Hawa Kamara, who plays Eurydice, thinks about the parallels between the two love stories, bringing in themes of what the world is dealing with today and has always dealt with, such as climate change, immigration, businesses, capitalism, and the control of power. 

“It's a beautiful mesh of all of these themes, along with these love stories and how they (the themes) come up in these love stories,” Kamara said. “It is a very, very good way to portray humanity in any age, anywhere in the world.”

Originally an indie theater project that toured Vermont, singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell wrote and created the album. With help from Rachel Chavkin, her artistic collaborator, Hadestown has been reimagined as a genre-defying musical, mixing modern American folk with New Orleans-style jazz to bring an ancient tale to life.

The show marks the first time in over a decade that a woman has been the solo author of a musical: writing the music, lyrics, and book, it is the fourth time in Broadway history that a woman has accomplished this type of creative feat. 

Acting sophomore Laini Seltzer is excited to finally see the show live after listening to some songs and falling in love with its acoustic sound. 

“I've been dying to see this show for so long,” Seltzer said. “I feel like I know so much about it without having seen it, but there's still so much more I don't know. So, to finally be like, yes, I've seen the show. Now I fully understand it. I can’t wait.”

Hadestown premiered off-Broadway in 2016 and made its Broadway debut in 2019, becoming one of the most celebrated Broadway shows of the 2018-2019 season.

As theatre students, Seltzer and finance and acting sophomore Aubriana Scott have a strong appreciation for the show’s performers and technical aspects, highlighting how live theatre can be both entertainment and a learning tool. 

“Nothing can invoke emotion in me like music and live theater can,” Seltzer said. 

For Kamara, the experience has been “an opportunity of a lifetime.” They said Hadestown has been in the top five on their Spotify for years, so getting to play Eurydice has been “an absolute dream come true.” 

Scott jumped on the opportunity to see the show since it’ll only be at Wharton for three days. 

“With most musicals, when they’re revived or coming through as a tour, it’s because the story is really relevant to present times,” Scott said. “I think it’s a really important story to be told now.” 

For more information about Hadestown, visit: https://whartoncenter.evenue.net/events/WC-HADES.