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    • Allison Russell is coming to Broadway in a Greek myth musical
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    Allison Russell is coming to Broadway in a Greek myth musical

    Idris Bevan Posted on

    Grammy-winning Americana superstar Allison Russell will star as Persephone in the Broadway production of Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theater.

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    A Broadway role that is quickly becoming a living legacy in alternative, folk and indie music circles has doubled down on its roots in Nashville.

    Grammy-winning Americana favorite Allison Russell will follow acclaimed artists including Yola and Ani DiFranco, who star as Persephone in the Broadway production of Anaïs Mitchell’s “Hadestown” at the Walter Kerr Theater.

    Russell begins her career in the role on November 12, 2024.

    Water Kerr Theater tickets are available at https://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/shows/walterkerrtheater/hadestown/tickets/calendar.

    Russell on the portrayal of Persephone

    Through social media, Russell recalls how he was “spellbound” when he heard and saw singer-songwriter and “Hadestown” composer and author Mitchell’s performance at the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara, California, 16 years ago. When she was told she was working on “Hadestown” — an album eventually released in 2010 that evolved through numerous iterations into a performative “folk opera” based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice — she recalls that “all (her) Hair.” stood upright – I had a premonition that it would be a work that would outlive us all.

    She recalls various moments in the musical’s evolution throughout its history, including its release as an album in 2010, global debuts in Edmonton and London, and its eventual run on Broadway and winning eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

    Russell added the following emphatic statement:

    “(It is) impossible for me to fully convey how meaningful, resonant, uplifting and full-circle it is to make my Broadway debut in the role of Persephone (a goddess and an archetype that I myself have portrayed in both in poems as well as in songs). I am proud to join the Sisterhood of Persephone, proud to join this extraordinary ensemble, proud to become part of this vibrant, growing legacy I have dreamed of this and now I am beyond excited and grateful to join Hadestown !”

    “Persephone” is also a song title from her breakout 2021 solo album “Outside Child.”

    On its significance as highlighted in her singer-songwriter work, Russell penned the following artist’s note:

    “’Persephone’ is a tribute to my first love – she helped me through my early days as a teenage runaway and taught me that people can be kind. It’s about the healing joy of experiencing a consensual sexual awakening after a decade of abuse – and the transformative rebirth that is possible when we begin to love and be loved with mutual care, respect and honesty.”

    A “unique rockstar unicorn quality”

    In 2024, Righteous Babe Records founder and folk-punk icon Ani DiFranco performed as Persephone from February to June 2024, while Grammy-nominated soul and Americana favorite Yola took over the role starting in July.

    DiFranco initially helped Anaïs Mitchell compose the music of Hadestown, singing Persephone’s parts for the 2010 concept album version of the eventual musical.

    She told PEOPLE that “Hadestown” is “an astonishingly wonderful work of writing and theater.”

    Russell’s longtime collaborator and friend Yola told Playbill about her current role in the role: “When I saw that I was going to be playing the drunken goddess of spring, I immediately thought, ‘That’s on brand.’ Not because I drink a lot, but because I behave like that from time to time – but stone cold sober. What a way to debut on Broadway.

    Having such remarkable actors in the role underscores the task of staging “Hadestown” as a live musical.

    A 2022 interview with Mitchell and Rachel Chavkin, who won a Tony Award for Best Musical Direction for her work on 2019’s “Hadestown,” sheds light on these nuances.

    Regarding casting star musicians as actors, Mitchell noted, “The main thing we look for in our casting is some kind of unique rock star unicorn character. The music is designed for people to bring in the individual power of their personality.”

    Chavkin notes that it was “by far the hardest thing I’ve ever directed. It was a delicate balance of how much you want it to feel like a concert or like a play.”

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    Idris Bevan
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