‘Hadestown’ to open in Austin Jan. 11

How can a story so hopeless as the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice possibly deliver a message of hope? For those unfamiliar with the story, it goes something like this: Orpheus and Eurydice are in love, yet on their wedding day, Eurydice is fatally bitten by a snake. Distraught, Orpheus goes into the Underworld to plead with Hades and Persephone to see his bride released back to the living world.

But things go awry for Orpheus, as they do for those who meddle with Greek gods, and it all ends in tragedy.

Yet “Hadestown” — which opens at Bass Concert Hall beginning Jan. 11 — is a musical, and those who love musicals come to expect a show with a happy end.