There is a new show on Broadway, that I’m dying to see, Hadestown.  I introduced to it maybe six months ago, before it opened.  It was a hit off Broadway, and when it finally opened it won all kinds of Tony Awards.  It was a gentleman I work with that told me about it; he thought I would like it.  At first, I thought he called it 80’s Town, and I thought why would he think I would like a show about the 80’s.  But he was right!  When I finally found the show, he was talking about, I loved it.  I couldn’t get enough of it.  While I love to see live shows, I don’t often feel like I need to see something when it opens on Broadway, but I’m excited to see this musical. 

Here is a summary from broadway.com

“Welcome to Hadestown, where a song can change your fate. This acclaimed new musical by celebrated singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and innovative director Rachel Chavkin (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) is a love story for today… and always.

Hadestown intertwines two mythic tales—that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone—as it invites you on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Mitchell’s beguiling melodies and Chavkin’s poetic imagination pit industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love. Performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, dancers and singers, Hadestown is a haunting and hopeful theatrical experience that grabs you and never lets go.”

But there is more to this show than a love story.  The narrator, Mr. Hermies and Mr. Hades both say it’s about someone who’s willing to try.  The song “Wait for Me 2” sums up the challenge like this,

“The meanest dog you’ll ever meet
It ain’t the hound dog in the street
He bares some teeth and tears some skin but brother,
That’s the worst of him
The dog you really got to dread is the one that howls inside your head
It’s him whose howling drives men mad
And a mind to its undoing”

The challenge that I’ve taking away, like in so many other thoughts, is that it’s a battle for the mind.  You want to be creative?  Then be creative?  You want to learn? Then learn.  You want to be kind?  Be kind.  I’ve come to this conclusion so many times, in so many ways.  It’s just a matter of choice.  There are so many things we can’t control in our lives.  Circumstances, money, job market, weather, the list can go on and on.  But the one thing that we can always control is how we think!  How we project our thoughts!  How we react!  How we deduce and evaluate!  Our behavior and the life we lead are all determined by these things.  It’s how one stays optimistic, and positive.  So, face those hound dogs inside your head.  “I’ll tell you where the real road lies
Between your ears, behind your eyes
That is the path to paradise”

Google the show and listen to the sound track.  I think you’ll be entertained and if you listen with an open heart and mind, you’ll be able to challenge your life.