‘Live from Mount Olympus’ podcast readies for new adventure

The podcast series “Live from Mount Olympus” is returning this month with the same Broadway ingenuity and the delightful André De Shields but with a new hero plucked from the pantheon of mythical Greek deities.

The 10-episode second series focuses on Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, who is suddenly stolen away to the underworld. She is voiced by Joanne Hernandez.

“She’s a young girl just trying to meet the expectations of her mom like any young girl would, and she just goes through a journey of learning,” says Hernandez. “We don’t see a lot of young women coming of age and growing into their skin as they get older.”

The genius of the series is it’s ability to inject the dusty myths with modern empathy, ditching stiff ancient language for delightful modernity. “That’s messed up!” one character will say. “Cool, I got this,” another will declare.

There’s more than a bit of Broadway

baked into its DNA, with co-direction from Tony Award-winning director Rachel Chavkin of “Hadestown” and “Hadestown” associated director Keenan Tyler Oliphant. De Shields reprises his role as Hermes, which he won a Tony for in “Hadestown.” (Hermes likes to call the podcast the

“Gods’ pod.”)

Chavkin says the project “slightly came out of left field” during the pandemic but has become a joy to work on. She says the Greek myths are far from dusty old stories — but vibrant and present.

The series — featuring performers from the Brooklyn-based theater ensemble the TEAM and produced by the Onassis Foundation and TRAX from PRX — was created by Julie Burstein, creator of public radio’s “Studio 360” with Kurt Andersen.

Evan Agostini / Associated Press Andre De Shields reprises his role as Hermes, for which he won a Tony for in “Hadestown," in the 10-episode podcast series “Live from Mount Olympus.”