Audio: HADESTOWN's Anais Mitchell, Rachel Chavkin and Nabiyah Be Talk of Ancient Myths and Modern Politics

Regarded as one of the leading voices in contemporary folk music, Anais Mitchell's HADESTOWN, as she explains to WNYC's Leonard Lopate, began in 2006 as a do-it-yourself community theatre project in her home state of Vermont. An album followed, which toured as a concert, but when two-time Obie award-winning director Rachel Chavkin got involved, her poignant and tuneful adaptation of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice soon found its way to Off-Broadway's acclaimed New York Theatre Workshop.

Chavkin joins the discussion, as does actor Nabiyah Be, who plays Eurydice, which covers such subjects as the legend's universal themes and the parallels between what is dramatized on stage and what is happening in American politics.

HADESTOWN, a new folk opera, was written by celebrated singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and developed with and directed by the inventive three-time OBIE award-winning director Rachel Chavkin (The Royale; Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812). HADESTOWN plays through Sunday, July 31, 2016 at New York Theatre Workshop (79 E. 4th Street New York, NY 10003).

The cast of HADESTOWN features Nabiyah Be (Queen of the Night) as Eurydice, Damon Daunno (Brief Encounter) as Orpheus, Lulu Fall (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812) as a Fate, Amber Gray (An Octoroon) as Persephone, Patrick Page (Spring Awakening) as Hades,Jessie Shelton (Futurity) as a Fate, Chris Sullivan ("The Knick") as Hermes, and Shaina Taub(Old Hats) as a Fate.

HADESTOWN follows Orpheus' mythical quest to overcome Hades and regain the favor of his one true love, Eurydice. Together we travel from wide open plains where love and music are not enough nourishment to survive the winter, down to HADESTOWN, an industrialized world of mindless labor and full stomachs. Inspired by traditions of classic American folk music and vintage New Orleans jazz, Mitchell's beguiling melodies and poetic imagination pit nature against industry, faith against doubt, and love against death.

The production features scenery by Rachel Hauck; costumes by Michael Krass; lighting byBradley King; sound by Rob Kaplowitz; properties by Noah Mease;choreography by David Neumann; dramaturgy by Ken Cerniglia; music direction by Liam Robinson; arrangements & orchestrations by Michael Chorney; and co-arrangements & orchestrations and music supervision by Todd Sickafoose. HADESTOWN is co-conceived by Ben t. Matchstick.

HADESTOWN was originally developed with funding from the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center under the supervision of Dale Franzen andMara Isaacs/Octopus Theatricals. The project was further developed in collaboration with The Broad Stage through NYTW's Artist Workshop programming, including the annual Usual Suspects Summer Residency at Dartmouth College and the Larson Lab Studio.HADESTOWN is a winner of a Richard Rodgers Production Award, administered by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Tickets for HADESTOWN are $95, and are now available for performances through July 31.