Hadestown at Paramount Theatre Seattle

Coming up in January, Paramount Theatre in Seattle 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 cross the path of Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. Tickets for this Tuesday 19th January 2027 showing start at $105 per seat.

Origins

Hadestown first came to stage in 2006 with a regional performance. Years later, the writer, Anaïs Mitchell, stuck with her idea, which she said was inspired by Les Misérables. After enhancing character backgrounds, it eventually made its debut off-Broadway in 2016. 

The production went on to successfully tour Canada and London in the next couple of years. Its debut on Broadway in 2019 and went on to set a record for the longest-running show at the Walter Kerr Theatreafter 4 years. Hadestown opened 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. However, it has developed into a highly respected and popular musical for many fans.

Story

The Greek mythology of the Hadestown musical opens by introducing 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 take Persephone back to the Underworld. Eurydice becomes intrigued by working with Hades as a way out of poverty. Hades dislikes arguing with Persephone about the advantages of the Underworld. He decides to go to the world above to try to find someone who will learn to like working in the Underworld before discovering Eurydice. She chooses to join Hades in the Underworld, leaving her partner, Orpheus behind.

When Orpheus learns about Eurydice's departure, he vows to travel to the Underworld to rescue Eurydice. By the time he travels to the Underworld, Eurydice discovers working in the Underworld is not the positive experience Hades made it appear to be. Orpheus and Eurydice meet with Hades about releasing Eurydice from her contract and allowing her return to the above world. The subsequent decision and journey tests the love Orpheus and Eurydice share.

Recognitions

Reviewers offer constant praise of Hadestown. The Hollywood Reporter called it “a furnace-like blast of creativity,” while Forbes said it’s “an epic celebration of music, togetherness, and hope.” It won Tony Awards in eight different areas, 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 music to tell the modern take on the Underworld from Greek mythology. At 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 hearing the album, while others hear the music for the first time when attending a performance.