTES	—	—	—
BAND The onstage BAND, while not listed with the characters above, is an omnipresence in Hadestown, and may join in the singing at times. For licensees using performance tracks, we've provided suggested workarounds for "Road To Hell" and Our Lady Of The Underground" (two numbers in which the BAND is directly introduced).	—	—	The onstage BAND, while not listed with the characters above, is an omnipresence in Hadestown, and may join in the singing at times. For licensees using performance tracks, we've provided suggested workarounds for "Road To Hell" and Our Lady Of The Underground" (two numbers in which the BAND is directly introduced).
WORKERS In the Broadway production, the WORKERS were performed by five ensemble members. Performer tracking for those five roles has been retained as follows: WORKER 1: Mezzo-Soprano; WORKER 2: Alto; WORKER 3: Tenor; WORKER 4: Baritenor; WORKER 5: Baritone. While the vocal arrangements were designed for an ensemble of five performers, licensees are welcome to envision these WORKER roles with a larger ensemble and add to the existing minimum cast framework to suit their cast.	—	—	In the Broadway production, the WORKERS were performed by five ensemble members. Performer tracking for those five roles has been retained as follows: WORKER 1: Mezzo-Soprano; WORKER 2: Alto; WORKER 3: Tenor; WORKER 4: Baritenor; WORKER 5: Baritone. While the vocal arrangements were designed for an ensemble of five performers, licensees are welcome to envision these WORKER roles with a larger ensemble and add to the existing minimum cast framework to suit their cast.
HERMES The character of HERMES has been played on Broadway by both male- and female-identifying performers. In the latter case, whenever HERMES is referred to as “Mister Hermes,” performers should use “Missus Hermes.” There is no alternate vocal score, but every HERMES should feel free to place lines or verses in a different octave if it feels or sounds better.	female	—	The character of HERMES has been played on Broadway by both male- and female-identifying performers. In the latter case, whenever HERMES is referred to as “Mister Hermes,” performers should use “Missus Hermes.” There is no alternate vocal score, but every HERMES should feel free to place lines or verses in a different octave if it feels or sounds better.

Videos

Hadestown Broadway Trailer

Publication

PublisherConcord Theatricals

Year2021

BindingPaperback

Pages114

ISBN-139780573708855

ISBN-100573708851

Hadestown is a play written by Anaïs Mitchell and published by Concord Theatricals (2021).

Digital editions available on Amazon Kindle.

Community Reviews

Playwright User

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Hadestown is a musical that transcends what art is capable of. In retrospect that should have been apparent from the get-go. I mean, it's Hadestown, what does someone expect from it? Well, rather sheepishly, I admit that when I first heard about it I furrowed my eyebrows and said, "A musical about a Greek myth?" It took me a hot minute to listen to it, but when I did the first song I listened to was, "Wait for Me." After that I became addicted to the soundtrack. The addiction turned to obsession, and even as that wave of hyperfocus has calmed, my admiration for the musical has only intensified. Lord, it is a masterpiece. The word "masterpiece" is nowadays thrown around, a lot, and so its reference comes with a discretion: I do not use that term lightly. It is a masterpiece. Period. There's the premise. How genius is it to set the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in a time of desperation such as the Great Depression? It complements the themes of survival and hope. It also allows for the soundtrack to experiment with jazz, blues, and other staples of the 1930s art scene. I mean, harmonicas, trumpets, saxophones, and clarinets? We take those for granted for what they can do, but fortunately through this musical we can take a step back and go, "Shoot, this actually is incredible that we have instruments that can rock our cores like that." My family and I were lucky enough to see it with the original Orpheus and Eurydice of the Broadway cast, Eva Noblezada and Reese Carney, and boy, did they knock it out of the park. From the laaaaa laaa laa la la la laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa's of Orpheus to Eurydice desperation in "Anyway the Wind Blows", every note lifts up the musical. Hermes is a fine character as well being our guide and narrator through the tale, while still bearing enough weight on his mind with the conclusion of the story to help him feel grounded and holding our hand through the musical as opposed to forcing us through it. Hades brings out a gritty, dark, barritone voice that just drops into incredible bellows. Persephone, for her part, was a sympathetic and compelling character who fully showed how the system could both get underneath someone's skin while still benefiting them. The lighting is incredible and perfectly silhouettes the minimalistic staging that feels like both a factory floor and a saloon. It emenates a bohemian rustic energy, while having enough steel to mmake it feel as if the shift will begin soon for the workers of the titular Hadestown. The costuming with bright color schemes for the living and drab darker tones for the dead fully bring the setting to life. I mean- did you ever look at Hade's tattoo sleeve? It is LITERALLY a WALL WHERE HIS HEART SHOULD BE where Orpheus's sleeve is ROLLED UP, BEARING HIS HEART TO EVERYONE- I AM LITERALLY SOBBING. To top it all off, despite its tragic ending, it ends with a toast to the audience, Orpheus, and those who persist when the world is on the verge of ending, promising to sing the story again, and again, even when the world changes for better or worse. A masterpiece of a musical, and of any art I've seen. Truly, no notes.