The Quaker-raised Vermont-born Anaïs Mitchell received a Tony Award for Best Original Score for her Hadestown which, in 2019, won seven more Tony Awards, including Best Musical. You may not have been able to see that production, but five of the original Broadway cast members were on stage at the Lyric Theatre in London for the West End production that was the basis for “Hadestown: The Musical” film.

Three performances were filmed and, under the direction of Brett Sullivan, used to make this musical film. Bleecker Street will release this film beginning 24 July 2026 for five days only. Love musicals? Love Greek mythology? Then this is a must-see.

The Ancient Greek God of Hades is the brother of Zeus and Poseidon, King of the Underworld. But he’s also brother of Demeter, Hera and Hestia. Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Persephone was collecting flowers one day when Hades kidnapped her and took her to his world. Her mother appealed to Zeus who demanded Hades return Persephone, but because while in the Underworld she ate pomegranate seeds, she would have to spend a month for each seed she ate in the Underworld. This is how the Greeks explained spring and summer which was when Persephone was above ground and her mother, Demeter was happy. When Persephone returned, Demeter’s grief caused her to neglect the world, bringing on autumn and winter.

Orpheus was, in Greek mythology, a gifted musician who was given a lyre by the god Apollo and would play music that tamed wild beasts.

The musical combines the myths of Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades and Persephone. Narrated by Hermes (André De Shields), the setting isn’t Ancient Greece, but a Great Depression-era New Orleans speakeasy, a jazz bar where the poor meet to forget about the hardships of life. That’s in the World Above, but the World Below is an underground mine and factory where workers toil in the dark, building a wall around the Underworld. That is Hadestown and the man in charge, is Hades (Patrick Page).

Hades is already married and his wife, Persephone (Amber Gray) isn’t exactly happy in the World Below. She longs to be in the World Above and drinks to excess to forget her woes. With their marriage reaching a breaking point, Hades is looking for an opportunity.

Orpheus (Reeve Carney) is a musician who serves drinks and busses the tables at the speakeasy. One day, a tired Eurydice (Eva Noblezada) walks in and it’s instant love. They soon marry, but when the winter comes, Hades makes Eurydice an offer. Eurydice decides the promise of warmth in Hadestown sounds better than the bitter cold of the Above World.

Of course, Orpheus goes down to Hadestown and sing a song so beautiful that Persephone and Hades fall back in something like love and Hades decides to strike a deal with Orpheus. The Fates (Bella Brown, Madeline Charlemagne and Allie Daniel) tease Hades, but Hades is a god and he has a plan.

This live stage recording sounds so lush, even on my own computer where I streamed the screener and I can only imagine how beautiful it will sound in a real theater.

As director, Sullivan gives us both parts of the theatrical experience, but also gives us shots that would not be part of the theatrical audience’s experiences, although not all of the shots work. This is a beautiful balance of the stage and a cinematic experience. The chemistry between Carney and Noblezada is bittersweet with Carney’s dreamer filled with the kind of whimsy that gives us all hope while Noblezada’s Eurydice is more the realist who finds hope with love.

“Hadestown: The Musical” is in theaters for five nights only starting 24 July 2026.