Broadway musical "Hadestown" returns to Des Moines
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Photo: Courtesy of "Hadestown."
When "Hadestown" opens at the Des Moines Civic Center this weekend, lead actor Namisa Mdlalose Bizana will step into the spotlight as Persephone — marking her first time performing in Iowa.
Driving the news: The Tony Award-winning musical opens Friday and features two Greek myths — Orpheus and Eurydice, and Hades and Persephone.
How it started: Growing up in South Africa, Bizana fell in love with theater and acting at a young age, but her family didn't have the extra money for her to add on extra curricular activities.
- So in high school, she picked a public school that had a strong theater department and tried to learn as much as possible, even if she wasn't on stage.
- She went on to earn a degree in theater-making at the University of Cape Town, and with her last bit of money, she traveled to audition for "The Color Purple" in South Africa and got cast.
State of play: Her journey brought her to the U.S. in 2020 when her husband was accepted into the Berklee College of Music.
- Right before she was cast in "Hadestown" in 2024, Bizana was working at the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum as a historical interpreter.
- She drove to New York to audition for the musical, and during the final callback, she did a chemistry test with the current Hades, Nickolaus Colón. They clicked immediately.
- "He said to me, 'I guess I'll see you later,'" Bizana says.
What they're saying: "Hadestown" is only her second show in the U.S., and despite some of the hardships to reach this point, Bizana says she kept persisting, thanks to her mother's faith that she would do well no matter what.
- "She said, 'I just knew that no matter what you did, you were gonna be excellent at it. ... And I knew not to stop you,'" Bizana said.
If you go: The show runs Friday through Sunday, including evening and matinee performances.
- Tickets start at $40.