The Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown has made its way to downtown Cleveland, where the retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth is currently playing at the Connor Palace Theatre. The touring production brings with it a modern folk-opera sound and a story that reaches back to ancient Greek mythology, now set against a smoky, industrial underworld aesthetic that has captivated audiences across North America.
A Story That Weaves Two Ancient Myths Together
According to Playbill, the North American tour is currently playing the Connor Palace Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio, with Namisa Mdlalose Bizana starring as Persephone. The musical intertwines two mythic tales, that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone, as described by Playhouse Square. The dual love stories unfold simultaneously, giving the show its signature blend of romance, myth, and reckoning with mortality.
Bizana spoke with 3News' Danita Harris about the production during a visit to WKYC, discussing her role in the Broadway musical ahead of its Cleveland run, as reported by WKYC. She has been touring with the show since 2024, part of what the station's report and other outlets have referred to as the second national tour of the production.
A Tour With Deep Roots and Award-Winning Pedigree
Hadestown's pedigree is well established. The show won eight 2019 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and followed that up with the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, per hadestowntour.com. Those accolades have helped fuel years of touring success, with an earlier version of the production playing more than 980 performances in 85 cities across the United States and Canada between October 2021 and May 2024, the same Playbill report notes.
The current touring production launched in October 2024 at the Palace Theatre in Waterbury, Connecticut, before making its way across the continent to stops that have included the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton, where it played Oct. 16 and 17, according to Warriors Wire. Earlier this year, the tour also arrived in Wichita, with performances at Century II Concert Hall running Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, as reported by KMUW.
Cleveland Joins the Growing List of Tour Stops
Now it's Cleveland's turn to host the underworld-set musical at the Connor Palace Theatre, adding the city to a touring itinerary that has already crisscrossed the country over the past two years. For local theatergoers, the stop offers a chance to see a production that has built its reputation on strong word of mouth and a loyal following since its Broadway debut, carried forward now by performers like Bizana as it continues its journey from stage to stage.
