A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE
Hadestown
Full-Length Musical, Drama / 5w, 2m, 1 any gender (adult) plus ensemble
Book, Music & Lyrics by Anaïs Mitchell
Anaïs Mitchell's haunting, jazz-inflected folk opera follows Orpheus’ mythical quest to overcome Hades and regain the favour of his one true love, Eurydice.
Please note: Professional rights for Hadestown are currently available in selected international territories. The show is unavailable for amateur performance in the UK and Europe.
Image: 2019 Broadway Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
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Cast Size
5w, 2m, 1 any gender (adult) plus ensemble -
Duration
More than 120 minutes (2 hours) -
Subgenre
Fantasy, Adaptation (Literature), Fable/Folktale -
Target Audience
Adult
Accolades
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
Details
Summary
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.
History
After its origins as a DIY community theatre project in 2006 and a studio album in 2010, Hadestown electrified audiences with its 2016 world premiere at New York Theatre Workshop, becoming the longest-running show in that celebrated theatre’s 40-year history. The production then received its Canadian premiere at Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre in 2017 and then a 2018 sold-out engagement at London’s National Theatre. Hadestown opened on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre on 17 April 2019, developed with and directed by Rachel Chavkin, starring Reeve Carney, André De Shields, Amber Gray, Eva Noblezada and Patrick Page. Hadestown made its West End debut in February 2024 at the Lyric Theatre, London. Directed by Chavkin, the production featured Dónal Finn, Grace Hodgett Young, Zachary James, Melanie La Barrie and Gloria Onitiri.
Cast Attributes
Performing Groups
- Setting
The underworld (Hadestown) and aboveground.
- Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
- Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
Media
“Achingly beautiful, thought-provoking, powerful and prophetic” - Newsday
“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
“Heavenly. Haunting. Exquisite.” - WNYC
“The songs are gorgeous, the band is hot, and the lyrics are eerily apt for the times.” - The New Yorker
“Hadestown feels like something more intuitive, elemental, and finely woven than a traditional musical.” - The Guardian
ON BREAKING CHARACTER
Way Down Hadestown: The Characters From Myth to Musical
Meredith Foster
28 May 2024
Videos
Hadestown - Come See How The World Could Be
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Hadestown Cast on Good Morning, America
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"All I've Ever Known" Music Video
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Hadestown: The Creative Process
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"When The Chips Are Down" Music Video
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From Hadestown, With Love
Photos
Image: 2019 Broadway Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
Image: 2019 Broadway Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
Image: 2019 Broadway Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
Image: 2019 Broadway Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
Image: 2019 Broadway Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
Image: 2019 Broadway Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
Image: 2019 Broadway Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
Image: 2019 Broadway Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
Music
Music Samples
- Musical Style Pop/Rock
- Dance Requirements Easy
- Vocal DemandsModerate
- Orchestra Size Medium
- Chorus Size Small
Licensing & Materials
- Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.
Music Rentals
Scripts
Available Formats:
Authors
Anaïs Mitchell
Anaïs Mitchell is a Vermont-based singer-songwriter and the Tony and Grammy award-winning creator of the Broadway musical Hadestown, for which she wrote book, music and lyrics. Hadestown won eight Tony Awards overall, including Best Musical, as well as the Grammy for Best Mus ...
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