In the past two weeks, I’ve seen Hadestown: The Musical three times in theaters and listened to its original cast recording more times than I care to admit.
I can't remember the last time a show captured my imagination quite like this modern retelling of two ancient Greek love stories. I'm a bit obsessed...and more than a bit obsessive.
Somewhere along the "Road to Hell," I stop feeling like a middle-aged man with a never-ending to-do list and start feeling like a kid who can’t get enough of his favorite story. The kind of kid who insists on hearing it "just one more time," even though he already knows every line by heart.
Maybe that's the highest compliment we can pay a work of art.
From the very beginning of Hadestown, Mr. Hermes tells us exactly what we're in for. He tells us it's an old song. He tells us it's a tragedy. And then he says something that has stayed with me ever since: "We're gonna sing it again."
Again and again. Like we always have. For thousands of years.
At first, that almost seems absurd. If we already know the ending, why bother? Why revisit a story that's destined to break our hearts? Because that's what we humans do.
We reread our favorite books. We rewatch beloved films. We play treasured albums until they're practically etched into our brains. We return to museums to stand in front of paintings we've already seen. We revisit old neighborhoods, family recipes, photo albums, and memories.
Not because they’re new. But because we are.
Every retelling reveals something we missed before.
The first time I saw Hadestown, I was swept away by the music, the performances, and the spectacle. The second time, I noticed details in the choreography and lyrics that had slipped past me. By the third viewing, I found myself paying less attention to what was happening onstage and more attention to what was happening inside me, why it was affecting me so deeply.
The show hadn’t changed. But I had.
The more I think about it, the more I realize this phenomenon isn't limited to theater.
Maybe repetition isn’t the enemy of appreciation. Maybe it’s the proof of it.
We live in a culture obsessed with the new and the novel. New shows. New music. New restaurants. New gadgets. New experiences.
Sometimes we wear "I've never seen it before" like a badge of honor. But there's something profoundly satisfying about revisiting an old favorite. About sitting with something long enough for it to reveal another layer. About allowing a great work of art to become a companion instead of merely a distraction.
The same could be said of the people we love.
Healthy relationships aren't built on constant novelty. They're built through countless ordinary moments repeated over time. Another conversation. Another shared meal. Another walk. Another hug. Another "How was your day?" Again and again.
Love itself is repetitive. So is kindness. So is hope.
Maybe that’s why Hadestown resonates so deeply for me. Beneath the mythology and unforgettable score lies a simple, stubborn act of faith. We know how the story ends. We know Orpheus will look back. We know Eurydice won’t make it out.
“It’s a sad song.
But we sing it anyway.
’Cause here’s the thing:
To know how it ends.
And still begin to sing again.
As if it might turn out this time.
I learned that from a friend of mine…”
Anaïs Mitchell, “Road To Hell (Reprise)”
Yet we tell the story anyway. Again and again. Not because we expect a different ending, but because hope springs eternal.
Every generation sings the old songs in its own way, with its own voice. Every audience brings its own heartbreaks, hopes, and hard-earned wisdom into the theater. Every performance reminds us that the greatest stories don't endure because they're surprising. They endure because they continue to reveal something true about what it means to be human.
Maybe that’s why Hermes smiles and invites us back one more time.
Not because tragedy is entertaining.
But because love, even when it loses, is always worth singing about.
Keep calm and play it again and again!
Clint 🌈✌️
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