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Following his departure from game development, industry veteran Cliff Bleszinski has found another home for his creative input – broadway.
The game creator is now a co-producer on the upcoming Broadway musical, Hadestown. While this may come as a surprise to fans of his games – machismo shooters like Gears of War or other shooters like LawBreakers, Cliffy has always been known as a theater lover.
The musical is based on the folk opera album of the same name by Anais Mitchell, with a story that is adapted from the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. In the myth, Orpheus sets off on a journey through the underworld to rescue Eurydice, his wife.
Cliffy’s departure from gaming came after his development studio, Boss Key Productions, had to shut down in the wake of its first several releases (Radical Heights, LawBreakers) performing poorly.
Here’s a brief synopsis on the musical:
HADESTOWN is the acclaimed new musical by celebrated singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and visionary director Rachel Chavkin (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) that reimagines a sweeping ancient tale as a timeless allegory for our world.
HADESTOWN follows two intertwining love stories — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of king Hades and his wife Persephone — as it invites audiences on an epic journey to the underworld and back. Mitchell’s beguiling melodies and Chavkin’s poetic imagination pit nature against industry, faith against doubt, and love against fear. Performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, dancers and singers, HADESTOWN delivers a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience.
Welcome to the intriguing and beautiful world of “your next musical theater obsession” (Vogue).
Hadestown is premiering in March of next year, following its initial run off of Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop. I’m a fan of musicals but not so much contemporary adaptations – we’ll see how this one pans out.
