Lana Gordon on ‘Hadestown,’ Meryl Streep, and packing light

If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go? I would go to Thailand for the people, the food, the weather, and the peace.
Lana Gordon has graced the Broadway stage in a number of musicals including “Chicago,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “The Lion King” (the original cast), and “Hadestown,” where she played Persephone, the spunky and sassy wife of Hades, king of the underworld. Gordon has reprised that role in the national tour that will be at the Wang Theatre April 23 through 28. “Audiences are going to love this show and this cast, which is extraordinary. From the ensemble to the leads, they’re all old souls,” Gordon said in a recent phone call from Birmingham, Ala., where the show was being performed. “And a story like this, a love story, needs to be told by souls like that. It makes our [production] very magical.” Winner of eight Tony Awards — including best musical — in 2019, “Hadestown” takes audiences on a musical journey to the underworld where the stories of young lovers Orpheus and Eurydice play out alongside that of the older Hades and Persephone. Gordon, who is no stranger to Massachusetts — she received an associate’s degree in fine arts from Dean College in Franklin — said audiences don’t have to be familiar with Greek mythology to enjoy the musical. “It’s about life. It’s a story about humanity, human relations, how there’s judgment … so many levels to this story,” she said. “It’s also healing. It heals the soul. It’s a good story, a beautiful story … a story that still exists today and will always exist.” She said she hopes the audience will take away “a sense of hope and a sense that no matter what we go through in life, we can get through it, move forward, dust ourselves off, and pick ourselves back up. That’s life.” We caught up with the Middlefield, Conn., native who lives in New York City and Puerto Rico with her husband, Robert Perkins — a command executive officer for the Army Reserves in Puerto Rico and a father of two adult daughters — and their three cats, to talk about all things travel.
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Do you prefer booking trips through a travel agent or on your own? Definitely on my own. I’ve done travel agencies when in Europe, but I love the comfort of doing it on my own and going Bohemian style.
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Thoughts on an “unplugged” vacation? No phones, no emails, no self-tapes [for auditions]. … Just me and my husband on a tropical island.
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What has been your worst vacation experience? Oh, I don’t have one. My bad vacations were with the wrong people, like when I went to Thailand with my boyfriend at the time and we slept in separate rooms … he was not nice to me. I want to make up for that, though, and have been telling my husband that we have to go to Thailand.
What is your favorite childhood travel memory? Going to Alabama with my mother, aunts, and cousins. We would leave from Middlefield, Conn., and take the Greyhound bus to Allenville, Ala. I remember my suitcase with flowers and sleeping in my mother’s lap. We did that for years with Aunt Shirley and her three children, so seven or eight of us all traveling to Alabama. So much fun.
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Do you vacation to relax, to learn, or for the adventure of it all? I do it all. I am very adventurous, and I love to explore and dive deep into the culture.
What book do you plan on bringing with you to read on your next vacation? I would love to reread “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle.
If you could travel with one famous person/celebrity, who would it be? Meryl Streep because she seems like she’s a lot of fun. She’s an actress whom I admire, and I just want to be underneath her wing. Please be my mentor, Meryl, and drink a glass of wine with me, and let’s cook together.
What is the best gift to give a traveler? Crystals.
What is your go-to snack for a flight or a road trip? Apples and nuts — Macadamia, unsalted.
What is the coolest souvenir you’ve picked up on a vacation? A beautiful porcelain statue made by a local in Jamaica.
What is your favorite app/website for travel? Tripadvisor.
What has travel taught you? I’ve learned powerful lessons in cultural appreciation, adaptability, open-mindedness, and independence.
What is your best travel tip? One of my favorite travel tips is to pack light and focus on bringing only the essentials. This not only simplifies your journey, but also gives you the flexibility to pick up unique souvenirs along the way without worrying about excess baggage. Additionally, I find that researching and planning in advance can make for a smoother and more enjoyable trip.
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Juliet Pennington can be reached at writeonjuliet@comcast.net.