Hadestown at Walter Kerr Theatre

Coming up in fall, Walter Kerr Theatre in New York will host the critically acclaimed Broadway phenomenon Hadestown. This mythological story follows a couple, Orpheus and Eurydice as they navigate the trials of love and poverty while their lives become interlaced with Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. Tickets for this Saturday 27th September 2025 showing start at $99 per seat.

History

Hadestown first came to stage in 2006 with a regional performance and a concept album. Several years afterward, the writer, Anaïs Mitchell, developed the broadway musical, which she said was inspired by Les Misérables. After enhancing character backgrounds, it eventually opened off-Broadway in 2016. 

The production went on to successfully tour Canada and London in the next couple of years. It appeared on Broadway in 2019 and went on to become the longest-running show at the Walter Kerr Theatre by early 2023. It began a North American tour beginning in 2021. Hadestown may have been an unlikely success story at the time when it opened off-Broadway in 2016. Today it has grown into a highly respected and admired musical for many fans.

Synopsis

The mythology of the Hadestown musical opens by introducing Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus proposed to Eurydice, but she is unsure because both of them live in poor conditions. Eventually, they become lovers despite their problems. 

Hades and Persephone enter the story when Hades visits the surface to return Persephone back to the Underworld. Eurydice hears about working in the Underworld as a way out of poverty. Hades is frustrated arguing with Persephone about the benefits of the Underworld. In his desperation, Hades visits the surface to find someone who will learn to like working in the Underworld before finding Eurydice. She chooses to join Hades in the Underworld, leaving her love of Orpheus behind.

When Orpheus learns about Eurydice's departure, he decides to travel to the Underworld to bring her back. By the time he travels to the Underworld, Eurydice realizes working in the Underworld is not the rewarding experience Hades made it seem to be. Orpheus and Eurydice talk to Hades about releasing Eurydice from her contract and allowing her return to the surface. The subsequent decision and journey tests the love Orpheus and Eurydice share.

Awards

Fans offer wide-ranging praise of Hadestown. The Hollywood Reporter called it “a furnace-like blast of creativity,” while Forbes declared it “an epic celebration of music, togetherness, and hope.” It won Tony Awards in eight different categories, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. Hadestown received 14 Tony Award nominations in all.

The writers behind Hadestown used a blend of folk and jazz music to tell the story the Underworld from Greek mythology. During the 2020 Grammy Awards, Hadestown won an award for the Best Musical Theater Album. This recording features the Broadway cast recording of the show’s songs. Some attendees see the show after purchasing the album, while others hear the music for the first time when attending a performance.