Gaby Moreno On Her Broadway Debut In the Musical ‘Hadestown’

Gaby Moreno was only 13 years old when Broadway became part of her bucket list. She had done theater as a child, and her parents took her to a couple of musicals during a trip to New York City. “We went to see Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera, and from that moment I said, ‘It would be a dream to do musical theater and one day be on Broadway,’” she tells Billboard Español.

Three decades later, the Grammy and two-time Latin Grammy-winning Guatemalan singer-songwriter is finally fulfilling her dream as Persephone in the acclaimed musical Hadestown, where she made her highly anticipated debut on March 3. As part of the star-studded cast this season, she will share the stage with Joshua Colley (Orpheus), Jordan Tyson (Eurydice), Gary Dourdan (Hades) and J. Harrison Ghee (Hermes) until the end of August.

Winner of eight Tony Awards, including best musical, Hadestown premiered on Broadway in the spring of 2019, three years after its off-Broadway debut. It became one of Moreno’s favorites after she had the chance to see it in 2023, not knowing that one day she would perform on its stage.

“I still don’t understand how or who it was that put my name on the list, but about a year ago, my manager got an email asking if I was available to play the role of Persephone on Broadway. I thought it was a joke at first,” she recalls, still amazed.

With music, lyrics and book by Anaïs Mitchell, Hadestown reimagines the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in a post-apocalyptic setting inspired by the Great Depression and New Orleans. The show follows the famed musician and poet on a journey to the underworld to rescue his beloved Eurydice, who, burdened by hunger, agreed to work for Hades in his underground factory as a means of survival. Through a mix of folk, blues and jazz, it explores themes such as love, uncertainty, hope, and poverty.

In this context, Persephone — the goddess of spring and wife of the harsh Hades — plays a crucial role by serving as a bridge between the mortal world and the underworld, spreading joy and hope for change and freedom.

In an interview with Billboard Español, Moreno spoke about how she prepared for the role, the biggest challenges she faced and what’s next for her.

(Editor’s note: Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.)

How did you feel on stage the night of your Broadway debut?

It was a magical, very emotional night. A dream I’ve had since I was very little, and it was incredible to share it with all the people who came to see us, but also with my entire family who flew in from Guatemala just to see me. My mom was there, my sister, my brother-in-law, my niece who loves musical theater and is actually now studying it in Mexico City. Afterwards, we went to have dinner at a great place nearby and to celebrate with all my relatives and friends who came. It was truly a night I’ll never forget.

Had you done musical theater before?

A long time ago. I mean, I did theater as a child, I always loved it. And when I moved to Los Angeles in 2000, I studied theater for three years at a school that was very Shakespearean. Then, in 2007, I was part of a very small production of the musical Hair at a tiny theater in Hollywood for 100 people. I was part of the ensemble. There were about 30 of us on stage, and it was such a unique experience for me — it was my first time ever being part of a musical, and the last until now.

And how did the opportunity for Hadestown come to you?

I still don’t understand how or who it was that put my name on the list, but about a year ago, my manager got an email asking if I was available to play the role of Persephone on Broadway. I thought it was a joke at first. Then, of course, I said yes to everything, I’ll learn whatever I need to learn.

Months went by and I didn’t hear anything, so I thought well, it was too good to be true. But then in October of last year, they reached out again to send me the contract. I was in shock… I thought, “OK, I can sing those songs, but how did they know whether or not I could act?” It was a true leap of faith.

Had you already seen the musical, or did you have to start from scratch?

I saw it on Broadway in 2023, without knowing anything about anything, and when I saw it I said, “This is one of my favorite musicals.” When I found out I was going to be part of this production, I started listening to the soundtrack every day. I listened to it over and over and over again, and that’s how I learned all the songs. Then they sent me the script, and I moved to New York in mid-January to start rehearsals.

What has been the hardest part for you? Because there’s so much to it: the dancing, the acting, and well, singing comes naturally to you, but it’s a different style of music too…

Yes, but you know, I feel like this type of music is in my world, it’s in my universe. I mean, blues, folk and jazz are exactly what I do too. And the music was written by Anaïs Mitchell, who is brilliant, but also a great songwriter in the folk and Americana world, which is the world I also work in.

Musically, I’m in my element. The dancing, though, was definitely a challenge — dancing and singing at the same time — because in my concerts, I’m always standing with my guitar, not moving much. Here I am, as you saw, running, dancing. We had to rehearse for many hours; the choreography was a big challenge for me, but I loved learning and bringing out that more Latin side of me.

In one scene, you even dance a little salsa, and at the end of the opening night show, during curtain call, you sang again and ended with a word in Spanish: “Good night, hermanos.”

When I met with the directors and producers, they told me that’s what they wanted — for me to bring that Latinity to the character. And they do that with all the actors they choose for the different roles; they’ve had actors from the Philippines, from all over. The cast that just left had a Hades who was from Brazil, Paulo Szot, and he even said words in Portuguese.

How do you feel about representing immigrants on Broadway today?

It’s a very, very big responsibility to know that I’m playing this role as a Guatemalan, as a Latina. When I went to see Broadway shows as a child, I didn’t see artists who represented my culture, so being there, being able to speak Spanish, and being part of that diversity [now present on Broadway] means so much to me. It’s important for that to continue happening and for us to continue being recognized in this world of the arts that brings so much beauty and love in a time when there’s so much division and hate.

Beyond the show, what can we expect from you next?

I’m already writing new songs for my next album, but right now I have a live album coming out in April — my first live album — from a performance I did in Los Angeles on the radio station KCRW, on their show Morning Becomes Eclectic, in 2024. I’m releasing that album for a very special day, Record Store Day [April 18]. And at the end of the year, I’m going to release another tribute album to David Bowie that I recorded many years ago, but it’s finally coming to light. It’s with all the musicians who recorded or toured with him, so it’s a very special album for me.