It never occurred to Anaïs Mitchell, the Tony-winning composer of “Hadestown,” that the little show she birthed in Vermont 17 years ago would make it to Broadway, let alone into the annals of the nation’s most prestigious archives. Yet here she was Tuesday at the Library of Congress, having posters, recordings and handwritten lyrics from her musical accepted by the institution for lasting preservation.
As far as anyone at the library could recall, the induction of “Hadestown” material into the music division collection was the first time a musical had donated so many developmental documents and artifacts while still in its original Broadway run. The occasion called for a celebration by the show, which sent two dozen actors, musicians and support staff to perform at the library for an audience of 500 students from the D.C. area.
“It’s cool to feel it’s becoming part of history,” said Mitchell, a folk singer-songwriter whose sung-through musical retells the poignantly romantic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice with jazz, blues and pop. “The thing that makes me feel proud is that America is our culture and the arts.”
“Hadestown” officially opened on Broadway in April 2019 and quickly became a hit that not even the pandemic shutdowns could derail. The show at the Walter Kerr Theatre has chalked up more than 1,200 performances, and it consistently plays to full houses. The reception to its national tour, which included a stop at the Kennedy Center in 2021, has been similarly strong.
Advertisement
End of carouselThe case for inclusion among the Library of Congress’s 650 performing arts collections, curated as part of its music archives, was not only the show’s success but also its literary ambitions. The library is home to multiple printings of Monteverdi’s “Orfeo,” often referred to as the first opera, and, like “Hadestown,” is based on the myth of Orpheus, who travels to hell to rescue his beloved Eurydice.
“We were really excited because of its important place in musical theater history,” said Nicholas Brown, assistant chief of the library’s music division. “By adding materials from a contemporary and influential Broadway show like ‘Hadestown,’ the library’s curators are able to highlight connections with distinct materials from previous eras. The library’s musical theater collections are significant, and collecting the work of contemporary creators and productions is an important part of how to ensure the evolution of the genre is documented, preserved and accessible for future generations.”
Under Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, the library has become increasingly active in bringing the documents of performance history to life. A visit to the library by the cast of Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird” several years ago, hosted by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), solidified the Broadway bond. The link to theater, of course, has always been strong on paper — the library houses important collections of towering musical theater figures, including Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II and Leonard Bernstein.
Advertisement
As often proves true, life is all about connections. The “Mockingbird” visit forged a relationship with a Broadway publicist, Rick Miramontez, who represented “Mockingbird” and also handles “Hadestown.” That helped pave the way for the “Hadestown” donation.
“It’s really meaningful to people who make art, who work their entire lives to make something that lasts beyond the moment,” said Mara Isaacs, one of “Hadestown’s” lead producers, who traveled to D.C. with the cast. “So for a piece of art to have that kind of resonance, so that future generations can look at it — that’s the dream.”
Isaacs happened to be toting one of the myriad items the library will keep: the tenor guitar played by Reeve Carney, the original Orpheus in the 2018 London production of “Hadestown.” For several years, Isaacs said, the instrument sat in a closet in her home in New Jersey. She giggled appreciatively at the notion of the guitar’s new archival significance.
Other donated keepsakes span the exceptionally long gestation period of “Hadestown,” among them: a postcard from the 2006 community theater production of “Hadestown” in Vermont, test pressings from a 2010 concept album and Mitchell’s voice memos about musical numbers as the production was being readied for Broadway, under Rachel Chavkin’s direction.
Advertisement
Pop singer Betty Who, a recent addition to the production as Persephone, wife of Hades (Phillip Boykin), said she found new inspiration in being invited to the library to perform. The show’s principals were all in attendance in the library’s theater on Tuesday, including Carney, Boykin, Solea Pfeiffer as Eurydice and Lillias White as Hermes, as were the actresses playing the three Fates and five members of the Hades workers’ chorus.
“It reaffirms for me the transformative power of music,” observed Betty Who (born Jessica Anne Newham). That music, for a boisterous room filled with D.C.-area teenagers, was a mini concert of eight “Hadestown” numbers, including “All I’ve Ever Known,” “Way Down Hadestown,” “Our Lady of the Underground” and “Wait for Me.”
For much of the performance, Mitchell sat in the second row of the auditorium, grooving to her own compositions (the seven-member Broadway band, conducted by Liam Robinson, provided accompaniment). At times, she seemed overcome by the unlikeliness of the moment. “There are so many things with this show,” she said, “that I didn’t expect.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZLKvwMSrq5qhnqKyr8COrZ%2BemaSav3B%2Bj2tqaGlgZH56e8eam56rpKTEr3nLopmrmaKueqS7zaCpnqujYq%2Bzu8CdrpqxXw%3D%3D