Hope Amid Tragedy: Allison Russell Inhabits Persephone in Hadestown

You don't marry a theater buff without hearing a little something about Hadestown, one of the longest-running Broadway musicals currently being staged. You also don't follow Americana music for ten years without learning about its humble origins as a concept album by Anaïs Mitchell and following its meandering path of off-Broadway productions to the big stage itself. But I hadn't seen the show until January 9th, with Allison Russell taking on the role of Persephone, one of the tragic heroines in this remarkable retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.