photo by T. Charles Erickson
Take a trip to the to the underworld and back as Ensemble Arts Philly – the new presenting brand of the Kimmel Cultural Campus and The Philadelphia Orchestra – and The Shubert Organization present the Broadway phenomenon Hadestown at the Academy of Music from April 10 – 14, 2024. Winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards® including Best Musical and the 2020 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Theater Album, the acclaimed show was conceived by celebrated singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and innovative director Rachel Chavkin as a love story for today… and always.
Welcome to Hadestown, where a song can change your fate. This musical intertwines two mythic tales – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone – as it takes you on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Mitchell’s beguiling melodies and Chavkin’s poetic imagination pit industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love. Performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, dancers, and singers, Hadestown is a haunting and hopeful theatrical experience that grabs you and never let’s go.
“Back by popular demand, Hadestown is a spellbinding journey of soul-stirring music and connection,” said President and CEO Matías Tarnopolsky. “This boundary-breaking work from Anaïs Mitchell and Rachel Chavkin features a vibrant ensemble of actors, dancers, and singers who create a haunting and hopeful theatrical experience.”
The show originated as Mitchell’s indie theater project that toured Vermont, which she then turned into an acclaimed album. With Chavkin, her artistic collaborator, Hadestown has been transformed into a genre-defying new musical that blends modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz to reimagine a sweeping ancient tale. Hadestown marks the first time in over a decade that a woman has been the solo author of a musical – writing the music, lyrics, and book – and is the fourth time in Broadway history a woman has accomplished this creative feat.
The North American touring production of Hadestown stars Amaya Braganza as Eurydice, Lana Gordon as Persephone, Will Mann as Hermes, Matthew Patrick Quinn as Hades, and J. Antonio Rodriguez as Orpheus. The Fates are played by Marla Louissaint, Lizzie Markson, and Hannah Schreer. The Workers Chorus features Sevon Askew, Jamal Lee Harris, Cate Hayman, Quiana Onrae’l Holmes, and Daniel Tracht. Swings for the tour include Ian Coulter-Buford, KC Dela Cruz, Timothy H. Lee, and Cecilia Trippiedi.
Producers Mara Isaacs, Dale Franzen, Hunter Arnold, and Tom Kirdahy said jointly, “Throughout its development, Hadestown has been deeply influenced by audiences around the world. We are thrilled and humbled to now share this beautiful story of hope, faith, and rebirth – written and directed by two amazingly talented women and brought to life by a diverse company of performers – with audiences across North America.”
The creative team features Tony Award® winner Rachel Hauck (set design); four-time Tony Award® nominee Michael Krass (costume design); two-time Tony Award® winner Bradley King (lighting design); Tony Award® winners Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz (sound design); Chita Rivera Award® winner and three-time Bessie Award® winner David Neumann (choreography); Liam Robinson (music supervision and vocal arrangements); Tony Award® winners Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose (arrangements and orchestrations); Ken Cerniglia (dramaturgy); and Whitley Theatrical (casting).
Hadestown electrified audiences with its 2016 world premiere at New York Theatre Workshop, which is the longest-running show in that celebrated theater’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 the London’s National Theatre. Hadestown was developed with funding from the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center and was further developed by The Ground Floor at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Hadestown was co-conceived by Ben T. Matchstick.
The show opened at the Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway (219 West 48th Street, New York) on April 17, 2019, where it played sold out houses nightly before performances were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hadestown resumed performances on September 2, 2021, as one of the first musicals to reopen on Broadway where they continue to play today.
The Grammy®-winning Hadestown Original Broadway Cast Recording is now available at Hadestown.com/music. The album is produced by David Lai, Sickafoose, and Mitchell on Sing It Again Records.
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