National Museum of American History acquires costumes from the Broadway musical "Hadestown"

WASHINGTON, DC.- The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History received a donation of costumes today from the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Broadway musical Hadestown in a ceremony following its matinee performance in New York City.

Hadestown follows two intertwining love stories from Greek mythology—the young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice and the inharmonious King Hades and his wife Persephone—and invites audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. The museum will receive the green dress, boots, choker and flower headpiece of Ani DiFranco’s Persephone costume, and the jacket, trousers, vest, shirt, tie and snakeskin boots of Patrick Page’s Hades.

“Hadestown is a deeply resonant piece of theater that connects ancient myth with modern struggles, reminding us of the enduring power of love and hope through its innovative staging and folk-rock score,” said Anthea M. Hartig, the museum’s Elizabeth MacMillan Director. “These objects are a perfect addition to the National Museum of American History’s richly diverse entertainment collections.”

The music, lyrics and book for Hadestown were originally written by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell in 2006 as part of an independent theater project in Vermont. In 2010, Mitchell reworked the music into a “folk opera” concept album with indie and rock musicians contributing as vocalists. After the album earned a Grammy Award nomination, Mitchell began adapting the concept for a musical, and Hadestown would first premiere off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop in 2016, directed by Rachel Chavkin. The musical premiered on Broadway in 2019, and since then has had two North American tours, three international tours and a premiere on the West End in 2024. The show has received 24 awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score among its eight Tony Awards in 2019.

In 2020, the original Broadway cast won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. This past summer, the filmed version of Hadestown broke box office records and became the highest-grossing live theater capture in history.

Hadestown costume designer Michael Krass drew inspiration from periods of conservatism in American history, including the Great Depression, 1950s and Reagan era, as well as classic American locales like New Orleans, diner-type cafes and industrial plants. “The effort was to imagine a world that no one has seen before, but which resonated deeply with an iconic American ethos,” Krass told a Playbill reporter.

The Hades costume drew design inspiration from the dark suits worn by industrial capitalists, Depression-era gangsters and politician Huey Long. The black suit features silver pinstripes and consists of a satin button-up shirt, matching waistcoat, trousers and blazer. Krass’ design for Persephone’s dress drew inspiration from bold dresses worn by mob wives, 1940s big band vocalists and large shoulder ruffles reminiscent of a 1980s Dolly Parton dress. The Persephone dress has unique pink embroidery scattered along the green lace bodice, and its green velvet skirt features an off-center lace gore on the front.

The objects will join a rich mix of museum artifacts with Broadway origins, including costumes from the Broadway productions of Hamilton, Hello, Dolly!, A Chorus Line, Cats, Fiddler on the Roof, Dear Evan Hansen, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Mame and Lorelei; theater awards, including three Tony Awards; props from the off-Broadway musical The Fantasticks; Rose Marie’s copy of the musical score of Top Banana; and numerous Broadway playbills and posters. The museum’s Archives Center also has other theatrical scripts, video and audiotapes in its Luther Davis Collection. There are no current plans for display.