New Hadestown Casting- Page 10

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/21/24 at 12:37pm

Kad said: "Yola is fantastic. She's going to sound incredible as Persephone."

 

I am unfamiliar with her, so I'm excited to hear the positive commentary as I'm going (again) over the summer, specifically to see Boykin, 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 5/21/24 at 12:39pm

Curious to see if anyone from the tour slides into the show soon.

[Kad]

Posted: 5/21/24 at 12:57pm

dramamama611 said: "Kad said: "Yola is fantastic. She's going to sound incredible as Persephone."



I am unfamiliar with her, so I'm excited to hear the positive commentary asI'm going (again) over the summer, specifically to see Boykin,"

She’s an awesome soul and R&B singer. Her Tiny Desk concert is a great introduction.  I can’t speak to her acting chops, but she played Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis movie (which I have yet to watch)

 

Updated On: 5/21/24 at 12:57 PM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 11:07am

Stephanie Mills begins as Hermes on July 2.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 11:10am

I think your post should read -

“STEPHANIE MILLS BEGINS AS HERMES ON JULY 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

[Miserent]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 11:31am

This is VERY exciting casting news!!!!

[yyys]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 11:32am

wonder if they're also going to replace Hades? Already seen Boykin 3x....

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 11:46am

Dont know much about Ms Mills but remember when every other week there were people insisting this was on its last legs? These producers are masters or keeping this thing moving without break-the-bank star casting but still really solid treats. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 11:55am

yyys said: "wonder if they're also going to replace Hades? Already seen Boykin 3x...."

There aren’t many actor/singers who could hit those lowest notes and also look genuinely terrifying while doing it.

Maybe Norm Lewis? Nicholas Christopher? Paul-Jordan Jansen?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 11:56am

Marc Kudisch. Please God, just let me see him as Hades, already.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 12:05pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "Stephanie Mills begins as Hermes on July 2."

Guess I'll be back this Summer to see it again! Can we get Norm Lewis as Hades?!?!

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 12:09pm

I don't know if Kudisch and Norm Lewis have those low notes but Nicholas Ward of Lempicka and Music Man does!

I would love to see Eric Owens as Hades. I assume he has been offered the part at some point, but opera companies book years in advance and sometimes those singers don't want to do 8 shows a week.

Updated On: 5/28/24 at 12:09 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 12:20pm

PipingHotPiccolo said: "Dont know much about Ms Mills..."

She originated the role of Dorothy in "The Wiz" on Broadway. A simple search will tell you more about her. Or just read her bio at the end of the BWW announcement.

Would love to know how long she will be in the role. I would fly in to see her in the role. Saw her 3 times in The Wiz and have listened to her music from day one. She is still touring and she still sounds fantastic.

 

 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 12:32pm

This is amazing. When I said their casting doesn't miss, I continue to mean it. I will be sat. Personally, I do not want Phillip Boykin to ever leave. The man is perfection, but I'm sure he does have other gigs he'd like to do as well. He's just so good tho. 

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 12:36pm

uncageg said: "Would love to know how long she will be in the role. I would fly in to see her in the role. Saw her 3 times in The Wiz and have listened to her music from day one. She is still touring and she still sounds fantastic."

uncageg - are you no longer in NYC? 

[quizking101]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 12:39pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "I don't know if Kudisch and Norm Lewis have those low notes but Nicholas Ward of Lempicka and Music Mandoes!

I would love to see Eric Owens as Hades. I assume he has been offered the part at some point, but opera companies book years in advanceand sometimes those singers don't want to do 8 shows a week."

Norm Lewis as Caiphas in JCS begs to differ.

https://youtu.be/jaRMfsArzfw?si=lec8Jr8MSMgcUIvi
 

Also, Nicholas Ward is a FIIIIIIINE man. 10/10 would let him drag me to hell…

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 1:02pm

Miles2Go2 said: "uncageg said: "Would love to know how long she will be in the role. I would fly in to see her in the role. Saw her 3 times in The Wiz and have listened to her music from day one. She is still touring and she still sounds fantastic."

uncageg - are you no longer in NYC?"

I moved a few months ago! Check your PM's in a bit.

 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 1:05pm

Kad said: "dramamama611 said: "Kad said: "Yola is fantastic. She's going to sound incredible as Persephone."



I am unfamiliar with her, so I'm excited to hear the positive commentary asI'm going (again) over the summer, specifically to see Boykin,"

She’s an awesome soul and R&B singer.Her Tiny Desk concert is a great introduction. I can’t speak to her acting chops, but she played Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis movie (which I have yet to watch)

"

Thanks for this, Kad. She's got a beautiful voice! 

And Stephanie Mills, I must've been a very good girl!

 

To yyys, i have no inside knowledge, but I'm assuming he'll be in the show a full year, which brings Boykin to sometime in Sept, I believe. 

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 3:14pm

Wow can’t wait to see her! She better click those heels

[Alexander Lamar]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 8:37pm

This is really exciting! Does anyone happen to know if they have gone back to only selling box seats in person at the box office or if they are truly sold out? I really prefer sitting in the boxes there but it’s hard for me to get the tickets since I live out of town. 

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 5/28/24 at 10:33pm

uncageg said: "PipingHotPiccolo said: "Dont know much about Ms Mills..."

She originated the role of Dorothy in "The Wiz" on Broadway. A simple search will tell you more about her. Or just read her bio at the end of the BWW announcement."

I read her bio, I know who SHE IS, i just meant i have no familiarity with her work, no feelings about her one way or the other. 

 

[Quinn Wilson]

Posted: 5/30/24 at 8:22am

PipingHotPiccolo said: "uncageg said: "PipingHotPiccolo said: "Dont know much about Ms Mills..."

She originated the role of Dorothy in "The Wiz" on Broadway. A simple search will tell you more about her. Or just read her bio at the end of the BWW announcement."

I read her bio, I know who SHE IS, i just meant i have no familiarity with her work, no feelings about her one way or the other.

"

So if you have no feelings about her why even post at all

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 5/30/24 at 9:09am

I'm quite surprised by how short Jon Jon and Isa's run was, especially since she just made her Broadway debut.  I won't get an opportunity to see them before they leave.

[BeingAlive44Ever]

Posted: 5/30/24 at 10:46am

Just saw the matinee yesterday-- Here's some thoughts on all the principle cast members! And, by the way, though it's harder to discuss them as individuals, all of the ensemble and the Fates were simply excellent. Broadway ensembles are often great, but the small size and very specific style, especially in songs like "Living it Up on Top" and that part where Orpheus gets beat up, makes this one of the most memorable ensembles I've seen.

Philip Boykin is delivering a full out performance and expanding the vocal range of the part drastically with both more powerful low notes than any other Hades I've seen and the capability of insane high notes that you don't expect from the role. He started his career as an opera singer and you can feel all of that power, intensity, and exaggerated-ness that comes with playing these mythical God characters in the opera. His delivery is often very funny, but never does he cease to be menacing, and he turns "His Kiss, The Riot" into a brief but absolutely breathtaking aria. I knew him from Once on this Island and Porgy and Bess, and this is a whole other color to his performance that I am very impressed by. He steals the show in a way that I have never seen a Hades do, even the original performance by Patrick Page did not, to me, have this much power. Definitely go see the show while he's in it. 

Ani DiFranco as Persephone is definitely stunt casting, but she is excellent. She is the exact person the role was originally written for and it shows big time. I never liked Our Lady of the Underground, but her delivery of it honestly makes it make a lot more sense. I was surprised by her acting, too. During "Why We Build the Wall", Hades gets close to her and you see her eyes widen just the slightest bit and stay there. There's a fear that anybody who has experienced or witnessed extended domestic abuse immediately recognizes. She made me understand the text in a way I hadn't before, and every bit of the energy she has in her own music and performance comes through. To me, her and Philip were the best performers of the night. And the way they interact is incredible, their relationship feels like a marriage that started with love and has fallen into abuse. I hope Ani does some more Broadway musicals. 

Jordan Fisher feels like he was born to play Orpheus. He is all the way naive and innocent until the end when he's supposed to not be. There's this moment where he comes in through the audience and Eurydice asks "How's you get here?" And he looks around and points out the door and says "I walked." This is the biggest laugh I've seen this moment ever get. He got a lot of these laughs. He played the guitar surprisingly well, and his voice was unsurprisingly great. We all know he can sing, and he can really sing. It's a very demanding part, vocally, and I was particularly impressed by his "If It's True", which is a punishing marathon to sing with several high G#'s and A#'s in every verse. The note at the end is lower-- only an F-- in order to give the actor a much needed reprieve. But Jordan Fisher, on a Wednesday matinee, somehow had the energy to shoot up to the G# again and completely floored me with his determination to push through, which to me felt like an acting choice more than a musical choice. Obviously he isn't as sophisticated as the incredible, operatic performance Philip is giving, and he doesn't live as much in this world of musical as Ani DiFranco, but he was still excellent and I feel a more than worthy successor to Reeve. His chemistry with Isa Briones is great, which it needs to be since the show hinges on that. I didn't feel like it was anywhere near as powerful as Reeve and Eva-- naturally, seeing as they are actually in love in real life-- but I still felt a connection and believed their romance enough for the story to work. And while we're talking about that... 

Isa Briones was good. You could kind of tell it was her Broadway debut. Sometimes she was kind of just shaking like a lot. And she often did faces that I felt were her trying to appeal to younger audience members in maybe a slightly idiosyncratic way. I know this is a show that revels in idiosyncrasy, but I was a bit put off by her. But, still, she was likable. That is important. Being likable as Eurydice is absolutely essential. Now, did I love her like I loved Eva? ... I don't think that's possible. But she was singing very well, and I could see she's going to go onto grow a lot. Some of her emotional beats, especially towards the end, were very well done and you could tell she figured it out. I think she just might have been the one who wanted to be doing a matinee the least, which is why I say you can tell this is a debut. Ani DiFranco is making her debut, as well, but if I didn't know who she was I'd think she was a veteran. Isa Briones has a ton of room to grow, but this is certainly a Broadway caliber performance and her vocals are excellent. Especially when working together with Jordan, she does bring life to the stage and I would say I enjoyed her performance. She has huge shoes to fill, though, after Eva. She isn't immediately after Eva, but she's only the second Eurydice I've seen. Speaking of big shoes... 

Poor poor Jon Jon Briones. I love him from Miss Saigon and he has a great voices and presence and his dancing was charming and his singing was generally good, although often fatigued. The thing is, like his daughter, he is following somebody who is legendary. But even more so. Everybody knows Andre De Shields won a Tony for this role and gave a career topping performance-- which is saying something. The score was also written crazy high for his unique voice, and Jon Jon often drops entire passages in sometimes distracting ways on account of his relatively small range. He still has a very distinct and memorable sound, though often weakened by the difficulty he has in sustaining pitches. I thought he was good certainly, but I did not like him as much as Lillias White and certainly nowhere near as much as Andre. I know that it's unfair to expect anybody to be as good as him, and it's not like I was let down, only left a little empty by some of his delivery and singing. I don't think he takes away from the show at all, he was still good, but his was probably my least favorite performance that I saw. 

So, yeah, those are my thoughts! I would say I recommend going before Ani leaves if at all possible. I loved her very much. 

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 7/2/24 at 6:52pm

Stephanie Mills' Hermes debut will now be Tuesday, July 9. Yola and Maia Reficco join the company tonight

https://playbill.com/article/stephanie-mills-delays-debut-in-broadways-hadestown-due-to-illness