Hadestown Cast Live in The Greene Space: New Broadway Stars Perform and Discuss

Live Performance of "Road to Hell"

• 🎶 The new cast of Broadway's Hadestown performed "Road to Hell" live in The Greene Space.
• 🎭 The song introduces key characters like the Fates, Hades, Hermes, Orpheus, and Eurydice, setting the stage for the musical's narrative.

Kurt Elling's Broadway Debut as Hermes

• 🎤 Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Kurt Elling discusses his transition to musical theater as Hermes, noting the challenge of singing in a higher register than usual.
• 💡 Elling emphasizes his love for learning new things and the thrill of adapting to the discipline of musical theater while appreciating its rich artistic tradition.
• 🗣️ He describes his role as Hermes as meta, allowing him to interact with the audience and inhabit the story simultaneously, adding layers to his performance each night.

Musical Direction and Arrangements

• 🎼 Liam Robinson, the musical director, introduces the band members and discusses the challenges and pleasures of arranging for the show's many voices.
• 🎻 The band includes Ma Hughes on cello, Dana Lynn on violin, Ben Powski on drums, Mariel Bilston on trombone, Christopher Tordini on bass, and Yusa Tin on guitar.

Eurydice and Orpheus: A Cosmic Connection

• 🌱 Morgan Dudley (Eurydice) describes her character as a survivor running from hardship, finding a sense of something missing in her soul upon meeting Orpheus.
• 🌟 Jack Wolfe (Orpheus) portrays his character as a reluctant hero, a vessel for something larger than himself, whose poetry comes to him naturally.
• ❤️ The "Wedding Song" illustrates the instant, cosmic connection between Orpheus and Eurydice, highlighting their love as a driving force.

Hades and Persephone: Love Amidst Chaos

• 👑 Paulo Szot (Hades) discusses his character's role as a powerful figure who has lost touch with humanity, focusing on work and duty, which impacts his marriage.
• 🌸 Rebecca Naomi Jones (Persephone) describes her character's love for Hades but her deep connection to the natural world, struggling with Hades's artificial creations.
• 🎭 Jones notes the dichotomy between light and dark, hope and despair, in both couples' relationships, finding magic where they meet.
• 🎤 Szot, a baritone, discusses using microphones to explore vocal colors not possible in opera, and Jones highlights the challenge of performing eight shows a week compared to opera's typical two or three.

Character Interpretations and Performance Style

• 🎭 Jones enjoys playing Persephone with a "big and weird" energy, embodying her character's rebellion and struggles with hope amidst darkness.
• 🎭 Wolfe, new to Broadway, shares his process of clearing his mind of preconceived notions to embody a role authentically, trusting his own decisions.
• 🌟 Both actors express gratitude for being part of a supportive company, emphasizing the collaborative nature of their performances.

Musical Numbers and Themes

• 🎤 "Epic" showcases Orpheus's poetry and his role in telling the story of Hades and Persephone, reflecting his confidence (or lack thereof) in sharing it.
• 🍻 "Our Song" is described as Persephone's "sneaky drunken cabaret act" at her lowest point, a rebellious moment of splattering darkness.
• 🌍 The musical explores themes of love, hope, survival, and the cyclical nature of life, set against the backdrop of Greek mythology.