Anaïs Mitchell Credit: Courtesy of Anaïs Mitchell

This story has been updated.

Anaïs Mitchell, the highly acclaimed Grammy and Tony Award-winning singer, songwriter and playwright who created the hit Broadway folk opera Hadestown, will headline opening night of the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival on August 26. The Addison County native and Middlebury College grad returns to her alma mater to host the Vermont premiere of Hadestown: The Musical, a live-capture movie of the award-winning stage play, which begins screening nationwide on July 24.

Individual opening-night tickets for her Middlebury event sold out in a few hours on Wednesday.

Mitchell began developing her folk-opera concept album in 2006, based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. She then wrote the book, lyrics and music using a blend of blues, folk and New Orleans-inspired jazz. Following the show’s successful off-Broadway and London runs, Hadestown opened on Broadway in 2019 to huge critical acclaim. The show won eight Tony Awards that year, including Best Musical and Best Original Score for Mitchell, as well as the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

Daniel Breaker as Hermes in a 2025 performance of ‘Hadestown’ Credit: Courtesy

The film, directed by Brett Sullivan, captures all the dynamism, richness and electricity of the stage production and features the five original principal cast members. Sullivan has directed numerous filmed theatrical productions on Broadway, including the record-setting 2016 theatrical release of Miss Saigon.

“I couldn’t be happier that Tony and Grammy winner Anaïs Mitchell will join us for our opening night … which will pay tribute to her extraordinary imagination and success as the creator of Hadestown,” Jay Craven, the festival’s artistic director, said in a press statement.

Andy Mitchell, the festival’s new managing producer, described Hadestown as “the kind of show that stays with you for years.”

Now in its 12th year, the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, which runs from August 26 through 30, showcases the work of more than 80 filmmakers, all of whom are first- or second-time directors. Last November, MovieMaker magazine included the annual event among the “coolest 25 film festivals in the world” for its “laid-back atmosphere, with free drinks and food each night.” (Welcome to Vermont.)

Would-be audience members can join the wait list for opening-night tickets here.

Staff Writer Ken Picard is a senior staff writer at Seven Days. A Long Island, N.Y., native who moved to Vermont from Missoula, Mont., he was hired in 2002 as Seven Days’ first staff writer, to help create a news department. Ken has since won numerous...