5/16/2022
Broadway Las Vegas / Performances and Artists
It’s easy to think that eight-time Tony-winning musical “Hadestown” became a phenomenon overnight.
But in fact, this groundbreaking show reimagining two Greek myths took a very unusual path to Broadway.
Anaïs Mitchell – the visionary woman behind the music, book and lyrics for “Hadestown” – was just a college student in her 20s when the idea for a melody came to her in the car.
“It came with some long-lost lyrics that seemed to describe the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, which had been a favorite of mine as a kid,” Mitchell remembers. “What inspired me most about retelling that story was the idea of pitting young, creative, optimistic Orpheus against an underworld where ‘the rules are the rules.’”
Over the next decade, Mitchell threw herself into crafting songs of adventure and hope, chronicling Orpheus’ visit to the underworld to save his true love. She recorded this as a concept album, which earned global acclaim and evolved into a 60-city concert tour across North America.
When Mitchell connected with director Rachel Chavkin, they worked tirelessly for years to develop the melodies into a full musical. The production premiered on Broadway in March 2019 – soon earning eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, as well as a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.
“One of the main themes in ‘Hadestown’ is that there’s value in trying, even if we fail,” Mitchell says. “Orpheus is a hero not because he succeeds — but because he tries.”
Stunning Music, Visuals and Story
“Hadestown” resonates with audiences because of its themes of resilience and hope, Mitchell says.
“The message of ‘Hadestown’ is one that really speaks to this present moment – it’s a story about hard times, and how people respond to those hard times,” Mitchell says. “It’s also a story about the necessity of believing in each other and in our togetherness.”
The musical drives these ideas home with its rich and rollicking music, a captivating blend of American folk and New Orleans-inspired jazz that serves up tunes both swinging and soulful.
On top of this, “Hadestown” delivers stunning visuals and effects to transport audiences as Orpheus navigates the underworld to confront Hades.
All of these elements come together through the showstopping performances of talented cast members with a “rockstar unicorn quality,” Michell adds.
“The music is really built for people to bring the individual force of their personality to it,” she says.
The Musical That Women Built
A women-led team created “Hadestown” — a rarity in the theater industry.
“We sought out the folks whose work we responded to most, and many of them were women,” says Michell, the first woman in many years to have sole writing-and-composing credit on a Broadway show.
“Hadestown” represents the first Best Musical winner in history with a female writer-director team. The show also developed with a predominantly female production and technical team.
“I will say it was an extraordinarily empowering experience working with so many women,” Mitchell says. “I felt my instincts were really trusted.”
This became especially important as Chavkin helped Michell to shape the characters and plot into a Broadway-scale production, she adds.
“Rachel has a great feel for music and musicals and how to bring the best aspects of concert culture into the theater,” Mitchell says. “She pushed me — a songwriter with almost no dramatic writing experience — to write and rewrite until the drama was satisfying.”
Hadestown was performed at The Smith Center as a part of the 2022-2023 Toyota Broadway Las Vegas® Series.