Orpheus in Hell: Adaptation and reimagination of a myth in Rio de Janeiro’s musical theatre

This article explores two adaptations and reinterpretations of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in Rio de Janeiro’s musical theatre. It focuses on Orfeu na Roça ( Orpheus in the Countryside ) from 1868 by Francisco Correa Vasques, and Orfeu da Conceição ( Orpheus of the Conception ) from 1956 by Vinicius de Moraes with music by Antônio Carlos Jobim. The former is a parody of Jacques Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld (1858), which recontextualizes the myth within the rural outskirts of imperial Rio de Janeiro. The latter transplants the myth to a Black community in a favela, featuring an all-Black cast. The study delves into the musical depiction of hell in each adaptation and examines how the utilization of vernacular and popular forms of Brazilian music and dance (cateretê, fado, maxixe, bossa nova and batucada) reflect and comment on issues of social class and race during these works’ respective time periods. The article also contextualizes these works within the broader cultural, social and historical framework of their times and underscores the enduring relevance and adaptability of the Orpheus myth in diverse cultural landscapes.