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Read and discuss the books that inspired Broadway musicals, enriching understanding and enjoyment of both!
Hadestown is a musical retelling of the tragic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It premiered on Broadway in 2019 and is still running, but versions of the show have been workshopped since 2006. Its music, book, and lyrics are all by Anaïs Mitchell. It won eight Tony Awards, including Best Picture and Best Score.
While the show is not based on one particular telling of the the myth, popular contemporary notions of Orpheus and Euridice are derived from ancient epic poetry and philosophical dialogues like Ovid's Metamorphoses, Virgil's Georgics, Plato's Symposium. This month, reading any collection of myths that include a story of Orpheus and Eurydice, either the ones mentioned above or from other sources is fine. We will bring different variations to the discussion and think about what elements Hadestown included and what new direction it took the tale.
We typically meet the fourth Thursday of the month at the Northeast Neighborhood Library at 6:30pm in the Mezzanine Conference Room. This month, we will meet September 25, 2025 in the Northeast Neighborhood Library Mezzanine Conference Room. Please click "Register" or email Jeff at jeffrey.gluckman@dc.gov if you plan to attend!
More to explore with your library card:
A previous theatrical staging of the myth and a deeper overview at Access Video.
