I like to consider myself a musical theatre buff. Any time I have a long drive, I blast my favorite musicals on the freeway and perform the greatest car musical ever to exist. It used to always be Hamilton, but now Hadestown is the new musical stealing hearts and collecting nearly as many Tony Awards as Hamilton once did. 

Hadestown seemed to creep in for me unnoticed. I didn’t know much about it until I saw the Tonys last weekend and watched as they won 8 awards out of 14 nominations, including Best Musical, Featured Actor (André De Shields), Original Score, Direction, Scenic Design, Orchestrations, Lighting Design, and Sound Design. But what exactly is Hadestown, and why is it so great?

Hadestown is a musical retelling of the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, but also ties in the love story of Hades and Persephone. For those unfamiliar, Orpheus travels to the Underworld where Hades lives and bargains with him to win back his love Eurydice. Without spoiling a story we should all already know, let’s just say it doesn’t end well. 

This musical retelling, however, is an adaptation of a folk opera by the same name created by Anaïs Mitchel. When she first wrote the musical, it was a passion project she toured around her home state of Vermont. Years later, It was developed for the stage and directed by Rachel Chavkin -- who later went on to take home the Tony for Best Direction of a Musical. 

The music is very bluesy with a New Orleans jazz vibe and style. It’s sultry, the vocals are phenomenal, and the harmonies are perfectly blended. It’s like the Underworld is a jazz club in the French Quarter. It’s beguiling, political, and poetic, making you question what you know about faith, love, and the world above. Not everything is as it seems, and the god Hermes is the narrator to help move the story along while the Three Fates poke and disturb our cast of heroes and villains. You will notice a lot of parallels between today's political climate and the world of ancient Greece. It’s almost scary. 

You can stream some of the music now, but an official album will be released July 26. In the meantime, however, I guess you’ll have to take a trip over the river Styx to the Underworld of New York City and see it live for yourself.