Jewelle Blackman to Play Persephone in Hadestown on Broadway

Producers of the Tony-winning musical Hadestown have announced that original cast member Jewelle Blackman will take over the role of Persephone on Broadway beginning Tuesday, April 5. Lana Gordon, who currently plays Persephone, will conclude her run with the show on Sunday, April 3.

Blackman, a native of Toronto, first joined Hadestown in 2017 with the musical's developmental run at Edmonton's Citadel Theatre. She went on to join the Broadway cast as one of the original trio of Fates and a Persephone understudy. Blackman has also performed in Canadian productions of The Lion King; We Will Rock You; Caroline, or Change; and Dreamgirls.

Also starting Tuesday, April 5, Soara-Joye Ross will join the Hadestown company, taking over for Blackman as one of the Fates. Ross was most recently seen in CSC's revival of Carmen Jones, which earned her a Lucille Lortel Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, as well as Drama Desk and Audelco Award nominations.

The Broadway cast of Hadestown currently features Reeve Carney (Orpheus), Tony winner André De Shields (Hermes), two-time Tony nominee Eva Noblezada (Eurydice), and Tony nominee Patrick Page (Hades), along with Jessie Shelton and Kay Trinidad as the Fates. The chorus of Workers is played by Emily Afton, Malcolm Armwood, Timothy Hughes, Trent Saunders, Grace Yoo. Sojourner Brown, Tara Jackson, Tomás Matos, Sayo Oni, Yael "YaYa" Reich, and T. Oliver Reid perform as swings.

Written by Tony winner Anaïs Mitchell and directed by Tony winner Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown follows the two intertwining mythical love stories of Orpheus and Eurydice, and King Hades and his wife Persephone. The musical won eight 2019 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Direction.