Stephanie Mills Pushes Back First Performance as 'Hermes' in HADESTOWN Due to Illness

Grammy Award winner Stephanie Mills has pushed back her first performance in Hadestown due to illness. As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Mills will join the cast of the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical, Hadestown as ‘Hermes.’

Known for her Grammy Award-winning music and for her portrayal of ‘Dorothy’ in the original production of The Wiz, Mills was originally set to make her return to Broadway on Tuesday, July 2, but will now begin performances on Tuesday, July 9.

About Hadestown

Hadestown currently stars Ani DiFranco as Persephone, Jordan Fisher as Orpheus, Jon Jon Briones as Hermes, Phillip Boykin as Hades, and Isa Briones as Eurydice. They are joined byJessie Shelton, Kay Trinidad, and Brit West as the Fates. The chorus of Workers is played by Emily Afton, Malcolm Armwood, Sayo Oni, Alex Puette and Grace Yoo. The cast includes swings Sojourner Brown, Brandon Cameron, Tara Jackson, Max Kumangai, Yael “YaYa” Reich, and Tanner Ray Wilson.  Jon Jon Briones, Isa Briones, and Ani DiFranco will all play their final performance on Sunday, June 30. As previously announced, Maia Reficco and Yola will join the production as Eurydice and Persephone, respectively, on July 2. 

Hadestown originated as Anaïs Mitchell’s indie theater project that toured Vermont which she then turned into an acclaimed album. With Rachel 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.

 Following two intertwining love stories — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — Hadestown invites audiences 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 delivers a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience.

Hadestown is now playing its long-awaited West End premiere at the Lyric Theatre, returning to London, six years after its 2018 engagement at The National Theatre, and the North American tour has just completed a 3-year run.

About Stephanie Mills

Thrilled to return to Broadway in Hadestown, Mills' meteoric rise to prominence began at age 17 when she stepped into the iconic silver slippers of Dorothy in the original Broadway production of The Wiz. In a run that lasted nearly five years, her spellbinding performance earned her critical acclaim and introduced her extraordinary talent to the world. There, under Broadway's bright lights, Mills' journey as a professional singer and actress took flight, leading her to record acclaimed albums and iconic tracks such as “What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin”, “Sweet Sensation”, and the Grammy-winning "Never Knew Love Like This Before.” A voice that effortlessly traverses the depths of emotion, Mills captured the hearts of millions with her platinum-selling albums and chart-topping singles. To continue honing her acting chops throughout her singing career, she also took to the road—starring in various touring productions—from Ragtime to David Talbert. Most recently, she was seen as Aunt Em in NBC’s “The Wiz: Live” and starred in Lifetime Networks “Pride: A Seven Deadly Sins Story” as Birdie Moore.