JOHN-MICHAEL LYLES TO JOIN “HADESTOWN” AS ‘ORPHEUS’ – JOSHUA COLLEY TO TAKE FINAL BOW ON MAY 31
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Rick Miramontez / Kendall Edwards / Ellie Detweiler / Bailey Everett
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE
JOHN-MICHAEL LYLES
TO JOIN
THE TONY AWARD-WINNING BEST MUSICAL
“HADESTOWN”
AS ‘ORPHEUS’BEGINNING TUESDAY, JUNE 16
JOSHUA COLLEY
TO PLAY FINAL PERFORMANCE ON
SUNDAY, MAY 31
New York, NY (May 4, 2026) – Producers Mara Isaacs, Dale Franzen, Hunter Arnold, and Tom Kirdahy announced today that Joshua Colley will play his final performance as ‘Orpheus’ in the Tony Award®–winning Best Musical Hadestown on Sunday, May 31. John-Michael Lyles (A Strange Loop, The Heart of Rock and Roll) will join the company as ‘Orpheus,’ taking his first bow on Tuesday, June 16. Current company members Jeffrey Cornelius and Brandon Cameron will perform the role of ‘Orpheus’ for the weeks of June 2 and June 9, respectively.
Cornelius, Cameron and Lyles will respectively join current principal cast members Gary Dourdan as ‘Hades,’ J. Harrison Ghee as ‘Hermes,’ Gaby Moreno as ‘Persephone,’ and Jordan Tyson as ‘Eurydice.’ They are joined by Jewelle Blackman, Jessie Shelton and Kay Trinidad as the ‘Fates.’ The chorus of ‘Workers’ is played by Malcolm Armwood, Sojourner Brown, Jeffrey Cornelius, Sydney Parra, and Alex Puette. The cast includes swings Brandon Cameron, KC Dela Cruz, Max Kumangai, and Alex Lugo.
To download headshots of Brandon Cameron, Jeffrey Cornelius, and John-Michael Lyles, click here.
To download production photos, click here.
To download b-roll montage, click here.
Hadestown is in its 7th hit year on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre (219 W 48th Street) and in its 3rd year in the West End (returning to London, five years after its 2018 engagement at the National Theatre). The record-breaking North American tour completed its coast-to-coast 3-year run in 2024, and productions have played to acclaim across the globe in South Korea, Sydney, Melbourne, and Amsterdam.
Tickets for Hadestown are available at www.walterkerrbroadway.com/events/hadestown/calendar or by visiting the Walter Kerr Theatre box office (219 West 48th Street).
Hadestown originated as Anaïs Mitchell’s indie theater project that toured Vermont which she then turned into an acclaimed album. With Rachel Chavkin, her artistic collaborator, Hadestown has been transformed into a genre-defying new musical that blends modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz to reimagine a sweeping ancient tale.
Following two intertwining love stories — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — Hadestown invites audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Mitchell’s beguiling melodies and Chavkin’s poetic imagination pit industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love. Performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, dancers, singers, and musicians Hadestown delivers a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience.
BIOGRAPHIES
BRANDON CAMERON. Broadway debut! Regional: Sight&Sound, American Music Theatre. Film: Cupid for Christmas. So grateful and excited to be joining the Hadestown family. God is good! Love to Mom, Mikayla, Laurel, family, friends and mentors. Special thanks to Jeremy and the Nicolosi & Co. team. BFA Shenandoah University Conservatory ’22. Instagram: @_de_la_musique.
JEFFREY CORNELIUS. Broadway debut!! Jackson, MS, native. CCM alum. Tour: Dear Evan Hansen first national (alt. Evan). Regional: Senior Class (world premiere, Olney). Multiple workshops. Thank you to my family, community, DGRW, Team Hadestown and the man upstairs. @thejeffreycornelius. It takes a village.
JOHN-MICHAEL LYLES is an Obie-winning multi-hyphenate artist who has originated two roles on Broadway: Thought 3 in A Strange Loop & Eli in The Heart of Rock & Roll! Off-Broadway: Safety Not Guaranteed (BAM), Sweeney Todd (Barrow), This Ain’t No Disco (Atlantic), Brooklynite (Vineyard), Bat Boy, Big River & 1776 (Encores!). Regional: Nobody Loves You (ACT), Secret Garden (CTG), Bliss (5thAve), Choir Boy (Guthrie). TV/Film: “Queens of the Dead”, “The Other Two”, “Chicago PD”, “NCIS: New Orleans” & “Blind”. Co-writing “The King of Harlem” (NAMT ’25). Stream his EP: HOW TO STAY BRIGHT! All the flowers for Mom, Dad, Ashley, Nicolosi, MTCA & the Bratz! @johnmichael_lyles
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