Hadestown, Live In The Greene Space

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It – "Hadestown, Live In The Greene Space"

Host: Alison Stewart
Date: November 28, 2025
Setting: Live at The Greene Space, part of WNYC’s "Broadway on the Radio" series
Guests:

• Kurt Elling (Hermes)
• Paolo Schott (Hades)
• Rebecca Naomi Jones (Persephone)
• Morgan Dudley (Eurydice)
• Jack Wolfe (Orpheus)
• Liam Robinson (Musical Director)
• Hadestown Band

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Overview

This special episode celebrates the all-new principal cast of the Tony Award-winning musical "Hadestown." Host Alison Stewart welcomes the cast and band for live performances, in-depth conversations, and candid insights into their approach to these mythic roles and Anaïs Mitchell's celebrated music. The event immerses listeners in both the creative and emotional worlds of "Hadestown," highlighting how each artist brings fresh perspective to this now-iconic show.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening & Live Performance: “Road to Hell” (00:07–06:37)

• The event begins with a high-energy in-the-room performance led by Kurt Elling, introducing the principal characters through the musical’s signature prologue.
• Memorable moment: Kurt Elling’s charismatic narration and interaction with the audience and cast, establishing the mythic, cyclical themes of the show.

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2. Kurt Elling’s Broadway Debut (06:37–13:03)

Transition from Jazz to Musical Theatre

• Kurt Elling on new challenges:
  “This is my theater debut from the time I was in high school...Thirty years on the road as a jazz musician...Now I get to have this adventure.” (06:46)
• Elling stresses the thrill and challenge of singing a tenor’s role (“I have to sing higher than I would like to...They wrote all of this for a tenor, which I am not, so especially not at this hour of the morning...” 07:31), but embraces learning and adapting to musical theatre’s demands.

Balancing Careers

• Elling describes balancing his performance schedule with ongoing album releases and international jazz gigs, revealing a lively, hectic artist’s life.
  Quote: "Last week I did the Tuesday one show and the Wednesday two shows, and then I got on a plane to fly to Stockholm...and then I got on the plane in Vienna to come back to do the Tuesday show, start the week off again." (12:27–13:03)

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3. Band & Musical Direction (08:16–09:46)

• Musical Director Liam Robinson introduces the Hadestown band, many of whom have been with the show since its early off-Broadway days.
• He emphasizes the joy of arranging for the distinct voices and the sense of continuity and evolution within the Hadestown creative team.

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4. Hermes as a Meta Role (09:46–11:28)

• Kurt Elling describes playing Hermes:
  “It’s such a meta role. There are so many layers of consciousness that I get to try to inhabit. I get to tell the story to the audience...sometimes I’m in the story...sometimes I’m sort of in-ish the story...” (09:52)
• On nightly changes:
  “Every night there’s some other layer. I’m really trying hard to get as much of the right messages across with nuance and with the clarity that it needs.” (10:36)
• Interplay between jazz improvisation and theatrical structure is discussed; acting with inspiration and presence each night is likened to musical improvisation.

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5. Live Performance: “Wedding Song” (13:22–16:13)

• Jack Wolfe and Morgan Dudley perform “Wedding Song,” showcasing the innocence and urgency of Orpheus and Eurydice’s connection, with mutual vulnerability foregrounded.

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6. Character Deep Dives: Orpheus & Eurydice (16:13–22:32)

Eurydice’s Backstory

• Morgan Dudley:
  “The whole point of her running away is just kind of moving around to survive...when she meets Orpheus, it’s the first time that she’s realized that she’s missing something in her soul.” (16:34)

Orpheus’ Reluctant Heroism

• Jack Wolfe on Orpheus:
  “I was really interested in the idea of this Greek myth sort of hero who is really reluctant to be one...he’s like a vessel to something that’s much bigger than him.” (17:17)
• Their rapid, cosmic connection is discussed—“It speaks to the myth in that it’s this cosmic connection...as soon as he locks eyes on Eurydice, he knows, like, that is his whole future.” (18:34)

Entering Iconic Roles

• Both actors reflect on the process of stepping into well-known parts:
  • Dudley describes meditating to clear preconceived ideas and “learning to trust myself.” (21:50)
  • Wolfe notes the challenge of imposter syndrome but embraces the opportunity to “create a character almost fresh.” (22:37)

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7. First Impressions & Musical Legacy (19:29–21:02)

• Both Dudley and Wolfe describe first encountering Hadestown through earlier cast albums and performances; Wolfe highlights being a “fanboy” of Anaïs Mitchell and others in the show’s musical tapestry, feeling “grateful” to join it.
• On differences between New York and London audiences, Wolfe remarks:
  “There is maybe a slight reservation in audiences in New York. In London, you never really know if they’re on your side until the end, whereas here it feels like a real sort of family thing.” (21:02)

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8. Live Performance: “Epic I” (25:08–28:51)

• Jack Wolfe (Orpheus) and Kurt Elling (Hermes) perform the show's powerful retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone, shining with vulnerability and immediacy.

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9. Hades & Persephone: Relationship and Characterization (34:23–41:56)

Hades’ Perspective

• Paolo Schott:
  On inviting Eurydice to Hadestown: “He sees her really on the edge of suffering in her own life and decides to get there and to give her a little push.” (34:23) On choosing the role: “...when I first saw the music, I was in love with the music. I left the show thinking the music is the star of this show.” (40:33)

Persephone’s View

• Rebecca Naomi Jones:
  “I think it’s beautiful the way that in this musical it’s set up such that these two people actually do love each other...there’s this dichotomy between the light and the dark and the hope, hopefulness versus just a sense of nothing is...and I think where both couples meet is where there’s magic.” (35:20)
• Rebecca enjoys "going big and getting weird": "I have a full exorcism on stage where I get to like shake myself and kind of try to box the demons away...just a lot of this for no reason. And yeah, there's a lot of room for fun." (39:15)

On Acting in Musicals vs. Opera

• Schott highlights the physical and vocal demands: "Everybody, you know, that's the first thing. What's the difference? And I say eight shows a week...In opera we have two shows a week...That was the biggest challenge for me." (36:57)

Text and Verse

• Jones on Anaïs Mitchell’s writing:
  “Text is exciting and I think there’s always more to be harvested than we think at first glance...Anaïs did a beautiful job layering a lot of...information into these songs.” (38:16)

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10. Persephone’s Song: “Our Lady of the Underground” (42:43–49:07)

• Rebecca Naomi Jones delivers a vibrant and mischievous rendition of Persephone’s Act II opener, discussing her approach: “It is kind of like Persephone’s little, like, sneaky, drunken cabaret act that she does when her husband, the boss, is not paying attention.” (42:45)
• Jones relishes the chance to showcase Persephone’s wildness as release from the character’s internal struggles.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Kurt Elling on Hermes:
  “There are so many layers of consciousness that I get to try to inhabit...And of course, there’s my own consciousness as a person telling this story to this audience on this day with the news of the world happening and how this story plays into that or comments on that.” (09:52–10:36)

• Morgan Dudley on Eurydice’s journey:
  “When she meets Orpheus, it’s the first time that she’s realized that she’s missing something in her soul.” (16:34)

• Jack Wolfe on Orpheus’ reluctant heroism:
  “He’s like a vessel to something that’s much bigger than him, much greater than him...as soon as he locks eyes on Eurydice, he knows, like, that is his whole future.” (17:17, 18:34)

• Rebecca Naomi Jones on Persephone:
  “We meet Persephone in a time in her life where she’s self medicating with alcohol and acting out, because she’s having a hard time holding on to that hope...so there’s justification for me to just act out and be weird.” (39:21)

• Paolo Schott on the challenge of musical theatre:
  “That was the biggest challenge for me...how to pace, how to learn to do that for eight shows a week and not be absolutely destroyed.” (36:57)

• Rebecca Naomi Jones on the show’s core:
  “Trying to have hope and trying to connect with each other amidst chaos in the world...I love that [Persephone] is capable of deep sadness and garnering deep strength and deep love. And she’s fun.” (42:01)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:07 – Introduction & “Road to Hell” (Kurt Elling, Cast & Band)
• 06:37 – Alison Stewart interviews Kurt Elling about his transition to Broadway
• 08:18 – Liam Robinson introduces the band and talks musical direction
• 09:46 – Kurt Elling on the complexity of playing Hermes
• 13:22 – Performance: “Wedding Song” (Jack Wolfe & Morgan Dudley)
• 16:13 – Discussion: Orpheus and Eurydice’s inner lives and meeting
• 18:34 – Mythic love and “wedding song” expounded
• 19:36 – First encounters with Hadestown (Dudley & Wolfe)
• 21:02 – New York vs. London theatre audiences
• 21:50 – Discussion on inhabiting iconic roles
• 25:08 – Performance: “Epic I” (Jack Wolfe & Kurt Elling)
• 30:33 – Performance: “Hey, Little Songbird” (Paolo Schott, Jack Wolfe)
• 34:23 – Hades and Persephone relationship analysis
• 36:56 – Opera vs. Broadway performance requirements
• 38:16 – Rebecca Naomi Jones on the text and verse of Hadestown
• 39:15 – Jones on “going big and getting weird” as Persephone
• 42:43 – Performance: “Our Lady of the Underground” (Rebecca Naomi Jones)

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Conclusion

This episode offers a joyful and in-depth celebration of the new Hadestown cast. Through powerful live music and candid round-table discussions, listeners glimpse the talent and spirit driving this legendary Broadway show into its next chapter, as well as the personal and artistic journeys of the performers themselves.
Whether you’re a seasoned fan or new to Hadestown, the live performances and insightful commentary provide a rich, engaging experience that captures the heart of Broadway’s creative community.

Listeners are encouraged to watch the event on WNYC’s YouTube channel for the full visual impact.

Transcript

[Alison Stewart]

You're listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. This hour we're taking a trip way down to Hadestown. For the first time since the Tony award winning Musical opened in 2019, Hadestown has launched an all new cast for all five principal roles. We were lucky enough to welcome that new cast and amazing band for a live event in the green space as part of of our series Broadway on the Radio. That new cast includes Paolo Schott as Hades, Rebecca Naomi Jones as Persephone, Morgan Dudley as Eurydice, Jack Wolf as Orpheus, and Kurt Elling as Hermes. You'll hear my conversation with the cast in just a minute. And if you want to watch along, you can find the video of this event on WNYC's YouTube channel. But now here is Kurt Elling and the cast of Hadestown with a special live performance of Road to Hell.

[Kurt Elling]

Once upon a time there was a railroad line. Don't ask where brother, don't ask where. It was the road to hell. It was hard times. It was a world of God and man. It's old sound. It's old town from way back when. It's old sound. We gonna sing it again. Gods and men. We got some gods in the house tonight. See, on the road to hill there was a real road line. There was three old women all dressed the same and they was always singing in the back of the old man. Everybody meet the peeps. And on the road to hill there was a railroad light and a lady stepping off a trail With a suitcase full of summertime Persephone. And if you ride that train Ride that train if you ride that train if you ride that train to the end of the line where the sun don't shine and it's always sh. It's there you'll find King of the mind Almighty Mr. Hades. We got any other guards? Oh, right. Almost forgot.

[Alison Stewart]

Honor.

[Kurt Elling]

On the hill there was a railroad station and a man with families on his feet who can help you to your final destination. Mr. Hermes? That's me. You see, someone's got to tell the tale Whether or not it turns out. Well, maybe it we'll turn out this time. On the road to hell on the railroad line. It's a sad song. It's a sad tale. It's a tragedy. It's a sad song. We gonna sing it anyway. Now not everyone gets to be a God. And don't forget that times are hard. Hard times in the world of men.

Let me introduce you to a few of them.

You can tip Your hats and your wallets. With your pennies or your purse. To the hardest working chorus in the God's almighty world. And working just as hard for you. Let's see what this crew can do. On the road to hell. There was a railroad line. Poor boy working on a song. His mama was a friend of mine. And this boy was a music son. On the railroad line. On the road to hell. You might say the boy was touched. Cause he was touched by the gods themselves. Shells, give it up for office. There was one more soul on this road. Girl, come on in from the cold. On a railroad line. On the road to hell. That was a young girl looking for something to eat. And brother, thus begins the tale of Copious and Eurydice. It's love song. Tale of a love from long ago. It's a sad song, sad song. We gonna sing it even so. It's an old song. It's an old time from way back when. And we're gonna sing. We're gonna sing. We're gonna sing. Sam.

[Alison Stewart]

Kurt Elling, that was great. You're about to make your Broadway debut. This is your Broadway debut.

[Kurt Elling]

This is my theater debut from the time I was in high school. Every other time. All the rest of the time. I've been 30 years on the road as a jazz musician with my own bands and guesting with other bands and such like. And now I get to have this adventure.

[Alison Stewart]

What has this adventure been like?

[Kurt Elling]

Oh, it's a thrill. I mean, I love to be challenged. I always want to be learning new things when I'm on the road. I'm always trying to meet other musicians and find out. Because every person you meet, every musician you meet, has an incredible galaxy of memories and songs and harmony ideas and notes and stories to tell. And I just. I'm just hungry for all of that.

[Alison Stewart]

As you mentioned, you're a Grammy winning jazz vocalist. How did you have to adapt for this role?

[Kurt Elling]

Well, I have to sing higher than I would like to. Oh, yeah, man. They wrote all of this for a tenor, which I am not, so especially not at this hour of the morning. But that's the hardest part. I mean, there's not the kind of blowing space that I'm used to, but that's not really important because it's not a part of the function of the art form. You know, jazz has its history and it has its traditions and its habits and its creative resources and the stories to tell. And musical theater is an equally rich, flavorful experience. And so, you know, as I say, I like to Learn stuff. So let me, you know, put the harness on me for this, and I'll give this the best that I can.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Liam Robinson for a minute.

[Kurt Elling]

Okay.

[Alison Stewart]

Liam, Hi.

[Liam Robinson]

A long time listener, first time call.

[Alison Stewart]

You are the musical director for Hadestown. First of all, would you introduce everybody in the band?

[Liam Robinson]

Great.

[Morgan Dudley]

Okay.

[Liam Robinson]

I'm not gonna screw this up. We got Marie Hughes on the cello. Give it up for Dana Lynn on the violin, Ben Perowski on the drums. We got Marielle Bilston on the trombone, Christopher Tordini on the bass, Yusuf Tanaze on the guitar.

[Alison Stewart]

So we said to you, can you bring some of the staff and some of the crew down and you can make it really a small group and put them on stage?

[Liam Robinson]

Yeah, we can do that.

[Alison Stewart]

You can do that. How did you do that?

[Liam Robinson]

Yeah, we'll bring everybody. Yeah, how about that?

[Alison Stewart]

Tell me about direct this group. What has been the challenge of directing this group?

[Liam Robinson]

What are the challenges of directing this group? This is. A lot of these musicians were in the show when we were off Broadway in 2016. So this show has had a long history, even with just the folks that you see on stage, let alone before that. So, yeah, I joined years into Anais writing this show, and it was an honor for me to also be, like, one of the arrangers in the show. I arranged for the voices in this show, which was like. That was. I don't know about a challenge, but that was like, one of my great pleasures is arranging for the many beautiful voices that come through our building.

[Alison Stewart]

Kurt, we're talking about Greek myths here. Why is Ermes an interesting character for you?

[Kurt Elling]

Oh, it's such a meta role. There are so many layers of consciousness that I get to try to inhabit. I get to tell the story to the audience, you know, and I'm used to not having a fourth wall anyway, so, you know, that. That fits with me. I can talk to people, and it's. And it's no. It's no vibe. So I tell the audience, in which case I don't think the other characters can hear what I'm saying, because they're inhabiting the reality of the story. And then sometimes I'm in the story. Sometimes I'm sort of in ish the story, and I'm sort of trying to maneuver things and everything like that. And then, of course, there's my own consciousness as a person telling this story to this audience on this day with the news of the world happening and how this story plays into that or comments on that. And so every Night. There's some other layer. I'm really trying hard to get as much of the right messages across with nuance and with the clarity that it needs. So when you, you know, when you ask about jazz musicians, say, oh, man, it must be like a straight jacket. It's really not. It's such an exploration. And of course, the. The actors that I'm working with are so beautiful and inspiring. And so every night there's, you know, you're interacting with people of a very high level of intense creativity. And so even if the actual stuff that's written down is the thing that's supposed to happen, there's, you know, you're humans and you're breathing it and you're living it, so it's a thrill for me.

[Alison Stewart]

Did you check in with past Hermes?

[Kurt Elling]

You know, I did ask around, and I did solicit advice, and I didn't get any back.

[Alison Stewart]

You have an album coming out?

[Kurt Elling]

I do. Which one is it?

[Alison Stewart]

I don't know. You recently released a solo?

[Kurt Elling]

Well, I have.

[Rebecca Naomi Jones]

Yeah.

[Kurt Elling]

There's a. There's a duo record with my friend Christian Sands. It's Wildflowers, Volume three. We have a wildflower series. Jazz. Jazz musicians. We don't see each other enough usually, and, you know, you always meet and then it's gone in a heartbeat. And usually there's all this rigamarole to make a record. But why not? Like, if we've been practicing forever, we should just be able to go into the studio and, like, sing some songs and do some stuff and do it. So we just grab them on the way. So there's a wildflower series, and I'm also. I've got a big band record coming out in February that will be called in the Brass Palace. Oh, it's exciting. Yeah. That's gonna be big. I'm excited about that. Thank you for asking.

[Alison Stewart]

Of course. How are you balancing the two?

[Kurt Elling]

Well, let's see. Last week I did the Tuesday one show and the Wednesday two shows, and then I got on a plane to fly to Stockholm because I had to do a con. Got to do a concert in Stockholm with yellow jackets. And then we went to a town in Poland that only Paolo can pronounce.

Schlotsk.

[Alison Stewart]

Schlots.

[Kurt Elling]

Yeah. Yeah. See? Kind of. See? And then Bratislava, and then I got on the plane in Vienna to come back to do the Tuesday show, start the week off again.

[Alison Stewart]

Why don't you have a seat? Why don't you have a rest? I'm here with Broadway is Hadestown. We'll have more with the cast after a break.

[Rebecca Naomi Jones]

This is all of It.

[Alison Stewart]

You are listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. We're airing our special Broadway on the Radio live event with the brand new cast of Hadestown. That cast includes a new Orpheus played by Jack Wolfe and a new Eurydice played by Morgan Dudley. Here they are with a special live performance of Wedding Song on wnyc.

[Jack Wolfe]

Love it Tell me if you can.

[Morgan Dudley]

Who'S gonna buy the wedding bands?

[Jack Wolfe]

Times being what they are hard and getting harder all the time Love it When I sing my song all the rivers will sing along and they're gonna break their banks for us and with their gold be generous All a flashing in the pan all to fashion for your hand the rivers gonna give us the wedding vibe. Love it Tell me if you're able.

[Morgan Dudley]

Who'S gonna lay the wedding table? Times being what they are dark and.

[Jack Wolfe]

Getting darker all the time Love when I sing my song all the trees gonna sing along and they're gonna bend their branches down to lay that fruit upon the ground the almond and the apple and the sugar from table the trees going to lay the wedding table.

[Morgan Dudley]

Love it Tell me when we're wed who's gonna make the wedding bedtime Being.

[Jack Wolfe]

What they are hard and getting harder all the time When I sing my song all the birds gonna sing along and they'll come flying from all around to lay their feathers on the ground and we lie down and hide it down a pillow neath our heads the bird's gonna make the wedding bell and the trees gonna lay the wedding table and the R to give us the wedding band.

[Alison Stewart]

That was wedding song for Broadway's Hadestown. Live in the green space. Thank you so much for being with us. We really appreciate it. Thank you for having us, Morgan. When we meet Eurydice, Hermes describes her as a runaway from everywhere she's ever been. What is she running away from? What is she looking forward to? Wow.

[Morgan Dudley]

I think, you know, I think the whole point of her running away is just kind of moving around to survive. And so when she sees trouble, when she sees trouble somewhere, you know, she just wants to make sure that she's safe. Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. And I don't know if she has a clear vision of what she's looking forward to. As far as optimism goes, I think it's more. Just more food, more shelter. And then when she meets Orpheus, it's the first time that she's realized that she's missing something in her soul.

[Alison Stewart]

I think Orpheus is the character who's a little bit awkward, but he speaks from his heart. He sings from his heart. Tell me about navigating these two sides of orphan.

[Liam Robinson]

Yeah, Well, I have to say I was really interested in the idea of this, like, Greek myth sort of hero who is really reluctant to be one. I like the idea of Orpheus being just a sort of every man, one of the sort of workers in the bar that we set Hadestown in who just happens to have this sort of. He's like a vessel to something that's much bigger than him, Much greater than him. Which I think is a very lovely metaphor that when this sort of poetry comes to him, it isn't necessarily something that he's very confident in sharing, but it's something that he feels like he should. Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

The wedding song comes right after Orpheus and Eurydice meet. He professes his love for her. How does Eurydice react?

[Morgan Dudley]

Yeah, I think she's just so taken aback. Like, wow, that's. That's pretty audacious to say, you're gonna marry me, and you just looked at me.

[Alison Stewart]

But.

[Morgan Dudley]

I think what's really cool about their story, though, is that Eurydice feels it too, and feels that connection. And it's something that she's actively running away from and is yet intrigued by, especially with the difference of energy coming from Orpheus.

[Alison Stewart]

What is he saying to her? What is Orpheus saying to her in the wedding song?

[Liam Robinson]

Well, I think the. The love between Orpheus and Eurydice, which seems so wild to us and to an audience to see something so, like, instant. I think it speaks to the myth in that it's this, like, cosmic connection. Like, I think as soon as he locks eyes on Eurydice, he knows, like, that is his whole future. That is now what he lives for. And, you know, he has to go through some wild trials within the show for her. And I think as soon as he meets her, that's just a given that he will do that. So I think the wedding song and the sort of beautiful poetry that Anais wrote, it's just. It's wonderful ways of expressing that love and those feelings. I also think within those sort of epic relationship things, there's space for us to be immature or, like, naive and silly. And that's a really special thing to get to play on stage, too.

[Alison Stewart]

Hadestown was an album before it was a musical. What was your first reaction to Hadestown? When did you first experience it?

[Morgan Dudley]

I first saw the Good Morning America performance of the Wait for Me Reprise. That was, like, my first.

[Alison Stewart]

Really? Yeah.

[Morgan Dudley]

So I was kind of late. I remember it was 2019 and I had heard it and I was like, wow, that's amazing. And I listened to the original Broadway cast album, and when I moved to New York, Hadestown was one of the first shows that I bought tickets for myself to see. It was the first show I bought tickets for myself to see, and I was absolutely obsessed with it ever since then. And then I got to listen to.

[Alison Stewart]

All the past albums and you got to be on it. I know. How about for you, Jack?

[Liam Robinson]

Well, I'm a bit of a fanboy. I came to the show as a fan of Anais already and Bonnie, like, Horseman, her band. And I discovered the. The concept album that had so many people that I love, like Bonnie Veg, you know, Justin Vernon and. And then this. Oh, I think it's the Off Broadway cast recording that has Damon Duano on it, who, again, like, another sort of idol of mine. I think the show has such a rich history of amazing, like, artists who've been involved with it. So I think getting to join, I know, be a small part of that tapestry is like, a really special thing. So I take that very seriously and I'm very grateful.

[Alison Stewart]

This is your Broadway debut, but we should put an asterisk because you performed on the West End. People can hear from your accent. What's the difference between New York and London audiences?

[Liam Robinson]

Oh, wow. There is a huge difference. I think it's really, really. It's amazing to do a show here. I think there's such a present energy in the audiences in New York. I think you. I feel so close to everybody in the building there. There is maybe a slight reservation in audiences in New York. In London, you never really know if they're on your side until the end, whereas here it feels like a real sort of family thing. It's. Yeah. Very special.

[Alison Stewart]

Now, you've stepped into roles before. You're in Jagged Little Pill, right? When you're taking over a role, where does your process begin? Do you start brand new? Do you peek into the other actors?

[Morgan Dudley]

I own this. I mean, like, if I had already seen the show, which Hadestown, I had, so of course I have it living in my brain. There's just no way to separate the things. But kind of coming into my own process, I like to try and, like, meditate and clear my mind of whatever preconceived notion I feel like I should be putting on based off of anything I saw and just try to really Live the text and the language and the words. And in doing that, especially being in the show for so long, I feel like I've really come into my own and found these new decisions that came to me just based off of what I felt about it. And so it's just been a process. Process of learning to trust myself.

[Alison Stewart]

And you stepped into the role in Next to Normal in the West End. How did you approach it?

[Liam Robinson]

Well, that was a sort of very different kind of vibe. We. We revived the show, so it hadn't. It had never come to London before, so. And we were sort of taking the show that had existed on Broadway 15 years ago and trying to sort of revive it for an audience now, I guess. And, I mean, that was amazing. I was a huge fan of that show 15 years ago when I was a young teenager, and again, never really thought I'd get to be in the room as part of, you know, the creation of the new production of it. So, yeah, I guess I had free rein to create a character almost fresh. It's hard, I think, as actors, especially going into roles that have been sort of iconically played by people before, not to feel some sort of level of imposter syndrome or fear that you might let people down or that, you know, that people have something that they. They're expecting to see. But I think sort of learning to be confident in your portrayal of something is. Is definitely a journey. Yeah, I had the most amazing time. I think, also, luckily, with both of these shows, with Next Normal and with Hadestown, I'm just really, really blessed to be in a company of really incredible actors and people. So we're really doing this as a unit together, which is cool.

[Alison Stewart]

What are those keys to? Oh, I'm sorry, I have to break.

[Liam Robinson]

So I lose them all the time. This came from rehearsals. If I have them on me, I can't leave them anywhere.

[Alison Stewart]

Just had to ask.

[Liam Robinson]

So that's why. And I leave them everywhere.

[Alison Stewart]

The next song we're going to hear is epic. Can you set this up for us a little bit? Oh, me? Yes.

[Jack Wolfe]

What? Oh, my goodness. Set it up.

[Morgan Dudley]

Okay.

[Jack Wolfe]

Set me up.

[Kurt Elling]

Go on.

[Jack Wolfe]

Yeah.

[Liam Robinson]

I really want to know what you. What you think is, but I think.

[Jack Wolfe]

I mean, I feel like it's like.

[Morgan Dudley]

The first time that you're kind of put on the spot to use Orpheus's gifts, and we kind of get introduced into, like, what you were saying about how he feels like he has to share this story and explain the world that we're currently living in. And so absolutely.

[Liam Robinson]

Like, Exactly. That is his poetry. To sort of describe what the story of Hades and Persephone is to the audience. And then I think for me playing the character, for me, my interpretation is a little sort of window into how confident or not so confident he might be in sharing this kind of thing. Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

Okay, you give me that. You get to go off stage and we'll invite Kurt Elling back on. This is epic from Hadestown.

[Kurt Elling]

Where'd you get that melody?

[Liam Robinson]

I don't know.

[Jack Wolfe]

It came to me as if I'd known it all along.

[Kurt Elling]

You have. It's an old song.

A song of love from long ago, long time since I heard it, though.

[Jack Wolfe]

You've heard that melody before?

[Liam Robinson]

Sure.

[Jack Wolfe]

Tell me more.

[Kurt Elling]

Remember the tale I told you once about the gods?

[Jack Wolfe]

Which ones?

[Kurt Elling]

Hades and Persephone. Remember how it used to be their love that made the world go round?

[Liam Robinson]

Yeah, I remember now.

[Jack Wolfe]

But that was long ago.

[Kurt Elling]

Tell it again, though.

[Jack Wolfe]

King of shadows, king of shades. Hades was king of the underworld. But he fell in love with a beautiful lady who walked up above in her mother's greener field. He fell in love with Persephone who was gathering flowers in the light of the sun. And he took her home to become his queen where the sun never shone on anyone.

[Kurt Elling]

Go on.

[Jack Wolfe]

The lady loved him and the queen kingdom they shed. But without her above not one flower would grow. So King Hades agreed that for half of each year she would stay with him there in his world down below. But the other half, she could walk in the sun and the sun in turn burnt twice as bright which is where the seasons come from. And with them the cycle of the seed and the sickle and the lives of the people and the birds in their flight.

[Kurt Elling]

Singing. Down below and up above. In harmony and rhythm. The gods sang a song over love. And the world sang it with them. But that was long ago, before we.

Were on this road.

[Alison Stewart]

That was epic. One from Broadway's Hadestown. We'll be right back with more music and the shows king and Queen of the Underworld live in the green space at wnyc. This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. We're airing our special Broadway on the Radio live event with the cast of the Tony Award winning musical Hadestown. For the first time since the show launched in 2019, all five principal cast members are brand new to the show. That includes the new king of hell himself, Hades, played by Paolo Schott. Here he is with a live performance of hey little songbird from Hadestown.

[Paolo Schott]

Hey, little songbird give me a song I'm a busy man and I can't stay long I've got clients to call I've got orders to fill I've got walls to build I've got riots to go well and they're giving me hell Back in Hades hey, little songbird Cat got your tongue? Always a pity for one so pretty and young when poverty comes to clip your wings and knock the wind right out of your lungs Ain't nobody sings on empty.

[Jack Wolfe]

Strange is the call of this strange man I wanna lie down and feed at his hand I want a nice soft place to land I wanna L.

[Paolo Schott]

Little songbird, you got something fine. You shine like a diamond down the mine and the choice is yours if you're willing to choose Seeing as you've got nothing to lose and I could.

[Jack Wolfe]

Use a canary Suddenly nothing is as it was where are you now, Orpheus? Wasn't it gonna be the two of us were and weepers of the.

[Paolo Schott]

Hey, little songbird Let me guess. He's some kind of poet and he's penniless. Give him your hand he'll give you his hand to mouth he'll write your poem when the power is out hey, why not fly south for the winter? Hey, little songbird look all around you See how the vipers and vultures surround you and take you down they will pick you clean if you stick around Such a desperate scene See, people get.

[Jack Wolfe]

Mean.

[Paolo Schott]

When the chips are down.

[Alison Stewart]

That was hey, Little Songbird from Hadestown. Featuring the shows Hades and Morgan Dudley. We're going to ask to come to the stage. Stage. Rebecca Naomi Jones, who plays Persephone. You're such a cute couple. Let's start with you and that song. Why does he call her down to the underworld?

[Paolo Schott]

I think. I think he saw an invitation before happening in his mind. And I think that's the opportunity for him to get his masculine power back. After having a huge fight with his wife. You know, he spent so much, so many months away from her. And he prepared a whole new house for her as a reception. And when she arrives, she hates it, everything. So he's very frustrated about that. And he sees, really on the edge of suffering in her own life and decides to get there and to give her a little push.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's get her side of the story.

[Jack Wolfe]

All right.

[Alison Stewart]

What is Persephone? How would you describe her relationship with Hades?

[Rebecca Naomi Jones]

You know, I think it's beautiful the way that in this musical it's set up such that these two people actually do love each other. But I Think something that I love so much about the direction of this is that with both couples there's this kind of dichotomy between the light and the dark and the hope, hopefulness versus just a sense of nothing is. Nothing is going to go as planned and I have no hope. And, and I think where both couples meet is where there's magic. And so I think Persephone loves Hades, but she lives in the natural world and she lives for the natural world and she lives in hope and she holds onto that hope as much as possible. And so I think for Persephone, when she comes down after the six month stint for the fall time, and she sees what Hades has created for her, which is, you know, more construction and artificial light and all of these things, it feels to her like an assault of the natural world. So I think, I think that's where this couple kind of struggles with each other.

[Liam Robinson]

Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

You'Re an opera star. You have a beautiful voice. You spoke. You've been at the Met Opera. You've also been on Broadway and, and Juliet. What is common about opera and Broadway?

[Paolo Schott]

Common?

[Alison Stewart]

Yes.

[Paolo Schott]

Okay. Well, they both have stories. They both use human body and the voices in different ways, of course. But what I like to always point out are the differences, which, which for me, everybody, you know, that's the first thing. What's the difference? And I say eight shows a week. You know, in opera we have two shows a week and, or three shows a week. And here, that was the biggest challenge for me when I, when I first had my first musical. How to pace, how to learn to do that for eight shows a week and not be absolutely destroyed.

[Alison Stewart]

And you used the lower part of your register quite a bit.

[Paolo Schott]

Well, that's news for me. Yes, that's news for me. I'm a baritone, so it's in the middle of register of everything of male, between the tenor and the bass. So I get to explore a little bit. And this guy helps a lot. The microphones gives the intimacy that I can explore this kind of color that in opera would be not possible.

[Alison Stewart]

Hadestown is sort of a unique musical. So much is told in verse. How is that for you? As someone who's done a lot of Broadway?

[Rebecca Naomi Jones]

I think text is exciting and I think there's always more to be harvested than we think at first glance. And so be it verse, be it, be it prose. I just think it's. There's just always so many layers. And I think Anais did a beautiful job layering a lot of, A lot of information into these Songs. And so I think the storytelling is actually, it's so well laid out for us. So it feels, it feels like we can trust what's there and just do our job and pay attention to each other and listen and let, let it, let it ride, you know.

[Alison Stewart]

You can go big with Persephone. Yes, an actor can go very big with Persephone. What do you like to do with her?

[Rebecca Naomi Jones]

I like, I do like to go big and get weird.

[Jack Wolfe]

I like that she, I mean, again.

[Rebecca Naomi Jones]

She, she's really hopeful and I think she's. We meet Persephone in a, in a time in her life where she's self medicating with alcohol and acting out because she's having a hard time holding on to that hope because so much in the world is informing her otherwise and things are bad and she feels out of control and she's spiraling. And so I think there's all this justification for me to just act out and be weird. And so the way I'm enjoying that personally is like lots of unnecessary squats that no one told me to do. Like a lot, like just a lot of this for no reason. And yeah, just like, I mean, I have like a full exorcism on stage where I get to like shake myself and kind of try to box the demons away. And yeah, there's, there's, but there's a lot of room for fun.

[Alison Stewart]

Paolo, what made you want to be in the role of Hades? You could have had a ton of different roles. Why did you choose this one?

[Paolo Schott]

Well, first of all, when I first saw the music, I was in love with the music. You know, I left the show thinking the music is the star of this show. And I was so, you know, excited when they came back to me and proposed to do this. So. And I still think the music, it's, it's incredible. And also to play a role that Hades represents, you know, a big boss, a God, someone who in a way has lost his way of seeing the humanity in others and just thinking about the work and the job and get, you know, absolutely into that thing. I think that's the main problem with their marriage. You know, whatever he prepares for, Persephone, he thinks is the best, but it's the best in his vision of it. So to play someone like that, that has such a great, for me, theatrical arc because he goes through a change in this musical and then he goes back to what he was. But, but he leaves. They leave in a better place in terms of their marriage. If you compare from the beginning of the play. So I think it's a beautiful journey to. To go through that every day.

[Rebecca Naomi Jones]

And for you, you could have played.

[Alison Stewart]

A ton of roles. Why did you choose Persephone?

[Rebecca Naomi Jones]

I. I really love being a part of something that is about trying to have hope and trying to connect with each other amidst chaos in the world. And it just. I mean, I'm happy that Persephone happens to be the vessel for me to be a part of that bit of storytelling in general. But, yeah, I love that she is capable of deep sadness and. And garnering deep strength and deep love. And she's fun. The last song we're gonna hear is your song.

[Alison Stewart]

Would you set it up for us a little bit?

[Rebecca Naomi Jones]

Yes. This is the Act 2 opener. It is kind of like Persephone's little, like, sneaky, drunken cabaret act that she does when her. When her husband, the boss, is not paying attention. And it's really like, at her lowest point. I will not be giving you the version where I'm throwing myself around the stage. But, yeah, it's kind of like her rebellious moment where she's kind of like, taking all of this darkness that she feels and she's kind of just splattering it all over the place.

[Alison Stewart]

All right, let's get it set. This is from Hadestown. Thank.

[Jack Wolfe]

You, Sam. I don't know about you boys, but if you're like me, then hanging around this old, old man hole is bringing you down six feet under. Getting under your skin Cabin fever is a setting in. You're so crazy stuck in a rut you could use a little pick me up. I can give you what it is you crave A little something from my good old days I got the wind right here in a dark I got the rain on top of me I got sunshine up on the shelf Allow me to introduce myself Brother what's my name? My name is my lady of chocolate brown Brother was my name My lady of praise, Our lady of Maine.

[Rebecca Naomi Jones]

Brother.

[Jack Wolfe]

Was my name My name is. Wanna know my name? I tell you my name. Come here, brother Let me guess it's the little things you miss Spring flowers, autumn leaves Ask me, brother, and you shall receive or maybe these just ain't enough maybe you're looking for some stronger stuff I got a sight for the sorest I.

[Rebecca Naomi Jones]

When was the last time you saw the sky?

[Jack Wolfe]

Wipe away your tears, brother brother, I know how you feel I can see you're blinded by the sadness of it all Look a little closer and everything will be revealed Look a little closer.

[Alison Stewart]

And.

[Jack Wolfe]

There'S a crack in the wal. Put your hands together for Mario Bilstead on trombo, Marika Hughes on cello, Dana Lynn on violin, Matt Parowski on drum, Chris Tardini. My face. You want stuff? I got a sky full. Put a quarter in the slot, you'll get an eyeful. You want the moon? Yeah, I got her, too. She's right here waiting in my pay per view. How long's it been? A little moonshine ain't no sin.

[Rebecca Naomi Jones]

Tell my husband to take his time.

[Jack Wolfe]

What the boss don't know, the boss won't be mine. I didn't have my props.

[Alison Stewart]

Thank you so much to the cast of Hadestown. Paolo Schott as Hades, Rebecca. Naomi Jones as Persephone. Morgan Dudley as Eurydice. Jack Wolf as Orpheus and Hermes. Kurt Ellington. And thank you to the band, everybody.

[Jack Wolfe]

Give it up for the band.

[Alison Stewart]

This has been Broadway on the Radio with the new cast of Hadestown. If you want to go back and watch the event, you can find it on WNYC's YouTube page. There's more, all of it on the way. Coming up next hour, two plays you want to catch before they close. First, we'll speak with actor Bobby Cannavale and director Scott Ellis about the Broadway show Art. It's a play about three friends who just can't seem to agree on the value of a very, very expensive abstract painting. Then the Off Broadway play Queens, which follows a group of immigrant women living in a basement apartment, all trying to achieve their piece of the American dream. Pulitzer Prize winner Martina Mayo joins me alongside actors Marin Ireland, Anna Chlumsky and Julia Lester. That's coming up after the break. Stay with us.

[Rebecca Naomi Jones]

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[Morgan Dudley]

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[Rebecca Naomi Jones]

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[Alison Stewart]

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[Rebecca Naomi Jones]

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