Hadestown at Uihlein Hall

This March, Uihlein Hall at Marcus Center For The Performing Arts in Milwaukee will host the critically acclaimed Broadway phenomenon Hadestown. This mythological narrative follows a couple, Orpheus and Eurydice as they navigate the challenges of love and poverty while their lives become interlaced with Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. Tickets for this Saturday 7th March 2026 showing start at $98 per seat.

Origins

Hadestown originated in 2006 with a regional performance. Years later, the creator, Anaïs Mitchell, developed the broadway musical, which she said was inspired by Les Misérables. After revamping it, it eventually made its debut off-Broadway in 2016. 

The show went on to successfully tour Canada and London in the next couple of years. Its debut on Broadway in 2019 and went on to set a record for 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 become a highly respected and admired musical for many fans.

Synopsis

The Greek mythology adaptation of the Hadestown musical opens by showcasing Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus asks Eurydice to marry him, but she is unsure because both of them live in poverty. Eventually, they fall in love. 

Meanwhile, Hades and Persephone enter the musical when Hades visits the surface to return Persephone to the Underworld against her wishes. During this time, Eurydice becomes intrigued by working in the Underworld as a way out of poverty. Hades dislikes arguing with Persephone about the benefits of the Underworld. In his desperation, Hades visits the surface to find someone who will learn to like working in the Underworld before discovering Eurydice. She decides to join Hades in the Underworld, leaving her love of Orpheus behind.

When Orpheus finds out what happened, he vows to travel to the Underworld to rescue Eurydice. By the time he reaches the Underworld, Eurydice realizes 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 above world. The journey tests the love Orpheus and Eurydice have for each other.

Awards

Reviewers offer wide-ranging 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 8 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 recording features the Broadway cast recording of the production’s songs. Some attendees see the show after hearing the album, while others hear the music for the first time when attending a performance.