The Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown is a fantastic retelling of the myths of Orpheus’ journey to the Underworld to rescue Eurydice alongside the marriage of Hades and Persephone, set amidst the visual and musical elements of New Orleans during the 1920s and 1930s. On this episode, we visit with guitarist, songwriter, and producer Sam Wade, who has been on the road with the traveling version of this stunning musical for most of the last year and will continue in that role again next year.

Wade has been a friend and collaborator of ours for a few years. He has produced a few songs for my wife, Michelle Lynn Thompson, including her song “Riptide.” (Listen closely for an instrumental snippet in the background of this episode.) He will also be joining me (JJT) for my set at the Audiofeed festival this summer and backing up Michelle for hers as well. We jumped at the chance to see him and the rest of the company in action with Hadestown when they came through Chattanooga recently, and to catch up with him to see what it’s been like to travel with a production like this.

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FEATURED MUSIC:

Hadestown (Original Broadway Cast Recording) (2019)

Way Down Hadestown; Chant; We Raise Our Cups

Michelle Thompson – Riptide (Instrumental)

Sam Wade: Backstage Guitar Improv; How Long (Living Room improv);

Come Home With Me (Living Room improv); Untitled (Living Room improv)