Lillias White will be the new Hermes in Hadestown!- Page 16

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/14/23 at 10:36pm

Nah, Patti will be the new Hermes.

[forfivemoreminutes]

Posted: 7/14/23 at 11:25pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Interesting - I haven’t heard Rachel’s name but have heard it’ll be a former Evita replacing Eva."

Could be Samantha Pauly? Or Solea Pfeiffer - I’d love to see her as Eurydice! 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/14/23 at 11:52pm

Could be!
 

This is just what I was told by someone I trust, I can’t confirm directly yet. 

Updated On: 7/14/23 at 11:52 PM

[InTheBathroom1]

Posted: 7/15/23 at 12:16am

Also heard the Solea rumor. And a small/mid-size pop  star for Persephone. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/15/23 at 12:26am

I love Solea so that’s pretty exciting for me. I’m sure I’ll be back a few more times to see her. 

[ElephantLoveMedley]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 11:12am

Phillip Boykin is Hades and Betty Who is Persephone, starting 9/5.

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 11:48am

I had thought it had been intentional to cast a Woman of Color as Persephone. Interesting to stray from that, especially amidst a lawsuit regarding replacing a Black actress with a white one. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 11:50am

She’s def an interesting choice! Just both physically and vocally! But I’m excited for her! Seeing her in market days here in Chicago in a few weeks!

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 11:59am

Hmmm not familiar with her work. Interesting change of scenery

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 12:01pm

ElephantLoveMedley said: "Phillip Boykin is Hades and Betty Who is Persephone, starting 9/5."

 

Boykin as Hades!! Take my damn money!

Updated On: 7/18/23 at 12:01 PM

[willep]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 12:06pm

Have never heard of her, but excited for Boykin!

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 12:11pm

RippedMan said: "She’s def an interesting choice! Just both physically and vocally! But I’m excited for her! Seeing her in market days here in Chicago in a few weeks!"

I'm excited for a fresh take! Hadestown has been a masterclass in letting replacements have their own takes and letting their show evolve and transform. It'll definitely be a different character with Betty playing her and I'm excited for it!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 12:19pm

They've made Boykin and Betty Who official, but who's replacing Eva?

[yyys]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 12:21pm

Not a fan of Betty Who but interesting choice. Will definitely bring the gays back to the show. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 12:22pm

Oh my bad. I was thinking she was replacing Eva but she’s playing the part Amber played! She will be great in that! She’s a trained musical theater actress too. 

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 12:37pm

RippedMan said: "Oh my bad. I was thinking she was replacing Eva but she’s playing the part Amber played! She will be great in that! She’s a trained musical theater actress too."

Just to put it out there plainly (b/c you're not the only one to get mixed up): Betty and Phillip are playing Persephone and Hades. 

There is still no announcement about who is replacing Eva as Eurydice (which also happens two weeks earlier than the rest) or who is replacing Lilias as Hermes (which I believe is also supposed to happen Labor Day week). 

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 12:41pm

Phil Boykin as Hades is perfect casting.

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 12:55pm

I love that some of these characters in Hadestown can be replaced by different races or genders or ages and it all works. Hermes has gone from younger white man (off Broadway) to older black man to older black woman. Persephone now going from black to white. Hades could do the reverse too at some point (someone like Norm Lewis?) 

[darquegk]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 12:57pm

It’s an interesting inversion of the way casting used to work. Benny in Rent is black because Taye Diggs is black, not because Benny is black. Precedent diversity used to be the casting norm, even for small roles like “girl in fur bikini.” Now, we can simply assume that for a show like this, a diverse cast will be assumed and sought, even if the specific casting of individual roles is forever in flux.

[inception]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 1:02pm

Do people think Reeve Carney will stay through the end of the year if the rest of the cast changes?

I know some people have opinions about him, but I don't really.  

If the Soleil Pfeiffer rumor turns out true then I would probably be willing to see this again in December.  It is one of the few shows with  Friday matinees over the holidays on December 22 & 29.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 1:11pm

darquegk said: "It’s an interesting inversion of the way casting used to work. Benny in Rent is black because Taye Diggs is black, not because Benny is black. Precedent diversity used to be the casting norm, even for small roles like “girl in fur bikini.” Now, we can simply assume that for a show like this, a diverse cast will be assumed and sought, even if the specific casting of individual roles is forever in flux."

That's the great benefit of a show where race isn't specified in the written material.

It also helps the show down the line with licensing. Shows that specifically deal with race are vital, of course, but something like NEW YORK, NEW YORK or PARADISE SQUARE is going to have more licensing limitations than HEAD OVER HEELS or HADESTOWN where the roles can be played by all races (and genders).

[Kad]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 1:46pm

Hadestown isn’t tethered to any time or even place, really, so there’s no real reason they can’t cast basically anybody of any race or gender identity in these roles. 

[Alexander Lamar]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 2:03pm

I think Reeve will soon follow Eva and leave. 

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 2:20pm

I think Reeve will stay through his contract and then leave. Eva more than likely got out of hers because another opportunity came along (in fact, just about every principle that's left this show has jumped straight into another project), but I doubt Reeve has the same breadth of opportunity that she does. 

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 4:39pm

I've never seen the show or listened to the music - is Persephone vocally demanding? I like some of Betty Who's music but I usually find her live performances to be lackluster vocally.