Creating Music: An Exploration of the Lyrics of HADESTOWN

Dallas B. Koehn: This book is far more than a collection of lyrics with some show history and commentary added. I mean, it IS that - and if you like Hadestown at all, you'll no doubt enjoy it on that level alone. It's honest and "real" and only adds to the impact of the show and its characters and themes.

What struck me more, however, was how effective this book is as a story about the creative process itself - particularly in regards to writing. The specifics involve the differences between writing as a singer-songwriter or as a poet of sorts vs. writing for the stage and the far more tangible requirements of each piece of an effective musical. More generally, it's about letting go of favorite moments or lines or other details in service of the larger good - something many good writers have talked about in different ways, but which remains an important lesson whether we're creative types or not.

It's probably no surprise that some of the themes of Hadestown itself seem woven into this text - not only in the form of the lyrics and the commentary itself, but in the implicit theme of embracing the power of the collective, of learning to trust a few good people willing to speak hard...

United States on Jun 29, 2023

PenfoldPenfold: Bought this brand new from Amazon but it was packed in a large cardboard envelope so the corners of the book were already ruined. See the photos. The book is great, giving it five stars as I respect the author, but don’t buy it from Amazon. Looking at the other reviews, this was not an isolated incident.

United Kingdom on Nov 11, 2022

Grizzly: I am so annoyed at reviewers who think they are more intellectual than creator of a beautiful piece of art like Hadestown. Anais Mitchell wrote the music, lyrics, and book (screenplay) for Hadestown, and she wrote this book. I adore the musical, I love the music, and this book is a gift from Anais who shares with us the journey of this absolutely brilliant piece of art.
If you have already memorized the lyrics, and you've read all the notes from genuis.com or whatever other website on how Anais developed this musical, then good for you. But, why the "Hadestown" are you complaining that this book delivers EXACTLY THAT!!! This book presents the lyrics for every song, in order, and after each song you get the insights from Anais herself on how the song/production evolved into the final Broadway iteration. It goes from the beginnings in the neighborhood bar in Vermont, to a statewide album tour, to the Off-Bway NY Theater Workshop, to Edmonton, then the West End in London, and finally to Broadway!
I love this show, and I have also read a lot about it's evolution and watched a couple of "documentaries" and as many YouTube interviews and clips as I can find. AND, I absolutely...

United States on Aug 08, 2022

Mary Jo Dunnington: My kids and I love Hadestown. This book is wonderful - takes each song that we know and love and explains how it evolved as they workshopped the show and performed it in various places.

United States on Jul 23, 2022

MSS: Anais MItchell's account of the many iterations and productions of her Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown is fascinating for anyone with an interest in theatre. The lyrics of each song are presented, followed by Mitchell's notes of the evolution of the song throughout the many productions of the show. She provides a solid sense of the group effort that goes into development of a show and gives credit to the actors, producers, and others who suggested edits/additions to the text. Mitchell illustrates beautifully how true artists seek feedback and painstakingly act upon it. She writes about working diligently to get characterizations, dramatic beats, and the music to flow into a cohesive, compelling piece. Highly recommended for playwrights, songwriters, musical theatre professionals (and amateurs) as well as fans of Hadestown. Doubly interesting if you listen to each song on the soundtrack as you follow along with the lyrics in the book and then read Mitchell's notes on the song.

United States on Jun 16, 2022

Kristin Edwards: I just finished reading this book and am once again brought to tears. I feel this book has brought a totally new appreciation to my love for Hadestown as I get to experience the depth of different incarnations of the show and understand it on a deeper level. Reading and listening were two truly different experiences.

Highly recommending to all!

United States on Dec 11, 2021

Gabriela Pioly: Maravilhoso e indispensável não só pra quem tem interesse em escrever musicais, mas também pros fãs de poesia e principalmente fãs desse musical lindo (meu caso).

Amei

Brazil on Sep 10, 2021

Claire C.: I preordered the book and waited for it. It wasn't a letdown. The book is written by presenting the lyrics of each song of the musical and then Anaïs Mitchell tells us the origin of the song, the meaning behind it, her struggles, how she changed it to be the one we know today and how all these rewrite ended up crafting the famous musical we now know. From a writer perspective that loves the play with words, this succinct reading was a delight. Thank you dearly, Anaïs Mitchell!

France on Dec 04, 2020

Liam Carson: Perfect gift for my daughter, who is obsessed with Hades Town.

United Kingdom on Nov 30, 2020

luna: loved this book! yay anaïs!! purchase from small bookstores if you can though!!

Canada on Oct 24, 2020