New Hadestown Casting

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 8/15/23 at 11:38am

Starting a new thread since this has all been lumped into the Lilias White thread until now.

Is anyone seeing Solea Pfeiffer as Eurydice tonight?  I have tickets for tomorrow and I'm super curious to see how she takes on the role and plays against Reeve!

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 8/15/23 at 11:48am

I’m waiting until after September 5th when Phillip Boykin and Betty Who step in as well. I was holding out hope we’d hear of a replacement for Reeve by now, but it seems unlikely he’ll leave before the end of the year at this point. I’m most excited for Solea as Eurydice though. She’s always captivating on stage, and that VOICE.

[Huss417]

Posted: 8/15/23 at 12:51pm

ColorTheHours048 said: "I’m waiting until after September 5th when Phillip Boykin and Betty Who step in as well. I was holding out hope we’d hear of a replacement for Reeve by now, but it seems unlikely he’ll leave before the end of the year at this point. I’m most excited for Solea as Eurydice though. She’s always captivating on stage, and that VOICE."

I have been holding out seeing the show again but waiting for Reeve to leave the show. I'm not sure it is ever going to happen.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/15/23 at 12:54pm

Saw this on Broadway and did not understand the love for the show. Saw it on tour and loved it. Reeves just isn't a good actor and hate his vocals. 

Would love to hear Pfeiffer sing this!

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 8/15/23 at 1:28pm

I've heard Reeve has some vacation dates coming up but haven't heard any details - does anyone have any info? I'd love to revisit this beautiful show but I cannot sit through Reeve's bewildering performance one more time. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/15/23 at 2:00pm

Huss417 said: "I have been holding out seeing the show again but waiting for Reeve to leave the show. I'm not sure it is ever going to happen."

My thought, exactly. Saw Nick Barasch on tour, can't go back and see Reeve.

[Huss417]

Posted: 8/15/23 at 2:04pm

dramamama611 said: "Huss417 said: "I have been holding out seeing the show again but waiting for Reeve to leave the show. I'm not sure it is ever going to happen."

My thought, exactly. Saw Nick Barasch on tour, can't go back and see Reeve."

I have friends who also saw Nick Barasch on tour and they just raved about him. I would have liked to have seen him transfer to the Broadway production but at this point I don't think Reeve is going anywhere.

[perfectpenguin]

Posted: 8/15/23 at 4:04pm

I’m waiting until Phillip Boykin starts and go when Reeve is on vacation. I’ve seen two different Orpheus performances - Nick Barasch and Reeve and Nick was 1000 times better than Reeve. I’ve seen Reeve 15 or 16 times now and that’s enough. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 8/15/23 at 4:09pm

I'm really surprised Reeve is staying with the show. Figured he would have left when Eva did (or shortly after).

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 8/15/23 at 10:51pm

So… how is our new Eurydice?

[A Theatre Fan 2023]

Posted: 8/16/23 at 6:38am

Can't get over all the nasty comments about Reeve's performance. 

I've had the fortune of seeing him at all 4 Hadestown performances I've attended, and I thought he was wonderful on every occasion. I love his voice, I love his portrayal of the character, and his chemistry with Eva is (obviously) palpable. 

I'm going again on my return to NYC in a few weeks, and I hope he's on again.

[Voter]

Posted: 8/16/23 at 7:03am

Enough about Reeve. I want to hear about Solea. 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 8/16/23 at 7:16am

Are they nasty? Or just opinions?

Anyway, clearly no one here has seen Solea yet. OP is seeing her tonight and will presumably post after they do. It was only her first performance.

[Huss417]

Posted: 8/16/23 at 9:16am

A Theatre Fan 2023 said: "Can't get over all the nasty comments about Reeve's performance.

I've had the fortune of seeing him at all 4 Hadestown performances I've attended, and I thought he was wonderful on every occasion. I love his voice, I love his portrayal of the character, and his chemistry with Eva is (obviously) palpable.

I'm going again on my return to NYC in a few weeks, and I hope he's on again."

If "Nasty Comments" equates to wanting to see someone else in the role I would be careful on which other threads you choose to read on here. 

[Huss417]

Posted: 8/16/23 at 9:56am

This just popped up on youtube for those interested.

hadestown bows + 'we raise our cups' | broadway | 08/15/23 (solea's first)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqkr1uErfCk

[ACL2006]

Posted: 8/16/23 at 7:49pm

FYI, Lillias is out through Aug. 20.

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 8/17/23 at 12:26am

Okay, as a Solea fan, she was FANTASTIC tonight!  I really enjoyed seeing her interpretation of Eurydice, which followed the same beats as Eva's but still felt quite different.  I think one of the big things about Eva's voice is her purity of tone, like it always felt unreal to hear her voice live, and she's remarkably consistent with how her voice sounds regardless of what she's singing.  Solea's voice just has a much different texture to it, and she's not afraid to play around with it depending on where Eurydice is emotionally, and it really suits the pathos of the songs more IMO (a little grittier in the early songs, more rounded/prettier in the love songs, etc.).  I had always overlooked Flowers as kind of a boring song that might've had some pretty lyrics but didn't really do much for me, but Solea really brought it to life and I could feel the anguish of her realizing what she had lost.  

Eva also plays Eurydice as more of a tough girl, to the point where I always found it baffling that she ended up falling for Orpheus and kept calling out to him to save her.  Solea's Eurydice feels more like the girl next door who's been burned by the world before and is therefore more cautious at first, but I felt it was more natural for her to succumb to Orpheus's charm and potential.  She felt a little more like an ingenue and I think she was also a bit more open with her feelings; she seemed more joyful in scenes like Livin' It Up On Top and a little more flirty in Wedding Song.  When she takes the coins after Hey Little Songbird, it feels more like she's been backed into a corner and this is her only way out, whereas Eva's Eurydice felt more like she had assessed all the options and determined this was the best one despite her feelings for Orpheus.

I'm not sure I bought the physical chemistry between Solea and Reeve as much, but that could also just be that I'm used to seeing a person with a much different stature performing the same movements so it looks awkward since Solea is taller than Reeve, though it could also just be a matter of time for them to get more comfortable with it.  I think Solea's voice also blends better with his, as Eva just felt like she was constantly outsinging him, but Reeve was also in surprisingly good form today.  I've admittedly also been waiting for an announcement of Reeve's departure, but this may be the best I've ever heard him sound (my friend who went last Friday said he was also much improved then, so I'm not sure if he's done something recently to achieve that).  I'd still be interested in seeing a new Orpheus, but I didn't feel like his voice actively distracted from the rest of the show as much.

Malcolm Armwood was on for Hermes today (not sure if he's on the whole time that Lilias is out or not) and he was fantastic, I always like seeing how a different type of Hermes changes the feel of the show.  Jewelle Blackman I feel gets better every time I see her, and I don't know if I've ever really appreciated how incredible her voice is.  She performs with such joy when it's called for and just broke my heart after Epic III, so I hope she's got something great lined up after she leaves the show. 

Tom Hewitt I'm a little mixed on.  I remember liking him before when he first filled in for Patrick Page and I think his character choices had mostly lined up, but I think his interpretation of Hades is a bit different now.  Where Patrick Page had played him as colder and generally more removed from the dealings of humans/workers, Hades tonight felt a little bit more emotive, maybe a little more desperate to win Persephone back, and I definitely felt that he was more outwardly angry during some scenes.  I think it's a valid interpretation, and it might just be that I'm not as used to it, but I think I preferred when Hades felt more like he was just above it all.

The ensemble and orchestra are in fine form too (has Brian Drye ever taken a day off?  He must have chops of steel), so overall I think the show is in great shape (especially if Reeve keeps doing whatever he's been doing), and I'm definitely considering coming back once Phillip Boykin and Betty Who are in the show.  Curious too to hear from anyone else that might've gone today or be going soon to see if your thoughts matched mine!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 8/17/23 at 6:15pm

I want Reeve to leave so Nick Barasch can replace him.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 8/19/23 at 1:12am

ACL2006 said: "I want Reeve to leave so Nick Barasch can replace him."

I doubt that's likely given Barasch left the tour cast kinda abruptly, but I could be wrong. I really wish we can have Damon Daunno step back in for a bit, I'd kill to see his interpretation. The NYTW recording always makes me want to see both his and Nabiyah Be's take on the show.

Updated On: 8/19/23 at 01:12 AM

[QueenTwinnied]

Posted: 8/19/23 at 5:40am

I saw Jordan Bollwerk as Orpheus and was absolutely blown away. By far my favorite interpretation and his voice was heavenly. I would love to see him take over the role fulltime on tour or Broadway 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 8/19/23 at 10:30am

I don't find the commends on Carney nasty - we come here to weigh in, not join a fan club - just somewhat surprising. I saw him in late July and found him earnestness suitable and mostly vocally exciting ("Wait for Me" rocked the house, and had an aching vulnerability under the plangent entreaty.). I understand that some singing voices grate, but I'm unclear what it is about this performance that doesn't land. I like him on the recording as well.

I'm fascinated by the folks who seem to expect him to leave on some general principle that vacating roles is an expectation and/or obligatory nod to allowing a replacement's ascension. Hey, these are jobs, not just artistic gigs. He and the gifted Eva are a couple. They have bills to pay. It makes sense in 2023 that one of them wants a weekly paycheck. It's not like either can race into other mediums with the duel strikes. 

[perfectpenguin]

Posted: 8/20/23 at 2:38pm

Reeve’s out all week.

Understudy dates: 

Brandon Cameron - Aug 22 - Aug 24

Chibueze Ihuoma - Aug 25 - Aug 27

[ACL2006]

Posted: 8/22/23 at 6:11pm

FYI, Solea is out tonight.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 8/22/23 at 6:22pm

Auggie27 said: "I don't find the commends on Carney nasty - we come here to weigh in, not join a fan club - just somewhat surprising. I saw him in late July and found him earnestness suitable and mostly vocally exciting ("Wait for Me" rocked the house, and had an aching vulnerability under the plangent entreaty.). I understand that some singing voices grate, but I'm unclear what it is about this performance that doesn't land. I like him on the recording as well.

I'm fascinated by the folks who seem to expect him to leave on some general principle that vacating roles is an expectation and/or obligatory nod to allowing a replacement's ascension. Hey, these are jobs, not just artistic gigs. He and the gifted Eva are a couple. They have bills to pay. It makes sense in 2023 that one of them wants a weekly paycheck. It's not like either can race into other mediums with the duel strikes."

FWIW, I found his portrayal of Orpheus to be too chipper and fidgety, and his voice not at all matching the beauty of the songs he writes. He has a quality to his voice that feels a little too rock band-y for what is otherwise a pretty lyrical folk musical, and it feels in opposition to how “simple” his Orpheus is.

And as far as expecting him to leave the show, it’s more that he’s the last member of the original London company and it’s been several years of performing the same role. He works frequently in TV, film, theatre, and on his own as a musician, so while there’s a strike happening that might put a damper on any prospects he has in the film/TV world for the moment, it’s not like Hadestown was his big break. I imagine he - like Amber Gray, Patrick Page, André De Shields, and Eva - would just want to move on eventually, and aligning his departure with his girlfriend and co-star seemed likely.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 8/23/23 at 6:09pm

Well said. Delusional to EXPECT him to leave the show, valid to wonder why he hasnt given his many other pursuits and the 5+ years hes been doing this, and certainly valid to want to see someone else in the role. 

Solea is out again today both shows.