Page vs Hewitt

[hak5]

Posted: 9/4/21 at 10:23am

For anyone who seen both:
How does Tom Hewitt's Hades compare to Patrick Page?

[The8re phan]

Posted: 9/4/21 at 10:47am

hands down, the role belongs to Page.  

Not only for the voice - Page has such a stage presence to go along with it.  It adds an element to the show when both Hermes and Hades are both equally commanding that stage.

Went (re)opening night.  Hewitt was okay - seemed to be trying too hard to sound like Page in Act 1.  He  faired much better in Act 2 when it seemed he just went for it and tried to put his own spin on the role

Tom is a seedier Hades....... still quite good, but definitely not Patrick 

Updated On: 9/4/21 at 10:47 AM

[pair-o-dice]

Posted: 9/4/21 at 10:49am

I saw Hewitt's first performance and Page EARLY in previews - but I found Hewitt to be a PERFECT choice to fill those very big shoes.  Overall, I would say Hewitt is super sexy which gives him a slightly more sleazy and slimy presence.  Vocally he was great - the low stuff is just as thrilling, the middle stuff isn't as menacing/booming/rich as Page - but he sounded awesome.  Chemistry with Persephone will obviously only get better but it was pretty great for a first performance.  Like I said, he was the PERFECT choice for this role.

[steven22]

Posted: 9/4/21 at 11:03am

I've seen Patrick a number of times from NYTW to the National in London and of course on Broadway. I was definitely thinking how they possibly find someone to fill his shoes. Tom Hewitt was the perfect replacement!

[darquegk]

Posted: 9/4/21 at 11:16am

I don’t know if he’s too busy or commands too high a price, but I’d love to see Nick Cave step into the role of Hades eventually. It’s hard to imagine his musical output and his distinctive sepulchral voice aren’t part of the cultural inspiration for the sound of Hadestown.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 9/4/21 at 11:17am

Tom is already very good in the role. There's definitely room for him to grow into the role, and he'll only improve as the show gets on its feet. He's not giving a carbon copy of Page's performance, which is admirable. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/4/21 at 11:20am

And you also have to remember....for anyone that has only seen Page on bway, he had GADS more time to perfect this role than Hewitt. Give him wt least a little time!

I haven't seen him yet, nor am I trying to champion him...just trying to keep it in perspective.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 9/4/21 at 12:10pm

Jesus, the guy has had like 2 shows and there’s already a thread. He’s getting held up to the yardstick of a dude playing it for eons. Good god.

[BCfitasafiddle]

Posted: 9/4/21 at 12:23pm

I enjoyed them both. Yes, Page was more lived in. However, it was fun watching Hewitt still experiencing the show with a huge freshness. I thought he knocked it out of the park.

Updated On: 9/4/21 at 12:23 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/4/21 at 3:08pm

Yeah, not a fan of the “vs” here, though I’m very curious about Hewitt and want/hope to see him!

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 9/4/21 at 4:12pm

Did they raise any of the keys for Hewitt? Page is a rare true bass and a baritone like Hewitt probably can’t go down as insanely low as Page does.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 9/4/21 at 4:24pm

The Distinctive Baritone said: "Did they raise any of the keys for Hewitt? Page is a rare true bass and a baritone like Hewitt probably can’t go down as insanely low as Page does."

No. As early reports have stated, Hewitt sings Hades's songs up an octave.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 9/4/21 at 9:32pm

Up an octave? Wow. Well, probably the easiest solution…I wonder if this will become the norm since even I as bass-baritone cannot physically go lower than an E2, and Page definitely hits notes below that, although it’s hard to tell what the written notes are sometimes since he kind of talk-sings a lot in the role. I’m curious what the written score for Hades actually is.

[Alexander Lamar]

Posted: 9/4/21 at 9:36pm

Since it’s rare to have someone whose voice is as deep as Page, I would guess that what Hewitt is doing is probably closer to what the role will sound like moving forward.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 9/4/21 at 9:48pm

Attached, the opening notes of "Hey, Little Songbird", according to the official PV score of Hadestown. Notice the tiny "8" below the bass clef symbol - this means the song is meant to be sung in Page's octave, but Hewitt cannot reach those notes, so he takes it up the octave. Easy peasy. 

 





 

 

 

Updated On: 9/4/21 at 09:48 PM

[teatime2]

Posted: 9/4/21 at 11:37pm

I enjoyed both equally. They both brought different things to the role. I enjoyed Hewitt's voice in the part and his voice gave me a Marc Cohn vibe. 

[MattieIce2018]

Posted: 9/5/21 at 12:26am

The Distinctive Baritone said: "Up an octave? Wow. Well, probably the easiest solution…I wonder if this will become the norm since even I as bass-baritone cannot physically go lower than an E2, and Page definitely hits notes below that, although it’s hard to tell what the written notes are sometimes since he kind of talk-sings a lot in the role. I’m curious what the written score for Hades actually is."

The lowest note written for Hades is a G1 (he hits it quite a few times in Why We Build the Wall, and I know there are others too).

 

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 9/5/21 at 8:10am

Jordan Levinson said: "Attached, the opening notes of "Hey, Little Songbird", according to the official PV score ofHadestown. Notice the tiny "8" below the bass clef symbol - this means the song is meant to be sung in Page's octave, but Hewitt cannot reach those notes, so he takes it up the octave. Easy peasy.











"

For those who can't read music, the first note Hades sings as written in the score is two whole steps below where classically trained basses are expected to sing. And that's not even the lowest note he sings. I don't think there's a role in musical theatre I've come across that has to sing as low as Hades, so I don't fault Hewitt for having to go up the octave.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/5/21 at 8:14am

Music is transposed for replacements (and even understudies) OFTEN. No one is faulting him here, unless I've missed something.

[the.hard.part]

Posted: 9/5/21 at 8:47am

I was lucky enough to attend the first 3 performances and of course he's not Patrick but the amount he grew over each performance was amazing, he was settling in and seemed to be having a blast in the role.

Possible spoiler?
The dance moment was expanded for his skills and in my opinion is much more emotional now.

[singer234]

Posted: 9/5/21 at 8:58am

I’m looking forward to Alex Gibson aging into this role, as he is probably the only person I can think of on Broadway now who can sing Hades’ material in the original key. He is a BASS bass.

[KingOfTheMine]

Posted: 9/5/21 at 9:34am

I saw the show on Friday night and enjoyed Hewitt's performance.  Hades was really formed around Patrick Page and his unique voice over the course of several productions and workshops over many years.  It would be hard for anyone else to come in and do what had been done originally, so it's good that Tom is avoiding that and making the role his own.  As has been reported, the songs haven't been transposed, but he sings certain phrases up the octave.  Other low sections he sort of speak-sings in a husky, gravelly tone.  Hewitt's Hades was mischievous, and you could tell how much he enjoyed toying with Eurydice and Orpheus.  I agree with the previous posters that he really comes into his own in Act II.  It'll be interesting to see how his performance and his chemistry with Amber changes over this two-month run.

[soulmistin]

Posted: 9/5/21 at 4:10pm

To be fair, it's not exactly an even 1:1. Page has been in the role for the past several pre-Broadway incarnations of the show, so the role was made to fit him before the show was even finished. Plus his voice is insanely unique. 

Of course, everyone is going to say Page is better, and it's true! But Tom Hewitt stepped into a well beloved role that's really only been previously associated with one person, and did an excellent job with it. He brought something very different to it, much less suave and more seedy and cowboy-esque. I think Tom Hewitt is a good benchmark for future adaptations of the show, considering Patrick obviously can't be in the role forever and they need to start thinking of who else could realistically play it.

[bway0]

Posted: 9/5/21 at 4:39pm

Separate note- is Hewitt doing all 7 shows a week, right? I haven’t seen any announcement that he’s not doing Wed/Sat matinees. Just making sure I didn’t miss an announcement. I might finally have a free Saturday and run up before his run ends.

[ImAProphet]

Posted: 9/5/21 at 5:16pm

soulmistin said: "I think Tom Hewitt is a good benchmark for future adaptations of the show, considering Patrick obviously can't be in the role forever and they need to start thinking of who else could realistically play it."

On that note, I wonder if they're considering asking him back when Patrick Page leaves. I wouldn't be mad, I thought he did a great job.