Back in 2019, Belén Moyano and her husband went to see Hadestown on Broadway just five days after the show won eight Tony Awards. They were sitting in the audience when she turned to her husband and said assuredly — as if to will her statement into reality — “I am going to be in that show.”
“I really connect to the music,” says Moyano, who was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. “My voice fits the style, and I love the story.”
Two years later when Broadway was reopening after the pandemic shut down, Moyano was cast in the touring production of the show via Zoom. One thing that had always intrigued her about the production is the diversity she saw on stage.
“Now there is a greater opportunity for people that look like me,” she says of the casting process.
Hadestown Runs at Altria May 31 through June 4
The winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, Hadestown plays Altria Theater May 31 through June 4.
The show was written by singer-songwriter and Tony Award winner Anaïs Mitchell and developed with director and Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin. Hadestown marks the fourth time in Broadway history that a woman has been the solo author of a musical: writing the music, lyrics, and book.
The musical blends modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz in a story that intertwines two mythic tales – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone – on a journey to the underworld and back.
Moyano Visualizes Her Future in Hadestown
Moyano, who moved to Utah with her family when she was nine and graduated from Utah State with a degree in voice, believes there is something “very powerful” about the the various themes in the show, everything from hope, doubt, and forgiveness to capitalism and immigration.
“I have been with the show for twenty-one months and my interaction with it has changed. It’s interesting. It’s sparked different things that stand out to me depending on my life and current events,” says Moyano, a violinist and singer, who plays one of the Greek Fates in the production.
In the production, the Greek Fates decide the destiny of mankind.
“We function as the personification of our thoughts. We could also be seen as chess masters, people who move the pieces. The Fates tell you this is a tragedy, and they are the people who ensure it remains a tragedy,” she says.
On tour, many actors travel by air or bus arrangements provided by the show, but Moyano chooses to travel from city to city with her husband in their Subaru Outback.
“We didn’t expect our car to be such a big part of our lives,” she says. “My husband, who is a pianist, composer, and writer, travels with his keyboard and it fits nicely in the back of our Outback. He makes this whole experience easier.”
The show and the tour stay fresh for her because Hadestown is not your typical Broadway show.
“It’s great see people’s reactions to the show and see them walk away with different ideas,” she says. “It’s a communal experience.”
Ticket Information
To purchase tickets, visit BroadwayInRichmond.com, call 800-514-3849 (ETIX) or visit the Altria Theater box office Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
