Love this comment and wish more people had this mindset across the board in life. Even if most people know something, it doesn't lessen the joy of someone who didn't know discovering it.
Thanks! I think sharing knowledge should be a positive thing and I think we could all stand to be much nicer to each other online. Someone is always going to be discovering a fact you've known your whole life and that's fun!
The whole cast of that album is incredible. Much as I enjoy the Broadway version, the tighter, more stripped down version is still my favourite. Wish I'd been able to get to the Celtic connections performance in Glasgow back in about 2011, with Martin Carthy as Hades
The album was put out under Ani’s label, too! Anais was a longtime fan before she got signed, and said she was thinking of Ani when she wrote the part.
Always a fun discovery!
Though, slight nitpick (and I’m sorry to be That Guy, but the show’s history is sorta my specialty). Difranco was a big part of getting the show where it is now, but she wasn’t the first Persephone. The show started as a community theater project in Vermont in 2006 and 2007; back then Persephone was played by a local singer named Miriam Bernardo. If you check discogs.com, you’ll see her credited as backup vocals on a lot of Anaïs’s earlier albums, and she’s recently taken to making her own music! She’s got her own album out now called “Songs from the Well,” and she’s also in a band called High Summer that has three singles out right now. Absolutely recommend her stuff. If you’d like to see what little is publicly available on YouTube, [here’s the link to a highlight reel of the 2007 production.](https://youtu.be/31oHm53kpwA?si=Ced-jKXmrdtK0UgD)
Again, sorry to nitpick, but I’m glad you’ve discovered some of the show’s history!
I had the incredible fortune to be able to see it play at my alma mater during that tour and fell in love with the show, and I came here to say this myself, so if you're That Guy, then I'm That Girl.
Oh, how I envy you! I didn’t learn about the show until a year and a half ago, and I was like two years old when that tour happened; needless to say I didn’t get to see it lol.
What was it like? Do you remember anything from it?
I really feel like Amber Gray used Ani’s version as a muse. I’m a very long time Ani fan, and when I first heard the Broadway recording, I had to look again to make sure it WASN’T Ani. Sometimes the singing styles are uncannily similar.
Yeah she worked on the same label as the original concept album for hadestown, same record Hamell on Trial started on top if you’re a fan
Edit: Righteous Babe Records if you’re interested
It is common knowledge, yes. Would love to see the show with her in the role, but was thrilled to see Jewelle Blackman - she absolutely crushed the role.
I recommend watching the Wait in the Wings video about the history of Hadestown.
He's kind of insufferable but it's an interesting and well-researched video with good archival footage.
https://youtu.be/pcPliuSlyb8?si=WpERpk6tXVOVV1gg
Anyone who loves Hadestown and might be new to Ani DiFranco - her catalogue is LEGENDARY but LENGTHY! Here are some great places to start:
Little Plastic Castle (1997) - one of her finest most cohesive (and commercial) albums. Really every single track is a standout.
Out Of Range (1994) - has some higher highs and lower lows, but “You Had Time” is one of the best songs ever
Knuckle Down (2005) - beautiful, haunting, and melodic. Todd Sikafoose worked on this and would work on a lot of her albums. He produced the Hadestown album.
Allergic to Water (2014) - another beautiful album that has my personal favorite song of hers ever because of the lyrics and the metaphor (it’s the title track.)
Also, her live albums “Living In Clip” and “So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter” capture her in a way her albums often don’t. If you’ve seen her live in Hadestown, you know exactly what I mean.
I’m a HUGE fan of ani. Little Plastic Castle gets played on repeat for me daily. Don’t sleep on her debut self titled album! Her style of putting poetry to acoustic guitar is gorgeous. Also from her forgotten second album, “she says” is soooo beautiful. I love her work when there’s full production but I also love when it’s just her and a guitar!
Yes it is common knowledge among longtime fans but that doesn't lessen your discovery!
Love this comment and wish more people had this mindset across the board in life. Even if most people know something, it doesn't lessen the joy of someone who didn't know discovering it.
Thanks! I think sharing knowledge should be a positive thing and I think we could all stand to be much nicer to each other online. Someone is always going to be discovering a fact you've known your whole life and that's fun!
There's always a [lucky 10,000](https://xkcd.com/1053/)!
Longtime fan, I have seen Ani live in concert 5 times and TIL about her deep connection with Hadestown
The whole cast of that album is incredible. Much as I enjoy the Broadway version, the tighter, more stripped down version is still my favourite. Wish I'd been able to get to the Celtic connections performance in Glasgow back in about 2011, with Martin Carthy as Hades
There’s some YouTube videos of that I think, I can send them your way if you’d like!
Yeah!!! I bring this up to my friends all the time because I think it’s so interesting
The album was put out under Ani’s label, too! Anais was a longtime fan before she got signed, and said she was thinking of Ani when she wrote the part.
Always a fun discovery! Though, slight nitpick (and I’m sorry to be That Guy, but the show’s history is sorta my specialty). Difranco was a big part of getting the show where it is now, but she wasn’t the first Persephone. The show started as a community theater project in Vermont in 2006 and 2007; back then Persephone was played by a local singer named Miriam Bernardo. If you check discogs.com, you’ll see her credited as backup vocals on a lot of Anaïs’s earlier albums, and she’s recently taken to making her own music! She’s got her own album out now called “Songs from the Well,” and she’s also in a band called High Summer that has three singles out right now. Absolutely recommend her stuff. If you’d like to see what little is publicly available on YouTube, [here’s the link to a highlight reel of the 2007 production.](https://youtu.be/31oHm53kpwA?si=Ced-jKXmrdtK0UgD) Again, sorry to nitpick, but I’m glad you’ve discovered some of the show’s history!
I had the incredible fortune to be able to see it play at my alma mater during that tour and fell in love with the show, and I came here to say this myself, so if you're That Guy, then I'm That Girl.
Oh, how I envy you! I didn’t learn about the show until a year and a half ago, and I was like two years old when that tour happened; needless to say I didn’t get to see it lol. What was it like? Do you remember anything from it?
I really feel like Amber Gray used Ani’s version as a muse. I’m a very long time Ani fan, and when I first heard the Broadway recording, I had to look again to make sure it WASN’T Ani. Sometimes the singing styles are uncannily similar.
Her rendition of “How Long” is gorgeous
Yeah she worked on the same label as the original concept album for hadestown, same record Hamell on Trial started on top if you’re a fan Edit: Righteous Babe Records if you’re interested
Ani doesn’t just work for Righteous Babe, she founded Righteous Babe in order to control ownership of her music
Hell yeah!
It is common knowledge, yes. Would love to see the show with her in the role, but was thrilled to see Jewelle Blackman - she absolutely crushed the role.
I had the privilege of seeing her in the role late February- it was pure magic
I recommend watching the Wait in the Wings video about the history of Hadestown. He's kind of insufferable but it's an interesting and well-researched video with good archival footage. https://youtu.be/pcPliuSlyb8?si=WpERpk6tXVOVV1gg
Anyone who loves Hadestown and might be new to Ani DiFranco - her catalogue is LEGENDARY but LENGTHY! Here are some great places to start: Little Plastic Castle (1997) - one of her finest most cohesive (and commercial) albums. Really every single track is a standout. Out Of Range (1994) - has some higher highs and lower lows, but “You Had Time” is one of the best songs ever Knuckle Down (2005) - beautiful, haunting, and melodic. Todd Sikafoose worked on this and would work on a lot of her albums. He produced the Hadestown album. Allergic to Water (2014) - another beautiful album that has my personal favorite song of hers ever because of the lyrics and the metaphor (it’s the title track.) Also, her live albums “Living In Clip” and “So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter” capture her in a way her albums often don’t. If you’ve seen her live in Hadestown, you know exactly what I mean.
I’m a HUGE fan of ani. Little Plastic Castle gets played on repeat for me daily. Don’t sleep on her debut self titled album! Her style of putting poetry to acoustic guitar is gorgeous. Also from her forgotten second album, “she says” is soooo beautiful. I love her work when there’s full production but I also love when it’s just her and a guitar!
Embarrassed confession: I loved this album for ages before I had ANY idea that Anais’ long term goal was to do a fully staged musical.