Hadestown: Teen Edition

ORPHEUS – Lyre-playing poet, gifted and naïve  (Tenor with strong falsetto, range: D3-C5 (opt. Eb5))
EURYDICE – A runaway, tough and vulnerable  (Mezzo-Soprano, range: F#3-D5)
HADES – Compulsive industrialist, boss-king of Hadestown  (Bass, range: F2-C#4)
PERSEPHONE – Queen of nature and the seasons, a lush  (Mezzo-Soprano/Alto, range: F3-C5)
HERMES – Charismatic guide and storyteller, mentor to Orpheus  (Tenor/Bass, range: C3-B4)
FATES – Three sisters, vicious and delicious, voices in the head  (Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, range E3-D5 (Fate 1 up to Eb5))
WORKERS – Spirits of labor and community, a physical and choral presence  (SATB)

AUTHOR’S NOTE:
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).

WORKERS – In the Broadway production, the WORKERS were performed by five ensemble members. While the WORKERS to accommodate any cast size, a minimum of six WORKERS is required. Vocal arrangements for Hadestown: Teen Edition have been tailored for teen voices. Musical adjustments include transposed keys for some cues, and SATB arrangements for the WORKERS and some COMPANY moments. WORKERS can be played by actors of any gender. Whenever the WORKERS sing in chorus, the FATES are welcome to join as choral support. In those instances, in order to maintain their distinct narratives/identities, the FATES may be physically present but shoud not be featured visually.

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.” If that phrase ever appears in print materials, please avoid the spelling “Mrs.” 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. On the West End we have implemented nonbinary language for HERMES. When HERMES introduces themselves in “Road to Hell,” they say: “And a god with feathers on their feet” and “Yes, it’s Hermes, that's me!” When ORPHEUS addresses HERMES in “Wait For Me (Intro)” and its reprise, he says: “Scuse me, Hermes?” And in “Come Home With Me (Reprise)” ORPHEUS says: “It was Hermes told me so.”

Along those lines, we are still discovering ways in which the casting of Hadestown can become more diverse, and your production will be part of that discovery! These mythic characters are archetypal but also reimagined and open to interpretation by actors of all gender identities. It has felt important to us both to reflect the diversity of the community in which the story is presented and to be mindful of the narrative implications of those choices. For any questions regarding casting, please contact your Concord Theatricals Licensing Representative.

Casting Note: 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.” If that phrase ever appears in print materials, please avoid the spelling “Mrs.” 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.

Along those lines, we are still discovering ways in which the casting of Hadestown can become more diverse, and your production will be part of that discovery! These mythic characters are archetypal but also reimagined and open to interpretation by actors of all gender identities. It has felt important to us both to reflect the diversity of the community in which the story is presented and to be mindful of the narrative implications of those choices. For any questions regarding casting, please contact your Concord Theatricals Licensing Representative.