People been rewriting and reinterpreting Greek myths for hundreds of years, from the roman poets to any recent book in your local shop there’s been hundreds of the same myth retold repeatedly. In this post I’ll be talking about the type of myth interpretations where they update it to fit with our modern times, today I’ll be talking about the musical Hadestown with its unique interpretation of an old myth with how it combines the original plot with a more modern setting by it being implied that it was set during the Great Depression (or at least heavily inspired by this era.)
This is both a summary and a review, so this post contains spoilers for the Musical.
The musical retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Hadestown, its concept album was released in 2010 while its Broadway production premiered in 2019. In the original myth it stars Orpheus venturing into the Underworld (The ancient Greek place of afterlife.) in order to bring back his late wife, Eurydice, after she dies from a snake bite. He convinces the King of the Underworld, Hades, by singing of his love for his wife to allow him to bring her back. Hades allows Orpheus to bring Eurydice back to the overworld on one condition, don’t look back. Depending on which version says the reason why he does, but in all versions, it ends the same Orpheus looks back, and Eurydice is gone forever.
The musical also includes the myth of Hades and Persephone tying it with the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, the myth of Hades of Persephone in summary was that Hades kidnapped Persephone after gaining her father’s (Zeus) permission, her mother (Demeter) did not want this and caused the first winter starving mortals and wouldn’t allow crops to flourish until she had her daughter back. Zeus ordered Hades to give Persephone back, but Hades gave Persephone six pomegranate seeds that she ate which forced her to spend half of the year in the Underworld; the myth was used to explain why the seasons changed in the ancient times.
In Hadestown it follows a similar plot of Orpheus and Eurydice, but set in 20th century post-apocalyptic America where the climate is affected by the decaying marriage of Persephone and Hades, it follows a poverty-stricken couple Orpheus and his starving wife Eurydice. While the idealistic musician Orpheus works on a song that will make Spring come again and help them both out of poverty, Eurydice is less idealistic and when winter comes and times are rough is enticed with the underground factory called Hadestown for its promise of safety and security.
Deep down in Hades town, Persephone voices her misery about returning to Hadestown and argues with her husband. After Hades goes to look for someone who will appreciate the safety that Hadestown provides and finds the desperate Eurydice on the surface and convinces her to go with him. When Orpheus learns that she did, he ventures into Hadestown in order to rescue her. Eurydice regrets her decision about working at Hadestown once she realizes that she’ll become a forgotten laborer and wouldn’t ever be able to leave again unless Hades let’s her go. Orpheus, like in the original myth, sings a song, but instead it’s about the love of Hades and Persephone making them reconcile and Hades once again gives them the same task to free both Orpheus and his wife, with Orpheus having to lead them out of the Underground without looking back to make sure Eurydice still believes in him and won’t go back.
“To the world we dream about and the one we live in now”—Hadestown
Hadestown is a musical that blends folk, jazz, and blues together (Which can also be refer to as folk opera). In general, the musical is based on New Orleans-style type jazz which gives it a unique sound that makes it stand out with other popular musicals. The musical was inspired by Les Misérables for its political themes, and fans say that other musicals with similar themes, music, or just general feel to it are Moulin Rouge, Six, and Chicago.
It talks about climate change by using the myth of Hades and Persephone and making it so that their failing marriage is causing the world to either be blazing hot or freezing with no balance causing the entire world to be in a state of decay and poverty which reflects the issues of climate change today. The musical also discusses the issues of poverty which can make people choose between who they love and living another day with Eurydice having to choose believing that Orpheus might someday finish his song or work at Hadestown for the chance of a better life.
Overall Hadestown adds to the original myth and is just in general a great Musical with strong characters. I think any person who loves Greek mythology should check this musical!
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