Higher Ground, in conjunction with Anais Mitchell, Michael Chorney of Magic City, and Ben T. Matchstick, present Hadestown (a folk opera)--an original work of music theatre based on the tragic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Hadestown returns to Vermont in late November and early December for seven shows.

Hadestown brings the timeless story of Orpheus and Eurydice into a contemporary context that is poetically, musically and visually fresh. Hadestown is set in a post-apocalyptic world that takes inspiration from Depression-era America: the underworld is not the land of the dead but an exploitative company town. Old-fashioned symbols of poverty and exploitation are fused with a kind of futurism to prompt reflection on just how much we’ve evolved (or devolved) as a society since the 1930s.

Written by Anais Mitchell, arranged by Michael Chorney for Magic City and directed by Ben T. Matchstick, the opera is not so much a history lesson as it is a rich patchwork of artistic vision, social commentary and raw human emotion. Above all, Hadestown is a love story that explores what becomes of the human condition under the most tragic and trying of circumstances.

An initial version of Hadestown debuted last year to sold out audiences in Barre & Vergennes. Now, Hadestown teams up with Higher Ground to present an updated incarnation of the show, with additional songs, arrangements, and staging during a ‘national’ Vermont tour.

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Barre Opera House
6 No. Main St.
Barre, VT 05641