Hadestown at Sarofim Hall

This winter, Sarofim Hall in Houston will present the long running Broadway phenomenon Hadestown. This mythological narrative follows a couple, Orpheus and Eurydice as they navigate the challenges of love and poverty while their lives cross the path of Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. Tickets for this Friday 13th February 2026 showing start at $117 per seat.

History

Hadestown debuted in 2006 with a regional performance and a concept album. Several years afterward, the creator, Anaïs Mitchell, stuck with her idea, after taking inspiration from Les Misérables. After enhancing character backgrounds, it eventually opened off-Broadway in 2016. 

The show had successful runs in Canada and London in the next couple of years. It appeared on Broadway in 2019 and went on to become the longest-running Broadway production at the Walter Kerr Theatre by early 2023. It started a North American tour beginning in 2021. Hadestown may have been an underdog when it opened off-Broadway in 2016. Today it has grown into a highly respected and admired musical for many fans.

Story

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

Hades and Persephone enter the story when Hades visits the surface to take Persephone to the Underworld. Eurydice hears about working with Hades as a way out of poverty. Hades is tired of 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 finding Eurydice. She opts to join Hades in the Underworld, leaving her love of Orpheus behind.

When Orpheus learns about Eurydice's departure, he vows to travel to the Underworld to bring her back. By the time he arrives in the Underworld, Eurydice discovers working in the Underworld is not the positive experience Hades made it seem to be. Orpheus and Eurydice talk to Hades about releasing Eurydice from her contract and letting her return to the living 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 secured Tony Awards in eight different categories, 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 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 collection features the Broadway cast recording of the musical’s songs. Some fans of the show see the show after purchasing the album, while others hear the music for the first time when attending a performance.