Following record-breaking runs at New York Theatre Workshop and Canada’s Citadel Theatre, Hadestown comes to the National Theatre prior to Broadway.
In the warmth of summertime, songwriter Orpheus and his muse Eurydice are living it up and falling in love. But as winter approaches, reality sets in: these young dreamers can’t survive on songs alone. Tempted by the promise of plenty, Eurydice is lured to the depths of industrial Hadestown. On a quest to save her, Orpheus journeys to the underworld where their trust in each other is put to a final test.
Celebrated singer-songwriter Anais Mitchell and director Rachel Chavkin have transformed Mitchell’s acclaimed concept album into a genre-defying new musical that mixes modern American folk music with vintage New Orleans jazz to reimagine a sweeping ancient tale.
The cast includes Sharif Afifi, Reeve Carney, André De Shields, Rosie Fletcher, Amber Gray, Beth Hinton-Lever, Carly Mercedes Dyer, Eva Noblezada, Seyi Omooba, Gloria Onitiri, Patrick Page, Aiesha Pease, Joseph Prouse, Jordan Shaw and Shaq Taylor.
Directed by Rachel Chavkin, with set design by Rachel Hauck, costume design by Michael Krass, lighting design by Bradley King, sound design by Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz, choreography by David Neumann, musical direction and vocal arrangements by Liam Robinson, orchestrations and arrangements by Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose, with Ken Cerniglia as dramaturg.
Produced in association with Mara Isaacs, Dale Franzen, Hunter Arnold and Tom Kirdahy
Co-conceived by Ben t Matchstick
Hadestown Original Cast Recording, as recorded live from New York Theatre Workshop, is available to download now. Hadestown received its world premiere at New York Theatre Workshop on 23 May 2016.
Hadestown will transfer to Broadway in 2019, with casting to be confirmed.
Talks and Events
Director Rachel Chavkin and Writer Anais Mitchell on Hadestown – Mon 12 November, 6pm
Actors Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada on Hadestown – Mon 19 November, 3pm
Histories of the American Musical – Fri 30 November, 7pm
The Heroine’s Descent with Marina Warner – Fri 14 December, 6pm (captioned)
Modern Myths: Orpheus, Eurydice and Us – Tue 22 January, 6pm
Reeve Carney, André De Shields, Amber Gray, Eva Noblezada and Patrick Page are appearing with the support of UK Equity, incorporating the Variety Artistes’ Federation, pursuant to an exchange programme between American Equity and UK Equity.
