Renaissance composer Claudio Monteverdi was on to something when he premiered L’Orfeo in 1607, which many consider to be the first great opera. L’Orfeo recounts the ancient Greek tale of Orpheus, a superbly gifted musician, who ventures into the underworld to rescue his wife Eurydice from the grasp of Hades. This spectacle of singers and dancers sharing the stage with 40 instrumentalists was groundbreaking.

Fast-forward more than 400 years, and the story of Orpheus and Eurydice paves a new path yet again in Anaïs Mitchell’s groundbreaking Hadestown. In Mitchell’s music and lyrics, the timeless tale takes on new life, set in a New Orleans speakeasy, the kind of place where timeless tales often get told. Hadestown is located at the intersection of Greek tragic storytelling and American folk rock.

Hadestown is part folk, rock, blues, gospel and jazz. While not typical Broadway fare, these styles lend themselves to storytelling, says Nathan Koci, the music director of the show’s national touring company. “I think the poetry has a lot to do with it. It’s that kind of ‘storyteller with a guitar’—there’s so much rhythm and meaning and word choice that goes into everything.”

Koci has been involved with Hadestown for five years, having been an important part of the show’s genesis. He was the associate music director for its pre-Broadway runs at the New York Theater Workshop and in Edmonton, Canada, and has seen the show grow and develop into its current form. He credits Hadestown’s unique approach and appeal to its songwriter. “[Mitchell] has a unique and special style that, I think, somehow carries it. I think she’s a really amazing storyteller at heart.”

Mitchell’s musical background isn’t what you’d expect from a Tony-winning composer. For starters, she writes her songs on guitar rather than piano. This has an impact on the musical style.

“On a micro-level, it’s still very guitar-driven,” Koci says. “There’s a lot of numbers that I don’t start. The guitar player (Michiko Egger) right behind me is the one who’s really driving the bus a lot of the time.”

That helps keep the show rooted in the folk music identity, he says.

Koci is no stranger to storytelling through American folk music. He was recently the music director and vocal arranger for the Tony-winning revival of Oklahoma!, which rescores Rodgers and Hammerstein’s orchestra with a bluegrass septet. Oklahoma! comes to the Orpheum this August. The task of orchestrating Mitchell’s guitar chords for Hadestown, though, fell to original band members Michael Chorney and San Francisco native Todd Sickafoose. The pair won a Tony for their work.

Koci says it was their experience that helped to keep Mitchell’s style in the show’s DNA.

“Everyone’s bread and butter is creating great folk and rock and jazz records. And it’s kind of that world that really birthed the whole musical end of [Hadestown], as opposed to coming from a real veteran Broadway team,” he says.

The distinctive musical language means finding performers who don’t necessarily find a home in musical theater.

“It’s created the opportunity to filter for people who really are an aesthetic match for the show,” Koci says. “It’s a lot of folks who maybe aren’t normally from the musical theater world … and I think that gives it its own identity and its own sound.”

Kaci leads the ensemble of seven musicians from the keyboard, though some numbers require him to pick up his accordion. Guitar, bass and drums complete the rhythm section, accompanied by violin and cello. There’s also a scene-stealing trombone that helps to cement the jazzy atmosphere right from the opening number.

Even the Broadway regulars have had to adapt a bit. Tennessee-born Tony winner Levi Kreis draws on his Southern experience for the role of Hermes, the narrator. Koci cites a particular call-and-response moment between Kreis and Edmonton jazz trombonist Audrey Ochoa that has evolved as the show has grown. It may take on a different life when a new trombonist joins the band next week.

Other than the plot, Hadestown shares much in common with its operatic ancestor. You won’t hear much spoken dialogue as the show is sung-through. There are moments reminiscent of “recitative” that you’d hear in an opera, but sung in a blues style. And much like in Monteverdi’s early opera, the instrumentalists are on stage for the full performance, rather than hidden away in an orchestra pit.

Having them spread out on stage amid all the action does come with its own set of challenges. Koci recounts stories of band members practicing at home with lights shining in their faces, attempting to acclimate to the environment on stage. But the payoff is worth it.

“It’s nice to be embedded with the actors … being in the same space. Everyone gets to have ownership of the storytelling,” he says. The proximity of the actors also influences the band. “If you’re playing for a dance break, to be able to be on stage and see the dance break—that’s beautiful!”

The actors also get to showcase their instrumental prowess. Orpheus actually plays his own guitar during the intimate and emotional “Epic III.” The same is true for when the Fates (three goddesses who affect the destinies of mortals) pick up their violin, accordion and percussion instrument.

Other musical highlights include soulful opener “Road to Hell,” barn-burning “Way Down Hadestown,” haunting “Why We Build the Wall” and “Wait for Me,” the melody of which was Mitchell’s creative catalyst for the show. A favorite of Koci’s is the opening of the second act, “Our Lady of the Underground,” an unexpected contribution by Persephone, goddess of flowers and Hades’ love interest. The jazzy solo replants the audience in the New Orleans nightclub after intermission, introducing them to the members of the band before continuing with the story.

The successful storytelling is due to more than just the music. Rachel Chavkin’s directorial vision merges the shows defining elements and themes. Hadestown interweaves romance with politics, using the decaying marriage of Hades and Persephone as allegory for the disintegrating relationship between industry and the environment.

Another seemingly obvious political analogy is the building of a wall by Hades’ subjects. In the haunting Act 1 closer, Hades asks, “Why do we build the wall, my children?” to which they mindlessly respond, “We build the wall to keep us free.” This plot point comes from Mitchell’s early drafts of the show and predates the MAGA movement by several years.

While the political undertones are evident, they aren’t preachy. “I like that it doesn’t purport to say, ‘and here’s how it should be,’” Koci says. He says the themes are wrapped up in iconic human conditions like love, fear and jealousy. These elements drive their human characters to make certain decisions, but the show leaves it to the listener to make up their own minds.

The show’s technical elements figure significantly in the storytelling. Rachel Hauck’s set design blends NOLA’s historic Preservation Hall with an ancient Greek amphitheater. Bradley King’s lighting design uses motion and color to contrast the beauty of the world of Orpheus’ dreams with Hades’ cold, fiery underground.

“It evokes almost a rock and roll concert in terms of the way that it feels in the audience,” Koci says. “There’s a little bit of magic and whizbang that happens. The space gets transformed, but you’re still in a bar.”

Hermes tells us that we’re here to listen to a story told though song. It’s an old song, and a sad song. The world in the story is greatly in need of hope. Orpheus may just be the hero to deliver that hope. But then again, it’s a sad song.

Despite the ending, Hadestown may have a broader appeal than most Broadway shows. Its musical decisions defy both Broadway tradition and the wave of popular music that defines many new productions. Its blend of folk and rock make its storytelling both more poignant and more accessible.