Interview: Nickolaus Colón of HADESTOWN at Saenger Theatre

When the Tony Award-winning musical HADESTOWN arrives at the Saenger Theatre this weekend, audiences will witness Nickolaus Colón embody one of Greek mythology’s most formidable figures. But beneath the commanding presence of Hades lies a performer driven by purpose, vulnerability and an unwavering belief in the power of hope.

The groundbreaking musical, which won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical in 2019, reimagines the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as a Depression-era folk opera. With a genre-defying score by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell that blends folk, jazz, blues and gospel, HADESTOWN has captivated audiences on Broadway and around the world since its premiere. The show also features Rachel Chavkin’s innovative direction and choreography that transforms the stage into a living, breathing underworld.

For Colón, the path to Hades began with a single voice.

“I first heard HADESTOWN when the album was released and remember hearing Patrick’s voice for the very first time, and I knew that I had to do this role,” Colón said, referring to original Broadway cast member Patrick Page. That initial spark has transformed into a deeply personal mission that sustains him through the demanding eight-show weekly schedule.

The story follows young dreamer Orpheus, a gifted musician who falls in love with the pragmatic Eurydice. When hard times drive Eurydice to seek refuge in the Underworld, an industrial hellscape ruled by the god Hades, Orpheus must journey to the land of the dead to win her back. Meanwhile, the parallel love story of Hades and his wife Persephone provides a mirror to the young lovers’ tale, showing what happens when love grows cold and spring stops coming.

Colón sees something far more urgent beneath the show’s mythological surface.

“The show is about having hope even when the world says it’s impossible,” Colón said. “Even though this show is based on a tragedy and it may not work out in the end, we have to try.”

That message of perseverance resonates particularly in the show’s industrial dystopian setting, where Hades rules over a world of workers, walls and broken promises. In this reimaging, Hades is a capitalist king who exploits desperate souls to build his empire, promising prosperity while delivering oppression. Colón draws clear parallels to contemporary society: “There will always be a wealth disparity, and when folks with nothing are given promises of a brighter future, they will do anything to make that happen. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.”

The production features a unique staging concept that incorporates the onstage band as characters in the story, led by Hermes, who serves as narrator and guide. The circular set design and innovative lighting create an immersive experience that literally surrounds audiences with the world of the show.

Yet performing the same story night after night presents its own challenges. How does an actor keep a well-known myth feeling urgent and alive? For Colón, the answer is personal.

“I truly believe if you love a piece, you’re able to do it over and over as many times as you want,” Colón said. “Even on days where I am exhausted, sick, etc., I just think of the ‘lil Nick’ that’s going to see this show that night and look up to their mom and say, ‘I want to do that.’ I never tire of this show, and that’s because I have a ‘why.’”

The physical demands of the role are considerable. Hades requires a deep, resonant bass-baritone voice capable of everything from tender moments to thunderous declarations.

“For me, the voice is my show,” Colón said.” “I have to take care of it. I have to be able to sing, growl, yell and scream eight times a week through various altitudes and climates and sometimes little sleep.”

Among the production’s many theatrical details, Colón points to a moment that illuminates his character’s complexity.

“If you look at me during Wait For Me (Reprise), you’ll see that Hades turns around in the same spot Orpheus is about to at the climax,” Colón said. “Hades is able to give such a specific challenge because he himself could not do it.”

This vulnerability becomes most apparent in Epic III, one of the show’s most powerful musical numbers, where the god’s armor cracks.

“A God who is shown to just be as vulnerable as a man when it comes to losing the woman he loves,” Colón said. “My Hades allows the show to break him. Persephone has to mean everything in this piece, or the show doesn’t hit as hard as it could.”

The relationship between Hades and Persephone forms the emotional backbone of the production, offering a cautionary tale about what happens when love becomes transactional and when work replaces wonder. Their journey from estrangement back toward reconciliation provides hope that even the coldest hearts can thaw.

When asked to describe the show to newcomers, Colón keeps it simple.

“it’s a cinematic love story with some of the best music you’ve ever heard,” Colón said. He sums up the entire experience in one word: “Spellbinding.”

The musical features several memorable songs that have become fan favorites, including “Wait for Me,” “Why We Build the Wall,” When the Chips are Down,” and “Road to Hell.” The score’s unique sound has earned comparisons to everyone from Tom Waits to Leonard Cohen, while maintaining Mitchell’s distinctive folk sensibility.

But perhaps what matters to Colón is what audiences take with the after the curtain falls.

“I hope the leave with a sense of time,” Colón said. “That they shouldn’t wait to tell their loves ones how much they mean to them. They shouldn’t wait to go after their dream. Don’t wait.”

As for why this ancient myth still captivates modern audiences, Colón believes that the answer is universal.

“The Greek myths are simple stories based on the human experience,” Colón said. “No matter where you are from, your history or age, you have a connection to love, loss, anger, hope.”

HADESTOWN has been praised by critics and audiences alike for its timely themes addressing climate change, economic inequality and the power of art in dark times. The show’s central theme suggests that while we may know how the story ends, there’s profound meaning in the act of telling it, and trying, anyway.

HADESTOWN opens at the Saenger Theatre for a limited engagement, offering audiences the chance to experience a story that, in Colón’s hands, becomes both a warning about the fragility of hope and an urgent call to embrace it anyway.