Broadway Philadelphia's hottest play Hadestown is an epic journey

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- If you're looking for a Valentine's Day idea, Broadway Philadelphia is bringing Hadestown to the Academy of Music, inviting audiences to "make a date with the three fates."

Karen Rogers has the story in this week's 6abc Loves the Arts.

"Hadestown is an epic journey," says Kimberly Marable, who plays Persephone in Hadestown.

It brings to life two love stories from Greek Mythology.

"It's the story of Orpheus and Eurydice and their sort of all but doomed romance," says Fran Egler, the Senior Director of Programming and Presentations at the Kimmel Cultural Campus.

And it follows Hades, King of the Underworld.

"This myth is 1000s of years old," says Marable.

The show won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2019.

"It's beautifully told, it's this sort of intimate set in New Orleans with a score by Anas Mitchell, a singer-songwriter," says Egler.

"It's American folk. It's New Orleans jazz, it's blues, it's an exciting music," says Marable.

It takes the ancient myth and sets it in modern-day New Orleans, with Orpheus working as a dishwasher.

He's also a singer-songwriter. He goes to find his love who's gone down to the underworld to seek her fortune and tries to bring her back.

Persephone splits her time between the underworld and the real world.

"There is a trapdoor to hell, it looks so cool." says Marable, "Persephone is actually the goddess of the seasons. Represented in her dramatic costume changes."

"I get to wear this marvelous spring green dress. That marks the harvest, and the Spring and the Summer.

In the winter months, when she's down under, she wears black and, through a love story, the show explores some deeper questions.

"We examine, issues of workers' rights and climate change, standing up for what's right," says Marable.

Whether love survives...?

"You'll have to see the show to see how it turns out!" Marable.

Hadestown is playing at the Academy of Music from February 9th through the 20th.

--

Hadestown at the Academy of Music | Instagram

Kimmel Cultural Campus| Facebook | Instagram

Showing Feb. 9-20, 2022

240 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102