This special mid-week episode is a deep dive into the musical Hadestown, Anaïs Mitchell’s folk opera that reimagines the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in a haunting, jazz-inflected underworld. Last week, I had the joy of playing violin in the on-stage band for a series of local youth-theater performances of Hadestown, and sharing the stage with my daughter made the entire experience unforgettable.

During preparation, I became captivated by the music, the storytelling, and the rich threads of Greek mythology woven throughout Hadestown. I also discovered that the show’s writer published a book, Working on a Song: The Lyrics of Hadestown, which opens a window into the creative process behind the musical.

In this episode, I explore:

* The Greek myths at the heart of Hadestown

* The subtle ways the musical reshapes and reimagines those myths

* The connection points between this story and narratives found in the Bible

This musical moved me in a way that very few others ever have.

Audio Recordings

Original Broadway Cast Recording

Spotify / Apple Music

Live from London

Spotify / Apple Music

This one is my personal favorite but it only contains about half of the songs. Hermes is played by a female and she just absolutely kills it. I love her passion.

Talking Hadestown: Commentary & Songs

Spotify / Apple Music

This is a neat recording where Anaïs Mitchell talks about some of the songs from Hadestown.

The Book

Working on a Song: The Lyrics of Hadestown by Anaïs Mitchell

The Band

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#278 - Hadestown - Myth, Music, and Meaning