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Hadestown is a Broadway musical theater production that adapts the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, with the former being the main protagonist, into the United States (US) during the Great Depression. The playwright, Anaïs Mitchell, was inspired to make the musical largely due to the Great Recession of 2007-2009. The story climaxes with a proletarian revolution.[1]
Hadestown is widely considered to be the greatest musical of all time.[1] It won the 2019 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Original Score, and six other categories. It also went on to win the 2020 Grammy Awards for Best Musical Theater Album.
Influences[edit | edit source]
Anaïs Mitchell background[edit | edit source]
Anaïs Mitchell grew up in urban Vermont, where she was exposed to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) from a young age.[2] While her voting record is unknown, it is likely she was a Bernie Sanders voter given the context of her upbringing. It can be assumed that, based on Hadestown's depiction of industrial capitalism, that she later radicalized from there, becoming fervently anti-capitalist.
Great Recession[edit | edit source]
The earliest parts of Hadestown were written in 2006, however the Great Recession swept across the US early into the scriptwriting process. The song "Why We Build The Wall," sung by Hades and his industrial workers, was presumably written to describe the 2000s US housing market correction.
Plot[edit | edit source]
Act I[edit | edit source]
Orpheus is an impoverished and orphaned musician who, despite his struggles with poverty, sees the world through an idealist point of view. Hermes, who raised Orpheus, introduces him to an impoverished and starving woman named Eurydice, who sees the world through a materialist point of view. The two fall in love, and Orpheus promises to Eurydice that he will write a magical song of love that will correct the seasons, which had fallen into a cycle of only extreme heat or extreme cold due to the failing marriage between Hades and Persephone. Hades and Persephone drift further apart, only causing the seasons to further break into a cycle of only summer or winter with no spring or fall. Persephone leaves Hades to spend some time alone, leaving Hades depressed. In his misery, Hades centralizes his corporation - "Hadestown" - and cuts back the rights of his workers. The Hadestown company turns their focus to the construction of railroads, however the labor is hard and grueling. Orpheus becomes obsessed with his work, leaving Eurydice to feel alone and depressed. Eurydice decides to leave Orpheus and signs her life away to become a railroad worker at Hadestown. Orpheus asks Hermes where Eurydice went, and Hermes explains what happened. Orpheus, saddened, sets off along the railroad lines to travel to Hadestown and get his lover back. Hades continues to increase the grueling manual labor his workers have to do, forcing them to build a wall surrounding Hadestown.[1]
Act II[edit | edit source]
Persephone returns to Hadestown, albeit very unhappy with the state of things. Orpheus follows the railroad lines to Hadestown and makes his way there, finding Eurydice working with the other workers. The two are briefly reunited, but Hades catches them. Hades orders his workers to attack Orpheus, an order with which they comply. Orpheus is badly beaten and is told by Hades that nothing will ever change in the world, that this system of a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie is simply the way things are. Orpheus comes to the realization of how dark the world truly is, and begins to go on his way to leave. But as he leaves, he starts singing to himself about how Hades' rule over the proletariat is unfair. The workers hear him, and they join him. Orpheus organizes with the other workers and they confront Hades, launching a proletarian revolution. Hades demands the workers to step down, but Persephone convinces him to hear them out. Orpheus comes to a deal with Hades, Orpheus has to sing Hades a song of love to prove he is worthy of being reunited with Eurydice. Orpheus sings the song he had spent his days writing, the song meant to put the seasons back together. Hades is broken by the song and left changed. He realizes the wrongs he's committed and surrenders to the workers. Hades restores his love with Persephone, and then agrees to let Orpheus go with Eurydice on the condition that he walks in front and she walks in back. If Orpheus can make it out of Hadestown without turning back to make sure that Eurydice is following him, then they're free to live their love together. Orpheus and Eurydice agree, but Orpheus turns around right at the edge of Hadestown and loses her forever. It's a tragedy for Orpheus, but the workers at Hadestown and Hades himself are left permanately changed.[1]