Way down in Hadestown, as the musical goes, the god of the underworld is stewing.
Married to Persephone for ages, he knows his wife is deeply unhappy and that she longs for the six months out of the year when she gets to “live it up on top” on Earth, bringing with her springtime. But hopelessly in love with her, Hades needs to figure out a way to keep her with him. Thus follows Broadway’s original musical Hadestown, which currently plays at the Walter Kerr Theatre.
Written by Anaïs Mitchell and directed by Rachel Chavkin, the musical intertwines the love story between Hades and Persephone with the romance of young lovers Orpheus and Eurydice. When Eurydice goes to the underworld, Orpheus will do anything to get her back, and so he travels to Hadestown on his quest for love.
While the stories of the quartet have been told for centuries in Greek (and Roman) mythology, actors Eva Noblezada, Reeve Carney, Amber Gray, Patrick Page, and André De Shields imbue Eurydice, Orpheus, Persephone, Hades, and Hermes, respectively, with a fresh take for the stage.
Shinbone Alley, the musical adaptation of Don Marquis’ archy and mehitabel stories, opened at the Broadway Theatre April 13, 1957, starring noted singer and actor Eartha Kitt. Featuring a book by Mel Brooks and Joe Darion, lyrics by Darion, and music by George Kleinsinger, the production played a six-week run before closing on May 25.
Shinbone Alley tells the story of a cockroach’s misadventures, particularly his love for a self-involved alley cat who has a series of unfortunate romances with other cats.
Flip through photos of the production below:
Production Photos: Life Sucks Off-Broadway
Production Photos: Life Sucks Off-Broadway
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Austin Pendleton and Nadia Bowers Russ Rowland
Barbara Kinglsey and Kimberly Chatterjee Russ Rowland
Jeff Biehl, Michael Schantz, and Stacey Linnartz Russ Rowland
Kimberly Chatterjee, Jeff Biehl, and Barbara Kingsley Russ Rowland
Kimberly Chatterjee, Michael Schantz, Stacey Linnartz, Austin Pendleton, Nadia Bowers, Barbara Kinglsey, and Jeff Biehl Russ Rowland
Kimberly Chatterjee and Nadia Bowers Russ Rowland
Michael Schantz and Jeff Biehl Russ Rowland
Following Shinbone Alley, Kitt would continue her Broadway career with celebrated turns in Timbuktu! in 1978 and The Wild Party in 2000, as well as thrive as a film actor, cabaret performer, and recording artist.
‘At its birth, Oklahoma was to its America what Hamilton has been to ours both an unexpected record-smashing box-office phenomenon and a reassuring portrait of our past that lifted up theatergoers at a time of great anxiety about the country’s future’. Frank Rich, New York Magazine
Lights up in Washington Heights As BroadwayWorld previously reported, the movie adaptation of the Tony-winning musical In the Heights has officially found its cast In honor of the occasion, we’ve getting to know the film’s residents of Washington Heights Check it all out below
Playbill Travel returns to France with Broadway on the Rhône River 2 April 7–14 with a host of unforgettable Broadway talent on board. Norm Lewis, Rebecca Luker, Marc Kudisch, Melissa, Errico, and Seth Rudetsky join Playbill Travel guests on a journey on the Rhône River, exploring some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world while enjoying the spectacular food and wine of the Rhône Valley.
Flip through photos of the cruise below:
Photos: A Look Inside Playbill’s Star-Studded Broadway on the Rhône River 2 Cruise
