HADESTOWN: The Musical

As the musical begins, the whole cast sits on stage among the band and the set. Hermes (Andre De Shields) steps out and gets the band to play, and begins dancing as he sings “Road to Hell”. In the song, he explains he is going to tell and old tale from an old time, where there was a railroad track straight to hell. He introduces the three women that all dress the same and are in the back of your mind – the Fates (Bella Brown, Allie Daniel, and Madeline Charlemagne). Hermes himself, one of the Greek gods. Coming up from hell on the train is Persephone (Amber Gray), excited to be on a break from her home in the underworld, known as Hadestown. He warns the audience that the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice is a sad one, but they sing it anyway.

He introduces Eurydice (Eva Noblezada), a young human woman who is just struggling to eat and survive in poverty. She sings “Any Way the Wind Blows”, about how she’s lost everyone and is alone in the world, just trying to survive whatever comes next – however the wind may blow. She goes to an eatery to get something to eat, and Orpheus (Reeve Carney) is immediately struck by her. He hastily fashions a newspaper into an imitation of bouquet of flowers and sings “Come Home With Me”, instantly saying he’s going to marry Eurydice. Orpheus is a musician who plays the lyre, and tells Eurydice he’s going to use that to make the world she sees as dark into a beautiful world. Eurydice begins singing “Wedding Song”, wondering how they could possibly pay for this dream wedding or life that Orpheus insists they could have. Orpheus sings that when he sings his song it will give them everything they need, including making flowers grow in the grimy world, and including their wedding bands.

Hermes tells Orpheus he’s heard his melody before, and that it’s a sad song. Orpheus says he remembers the story, and Hermes asks him to tell it again – Orpheus sings “Epic I”, telling the story of Hades and Persephone. Hades was the king of the underworld, and he fell in love with Persephone, a woman from above he saw gathering flowers in a sunny field. He took her home to Hades to be his queen, where there’s never any sun. When Persephone left, flowers stopped growing in the mortal world, so Hades agreed that for half the year Persephone could live in the above world in the sun, bringing flowers back and creating the seasons. Hermes sings as the train once again arrives and Persephone gets off, thrilled to be in the above world. She sings “Livin it Up On Top”, about how she’s happy to be free of Hades and the underworld for some time and is ready to party. The townspeople celebrate and dance, and Orpheus makes a toast to Persephone’s return.

Alone with Orpheus, Eurydice sings “All I’ve Ever Known”, about how she’s only known how to survive on her own but now she’s finally falling in love with Orpheus. He joins her in song and they realize how strongly they feel about each other. During the song, she climbs on top of him, and it ends with a kiss. Later, the Fates arrive and tell Persephone that her time is up and she must return home. Hermes leads the song “Way Down Hadestown”, telling about how Hadestown is an underground factory that Hades runs where wages are low and the work is brutal, making shiny coins for the above world. Hades (Patrick Page) arrives to collect Persephone, and he takes her to the underworld as they are lowered down beneath the stage. With Persephone gone, the brutal cold returns, and during the song “A Gathering Storm” Eurydice urges Orpheus to finish his song before they starve or freeze to death. He again tries to play his song and sings “Epic II”, about how cruel Hades work can be.

In Hadestown, Persephone and Hades sing “Chant”, where they bicker with each other – Persephone hates the cold, and Hades hates being without her for half the year. Meanwhile, during the same song, Eurydice admits that Orpheus is not helping solve their problems and that he is not going to be the one to keep her from the cold. Hades leaves for the above world and discovers Eurydice, who is desperate and freezing in a snowstorm. He sings “Hey Little Songbird”, where he beckons her to come to Hadestown, where she can actually be taken care of, and gives her a ticket to the underworld. As Eurydice ponders the choice, The Fates sing “When the Chips Are Down”, asking her what she’s going to do and then urging her to take care of herself and take the deal with Hades. Eurydice sings “Gone I’m Gone”, apologizing to Orpheus but since she is starving, she sees no other choice and accepts Hades’s offer. Later, Orpheus searches for her, but Hermes tells her where Eurydice has really gone to, and then tells Orpheus there is another way to get to Hadestown, a long hard journey without the train. He sent Orpheus on his journey, and Orpheus sings “Wait For Me” as he tries to make his way down to rescue Eurydice. In Hadestown, Hades addresses his people and leads them in singing “Why We Build the Wall”, where they agree to everything he says and keep working as Hades demands. Eurydice arrives in Hadestown, where she enters his office to sign her contract to be a worker in Hadestown as the first act ends.

Act two starts, and Persephone is revealed to have a secret speakeasy she maintains without Hades knowing – she sings “Our Lady of Underground”, serving the exhausted citizens of Hadestown. Eurydice starts working in Hadestown, and as she toils away in the factory joins the cast in singing “Way Down Hadestown (Reprise)”, where she realizes she is not free like Hades said: she is going to be working down there forever and can never leave unless Hades grants her freedom. Realizing this isn’t what she wanted, she sings “Flowers”, about how she will remembers the flowers and will never see them again. Shortly after, Orpheus arrives and finds Eurydice, thrilled to be reunited once again. He sings “Come Home With Me (Reprise)”, begging her to come home and marry him, but the Fates tell Orpheus about the deal she made with Hades – she belongs to him now.

Suddenly, Hades enters, and sings “Papers”, where he laughs at Orpheus’s demand to bring her home and that he has complete control of Hadestown – Eurydice signed the contract herself. He then orders his workers to take care of Orpheus, who he deems as trespassing. Orpheus tries to fight back but he is overpowered, beaten up, and thrown out. The Fates approach him and sing “Nothing Changes”, telling him to give up and that nothing will change. Bloody and alone, Orpheus sings “If It’s True”, wondering if there is really nothing he can do to fight back or change Eurydice’s fate. Persephone, who is nearby, overhears him singing and feels sadness for him. She goes to Hades herself and sings “How Long?”, where she asks Hades to let Eurydice go and let the two young people be in love.

Back at the factory, Orpheus has returned as the workers sing “Chant (Reprise)”. Hades joins them and ends the song by saying that since Persephone pleaded with him, he will give Orpheus the chance to sing his great song before he kills him. Under great pressure, Orpheus takes lyre and sings “Epic III”. He takes the melody he has been working on and sings the song about how Hades fell in love with Persephone as she picked flowers. Touched by the reminder of their love, Persephone gives Hades a flower and they begin to dance together, no longer angry with each other. Eurydice is proud of Orpheus and sings “Promises”, telling him to take her home since he knows the way. She says she doesn’t need the things she thought she did, she just needs him. The two sing that they will handle everything together from now on.

Orpheus goes to Hades and asks if he can take Eurydice and go. Hades isn’t sure, and The Fates come out and sing “Word to the Wise”, telling Hades he is in a conundrum. If he refuses to let Orpheus go or kills him, he will make him into a martyr that could cause the workers to rebel. On the other hand, if he lets them go, he displays weakness to the workers and they may very well rise up against him. Hades sings “His Kiss, the Riot” and sings that Orpheus and Eurydice can go under one condition: as they leave Hadestown, Orpheus must walk in front of Eurydice. He can never turn around to see if Eurydice is following behind him – if he does, she will return to Hadestown forever. Hades is sure that doubt will creep in and Orpheus will fail. Hermes goes to the couple and tells them about Hades’s condition. Eurydice believes they can do it, and Hermes begins singing “Wait For Me (Reprise)”, as the couple make their way out of the factory.

Hades and Persephone make up as Orpheus and Eurydice travel the long road out of the underworld. In the darkness, The Fates begin singing “Doubt Comes In”, as Orpheus joins, singing about how he is getting more and more worried that Eurydice isn’t behind him. Eurydice sings that she is there and that they just need to go a little farther, but just then Orpheus turns around and sees her there. Though for a moment he is relieved that she is there, the tragedy hits them both and she is immediately lowered down back to Hades. Orpheus falls to his knees in devastation, and Hermes appears again and sings “Road to Hell (Reprise)”, reminding the audience that the song is a sad one, but that every time they tell it there’s hope that maybe this time it will end differently – being hopeful like Orpheus taught them to be. The entire cast returns to their positions from where the show began, and the story starts from the beginning again as the show ends.

The cast all take their bows for the audience, and then Persephone leads one last song, “We Raise Our Cups”, toasting to Orpheus and hoping that wherever he is the song brings him comfort.