Irish singer-songwriter Hozier may have declared that Francesca's love was strong enough to call him back to the underworld, but it appears his admiration for Allison Russell is just as strong.
Hozier descended into Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theatre December 19 to see Russell's performance as Persephone in the long-running Broadway hit. Hozier and Russell are frequent collaborators in the modern folk music scene, having released a duet, "Wildflower and Barley," earlier this year prior to touring together on Hozier's Unreal/Unearth tour.
The mythological musical, which is a retelling of the classic Orpheus and Eurydice myth, as well as a reimagining of Hades, Persephone, and Hermes, is a familiar setting for Hozier. His most recent record, Unreal/Unearth, is partially a retelling of Dante's Inferno, exploring the circles of hell as allegories for a lovers lifecycle. Many of Hozier's songs (from all three of his albums, not just Unreal/Unearth) draw upon Greek mythology (including the stories of Icarus, Leda, and Atlas) and Orpheus himself is invoked by the bard in "Talk" from his second album, Wasteland, Baby!.
Could Hozier's trip to the underground prior to his December 21 appearance on Saturday Night Live potentially be hinting at his own Broadway debut? Only time will tell, but if his conversations backstage are anything to go by, it seems more likely that we'll see a musical from Hozier's pen than his stepping onto the stage himself. Never say never, though! Ultimately, he's always waiting for the right hands to pull him from the dirt.
Along with Russell, Hadestown currently stars Jordan Fisher as Orpheus, Lillias White as Hermes, Phillip Boykin as Hades, and Maia Reficco as Eurydice. Shea Renee, Jessie Shelton, and Brit West play the Fates, with the chorus of Workers played by Emily Afton, Malcolm Armwood, Timothy H. Lee, Alex Puette, and Grace Yoo. The cast also includes swings Sojourner Brown, Brandon Cameron, KC Dela Cruz, Tara Jackson, Max Kumangai, and Tanner Ray Wilson.
The show is preparing to welcome a new cast beginning January 14, 2025, including Tony nominee Hailey Kilgore (Once On This Island) as Eurydice, Carlos Valdes (The Flash, Once) as Orpheus, and Tony nominee Tom Hewitt (The Rocky Horror Show, Chicago) as Hades. Reficco, Fisher, and Boykin will all take their final bow in the production January 12.
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Singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell’s folk- and jazz-infused musical layers the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice with that of Hades and Persephone, intertwining the actions—and consequences—of gods and mortals. Hadestown originally began as a theatrical concert performed by Mitchell.
The creative team features Tony-winning set designer Rachel Hauck, Tony-nominated costume designer Michael Krass, Tony-winning lighting designer Bradley King, Tony-winning sound designers Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz, choreographer David Neumann, and dramaturg Ken Cerniglia. Musical supervision and vocal arrangements are by Liam Robinson, with arrangements and orchestrations by Tony winners Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose.
Video: Jordan Fisher Cracks Open the Wall With 'Epic III' From Hadestown
The show, featuring a book and score by Mitchell, won eight 2019 Tony Awards: Best Director of a Musical (Rachel Chavkin), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (André De Shields), Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Bradley King), Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Rachel Hauck), Best Sound Design of a Musical (Jessica Paz and Nevin Steinberg), Best Orchestrations (Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose), Best Original Score (Mitchell), and Best Musical.