Hadestown at Walter Kerr Theatre

Coming up in fall, Walter Kerr Theatre in New York will present the critically acclaimed Broadway phenomenon Hadestown. This mythological tale 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 Friday 19th September 2025 showing start at $99 per seat.

History

Hadestown debuted in 2006 with a regional performance. Several years afterward, the writer, Anaïs Mitchell, stuck with her idea, after taking inspiration from Les Misérables. After revamping it, it eventually opened off-Broadway in 2016. 

The show had successful runs in Canada and London in the next couple of years. It appeared on Broadway in 2019 and went on to set a record for the longest-running Broadway production at the Walter Kerr Theatre by early 2023. Hadestown started a North American tour beginning in 2021. Hadestown may have been unknown at the time when it opened off-Broadway in 2016. Today it has become a highly respected and popular musical for many fans.

Synopsis

The Greek mythology of the Hadestown musical opens by showcasing Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus asks Eurydice to marry him, but she is unsure because both of them live in poverty. Eventually, they become lovers. 

Meanwhile, Hades and Persephone enter the musical when Hades visits the surface to return Persephone to the Underworld against her wishes. Eurydice hears about working with Hades as a way out of poverty. Hades dislikes arguing with Persephone about the charms of the Underworld. In his desperation, Hades visits the surface to find someone who will appreciate working in the Underworld before finding Eurydice. She decides to join Hades in the Underworld, leaving her partner, Orpheus behind.

When Orpheus finds out about Eurydice's departure, he promises to travel to the Underworld to bring her back. By the time he arrives in the Underworld, Eurydice discovers working in the Underworld is not the positive experience Hades made it appear to be. Orpheus and Eurydice talk to Hades about releasing Eurydice from her contract and letting her return to the living world. The subsequent decision and journey tests the love Orpheus and Eurydice share.

Awards

Reviewers offer high 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 secured Tony Awards in 8 different categories, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. Hadestown earned 14 Tony Award nominations in all.

The writers behind Hadestown used a blend of folk and jazz to tell the tale 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 musical’s songs. Some fans of the show see the show after buying the album, while others hear the music for the first time when attending a performance.