- Hadestown is a sung-through musical with music, lyrics, and book by Anaïs Mitchell and is based on the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
- The original stage version of Hadestown premiered in 2006 in Barre, Vermont, and was initially described by Mitchell as a D.I.Y. theater project.
- After the initial tour in 2007, Anaïs Mitchell transformed Hadestown into a concept album released in 2010 before it returned to the stage.
- In 2012, Mitchell teamed up with director Rachel Chavkin to rework Hadestown, adding 15 new songs and more dialogue for better plot clarity and deeper character development.
- The reworked version of Hadestown that Mitchell and Chavkin created together premiered off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop on May 6, 2016.
- The Broadway production of Hadestown opened in previews in March 2019 and received critical acclaim and numerous awards.
- At the 73rd Tony Awards, Hadestown received 14 nominations, the most that year, and won eight, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.
- The setting of the musical is depicted as a harsh, industrial version of the Greek underworld where Eurydice goes to escape poverty and cold.
- Songs from the New York Theatre Workshop production of Hadestown in 2016 included material adapted from the 2010 concept album, as well as new songs developed for the stage version.
- The initial Off-Broadway run of 'Hadestown' was extended due to popular demand, showcasing its immediate impact and audience appeal.
- 'Hadestown' had a pre-Broadway run in Canada which was part of its developmental stage before hitting Broadway, highlighting its strategic staging advancements.
- With ongoing success, 'Hadestown' opened on Broadway and eventually became the longest-running show at the Walter Kerr Theatre with over 918 performances by January 2023.
- 'Hadestown' marked its international appeal with a Korean-language staging, which won multiple awards at the Korea Musical Awards, indicating its global resonance.
- The 'Hadestown' Broadway cast saw notable replacements such as Jordan Fisher and Tom Hewitt, showing the evolving nature of its cast over time.
- The song 'Why We Build the Wall' in Hadestown predates Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign by about a decade, yet several reviews drew parallels between the two.
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