Hadestown at CIBC Theatre

Coming up in May, CIBC Theatre in Chicago 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 intertwined with Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. Tickets for this Saturday 10th May 2025 showing start at $149 per seat.

History

Hadestown debuted in 2006 with a regional performance and a concept album. Years later, the creator, Anaïs Mitchell, stuck with her idea, after taking inspiration from Les Misérables. After revamping it, it eventually made its debut off-Broadway in 2016. 

The show had successful runs in 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 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 beloved musical for many fans.

Synopsis

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

Hades and Persephone enter the musical when Hades comes to the surface to return Persephone back to the Underworld against her wishes. During this time, Eurydice hears about working with Hades as a way out of poverty. Hades is frustrated 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 meeting Eurydice. She chooses to join Hades in the Underworld, leaving her love of Orpheus behind.

When Orpheus finds out what happened, he vows to travel to the Underworld to bring her back. By the time he arrives in the Underworld, Eurydice figures out working in the Underworld is not the positive experience Hades made it seem to be. Orpheus and Eurydice meet with Hades about releasing Eurydice from her contract and letting her return to the living world. The journey tests the love Orpheus and Eurydice have for each other.

Awards

Reviewers offer constant 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 areas, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. Hadestown garnered 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. At the 2020 Grammy Awards, Hadestown won an award for the Best Musical Theater Album. This collection features the Broadway cast recording of the musical’s songs. Some fans of the show see the show after hearing the album, while others hear the music for the first time when attending a performance.