Hadestown: The Complete Musical & Audition Guide
“And we’re gonna sing it again.”
Hadestown, Anaïs Mitchell’s folk opera, retells the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice to a score of American folk, blues, and New Orleans jazz, alongside a second love story: the strained marriage of Hades, king of the underworld, and Persephone, goddess of spring.
The show is sung through and built around a small group of principals with a flexible ensemble. It was born as a DIY community theatre project in Vermont before it ever reached Broadway. As of October 2026, it’s available for licensing by certain groups, and it’s very popular among schools and youth theatre groups.
We were living in New York City when Hadestown won Best Musical at the Tonys, and the very next morning, Daniel hustled to buy a rush ticket and got standing room only. He was able to sit for the second act, but it was well worth standing through. A few years later, I was able to see the touring production with my two oldest teens.
And speaking of those teens, they were both in the ensemble of a youth production in fall 2025. And, no joke, that production was one of the best I’ve seen, of just about any show. The acting, singing, choreography — all simply outstanding! It was an amazing experience for our kids.
Thinking about auditioning for Orpheus, Eurydice, or one of the Fates? Or trying to figure out if your school or theatre can actually stage this show? Here’s a look at the characters, songs, plot, and what it takes to produce. If you need an audition song, the Audition Song Finder can help you find one that suits your voice and the part you want.
Hadestown at a Glance
| Book, music, and lyrics | Anaïs Mitchell |
| Developed with and directed by | Rachel Chavkin (original Broadway production) |
| Based on | The Greek myths of Orpheus and Eurydice, and Hades and Persephone |
| Origins | DIY community theatre project (2006), studio album (2010), and a 2016 Off-Broadway premiere at New York Theatre Workshop |
| Broadway opening | April 17, 2019, Walter Kerr Theatre |
| Awards | Eight 2019 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Orchestrations; 2020 Grammy Award for the cast album |
| Setting | The underworld (Hadestown) and the world above, in a mythic, Depression-tinged America |
| Structure | Two acts, sung through; running time over two hours (per Concord) |
| Cast | 8 principal roles (5 women, 2 men, 1 any gender, per Concord’s breakdown) plus a Worker ensemble; five Workers on Broadway, and licensees may expand |
| Musical style | Folk opera blending American folk, blues, and vintage New Orleans jazz |
| Dance / movement | Concord rates the dance requirements as “Easy,” but the Workers’ choral and physical staging is substantial |
| Versions | Full version, and Hadestown: Teen Edition (full-length, adapted for performers 19 and under) |
| U.S. licensing | Concord Theatricals. As of October 2026, the full version is not yet open for licensing requests, and the Teen Edition is limited to K-12 schools and youth groups. |
| Band | Seven-piece band (trombone, drums, keyboard-conductor doubling accordion, guitar, violin, cello, bass), plus optional actor-musician parts for Orpheus (guitar) and the Fates (violin, accordion, percussion). Teen Edition license includes rehearsal and performance tracks, if you’d rather not use a live band. |
What Is Hadestown About?
Hadestown is about two love stories under pressure. Orpheus, a young poet and musician, falls for Eurydice, a hungry runaway who has learned not to trust anyone. Meanwhile, Hades and Persephone’s marriage has gone cold, and as a result the seasons above have gone out of balance. Times are hard, winters are long, and the world needs the spring Orpheus believes his song can bring back.
When Eurydice, starving and cold, accepts Hades’ offer of a job in his industrial underworld, Orpheus sets out to bring her home. The show asks big questions about faith and doubt, love and fear, work and freedom, and whether a song can change the way the world goes. As Hermes tells us from the start, it’s a sad tale, it’s a tragedy, and we’re going to sing it again anyway.
Hadestown Synopsis
Act One
Hermes, the show’s narrator and Orpheus’ mentor, introduces the company and the band, and sets the scene on the “Road to Hell.” The three Fates warn that you can’t blame a person for doing what they must to survive. Orpheus meets Eurydice and promptly asks her to marry him. She’s skeptical of a poet who has nothing, but he promises he’s writing a song that will bring the spring back and set the world right.
Persephone arrives for her season aboveground and brings the party with her. Her time is cut short when Hades comes early to take her back “way down” to Hadestown, where he has built a booming industrial city powered by the labor of the dead. As Orpheus becomes consumed by his unfinished song, Eurydice faces another freezing winter alone. Hades makes her an offer: work and shelter in Hadestown, at the price of her freedom. Torn between hunger and love, she goes.
Orpheus learns what has happened and, with Hermes’ directions, sets off on the hard road to the underworld, singing “Wait for Me.” Act One ends with Hades leading his Workers in “Why We Build the Wall,” his chilling explanation of why Hadestown keeps the poor out and the Workers in.
Act Two
Persephone sneaks the Workers a taste of the world above in “Our Lady of the Underground.” Eurydice, now working in the factory, mourns the life she left. Orpheus finds her, but she has signed her name away, and Hades has no intention of letting her go.
Orpheus sings to Hades: the song he’s been working on, about a king who once loved a queen. It reminds Hades and Persephone of who they used to be. The Workers begin to stir too. Hades realizes that keeping Eurydice would make Orpheus a martyr, but letting them go would cost him his authority. So he sets a condition: Orpheus may lead Eurydice out, but she must walk behind him, and if he turns to look back at her, she returns to the underworld forever.
On the long walk out, doubt comes in. Just short of the surface, Orpheus turns, and Eurydice is lost. Hermes reminds us that the story always ends this way, but that we sing it anyway, in case it turns out differently this time. Persephone (who, along with Hades, has rekindled their relationship) heads back up for spring, and the company raises a final cup to Orpheus.
Hadestown Characters and Casting
In Hadestown, every principal role is demanding and the Workers are a true singing and movement ensemble, not just background. Concord notes that Hermes has been played on Broadway by both men and women.
Note: The vocal ranges below are the ones Concord publishes for the Teen Edition, which uses adjusted keys.
Principal Roles
| Character | Role description | Voice type / range (Teen Edition) | Notes |
| Orpheus | Lyre-playing poet, gifted and naïve, who believes his song can bring back spring. | Tenor with strong falsetto; D3–C5 (optional E♭5) | Optional actor-musician guitar part |
| Eurydice | A runaway, tough and vulnerable, who has learned to look out for herself. | Mezzo-soprano; F♯3–D5 | Grounded, contemporary folk sound |
| Hades | Compulsive industrialist and boss-king of Hadestown. | Bass; F2–C♯4 | Famous for his very low notes |
| Persephone | Queen of nature and the seasons, and “a lush.” | Mezzo-soprano/alto; F3–C5 | Bluesy, jazzy, big personality |
| Hermes | Charismatic guide and storyteller, mentor to Orpheus. | Tenor/bass; C3–B4 | Any gender; may use “Missus Hermes” and change octaves |
| The Fates (3) | Three sisters, “vicious and delicious,” the voices in everyone’s head. | Soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto; E3–D5 (Fate 1 up to E♭5) | Tight three-part harmony; optional violin, accordion, percussion |
Workers and Ensemble
| Track | Role description | Voice / movement | Notes |
| Workers | Spirits of labor and community: a physical and choral presence throughout. | Full version: five tracks on Broadway (mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, baritenor, baritone). Teen Edition: flexible, expandable SATB chorus. | Licensees may expand beyond five |
| The Band | Not a character, but onstage the whole show, and may join in the singing. | Seven musicians | Concord provides workarounds for productions using tracks |
Hadestown Song List
The show is sung through, so one song often flows into another. Here are the numbers in show order, following Concord’s music list. A few short intros, reprises, and instrumentals are grouped together.
| Song | Featured performers | What happens |
| Road to Hell | Hermes and company | Hermes introduces the gods, the Fates, the lovers, and the band. |
| Any Way the Wind Blows | Eurydice, Fates, Hermes | Eurydice, hungry and alone, introduces herself. |
| Come Home with Me / Wedding Song | Orpheus, Eurydice, Hermes, Workers | Orpheus proposes; Eurydice asks what they’ll live on. |
| Epic I | Hermes, Orpheus | Orpheus begins his song about the gods. |
| Livin’ It Up on Top | Persephone, Hermes, Orpheus, company | Persephone’s arrival brings summer and a party. |
| All I’ve Ever Known | Eurydice, Orpheus, Hermes | The lovers fall for each other. |
| Way Down Hadestown | Hermes, Persephone, Fates, company | Hades arrives early to take Persephone below. |
| A Gathering Storm / Epic II | Fates, Hermes, Orpheus, Eurydice, Workers | Winter comes; Orpheus is lost in his song. |
| Chant | Company | Hard times above and below; the seasons are out of balance. |
| Hey, Little Songbird | Hades, Eurydice | Hades tempts Eurydice with an offer of shelter. |
| When the Chips Are Down | Fates, Eurydice, Hermes, Hades | The Fates push Eurydice to save herself. |
| Gone, I’m Gone | Eurydice, Fates | Eurydice leaves for Hadestown. |
| Wait for Me | Hermes, Orpheus, Fates, company | Orpheus sets out for the underworld. |
| Why We Build the Wall | Hades and company | Act One ends with Hades’ anthem of control. |
| Our Lady of the Underground | Persephone, Hermes | Act Two opens with Persephone’s underground speakeasy. |
| Way Down Hadestown (Reprise) | Fates, Eurydice, Workers, Hermes | Eurydice arrives and begins work. |
| Flowers | Eurydice | Eurydice reflects on what she has lost. |
| Come Home with Me (Reprise) | Orpheus, Eurydice | Orpheus finds her. |
| Papers | Hades, Persephone, Orpheus, Eurydice, Hermes | Hades reveals Eurydice signed her name away. |
| Nothing Changes | Fates | The Fates mock Orpheus’ hope. |
| If It’s True | Orpheus, Workers, Hermes | Orpheus rallies the Workers. |
| How Long? | Persephone, Hades | Persephone confronts Hades. |
| Chant (Reprise) / Epic III | Orpheus and company | Orpheus sings his song to Hades. |
| Promises | Eurydice, Orpheus, Workers | The lovers reunite and make promises. |
| Word to the Wise | Fates, Orpheus, Hermes, Hades | Hades weighs his choice. |
| His Kiss, the Riot | Hades | Hades decides on his condition. |
| Wait for Me (Reprise) | Hermes, Orpheus, Eurydice, company | Hades sets the rule: don’t look back. |
| Doubt Comes In | Fates, Orpheus, Eurydice, Workers | The walk out of Hadestown. |
| Road to Hell (Reprise) | Hermes and company | Hermes begins the story again. |
| We Raise Our Cups | Persephone, Eurydice, company | An encore toast to Orpheus. |
Need an audition song for Hadestown?
Get some divine help. See our picks for every major character or track, or let the Audition Song Finder match you with songs based on your role, voice, age, and style.
What is Hadestown Like to Perform?
Hadestown is sung through, so you’re singing almost all night. The score calls for folk, blues, and jazz phrasing, with storytelling being more important than showing off vocally. Orpheus needs a free, easy falsetto, Hades a rich low bass, and Persephone and Hermes plenty of swagger and groove.
The Fates sing in tight three-part harmony, and the Workers sing in five parts. The band (when used) is part of the show, too. The musicians sit onstage, Hermes introduces them, and in some productions the actors pick up instruments themselves.
And it’s a heavy story to tell every night. Everyone in the audience knows how it ends. The real challenge is playing it as if this time it might turn out differently.
Auditioning for Hadestown
- Read the notice carefully. Because licensing is restricted, most auditions right now will be for schools or youth groups doing the Teen Edition. Check which version is being produced and whether the age limits apply.
- Choose a song with a folk, pop, or soul feel that tells a story and sits in your best range. Our guide to choosing an audition song walks through it.
- Know your target voice. Orpheus hopefuls should show a confident falsetto. Hades hopefuls should show off the bottom of their range. Persephone and Hermes should bring personality and power notes. Eurydice needs honesty and a grounded mix. Persephone hopefuls can start with our audition songs for altos, Eurydice hopefuls with our picks for belters, and the Fates can browse whichever list fits their part.
- Show you can harmonize. For the Fates and the Workers, callbacks may test whether you can hold a part. Here’s what to expect at callbacks.
- Mention any instruments. If you play guitar, violin, accordion, or percussion, list it. Orpheus and the Fates have optional actor-musician parts.
- Act the song. Know who you’re singing to and what you want from them.
Producing Hadestown in Community Theatre
Licensing is Limited
This is the biggest hurdle. As of October 2026, Concord lists the full version of Hadestown with a “Notify Me When Available” button rather than an application. The Teen Edition can be requested, but only by K-12 accredited schools and youth groups with performers 19 and under in North America, and Concord notes it may not be available in every area and may come with announcement and advertising restrictions. Adult community theatres should sign up for Concord’s notifications and plan ahead.
Teen Edition Changes
Concord’s Teen Edition adjusts vocal arrangements and keys for teen voices, including the Fates’ features. It turns the five-member Worker chorus into a flexible, expandable SATB chorus, removes stage action and language related to substance abuse and sexual references, and approves “Our Lady of the Underground,” “Nothing Changes,” and “We Raise Our Cups” as optional cuts.
Set and Staging
Hadestown doesn’t need a big set. The Broadway design used a single New Orleans–style bar or speakeasy space that becomes the underworld. What it does need is great lighting (the lantern-lit “Wait for Me” is a showstopper) and a way to suggest the walk up out of Hadestown.
The production our teens were in utilized a digital background and sparse but effective set pieces. They did fly and swing the big lanterns, which was really awesome to watch.
Is Hadestown a Good Choice for Community Theatre?
It’s a wonderful show, but for most adult community theatres, it’s not available yet. If you’re a school or youth group, the Teen Edition is a fantastic option, as long as you have:
- A tenor with a strong, easy falsetto for Orpheus
- A true bass for Hades
- Three Fates who can harmonize tightly
- Musicians who can play folk, blues, and jazz (or a plan for tracks)
- A creative team ready for a lighting-driven, sung-through show
If you love Hadestown‘s storytelling and ensemble-driven style, you might also enjoy Come From Away, another folk-influenced, ensemble musical that is available to community theatres.
Hadestown is not your Golden Age, cheery, toe-tapping musical. It is a captivating story with beautiful music that will stay with you long past the final curtain. If you get a chance to see it, produce it, or be in it, we highly recommend it!
What would you sing for a Hadestown audition? Which role is your dream part? Tell us in the comments!
