Hadestown Sypnosis

Act 2

Following an entr'acte where Persephone introduces herself and the band ("Our Lady Of The Underground")

we see Eurydice realizing the true consequences of her choice to come to Hadestown: she can never leave unless Hades chooses to let her go ("Way Down Hadestown (Reprise)")

After signing her contract with Hades, she sings of her regrets ("Flowers")

Orpheus, having made his way to Hadestown following Hermes' directions, finds Eurydice and begs her to come home and marry him. Eurydice and the Fates tell Orpheus that she legally belongs to Hades and can't return without his permission ("Come Home With Me (Reprise)")

Hades arrives, and Orpheus confronts him. Hades asserts that he does own Eurydice, and attempts to chase Orpheus off his property ("Papers")

The Fates surround an exhausted Orpheus and tell him to give up on saving Eurydice ("Nothing Changes")

Orpheus sings of his despair at losing Eurydice, which Persephone overhears ("If It's True")

Touched by Orpheus' music, Persephone tells Hades to let Eurydice go ("How Long")

Hades bitterly offers Orpheus a chance to sing for him ("Chant (Reprise)")

Orpheus sings a version of the song he'd been writing when Eurydice left, reminding Hades of his love for Persephone ("Epic III")

Orpheus and Eurydice affirm their love for each other and once again promise to stay with each other ("Promises")

Hades is affected more by Orpheus' song than he had expected, and the Fates explain his dilemma: if he keeps Eurydice captive, she becomes a martyr, but if he lets her go, then he loses his authoritarian control over the factory - his workers, having heard Orpheus' music, have begun to agitate for their own freedom ("Word to the Wise")

He decides to leave their fate in Orpheus' hands: the couple can leave together, but Orpheus has to lead them out. If he turns to see if Eurydice is following him, she will belong to Hades forever ("His Kiss, The Riot")

Hermes explains Hades' decision to Orpheus and Eurydice. While Hades and Persephone promise to give their relationship another try the next time she returns to Hadestown, Orpheus begins the walk out of Hadestown with Eurydice following him ("Wait for Me (Reprise)")

Orpheus makes it right up until the very end of the journey, when he is overcome with doubt and turns to look for Eurydice - only to see that she's been right behind him all along, thus condemning her to stay in Hadestown forever ("Doubt Comes In")

Hermes, now somber, reflects on the story's ending; yet he does so via a reprise of the first song, and so begins to tell the story again. In explanation, he remarks that no matter how many times they sing it, people always hope for a happier ending-and that this is the value of continuing to sing the tale, and of Orpheus's gifts: "[to] make you see how the world could be/in spite of the way that it is." Thus, he says, the story is indeed "a love song/for anyone who tries" ("Road to Hell (Reprise)")

The show closes with Persephone raising a toast to Orpheus, reiterating the theme of hope despite unhappy circumstances: "Some birds sing when the sun is bright/my praise is not for them/but the one who sings in the dead of night/I raise my cup to him" ("I Raise My Cup")