#i really think the nytw version was best

[armandjolras]

@fitzrove thanks for tagging me! My top musicals are under the cut. Unfortunately because I can’t read I missed the part where you were picking faves not objective best, so I ended up doing a mix of those things. I don’t think I’ll tag anyone this time but please feel invited to do it if you see this!

Sweeney Todd: I think it’s as close to overall perfect as a musical can get. The music is interesting and cohesive, the lyrics are good, it flows well, and it’s just really fun

Elisabeth: I can never decide if it’s a deeply flawed show or a perfect show. It’s really important to me though, maybe the one I have the most love for on this list

Falsettos (Original off-Broadway and Broadway prods): Im obsessed with the unique way this is written, the songs really sound like conversation. I also think the original prod is way better than the revival, except for a very few number of changes I think were good

Les Mis: yeah

Cabaret: If I had to choose one song as the best musical song of all time, it would be the title song from Cabaret. Plus Liza’s Mein Herr is iconic. I do think the quality of the rest of the show depends a lot on direction, but if you mash together the best parts of all the major productions then it’s a perfect show lol

Phantom: Strongest ALW show in my opinion, well written and bombastic and compelling. And it wouldn’t be what it is without the costume/set design and direction — watching the restaged tour makes it so clear how skilled Gillian was.

Evita/JCSS/Sunset/Cats: I wanted to put another webber musical on here but I think these four are tied for me. I like Evita best, listen to Sunset the most, think JCSS is the most influential, and that Cats is most well rounded

Great Comet: Ok to be honest I think Malloy’s composition style sounds kind of amateurish at times and I hate the clunky direct quote lyrics BUT this is such a beautiful show and a great adaptation of the book. One of the most artistic and creative shows of recent times. And Anatole is my fave type of male character I love him 🫶

A Chorus Line: Omg I’m not knowledgeable enough to say much about this. It feels both historical, a look into the time of chorus dancers, and modern in how relatable it is. It’s such a simple concept executed so well, and has one of the most subtly eerie ending scenes of a musical

Guys and Dolls: I’m not usually a golden age fan but this is my favourite of those shows. I find it really interesting and unique musically (at times sounding more modern than some of the cookie cutter shows today), and you can’t go wrong with old timey New York gangsters

Honourable mentions to Hadestown NYTW version, Sunday in the Park (one of my faves but the book is way too messy to be a best musical), Once on this Island (the first musical I ever got into, very unsatisfying ending though), and Rebecca (also one of my faves but too messy lol)

#my reading comprehension is so bad rn #you said it doesn’t matter how many musicals and they don’t have to be objectively good just favourites #and somehow I interpreted that as must be top ten and must be the best

[shotbyafool]

I completely agree with your thoughts on hadestown but i just think it’s interesting to look at it in comparison to a show like great comet that a lot of the same people love for a lot of the same reasons as hadestown (any version but nytw particularly) and wonder if great comet had made more sacrifices and made more changes to appeal to a wider audience when transferring from its off broadway run, would it have lasted longer? personally i do think so and idk i just think it begs the question of is it better to have a production that’s true to the show’s original purpose and has that charm that makes it an objectively stronger piece of theater even if it won’t last as long versus a more sanitized production that is more widely accessible and therefore has a greater longevity?

brilliant take here anon. so much of this conversation is going to be tinged by subjectivity (I personally think the few changes that Comet made in its transfer were generally quite excellent and only worked to streamline the story... and there is also of course the behemoth that is Dust and Ashes) but Great Comet did, in fact, refuse to make concessions in its transfer. a lot of my issues with the concept of the NYTW transfer for Hadestown come from me finding most of the choices so utterly inexplicable on an artistic level that I can hardly fathom being Mitchell and killing my darlings like that.

but to the actual point, I think Great Comet also had an uphill battle in its subject matter, and its marketing team (and Malloy himself, in songs like Prologue) had absolutely no choice but to lean into the inherent insanity of making a musical out of War and Peace. which necessitates a trust in the audience, and one which I think certain audiences really relished in (having trust like that built in is bound to pet ones ego; I know it petted mine as a 16-year-old!). but at the end of the day, it was always a tough sell to tourists (to whom our industry is so reliant on!!!), and this is totally regardless of its insane per-week costs for its technical elements. as an adult, I can realize that it never had much of a chance at a long Broadway run, especially with its behind-the-scenes issues which I will not discuss since they've been beaten to death. and I do wonder if there was less trust, would it have lasted longer? but to me Malloy is not an artist who necessarily dreams of Broadway; I think he works on passion projects and never expected Great Comet to make it to a Broadway house. good for him! so he didn't concede, but then again, how could he have, with the subject material and the concept of the musical to begin with?

(then again, Malloy was so terribly spit up on by the industry for Great Comet in a way that makes me feel livid. what personal vendetta robs him of a Tony for orchestrations?)

yesterday I (drunkenly) posted that I think no shows should aim for Broadway, which of course was a simplification of a situation. to me the best fate of a show in the long-run is probably starting Off-Broadway, transferring to Broadway for a season or two, then transferring back Off-Broadway when it's harder to fill those massive Broadway houses (but you're still getting audiences in seats) - a very different show, but this is what happened to The Play That Goes Wrong, which to me works so much better in an intimate stage anyway. then again, this still allows for the initial edit onto Broadway to occur, but I think Mitchell always dreamed about Hadestown having an expansive open run in the Walter Kerr and that it has done. so like. kind of shrugging here. the changes made in the transfer are (insanely) so... careful, done so much with an artistic hand that to me it's clear that Mitchell did it, but WHY for some of them. it's going to keep me up at night.

like of course, shows can't run forever, but it's a bit of a 'die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain' or whatever. and it is so miserable that the Broadway machine necessitates a watering down of material or else you are fated to a short run; A Strange Loop of course enters the conversation at this junction, and of course upsets me. I have nothing else to say in particular and I think you are absolutely right, and I am upset.

#talking myself into circles etc. etc. #anonymous #ask #I do think I would've enjoyed GC more in an Off-Bway house more #due to intimacy. don't have strong thoughts on actual lyric changes tho

[lake-cosay]

jesse & lake songs

nobody asked but here's my list of jesslake songs, minus the ones i found from the fandom which i can make a separate list of if y'all want. i'm here to validate myself lol so these are all the ones i came up with on my own (some of em are specific to just lake or just jesse and some of them make absolutely no sense to anyone else but yknow)

lake songs

Renegade by Styx

the whole song is about being on the run from the cops and in fear for your life do i really need to say much more. plus its a banger. it's one of those songs i would definitely make an animatic for if i had the patience

My Silver Lining by First Aid Kit

first aid kit has been my comfort band, if you will, for years, and i've known this song for years, but recently i actually listened to the lyrics properly (auditory processing issues who) and was like holy shit this screams lake. it's about being stuck someplace you hate and wanting to break out. i was gonna point out some of the lyrics that really stick out to me but it's just. the WHOLE song. but if i had to pick my favorite for this context, it'd be the chorus:

"i hear a voice calling / calling out for me / these shackles i've made in an attempt to be free / be it for reason, be it for love / i won't take the easy road."

(and like. there's always a chance i'm massively mis interpretting the lyrics so,,, idk lol)

jesse songs

Empty Page by The Crane Wives

yknow how at some point basically everyone in our fandom realizes "omg the b2 title 'cracked reflection' applies to jesse too because he copies the people around him!!!" it's that but in a banger song

it's also a little depressing but let jesse be sad sometimes ppl he needs catharsis too

jesse & lake songs

Rebel Heart by First Aid Kit

this one is in this section cause it fits for both of them. like it could see the lyrics being from either of their perspectives. it's also another one where its basically just the WHOLE song that i feel fits but here's some highlights:

"you told me once i had a rebel heart / i don't know if that's true / but i believe you saw something in me that lives inside you too"

"i know you truly saw me / even if just for a while / maybe that's why it hurts now / to leave it all behind"

"i don't know what it is that makes me run / that makes me wanna shatter everything that i've done / why do i keep dreaming of you? / why do i keep dreaming of you? / is it all because of my rebel heart?"

this is another one i can picture an animatic for. curse you adhd

Wait for Me from Hadestown

(i personally like either the concept album version or the nytw/live version best for them)

listen. i'm never gonna be over the parallels between jesse and lake's story and orpheus and eurydice's (in hadestown specifically, lol). obviously the chorus is the part that really fits, but it just reminds me so much of the mall car, the wasteland, and so on, of all the shit that both jesse and lake go through to get back to each other and to get home. dont touch me im emotional again

Vanilla Twilight by Owl City

"please i just want u to hold me again" the song. also it's just nostalgic for me cause owl city my beloved. reminds me of AUs where jesse can't get back on the train and is just stuck missing lake, not knowing what to do and just generally Being Depressed Now

"the silence isn't so bad / till i look at my hands and feel sad / 'cause the spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly"

"drenched in vanilla twilight / i'll sit on the front porch all night / waist deep in thought because when i think of you, i don't feel so alone"

Ribs by Lorde

this one is mostly just vibes. as far as the lyrics the most i can understand is "growing up sucks." i found the song through a connverse animatic and the connverse fandom got me into infinity train so i guess my brain connected them? but the vibes are so good.

"you're the only friend i need / sharing beds like little kids"

Little Soldiers by The Crane Wives

i almost forgot this one cause i forgot to put it on my playlist cause i hear it all the time on cd in my car. my GOD this is the most jesslake song out there i swear to god. i don't even know how to articulate it more than that. please just go listen to it

the "i swear that i loved you/i swear that you loved me" parts get to me man. holy shit.

#(spends 2 hours making one post) #ghost.text #infinity train #lake infinity train #jesse cosay #jesslake #btw the jesslake isnt necessarily romantic #if u know me u know i see them as queerplatonic

[thebohoblog]

Little rent asks made by @fezzle

Here we go lol ~~

1. Favorite song?

One Song Glory

2. Favorite character?

maureen

3. What do you think your fave's best quality is?

i feel like her confidence and outspokenness is great

4. What do you think your fave's biggest weakness is?

i mean, prob the constant cheating. she can also be selfish and self absorbed

5. Favorite lyrics?

How'd I let you slip away

When I'm longing so to hold you

Now I'd die for one more day

6. Favorite cast member from any production?

They’re all great but prob, Idina Menzel, i grew up with her

7. Original Broadway Cast recording or movie soundtrack?

that’s pretty hard, i started with the movie BUT i’ve recently listened to the obc more. prob obc (but i prefer rosario and tracie, daphne and fredi are still amazingly talented)

8. How did you discover Rent?

i first listend to the hope mill theater because of millie and maiya, and then got into by that.

9. Song that makes you laugh?

over the moon, hands down

10. Song that makes you cry?

i’ll cover you reprise

11. Song that makes you happy?

la vie boheme

12. Favorite canon pairing?

roger and mimi

13. Favoring non-canon pairing?

i’m not the biggest non canon shipper in rent for some reason, but roger x mark is pretty cute

14. Do you have an interesting/favorite headcanon?

collins started up a bakery named ‘angels’, mark and roger have matching tattoos (the only tattoo mark has), and mark maureen and roger were all childhood buddies.

15. If you could be roommates with any of the characters, who would it be?

mimi, i feel like we’d have a lot of fun

16. If you're familiar with the NYTW version of Rent, what's something that you like or dislike about it?

not really familiar with it, but i heard somewhere that marks kinda a jerk in it, dunno if that true or not but i like good friend mark

17. If all of the characters were alive today, what do you think they'd be doing?

Mark - a small filmmaker in his community, maybe picked up journalism.

Roger - tattoo artist, idk why lol i feel like he’d enjoy it. also songwriting for people and released some music here and there.

Mimi - she’d be a dance teacher! she loves kids and dancing so it’d be the perfect fit.

Collins - after his teaching gig is gone he’d become an activist. pretty big on twitter.

Angel - an influencer, gets TONS of pr packages. has a clothing line.

Maureen - she’d be a drama youtuber 100% with some activism with collins here and there too.

Joanne - a lawyer! she’s also maureen’s manager for her channel.

18. If you could swap lives with any of the characters, not accounting for HIV status, who would it be?

maureen hands down, i think we’re pretty similar already and i relate to her a ton. i also won’t cheat on joanne.

19. What part of the show gives you chills/makes you totally overwhelmed?

goodbye love, all the fighting, not to mention it was right after angels funeral.

20. In what way(s) did RENT change your life?

helped me understand what lots of people did and are going through, and to be more mindful and kind to others. o and to live like everyday is your last, you never know when you’re going, NO DAY BUT TODAY FUCKAS!!

BONUS: Most under appreciated character?

EVITA!! poor lil guy

#rent movie #rent musical #rent ask #rent get to know me #no day but today

[supercantaloupe]

🔥 for popular broadway shows: wicked, hadestown, phantom of the opera, and chicago? (or if thats too many, just pick one with ur most feelings on;;)

wicked is pretty good. there should be more actresses of color playing elphaba. i don't really have hot takes about this one

this is only unpopular depending on who you ask but the nytw version of hadestown was way better, the broadway version introduces too many things at once (namely the greater focus on the worker's chorus and orpheus' literal nature-healing magic) that it clutters the story and muddies the whole thing up. plus i think some of the poetry of the earlier lyrics is missing. the show functions way better as a smaller and more intimate thing (story wise and production wise) than it does in its current final bway form

poto is actually quite good. easily alw's best show. in fact seeing how pretty much every other thing alw has done since phantom has sucked shit, he should've stopped there. just take your tony award and go home old man

chicago is mostly boring. like half the songs slap and half of them are a total drag; the show could easily be (and probably should be) half its current length and it would probably be way better. you will never be cabaret stop trying

[ask meme]

#sasha answers #ask meme #anon #ty! #sorry i didn't answer this last night i Fell Asleep

[all-seeing-ifer]

thoughts on hadestown (london)

I actually have Such a soft spot for the london production!! like it's messyyyyyyy mostly bc reeve carney is trying to play orpheus the same way damon daunno played him and it just really doesn't work for me. I look at reeve carney in london and it's like in teen movies when the main character tries to completely change their personality to fit in with the popular kids like sir please this isn't you (and it's kind of fascinating bc andre de shields' hermes and eva noblezada's eurydice really do emerge fully formed so it's interesting that orpheus was the character they were clearly kind of struggling with in terms of what direction they were going with. anyway.)

but other than my qualms about Jock Orpheus I think it's still really strong!! it very much feels like an in between of nytw and broadway, which isn't always a good thing (again. orpheus.) but at other times it feels like it's combining the things I like most about each, which is really nice to have! I really like having, for example, a version of way down hadestown ii that's a lot closer to the nytw version in the same production as a version of road to hell that's a lot closer to the broadway. and on top of that there's a lot of stuff unique to the london production that's really strong! The "You've been looking since the day you were born" bit in any way the wind blows always sticks out to me. the weak link musically in all of it is honestly probably the epics which. considering how important they are isn't great but it's really just bc of the weird like two line intro bits they add to them. i don't have any deep thoughts on it I just think they sound kind of bad? like they're only two lines each but whenever I hear them I just feel like they bring the Musical Momentum to such a screeching halt I'm so glad they nixed them again when they moved to broadway. that being said lyrically the opening for i believe epic ii kinda slaps? "I don't know how the world will end but that's how it began" is a shining example of this musical tapping into my constant low level climate anxiety in a very visceral way so that's fun

alsoooo possible hot take but london has the best version of chant ii. idk man something about "Sister this is how it starts/A change of heart" gets me every single time.

#turns out i actually have a lot of thoughts on london hadestown damn #i didn't even talk about the costumes i figured this was getting too long #hadestown #asks and stuff #ifer rambles

[hawkepockets]

you know how in the character inspiration moodboard for fionn said you were taking questions? wanna elaborate on the connection with hadestown's eurydice? love her charactr, love fionn, would love to hear you talk about the connection =D

OK buckle up, this is gonna be a small essay...

First off, Eurydice is kind of a shorthand for all of Fionn’s folk music influences. Anais Mitchell’s lyrics in “Young Man in America” gave me the backbone of his story, from his father losing his place in the noble caste and selling his children:

My father was a lord of land My daddy was a repo man Put me out onto the street Didn't give a damn for me Did not give a damn Daddy, daddy, gonna wish you never had me I'm a young man

to his reputation as Inquisitor/Herald:

I'm growing right before your eyes I might grow to such a size Blow in like a hurricane Everyone will know my name, everyone'll know my name

and even his choice to kill Florianne on the ballroom steps at Halamshiral:

Maybe I could climb the stairs With a girl of golden hair Hold her like a sword and shield Up against this lonely world, up against the world

Lucette’s “Muddy Water” includes the lines “I’ve had sixteen years alone... I’ve got a tremble in my hand and hair afray...” which gave me the length of time Fionn spent with the Carta, searching for unclaimed lyrium veins in the deep roads on his own, and getting more than a little lyrium-addled.

From Adia Victoria’s “Dead Eyes” we get the refrain “Say you’re lookin for somethin’ make you feel anew / Don’t believe in God? Hey, whiskey will do!” which shaped Fionn’s views on faith. He’s Andrastian by choice, but sees religion as something that comforts and distracts from pain, and so is interchangeable with booze or a really good daydream.

“Don’t Let It Bring You Down” by Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn is the best description of Fionn’s open-eyed optimism. Like the song’s narrator he knows how ugly & unjust the world is, but chooses to keep his hopes up anyway.

So, Fionn and his “lyrium crawler” origin story are very much flavored by folk ballads, and Hadestown is a folk ballad in long form. I try to remember the mood of Hadestown when thinking about Fionn’s past. And on a character level...

Eurydice has a rough, poor, lonely past, doing dirty work just to get by, just like Fionn:

(”Any Way the Wind Blows,” Broadway version)

EURYDICE And sometimes you think You would do anything Just to fill your belly full of food Find a bed that you could fall into Where the weather wouldn't follow you

and they both learn the hard way that “In the end you’re better off alone / Any way the wind blows.” (For Fionn, this lesson really came home when he was twelve years old and befriended two other lyrium crawlers, Cassidy & Rosheen, and saw them both die from pitfalls and blight sickness.)

Eurydice wears her cynicism on her sleeve, while Fionn forces optimism, but they’re both people who have to dig deep for trust, and walk a knife’s edge between their romantic instincts and the bitter reality they’ve lived in.

They’re both scrappy, dirty, charming kids who want to see how the world could be, in spite of the way that it is!

Which leads me to one last parallel: lovers. Eurydice falls for Orpheus because he says he can bring the world into tune:

(”Come Home With Me,” NYTW version)

ORPHEUS You see the world? EURYDICE Of course I do. ORPHEUS I’ll make it beautiful for you. For you I’ll change the way it is. EURYDICE ...Only the gods can change the world. Me and you can’t change a thing.

ORPHEUS You haven’t heard me sing.

It’s the same bright, raw, irresistible confidence that draws Fionn to Dorian. He’s ready to dismiss Dorian as another self-absorbed rich boy (”A liar and a player too?”) until he starts talking about his plans for reforming Tevinter. Like Eurydice, Fionn sees hope that the world can change, and can’t help asking “What else you got?”

#dragon age #dragon age: inquisition #dai #hadestown #eurydice #cadash #orpheus #dorian #oc: fionn #IM SO SORRY IM AN ENGLISH MAJOR #answers #meta #pocket talk #long post cw #missveils

[where-fading-princesses-live]

Which version of Hadestown do you prefer?

Oof. I’ve wanted to discuss my thoughts on HADESTOWN forever but never got around to it... I guess there’s no better time than now. 

This musical has been through countless developments and changes over the years and I’m happy to say I’ve been following it since the very beginning, way back when it was still just a concept album and hardly anyone knew about it. It was my go to album to pop on when I was feeling blue; it always relaxed me after a long stressful day. So I was super excited when I heard it was going to be staged and ever since the smashing NYTW production, I’ve been eagerly waiting for it to sweep the Great White Way. Then it finally did. So I was beyond ecstatic. 

That being said, I’m going to mainly focus my discussion on the Broadway version and the NYTW version, since there’s already been really great detailed posts about the other versions (you can search through my #Hadestown tag if interested; I’ve reblogged almost every thing related to the show since it’s been my obsession over the past few years). 

Ahem. So both versions have their pros and cons. I know the fandom is pretty divided between both these versions... I even know some people who aren’t fond at all of the Broadway version and only prefer the NYTW version and that’s fine (there does seem to be bias for this version in particular). I honestly like both. I’ll admit it took me some time to get used to the Broadway version. When shows transfer to Broadway, it’s inevitable that they’d undergo necessary changes.Some are good and some are bad (I’ve experienced this with all my favorite musicals... Amelie and SpongeBob just to name a few. Some of the changes I like and some things I prefer from their pre-Broadway out of town tryout versions). You can’t please everyone. These shows have large creative teams who go through lengthy processes to determine what suits the Broadway version best, so there’s always a reason for these changes. 

First let’s talk about the costumes. At first I wasn’t thrilled with the costumes in the Broadway version. If anyone remembers, I reblogged the first production photos with disdain in the tags. I thought the new costumes sucked all the color out of the NYTW costumes, replacing them with drab, dreary, ugly garments, though I did praise their historical accuracy (I think the Fates were the only costumes I actually could get behind... unlike the NYTW version, they actually ARE all dressed alike as the lyrics suggest... they remind me of a girl group... like the Carter Sisters). I was initially the most upset with Persephone’s black dress. But little did I know at the time that the black dress was not the dress she was going to wear for the WHOLE show-- they had yet to release the pictures of her in the green dress we all know and love from ‘’Livin’ it On Top’’ (a new and improved version of the one she wore in the NYTW production). Once I understood the very symbolic transformation her character goes through-- it made complete and total sense to me that they would bestow upon her a black dress while she joins her husband in the underworld. Now I really like the black dress! It looks like she’s going to a funeral, and that’s probably the whole point. I also didn’t initially care for Eurydice’s updated look. Everyone loved her little yellow skirt and off the shoulder top from the NYTW production. I love it too and it fits her... but now I really like Eurydice’s tomboyish look in the Broadway version. Not only does it fit the story, but it much better suits her updated character, not to mention it really ties into the whole Depression-Era setting. The thing about costume design is that it’s not always trying to create the cutest clothes or the most colorful and flamboyant for that matter. THEY NEED TO FIT THE STORY YOU’RE TRYING TO TELL. They need to tell us something about the characters, the setting and themes. What statement do these clothes make? After comparing the two versions, I have to say that the Broadway costumes fit the story much more than the NYTW costumes. Sure, the NYTW costumes are much more vibrant and pretty and I will always have a soft spot for them... and they do tie into the whole ‘’folksy’’ aesthetic they were going for, but there’s nothing in these costumes that makes me think of a 1930s-inspired post-apocalyptic  setting that Anais Mitchell wanted to convey. The costumes in the NYTW version are very hip, upbeat and modern, and they clearly weren’t aiming for historical accuracy, but with the way the music sounds (esp. if you consider the concept album), I feel like a more period approach was appropriate. Anyway, I like both costumes, and they both work well in their respective treatments of the same story, but the Broadway costumes have grown on me, and I’m glad they changed them. 

Now for the music. I love both, and I tend to listen to all three albums in a row (the concept album, the live album from the NYTW, and the original Broadway cast album). They all have their numerous differences, but the score remains relatively the same, or at least it evokes the same idea, the same sound, the same experience. I do like some of the new arrangements in the Broadway version (’’Wait for Me’’ benefited from this the most). But there are admittedly some lyrics I prefer from the NYTW version. The first ‘’Chant’’ for example. But I still like both of them honestly. 

I also like both casts. Fight me. I do much prefer  Damon Daunno ‘s version of ‘’Epic III’’ over Reeve Carney’s, but you know what? That’s neither here nor there... both songs make me cry, every single time, no matter who sings it. 

I’ve rambled long enough but yeah to sum this up, I like both versions, I don’t really have a preferred favorite. 

#hadestown #ask me a question

[fourteenacross]

end of 2019

I've done this survey every year since like, 2006 and then missed it last year because I was on a social media break. Whoops! My shitty memory makes it fairly important as a way to track the passage of time, so I'm back on the horse this year.

What did you do in 2019 that you’d never done before? I'm sure there's some specific thing, but nothing's coming to me immediately. Oh, I guess I started cross stitching? Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I'm not sure what my resolutions were for last year because I did not write them anywhere because I did not do this meme /o\ Next year: + Set up some kind of writing schedule + Finish my mg novel + Survive moving + Get a new job + Go on more dates

eta: Outside of these sort of concrete, 2do-list type goals, I set some more nebulous personal goals on Twitter: - See my local friends outside of the BFC more often - Do weird, dumb shit - Be nicer to myself - Fix my meds - Bake something fancy(Okay, that last one is kind of 2do-listy.) Did anyone close to you give birth? YES!! @caphairdadbeard had a baby and he's perfect and I love him and it kills me that he's so far away and I only get to see him a few times a year, even more so than it usually kills me having Sarah so far away. Did anyone close to you die? My former roommate's father. I did a lot of family stuff with her over the decade that we lived together and spent a lot of time with her parents and he was super loved and admired by his community. A real shitty loss all around. What countries did you visit? Just the US, but I visited Seattle and Mississippi for the first time! What would you like to have in 2020 that you lacked in 2019? ~*~Financial security~*~ What dates from 2019 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? I'm so terrible with actual dates. May 9 was Max's birthday, so there's that? We did a lovely, successful live show on April 18. OH we went to Rent Live and had our wild weekend in LA on January 26. We watched a lot of wild movie musicals at Grace and Jesse's in July. I saw Blair Witch in the woods. I went down to the city to see Octet and Hadestown. Lisa moved in with me. Moby-Dick happened. Now I'm just listing events and not dates, but there you go. What was your biggest achievement of the year? God, do I even have one? I'm not dead, so that's probably something. Oh, I guess we had a really good WBS month where we were interviewed by Forbes.com, had one of our crossovers with IDEOTV, guest edited TBD, and had our live show. That was a really satisfying few weeks. What was your biggest failure? I'm haunted by this work thing I fucked up, even though everyone has told me it wasn't a big deal. I really crash and burned out for NaNo because SAD hit me way harder and faster this year than it has in the past. Did you suffer illness or injury? Lots of brain stuff, as per usual. A couple minor colds. My FAMILY on the other hand.... What was the best thing you bought? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Tickets to Octet, maybe. It was probably my favorite show of the year. The new chair/loveseat is also very good. Whose behavior merited celebration? Some of my friends. A lot of excellent activists. Sarah's baby (he's very good). Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Like, the whole government? Where did most of your money go? Grown-up type stuff (rent, utilities, groceries), cons, and travel. What did you get really, really, really excited about? LA, Octet, Max, DragonCon, Moby-Dick. Galentine's! What song will always remind you of 2019? Probably music from Octet? I don't like.....listen to the radio. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? Probably about the same? Maybe more stressed out by family stuff going on and money stuff. b) thinner or fatter? Same. Also, I hate this question. 2020 Kaitlyn, delete it plz. c) richer or poorer? About to be poorer. What do you wish you’d done more of? Writing. Sleeping. Going on dates. Hanging out with people. What do you wish you’d done less of? Being depressed. Being stressed. Did you fall in love in 2019? Nope. What was your favorite TV program? If we're talking "currently airing" and not "things I bingewatch that are very old," probably The Good Place--OH I almost forgot Good Omens was this year!!! Also that! And I started watching Schitt's Creek and watched all of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Oh, and I started watching some videos on the Bon Appetit YouTube channel, mostly Gourmet Makes and Making Perfect and Reverse Engineering. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Mostly just like...........people I don't actually know who are terrible humans. What was the best book you read? Coming soon to a podcast feed near you! What was your greatest musical discovery? Probably Octet? I don't think I listened to a lot of new music this year. OH WAIT, The Highwomen!!! What a good album!!! (Also in doing the theatre section I just remembered Six was this year too!) What did you want and get? Mostly material things--clothes, cons, travel, seeing people, tickets to things, etc. Impeachment. Got that. That was nice. What did you want and not get? Financial security. A new job. Emotional stability. A relationship. More sleep. What was your favorite film of this year? Captain Marvel, although Us, Charlie's Angels, and The Wind were very good too. What was your favorite theatrical event of the year? Probably Octet! The broadway version of Hadestown was kind of disappointing compared to the 2016 NYTW version and Moby-Dick is great fun, but still pretty rough in places. Octet is just.....very good.  Oh, or SIX, that was great too! Octet or Six. Oh, and, jesus, this year was a hundred years long, I totally forgot we saw Denee as Eliza this year!! She was very good!! And I got to see Daniel Breaker as Burr again and I fucking love him. What was your favorite podcast of the year? The Empty Bowl, a meditative podcast about cereal. It is so good for zoning out and being calm. TAZ has been killing it with the one-shots and the Amnesty arc, too, and this was the first year I listened to MBMBaM weekly and also I mainlined all of Sawbones after listening to half of it, then not listening to any for six months, then deciding to start from the beginning again. Unwell is a really good show that I recommend, and Mabel. The Magnus Archives killed it with season four, which was tailored to my exact narrative tastes. MFM and Criminal are perpetual faves. American Hysteria was super interesting to go through and Bear Brook and In the Dark both obviously had fucking fantastic years. Oh, and Who the Hell is Hamish? that was fun too. And I’ll stop now.

I.....listen to a lot of podcasts. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 34! On the day, I went out for dinner and drinks with some friends. That weekend, I bought a bunch of children's Captain Marvel birthday supplies and we played Jackbox games and ate cake! What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Any sort of fix to our current political mess. And/or financial stability. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2019? The "Whimsical" section on eShakti. What kept you sane? Friends! Podcasts! Anti-depressants! Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Brie Larson and Starr Busby are the first that spring to mind. What political issue stirred you the most? It’s hard to pick just one when the whole country is on fire. Who did you miss? Pretty much everyone when they are not right next to me. Sarah Bay, a lot, but I feel weird singling one person out. [This is exactly what I wrote for the last four years, but I’m keeping it because it’s still true.] Who was the best new person you met? Did I meet new people this year? I know I internet-met a couple people, but I'm not sure if I in-person made any new friends? We hung out with this girl Jenn at con a bunch, she was pretty cool! edit: oh my god MAX I met MAX this year because he did not exist last year!!! Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2019: Do not invite folks to sit on a panel unless you know they'll stick to the goddamn topic agreed on in advance. Quote a song that sums up your year: And no one grew into anything new / we just became the worse of what we were

(I think this is the third year in a row that Dave Malloy has been my lyric of the year.)

Anyway, that’s 2019 for me. I can’t say I’m sorry to see it go. The last half, in particular, was super rough. Hell, the last week was super rough--guess how many members of my family have been in the hospital in December! If you guessed “six” you would be correct!! (Everyone is more or less fine.) 

But, hey, it also brought me my tiny nephew and two Dave Malloy musicals, so it wasn’t all bad! 

I hope 2020 treats you all well, friends!

#stuff about me #2019 #meme

[roadtohadestown]

Please tell me what the scene during Come Home With Me/Wedding Song is like now!! I really want to know. I've only heard the NYTW and London versions, and I'd love to hear how OBC Orpheus says/sings his lines differently! Also, their expressions!!

Okay this is gonna be long, so I’m gonna give you the whole rundown of it.

(I’m reciting lyrics, so the little music notes by Orpheus’s lines indicate him singing because he does that with most all of his lines in Broadway’s “Come Home With Me” compared to how it was in London.)

In between “Any Way the Wind Blows” and “Come Home With Me,” Hermes has a little part where he talks about Orpheus. About him being a poor boy and the son of a muse. (I would tell you what he says exactly, but it’s much different from older versions, so I can’t remember what he says word for word.)

Orpheus, upon seeing Eurydice, takes a sheet of newspaper and starts crumpling it and folding it onstage until it looks somewhat like a flower.

Hermes says to Orpheus, “You wanna talk to her?”

Orpheus replies, “Yes!”

But before he does, Hermes gives him one last piece of advice: “Orpheus...don’t come on too strong.”

Orpheus kinda just. looks at him, wondering what to do with that info. then just blurts out to Eurydice while holding out the paper flower:

“ ♪ coME hOmE wiTh mE!!! ♪ ”

(The audience bursts out laughing)

“Who are you!?”

“The man who’s gonna marry you!! ♪ I’m Orpheus! ♪ ”

Eurydice turns to Hermes quizzically, “Is he always like this?”

“Yes.”

She turns back to Orpheus. “I’m Eurydice.”

“♪ Your name is like a melody! ♪”

“A singer? Is that what you are?”

“Well I also play the lyre!” He turns around and points at his “lyre” (it’s his guitar) leaning up against the wall.

“Oh a liar AND a player, too!? I’ve met too many men like you.” (I think Eva sits on the table at this point ?? holding the candle. She does this at some point around here in the song, but I honestly was too busy looking at Hermes or smth bc I can’t quite remember rn.)

“Oh no, I’m not like that!” (Orpheus sits on the table beside her. I THINK it’s at this point ?? Again, for some reason my mind can’t remember when he does it, but I know he does it.)

Hermes chimes in, “He’s not like any man you’ve met.” He turns to Orpheus. “Tell her what you’re working on!”

“♪ I’m working on a song! It isn’t finished yet, but when it’s done and when I sing it, spring will come again! ♪”

“Come again?”

“♪ Spring will come. ♪”

“When? I haven’t seen the spring or fall since... well, I can’t recall.”

“Well that’s what I’m working on! ♪ A song to fix what’s wrong, take what’s broke and make it whole. A song so beautiful—it brings the world back into tune...back into time...when all the flowers will bloom. ♪” He gets down on one knee and holds out the paper flower to her like a proposal. “Become my wife.”

“Oh, he’s crazy...” (to Hermes) “Why would I become his wife?”

“Maybe because he’ll make you feel alive.” Hermes takes the candle out of her hands.

“Alive? That’s worth a lot!” She gets up and snatches the paper flower from Orpheus’s hands. “What else do you got?”

She crumples up the paper flower and stuffs it in her coat pocket.

If you’ve seen the London video boot (if you haven’t, I can provide you), “Wedding Song” is basically the exact same with all the visuals and everything. But minus Orpheus’s guitar, and give him an apron.

Also you know how Eurydice usually goes high when she sings “And the trees gonna lay the wedding table!” at the end ?? She sings it low instead. I don’t know musical terms so that’s most likely not the best way to describe it, BUT she just sings it differently !!

———

Clips of a “Come Home With Me” rehearsal video were posted to Jordan Roth’s Instagram page months ago before the show opened previews on Broadway !! A couple of Eurydice/Hermes’s lines from here were cut, but it’s pretty much the idea of what’s happening in the Bway production.

#hadestown #wedding song #come home with me #casu asks #casu’s hadestown experience

[droughtofapathy]

Hadestown Song-By-Song:

Notes: Hadestown is still in previews so things are still changing even now. We won’t have a definitive show until opening night. Even from the first preview to the second there were still changes. But yeah, this show now owns every single dollar I have. Other Broadway shows? What’s that?  

Now buckle in, because this is long and I’m just going to give it to you.

Road To Hell I:

·       We open on this gorgeous set that’s something akin to an old French balcony café (it’s the green door and iron staircase that really does it) and 1920s speakeasy. The band is onstage and nearly every one of them are the same people from the NYTW days. They have fantastic costumes too. No basic black here.

·       The cast casually enters the stage and the applause was deafening both nights. There are five ensemble members and they are all so fucking ripped. Both women in the chorus can probably kill me and that’s totally okay.

·       Also, on the first preview night the opening applause lasted 40 fucking seconds. Yes, I timed it. It was amazing, Amber was tearing up, I was almost crying. What a great start. Then, after a long silence, the applause started up again for another fifteen seconds or so.

·       Such great opening trombone.

·       So there’s been a bunch of significant lyric changes to this song. Hermes now gives the characters, including the “hardest working chorus in the goddamn world”, an official introduction. And there was uproarious applause for every single person.

·       When Hermes calls the Fates old women they all simultaneously turn and give him the most attitude-laced look I’ve ever seen. Yes.

·       Side note: the Tony Awards needs to create a category for best ensemble because these people are fantastic.

·       Persephone has a wicker fan and bag and yeah I’m liking this costume more and more.

·       They changed Orpheus’s characterization. He’s much less suave and cool now, and definitely reads on the spectrum. It fits Reeve better, I think. Now Orpheus is a gentle, good-natured bumbling sweetheart who is said to be “a little touched.”

·       Eurydice is a firecracker. A jaded bitter little ball of attitude. Eva Noblezada is perfect.

Any Way the Wind Blows:

·       I love the original lyrics to this song because it felt like a fantastic prologue. But now it’s more story-centered, and I love it. Eurydice and the Fates (and the Fates have the most beautiful harmonies I’ve heard in a long time).

·       The Fates truly are the ones singing in the back of our minds. I love them. They could snap my life thread whenever they want.

·       This song establishes more of why Eurydice is so bitter and used to being alone. She’s been fucked over by the weather and by people so much that she’s just fed up.

·       Also, the Fates used to be three voice parts (I assume. I’m not an expert at all in this): soprano, mezzo, and alto. But now all three are much lower. I’d have to guess it’s a low mezzo, alto, and contralto because Jewelle Blackman’s voice transcends humanity. It is beautiful and impossible. Like, I know I advocate for Grace McLean as Hades one day, but like…Jewelle Blackman as Hades would be everything I’ve ever wanted.

·       Orpheus takes a piece of paper and makes it into a flower, and in the first preview there’s a long moment of silence, but in the second preview Hermes narrates over it so it’s not a big long awkward silence.

·       Also all the Fates are women of color in this production and I am in love.

Come Home With Me:

·       So Hermes warns Orpheus not to come on to strong, and what is the first thing this idiot boy asks? Come home with me. And it’s fucking hilarious. Especially since he immediately follows up with how he’s going to marry her. Like, boy, calm down.

·       Eurydice is decidedly unimpressed and borderline belligerent because she’s had enough of liars and players.

·       When Orpheus says how his song will make spring come again, the chorus says the same thing and has a fantastic harmony.

·       The plot now has Spring or Fall as something no one’s seen in a long time. It just goes from Winter to Summer because Hades keeps Persephone in the Underworld longer and longer.

·       When Eurydice asks “what else you got?” it’s not passive. She’s mocking and aggressive and I love it.

Wedding Song:

·       That mocking tone continues in her first verse in this song. She’s like, ‘you think you can change shit? Fucking prove it, bitch.’

·       And Orpheus is an awkward noodle who sounds so earnest. In the NYTW version (especially since these songs were cut on the recording, but bless bootlegs) I don’t think we see much of how Orpheus gets Eurydice to fall in love with him. Here her journey is so much more clear. She starts out so skeptical, and goads him into singing his song to impress her.

·       The La La La etc. part is now a huge motif. Orpheus sings this angelic medley and literally conjures up a red flower, and that’s how Eurydice starts to fall. She’s just in such awe that a voice could bring something to live.

·       Now they’re singing together and it’s really quite cute. Eurydice is totally on board with this romance now.

Epic I:

·       The La La La is a melody from long ago. And it comes back in a big way. Spoiler: it’s the song Hades sang to Persephone in the garden.

·       Big lyric changes here. The Epics all have gone through major revisions and I’m not sure how to feel. Like this Epic is fine because it’s still in the works, but later…well, I’ll get to it.

Livin’ It Up On Top:

·       We’ve now got an anticipation first verse about how everyone’s waiting on Persephone and Spring.

·       And Amber just prances down the staircase in a huge fur coat. What a voice. So know how NYTW Persephone is very distinguished? Now she’s a disaster goddess who literally sings about how she’s just “doin’ the best she can.” Which is great.

·       Mentions of Demeter. Yes.

·       She’s got two bottles of wine and a circular flask and is perpetually adorably tipsy while up on top.

·       Great dance break by the ensemble here. Brian Drye on the trombone comes to the center of the stage to play, and it’s a fantastic moment.

·       Orpheus’s toast is awkward and earnest. Which is his entire personality to be honest. But when he says “to the world we dream about and the one we live in now” it’s said without any music accompaniment and it’s such a sobering moment the audience murmurs. Also because the entire cast turns to the audience during that point.

All I’ve Ever Known:

·       Also Persephone, when she’s not singing, spends her time onstage almost constantly just draping herself on a step and watching the action. It’s a lot like what Hélène does in Great Comet, and Amber is so good at looking casually regal.

·       Eurydice has her love epiphany. They both sing, and it’s such a good song. Eva’s delivery is delightfully vulnerable.

·       We see the start of Orpheus’s insecurity about how Eurydice could ever love him, leading later to his paranoia as he exits the Underworld. It establishes more of his doubts because Hades preys on his very insecurities. And it’s some good characterization shit right there.

·       There’s a very suggestive sensual sex thing going on. And Eurydice is a TOP. We all knew it, but now we’re validated.

·       The wind’s never going to change? Think again bitch.

Way Down Hadestown:

·       The whistle sounds and the train comes and you can see the pure dread and horror on Persephone’s face.

·       And the Fates, these bitches, gleefully tell Persephone to pack and even help her get her suitcase. Persephone is not amused. What icons.

·       Okay, so Amber has this amazing choreography here. She’s bent completely in two, and it’s like she has no limbs with the way she fluidly moves. Her spine must be otherworldly. Amber Gray for the Tony.

·       Hermes now has a beaded umbrella and does some fantastic dancing with it. It’s huge. The exact extraness we need.

·       Persephone now sings the “chromium throne” and all those lyrics with such vehement disgust.

·       And here comes Hades. He has fucking those sunglasses. And his “I missed you” line is heavily laced with all of that.

·       When Eurydice sings about how she wonders how it feels to have everything, Hades stares right at her over his sunglasses.

·       When the floor drops down and Hades and Persephone descend into the underworld it is a beautiful and terrifying moment. For the first preview I sat in the mezzanine so I could look down into that pit and it’s great. Persephone looks near tears.

A Gathering Storm:

·       What a great little addition. It establishes how Hades keeps coming sooner and sooner for Persephone and how winter comes faster and fiercer with each passing year.

·       Now Eurydice snaps out of the honeymoon phase, and gets to work. You can see how she becomes more and more impatient with Orpheus as he works on a sing while they starve and freeze to death and doesn’t hear her when she calls at all. Eurydice deserves better, damnit.

·       The Fates are so ominous here.

Epic II

·       More Orpheus song workshop.

·       Okay, so. I think Reeve has come a long way since the bootlegs I’ve listened to. The change in characterization really does him a lot of favors. We see more of his struggle to find the right melody.

·       The Ensemble enters in their workers uniforms and it’s fantastic costuming. They’re all dressed the same regardless of gender. They have their leather overalls and tool belt, everyone’s head is wrapped, and everyone’s chest is bound. There is no gender down here. Everyone is the same and everyone is dead.

Chant:

·       The music turns so fucking ominous. Hades and Persephone are on the middle turntable that elevates while the ensemble chants and surrounds them. And she just stares at these dead souls with a mix of morbid horror and fascination.

·       She’s not fucking impressed with Hades and his desire.

·       Meanwhile, Orpheus is struggling to find his La La La melody.

·       The ensemble moves with perfect synchronization. And the lighting goes all orange and spooky.

·       We see more of Eurydice’s futile efforts to keep herself and Orpheus from starving. And clearly Orpheus doesn’t understand the dangers they’re in. He keeps singing, and Hermes even tries to get him to come back to reality because there’s a storm coming and Eurydice is alone, but he’s just stuck in his song.

·       The storm catches Eurydice. The Fates are the wind, and they gleefully tear her bag and coat from her and leave her with nothing. She calls to Orpheus with such terror but does he hear? Nope.

·       Persephone’s verse now has a nod to the turmoil above and how the earth is in chaos as the oceans rise and temperatures heat up.

·       She descends into the underworld alone, and it’s terrifyingly good how Amber can look that angry and scared and resigned all at once.

·       Also, when Hades sings his final “think if it as my embrace of you” Persephone is now gone, so he’s staring right at Eurydice. And it’s a moment of blocking genius.

Hey, Little Songbird:

·       This song highlights the wonders of Patrick Page’s voice perfectly. It’s basically the same song as NYTW because it was already perfection so why mess with it?

·       And after seeing the terrifying storm Eurydice has just been caught with, it’s so understandable why she’d see this promise of a better life enticing. Orpheus is off doing whatever he does. He hasn’t come to help, he hasn’t heard her scream. But Hades has. We see the conflict in Eurydice. She doesn’t want to leave the man she loves, but the vipers and vultures (the Fates! Looking deliciously diabolical) will kill her. And he has a ticket with her name on it.

When The Chips Are Down:

·       If ever it was possible to experience an auditory orgasm, it would be with these harmonies. Goddamnit this is a good song.

·       This would be a dream role if I had any talent, which I don’t.

·       And yeah, Hades was seductive and convincing, but the Fates are the ones who really get Eurydice to make her choice. Which, if these women wanted me to do anything and tried to convince me by singing like this? Yeah, I’d do it without question because I’m a weak lesbian and they’re so fucking good.

Gone, I’m Gone:

·       Eva sings deep at one point and it’s so good. And down into the underworld she goes.

·       Then the Fates come in and sing right to the audience basically saying ‘you can blame her all you want, but what happens if you’re in her shoes? Yeah, you’d do that too.’

·       The line about having principles when you have a bellyful is so damn poignant.

Wait For It:

·       Orpheus, this idiot, didn’t even know Eurydice was gone. So when Hermes breaks the news to him he’s devastated.

·       And okay. This whole scene is the most visually magnificent thing I’ve seen, possibly in my entire life. There has never been a moment when I’ve been so awestruck by a set change and lighting that my jaw has dropped.

·       So, Orpheus starts his long walk down. And the workers have headlights and are armed with those lights that hang from warehouse ceilings. And let me fucking tell you this whole thing is a theatrical masterpiece.

·       The Fates stand at the gates and ask who Orpheus thinks he is to do this. But he sings and (yeah, Reeve was fine here) but it’s supposed to be such a beautiful song that the ceiling lifts and the walls literally crack open to reveal the Underworld. And holy shit it’s gorgeous. This is the best set change I’ve ever seen.

·       The “ceiling” lifts to reveal the copper pipes and the ominous orange lighting and there’s smoke curling everywhere and holy shit it’s not something that can be described or captured in photo. You need to see this because Bradley King and Rachel Hauck deserve their Tonys right fucking now.

·       The ensemble has their lights and they attach them to cables that come down from the ceiling. They take the lights and in perfect synchronism they swing them like pendulums and they move perfectly like physics was made exactly for this moment. And the harmonies as they do this. Yes.

·       This scene is so visually gorgeous that there was a fucking forty-second round of applause that shattered the house. Oh my god. Just wow.

Why We Build The Wall:

·       Hades is center stage. When the company sings about why they build the wall, it’s sang with such vehement belief in it that it’s terrifying because they’ve _all _been brainwashed by this man to believe it. Even Persephone sings the response with a hopeless sort of defeat. She doesn’t believe a word of this shit but what can she do?

·       What a politically appropriate song. And yes, Anais Mitchell wrote this

·       Eurydice enters. And suddenly there’s this world that promises her freedom and security. As they sing the final line, everyone has their finger up in some sort of salute that really just turns your stomach, and Eurydice sees it and joins in. Only Persephone, though she sings the words, does not make the sign. Everyone looks so proud and gleeful in their freedom but she’s horrified.

·       Then Hades ascends the staircase to his office and Eurydice follows. And Persephone knows what is going to happen but she’s helpless to do anything. And goddamnit the music is ominous.

·       We’re left on such a heavy note, but then Persephone turns to us and asks us the real question: anybody wanna drink? And yeah. We fucking need a drink after that.

·       Also I should mention, Persephone is now in her black costume which is identical to her other green dress in every detail save for the color. Her hair is now tucked up into a snood, and the flowers are now black.

Act II:

 Our Lady of the Underground:

·       Intermission just sort of fades out. The band reenters the stage and starts playing as the audience scrambles back into their seats. And it’s such a great song to open up an act.

·       Persephone mocks her husband “step into my office” and she’s like two sips from drunk off her ass.

·       It’s just her, the band, and Hermes on stage. This is just a song about getting blind drunk to forget the horrors of the world. She’s got her little flask and is chucking that shit all damn day.

·       Side note: when she sings about having the wind right here in a jar she grabs her boob and jiggles it and it’s everything the gays want. Then she while she’s dancing up a storm she decides the best way to hold onto her flask is to tuck it in her bra and she gives the audience this playful coy look when she does it.

·       The moment she sings about seeing the sky it’s so sobering and she’s on the edge of being devastated again, but then comes the crack in the wall and the alcohol and it’s all okay again.

·       And yes, they kept the band introduction and I’m living for it. Everyone is the same from the NYTW days except we lost Jenny Shineman and gained Dana Lyn. But I’m so glad an orchestra is getting their fucking recognition. Deafening applause for everyone of them each night. It’s them who sings the “our lady of the underground” parts.

·       They’ve changed “one at a time boys…” to “tell my husband to take his time” and it’s sung in a way where Persephone is trying to make light of her husband’s infidelity by pretending she’s okay with having this time to fuck around, but like she’s still afraid for the poor soul he’s with.

Way Down Hadestown II:

·       Eurydice enters now dressed like every other worker. And the Fates order her onto the line. Gone is the enticing promise, and now they give a fuck about any illusion.

·       Side note: in the program this and every other song that was once II is now (reprise) and I do not care for that shit at all.

·       She joins the line and starts doing the workers’ movements. But now there’s a thing about how none of the workers will look her in the eye, and she’s a little terrified because they’re all just mindlessly working themselves to death.

·       The Fates gladly inform her how she’s fucked herself over. The lyrics are now: “but why won’t they look at me? It’s like their eyes don’t see.” instead of “there must be some mistake…” and the Fates answer: “they don’t//it’s easier that way//and your eyes will look like that someday.” It’s a scary moment. That Eurydice, so full of vinegar and life, will become a dried husk.

·       She tries to leave, but we visually see how the life begins to drain from her. We see her begin to die.

Flowers:

·       This song is heartbreaking. Eva sings it so wonderfully.

·       When she sings how she opens her mouth and nothing comes out it’s sung with such despair and terror. And the regret when she sings about how she turned away into the shade.

·       She lies down and who should pop up? Orpheus.

Come Home with Me II:

·       In the second preview he enters from the audience aisle. He’s all battered from his long long walk.

·       So, lyrics: Eurydice says “I called your name” Orpheus: “I know” Eurydice: “you heard?” Orpheus: “no…” And what a good addition.

·       This is where the tightening of the show really happens. Orpheus says how he’s going to sing them home again, but there’s no back and forth callback to Come Home With Me I. Instead, Eurydice tells him in a anguished voice that no, he can’t. And he doesn’t get it. And then Hades enters.

Papers:

·       What a guy.

·       Persephone tries to step in but Hades isn’t having it.

·       In a moment of confidence, Orpheus tries to argue, and Eurydice can’t bring herself to tell him what she’s done. How she’s signed her name.

·       And it’s a whole thing. Where he asks if it’s true, but oops. It’s fucking true. And this is where Eurydice says “I did…I do.” Which takes out the double marriage acceptance//signed life away meaning, but still. Okay.

·       Fight scene is so well-choreographed. Reeve is just tossed around like a hackey sack and the ensemble beats his ass. In the first preview he has a visibly bloody lip that stays for most of the show, but in the second preview it’s toned down and I think it was the right move because it looked pretty ridiculous throughout the whole emotional bits.

Nothing Changes:

·       The fighting freezes and the Fates come in to offer their message of ‘give the fuck up cause you ain’t shit’ and wow they just roast this boy. What an ultimate defeatist song.

If It’s True:

·       Orpheus starts out echoing the Fates and their defeatism, but then…

·       Just before he turns to go…the walls have ears. It’s the workers who hear his song in this production. And suddenly their perfect synchronization is broken as they start to wake up and it’s beautiful. It’s their spark of something that gets Orpheus to stop in his tracks.

·       “Brother who are they to say?...Cause the ones who tell the lies…” His entire mood and tune changes. This is a rebellion in the making. Suddenly he turns and asks Hades how the fuck he is to tell the many what is true. It could have been more powerful, I think. And it was better in the second preview.

How Long?:

·       So things were changed in this song. Persephone is now much more angry and accusatory. They took out the lines about ‘looking at other girls now and then’ and instead it’s Persephone getting fucking pissed off and saying how Orpheus and Eurydice have the love they once did.

·       And Hades at one point tells her to basically calm down and have a drink, which is not the fucking right thing to say my man. She responds by saying she’s “had enough” which is an incredible character development moment because thus far we’ve seen her fucking wasted, but she’s also saying how she’s had enough of everything that’s been going on.

·       So when Amber sings “Hades my light” she does the exact same movement she does in Great Comet’s Charming when she sings “oh, how she blushes…” You know, that thing where she bends her knees and extends her arms in presentation. And that is some good shit.

·       The song is now less about an old couple trying to reminisce and shit and now about Persephone being fucking done. There’s some good back and forth here. They’re standing opposite on the stage, with the pit between them and a bit of smoke and it’s great blocking.

·       The question is how long they can stay married like this. And the answer is: not very.”

Chant II:

·       So the platform rises back up and the ensemble workers are surrounding Orpheus asking is it true? They’re no longer mechanically working. There’s a spark of life again, and Hades is not having this.

·       So when Patrick Page says “It’s the boy!” he does a great delivery but it kind of sounds a bit Disney villain to me, I don’t know.

·       There’s a steam whistle on stage and I want one.

·       Now the workers are working, but there’s something different. A recognition of what they’ve become.

·       The verses in this song have gone through some big changes. I’d recommend listening instead of me trying to relay.

·       But what there is in this song is some fantastic usage of turn tables spinning in different directions. Hades and Persephone stand completely opposite, and as they walk in different directions of the tables they’re stationary. But then there are moments when the pause and are whisked around. And always opposite. Then Persephone sings to Eurydice and they’re opposite because she hops onto the middle turntable and it’s some amazing choreography and blocking here.

·       The part in this song marks the first time the chorus sings as individuals. Some of them get solo lines that are echoes of Orpheus and Eurydice “If I raise my head…if I change my voice…” and it’s a sign of them waking up and remembering themselves as individuals. Now they’re out of sync, and they fucking start to question everything. They question the wall and why they can’t even look at each other if they’re supposedly free.

·       Persephone is really fucking at her breaking point in this relationship.

·       I like the additions of the workers verses because holy shit that’s fucking great. I’m not sure about Hades and Persephone’s verse changes yet. And they’re still being developed I think, because there are some very subtle differences from first preview to second.

·       But yeah, the Electric City line is still a jaw-dropping moment. When he sings it, to prove it, the lights all blow out. And it’s great.

·       Hermes hands Hades a stool that he dramatically slams down and sits on as he demands Orpheus sing for him,

Epic III:

·       Alright, so this is why I’m not sure the lyric changes work. The first preview night, Reeve’s singing didn’t convince me that it would be able to evoke such a viscerally emotional response out of stoic Hades. It was just eh. For the second preview, I don’t know if it was the developed lyrics, or if Reeve just stepped it up and did a better job, but I was more open to believing he could convince the king of the underworld.

·       Also, side note: when Orpheus sings his opening line about “Hades is king of the underworld” Hades chuckles and says “oh, it’s about me” and almost preens and both nights the audience can’t handle it and erupts in two rounds of raucous laughter. It’s such comedy gold.

·       When Orpheus sings the la la la melody, Hades is ready to kill him right there, but Persephone is not having it.

·       The La La La is fully established as the Song Hades Sung to Persephone and suddenly everyone, the chorus, the Fates, Persephone they’re all echoing this symbol of Hades’ forgotten love. And wow. Vocally stunning.

·       Here is where Orpheus makes Hades realize that Persephone is one step away from leaving him entirely. And he’ll lose her if he keeps this shit up.

·       And Hades tentatively sings is melody, and Persephone is so damn happy about it. She gives him this just soft wistful look and it’s so cute. And and when Hades sings he conjures up a fucking red carnation and what a fucking moment.

·       There’s some really adorable dancing between Hades and Persephone to some ethereal orchestration. And they end up embracing and staying like that for a long ass time. Like throughout Promises.

·       And yeah, Orpheus breaks the tranquil moment by being a clueless idiot who asks Eurydice what he does now.

Promises:

·       They moved Promises up and changed it up so now it’s less the two lovers being scornful about how they haven’t kept their promises and more about how they don’t give a fuck about promises as long as they have each other and a few basic needs.

·       They don’t need fair skies, or kind roads. They just need each other.

·       And god fucking damnit. Goddamnit. It’s so fucking hopeful, and Eurydice even says the workers can make the journey too, that everyone is filled with anticipation and just for one fucking second you believe that maybe it’ll be alright. Maybe, just fucking maybe, everyone will be okay. And you know it can’t end like that, but damnit if it doesn’t make you believe it.

·       But then Orpheus asks if they can go, and Hades says “I don’t know.” And let me tell you, I’ve never seen a woman pull away from a man with such horror and disgust on her face in my life than Persephone in that moment. She practically staggers across the whole stage to get away fast enough.

Word to the Wise:

·       And then the Fates come swooping in to offer their two cents. What icons. What a song. Hell fucking yes. What taunting bitches. They’re the real orchestrators of these events, literally.

·       And such good voices all converging to bring us a masterpiece we’re unworthy of.

·       Question: can the tony award go to all three women? Is that a thing?

His Kiss, the Riot:

·       Now Hades has to make a choice. He’s got to do something to keep his wife from never acknowledging his presence again, and he’s got to keep his reputation.

·       How does someone sing this deeply? How is this possible?

·       He has his little epiphany and shares it with his pal Hermes.

Wait For Me:

·       When Hermes relays the news that they can go, everyone is given this little jolt of hope before he rips it away as he lays out the terms.

·       And here is where Orpheus is convinced it’s a trap, even though Hermes tells him it’s a trial, not a trick. So they start.

·       What a great arrangement of a song. The workers chorus sound so hopeful, so excited to be shown the way the world can be. “If you can do it so can she, if she can do it so can we.”

·       And yes, Hades and Persephone will try again next fall. They’ll wait for each other.

·       It’s such a triumphant moment, but then the Fates come in and start asking Orpheus who he thinks he is to be able to lead anyone out of anything.

·       The turntables are going, and Eurydice is right behind him singing joyously to “wait for me.” It just sounds so beautiful and lifts us up like yes, they can fucking do this. They can do it.

Doubt Comes In:

·       But then it grows dark and terrifying, and Eurydice slips out of view. And who should be two steps behind Orpheus? Our favorite Fates.

·       These bitches come out of the smoke and darkness with their lanterns and they’re circling and slipping into shadows and turning their lights on and off and whispering into Orpheus’s ear. What diabolical voices. Where is she? They ask and taunt and Orpheus’s La La La melody fades out as he’s overcome with doubt.

·       But Eurydice is right fucking there. She’s right fucking there singing about the coldest night. Offering her encouragement even though he can’t hear her. He can’t hear her and that’s why they’re in this fucking mess.

·       And yes, it’s a valid paranoia, but come on. Just keep going. Just keep walking, damnit.

·       The workers are there too, and they’re all ready to go.

·       And as Eurydice sings her last verse, where she sounds so joyous to finally be able to see the sun, Orpheus stumbles up the last few steps to the beacon of light.

·       And he fucking turns around. He fucking turns around and the entire audience knows it’s coming because they warned us, but damnit if we don’t all gasp anyway.

·       “Orpheus.” “It’s you.” “It’s me” and she says it with such anguish and heartbreak, like yes, ‘it’s me I’m right here, we were right there, we almost made it. All of us,” and then he reaches for her, but she’s on the turntable that drops, and she’s dragged back down to the underworld. And everyone is in tears because they were so fucking close.

Road To Hell II:

·       The opening song starts up again, but so much sadder. As if the joy has gone from the world, but it’s time to start up again.

·       Such devastation. Such anguish. But we sing it again.

·       The lyric changes emphasis how this is very much a circular story that will continue to go around and around forever. We are right back where we started, but we know how it ends. That is how it ends.

·       “It’s a sad song. It’s a sad tale. It’s a tragedy. It’s a sad song. But we sing it anyway. Cause here’s the thing. To know how it ends and still to begin to sing it again as if it might turn out this time. I learned that from a friend of mine. See Orpheus was a poor boy…”

·       And right then Eurydice reenters asking for a match just like she did in the beginning of the show. Full circle.

·       “Oh a sunny day there was a railroad car.” And the turntable rises once more with Persephone in her green dress reclining on the speakeasy tables. Spring is back. Again.

·       The lyrics focus more on the old song and how they sing it again and again, and the echoing harmonies are so good.

·       They cut out “it’s a tale of a love that never dies…it’s a love song about someone who tries” and instead repeat the again and again.

Bows:

·       Standing ovations, deafening applause and cheering. What a fucking great show.

I Raise My Cup:

·       The program says nothing about this song, but it’s still fucking here bitches.

·       I was skeptical about having it after bows, but not a single person even attempted to leave. The music started, and we all instantly shut up to see what beautiful thing would happen next.

·       Everyone has their cup, and Orpheus starts strumming his guitar (which by the way looks a bit too shiny and new to be in character, but sure). Amber does the bulk of the singing, but Eva joins in and the chorus harmonizes and it’s good.

·        

Final notes: This is basically just me talking Tonys and I’m not an expert on anything so don’t take what I say too seriously because I don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about.

·       I’m excited to see the final product. Will definitely be going again, and again, and again.

·       What a stellar cast. And yeah, I was hesitant about Reeve Carney, but he was fine. Wasn’t exactly blown away, but it’s adequate. He did well, and I saw major improvement from one night to the next to the next so hopefully it’ll just keep getting better and better.

·       I’m living for Eva’s Eurydice characterization. The embodiment of “looks like a cinnamon roll but could kill you.”

·       Amber Gray needs a Tony right fucking now.

·       I’ve seen a number of the new shows this Broadway season and if this doesn’t win what it deserves to win I will riot.

·       Okay, I really enjoyed The Prom. It was a fun, heartwarming, touching show. Especially since I’m a lesbian who grew up in a small town and is now in her twenties and has since gotten out of that. I loved it, and I believe it really deserves recognition and I want it to get it…But Hadestown is just better. It has a stronger book, score, and overall presentation.

·       I saw The Cher Show, and it’s a great production of a jukebox/biography musical. I thought Stephanie J. Block did a phenomenal job. I’m sure this show is likely in the top running for costumes purely because they’re so flashy and hell, Cher’s actual designer did them. But I kind of want a more nuanced designer to win than just whoever has the most zazz.

·       I know Be More Chill is really relatable for the young people out there, and I think that’s great we’re getting a bigger audience demographic than just old white people (which is mostly what the theater is filled with regardless, however) but I’m not convinced it can come even close in terms of Best Book. And DEH aside (I’m still fucking bitter about that show winning over Great Comet or even Come From Away, and I’ll never not be) we’ve seen musicals geared towards that generation with that sort of message not get awards, which is probably not right. Legally Blonde didn’t win because it was too “pink” and “pink” musicals don’t win. And in this case Be More Chill should not win over a better show.

·       And it’s kind of down to just a few musicals realistically to win Best Musical. A lot of shows that opened this year are either for only limited runs (look if Oklahoma or Kiss Me Kate do really well, they might extend them, but if they’re just doing alright it wouldn’t be profitable to give it more awards than necessary. It’s strange how the revivals aren’t open runs) or are already closed. Head Over Heels was a fun riot of a time, but since it’s closed (like Torch Song, Choir Boy, Getting’ the Band Back Together) it wouldn’t be profitable to give them anything.

·       Pretty Women and King Kong aren’t doing so hot either. And we have to wait on Tootsie and Beetlejuice, but I can’t see any of them winning big.

·       I’m interested to know what the American Theater Wing rules on Acting eligibility here. The rule is that if the name is below the title, they’re a featured actor, but if it’s above they’re leading. That’s why Yul Brenner didn’t get a best leading actor Tony in The King and I. The rules are a little bit more flexible these days, I think. And I know for the Prom, at least, even though some of them aren’t above the title, they’re still considered leads, but who knows?

·       And like, who constitutes a definitive lead in this show? Eva probably does, but for Reeve it’s a little different. See he’s not exactly given any more or less stage time than, say, Hermes who is with us for the whole show but might somehow be more of a Featured Actor role. The five principle characters are all pretty solid leads (maybe Persephone a little less so but she’s still very much leading) so who knows? Not me. I have no understanding of how this works.

·       Bottom Line: Give Amber Gray, Rachel Chavkin, and Anais Mitchell their fucking Tonys. If Rachel Chavkin doesn’t get the recognition she deserves I’ll riot.

·       Bradley King for Lighting and Rachel Hauck for Scenic should be shoo-ins. Nothing I have seen this season will ever be this fantastic.

Edit: Alright, who wants an audio bootleg?

#hadestown #Hadestown reaction #Hadestown for the tony #Anais Mitchell gave us the show we needed

[davey-in-a-minivan]

thoughts on the new hadestown drop as I listen the first time (2/3)

EPIC 1

-oh heavens above, the new lyrics are incredible -”the lady lo-oved him” that bit where Reeve’s voice goes all light and high?? cause of death, right there -so the long of the gods’ love is specifically Hades’ and Persephone’s, right? Not like Hera and Zeus -the way Hermes prompts “singing” and then Orpheus drifts off into the la la las instead of him just launching in himself!! wow!! I love how they’ve added this dimension of divine inspiration/touched by the gods like I loved Damon Daunno as the NYTW’s cockier, brilliant song-writer Orpheus. But the Broadway version is just ethereal, like Reeve Carney!Orpheus is in a trance, like there’s something deeper singing through him and he’s just parting the curtain. irreplaceable ecstasy my friend. -Hermes’ last bit is a little jarring but it feels purposeful. Like Hermes is almost afraid of what Orpheus is discovering

ALL I’VE EVER KNOWN

-awww they’re in loveeee :) :) :) -good thing they’ll be this happy forever!!! :) :) :) -for the first time, Hermes just says “Eurydice was a young girl” instead of “hungry young girl” -Eva’s voice is just. so clear. i don’t understand. “the lo n e l y  l i f e” huh?? I?? can’t??? process????? -”all I know is you are someone i have always known/I don’t even know you” -really this whole idea of “i’ve never met you but I’ve known you forever” is achingly beautiful and begs for a soulmate AU (or quite possibly already is one) -Anais Mitchell is writing Orpheus & Eurydice soulmate AUs and I love her for it -have I MENTIONED how funny it is that Orpheus and Eurydice have the same range? Like, they’re singing. In the same octave. That is super unusual. -HARMONIES!!!!!!! <3

EPIC II

-I! LOVE! THE NEW INTROS! every time he starts a new epic he describes Hades a new way and I feel like there’s something deeply symbolic about his evolving understanding of this god but I haven’t figured it out yet, I’ll tell you when I do -”dread that she’ll never come/doubt that she’ll ever come back” FORESHADOWING?? IN MY GOOD HOUSE?? -oh I got it!! Orpheus is hungry and tired and human like Eurydice and he’s idealistic and wistful and loving like Persephone but he’s not like Hades, he doesn’t understand Hades-- except here. Like Hades, he doubts. And I think him constantly reintroducing Hades has to do with this struggle to understand him. Because Orpheus is like Hades, and he can’t re-teach him the song and bring the world back until he can understand him. how’s that for symbolic and profound?? -”king of mortar/king of bricks/the river Styx is a river of stones” is objectively one of THE best lyrics I’ve ever heard and I’ve been in love with it for so long but here it is again! -”crashing and pounding/his rivers surround him/and drown out the sound of the song he once heard” what. w h a t. I literally JUST FINISHED SAYING how great the king of mortar bit is and then Anais Mitchell slaps me with this?? -o ho h o the workers!!! what!!!!!!!!! -I have goosebumps up and down my body, I feel like that’s worth sharing

COME HOME WITH ME II

-got 20 sec in and restarted bc I can’t handle this -my body is frail and mortal and my spirit bursts out -anyway -it’s so homey compared to the songs before it -”come home with me?” sounds more uncertain than the first time which I love because you can see how much he’s been changed since then -”I called your name before”/”I know”/”You heard?”/”No... Mr Hermes told me so. Whatever happened, I’m to blame” okay 1) ouch but 2) it’s so striking how he’s taking responsibility, he’s owning up, he’s apologizing because deep love means not glossing over or tossing aside the wrongs & hurts you’ve inflicted and also character growth! he’s so dreamy and distracted at the beginning and now he’s finally seeing the very real consequences of the promises he made so freely -tearing up but nOT CRYING YET -”yes I can!” soft! desperate! baby bird! -the pain in “you don’t understand!” noooooo I don’t want to hear the next song

#hadestown #hadestown obcr #timestamp 2:16 am

[sleepyspoonie]

I would pay for your view on the hades town lyric rework for broadway and stuff, because i myself have some OPINIONS

OK i didn’t answer thsi when i first got it because i hadn’t digested everything in full, but i ABSOLUTELY have opinions on this, to an absurd degree.

Full disclosure upfront, I wildly prefer the NYTW version to the Broadway version, with the exception of one or two really awesome things from Broadway (the bridge in Wait For Me, for example, or making the parallels in Persephone and Hades’ climate change theme more emphatic in Chant I, etc.). I’m a big fan of subtlety and abstractions and stuff like that, and I feel like the NYTW version has a lot more understated nuance than the Broadway version.

Like, I get why they made the changes they did—they appeal more broadly to a wide audience and make the story easier to understand, but unfortunately, doing so removes some of what I liked best about the original version.

Without a doubt the thing that has me the most miffed about the changes to the Broadway version was the loss of Persephone’s “when I was a young girl” part in Chant II. On top of hands down being my absolutely favorite part of the show, I felt removing it stripped her of a lot of her own agency in the story.

Rather than being someone who just like, exists, and is running around in Hadestown and is something that Hades wants back, she instead like, she loves him! she wants him to get his shit together! she’s disillusioned and tired and frustrated about being controlled all the time, but he’s still someone that she loved and still loves and wants to fix things with.

I feel like they do express the relationship between Hades and Persephone more overly in other songs than they do in the NYTW, which I think is great, but Seph losing that part of Chant II I felt was a bad move.

Honestly, in that verse, the changes they made over time before gradually removing it were perhaps the most telling shift in the role that Persephone’s character serves. In the first iteration, it’s about her. Then in the second and third iterations, it’s about how Orpheus can save the day.

No longer is it a woman supporting another woman in her pain, but it’s been transformed into a woman talking about a guy who can hopefully get her husband over himself. While I think having that information somewhere in the play is fine, I don’t think they should have cut Seph talking about her own feelings with Euridice in that way to showcase it. Plus I LOVED the parallels between her talk and Hades’!

Of course, then it’s cut altogether, which is almost worse ):

Another thing that bothers me a bit about the Broadway version is that it lost some of its intensely Southern influence. Obviously, Andre De Shields is a great actor and a lot of fun, but the NYTW really captured like, old timey country music in Hades and Hermes’ musical styles.

Hades, of course had and has that old, like, talk-singing country style, and Hermes had that really jazz-blues thing going on. And with the fates all Gospel choir, the southern influence was abundantly clear. But my personal opinion is that De Shields doesn’t bring enough lively energy to the role of Hermes, and I don’t prefer his performance.

All of that said, I LOVE Hadestown! The Broadway version may not do it for me, but this is still one of my favorite musicals. I’ll die happy if they release a proshot of the NYTW version, without a doubt.

#hadestown #les-bionic-titan

[nytwhadestown]

Hadestown Broadway Reflection

Woo! Saw the show last Saturday and I have been Processing. Love love love and lots of thoughts. Like lots lots so under the cut:

"I don't know how I feel about Andre just because I'm so used to Chris' Hermes and they're so different and I think the adjustment will be hard-- MY MAN. JE VOUS

AIME." Andre really commands a stage. He is cool and suave and brings the audience right in. You're on Hermes' side right away. WOOT TWooT Shout out to the trombone player. It wasn't the usual guy but he was so good.

Loved the changes to Any Way The Wind Blows to make it abt specific climate issues. Loved how it introduced Eurydice, and the conflict of the world being out of tune.

I kind of miss the NYTW version because the fates play it so eerie. My ideal Hadestown has two versions of Any Way The Wind Blows just so I can get the best of both worlds I love this song.

"I know I'm not being fair at all, but I loved Damon Daunno's Orpheus so much that Reeve is going to have to work twice as hard to win me over" (leans over to my mom the second Orpheus and Eurydice see each other) "he won me over." He played such a sweet, honest and hopeful Orpheus. Really loved his portrayal. He's a good boy.

Honestly if it comes down to it I still prefer Damon (esp as a singer, his falsetto is stronger and his voice is clearer) but this isn’t a one or the other situation-

I just really love any and all Orpheuses. 10/10. He went SO goddamn heart eyes over her.

So did I!! Eva’s voice, her power.

When he gets everyone into the Epics, I would just get chills every time.

One thing I missed was the power behind Orpheus' idealism. 

I did see a bit of it in "If It's True" when he started examining the corruption of the underworld, but I liked it better when he had something to say about it all along. 

I think he still could have been a sweeter, more guileless Orpheus and kept the power of his idealism.

Ex. NYTW Orpheus had a few lines speaking out against Hades/capitalism/etc. which was fitting because he loves life, and therefore is a natural mouthpiece against Hades (=Death). I guess it makes sense that most of the complaints about Hadestown come from those who have been there, but I think Orpheus as a leader of the workers would have worked better if he still had a *little* bite to him.

Way Down slaps so much. Just a ton of fun. Always a favorite and I was just boppin in my seat. GHOD this show gives me so much joy.

I really liked it when they attributed the changes in weather and the coming of hard times to "the world being out of tune." Now, Orpheus isn't sitting on his ass rather than helping Eurydice. Instead, he is doing all he can think of- trying to get the whole world back in tune for her. It's a naive ideal, still, but he is doing everything he can to give her a better world. The whole world. So much better, this boy is trying so hard for her.

Hey Little Songbird was somehow terrifying and thrilling and a little hot.

When the Chips Are Down was a jam but also Eurydice's choice was so sad to watch. And how they kicked her into the choice. Interesting detail: the "ticket" to the Underworld is two silver coins. It occured to me when Eurydice held them in front of her eyes that they were a reference to the two silver coins the ancient greeks would place over the eyes of the dead to pay passage to the underworld. Loved the details in this show.

Don't want to give too much away but the set during Wait For Me is my favorite character.

...except for Persephone during Why We Build the Wall. My eyes were on her the whole time. Her soul looked so crushed it was heartbreaking. Truly Tony-Worthy. 

WHICH BRINGS ME TO ACT TWO: Our Lady of the Underground. WEEEEEHAW. 

Persephone gives Hermes a kiss on the cheek and I just gasped "god I wish that were me." 

Way Down 2 as usual, underrated fave.

I liked the development of what I'd picked up on of the worker's souls and individual personalities fading away under the dehumanization of their labor. It was possibly my favorite blend of myth and anti-capitalist themes: the River Lethe/Loss of Identity.

It made Flowers clearer and without Flowers changing much if at all. And all the more heartbreaking for it.

EVA NOBLEZADA the emotion....the power. she really ripped my heart out.

Come Home With Me II was so :,( but I loved the immediate reconciliation of just clear and simple love and forgiveness.

Poor Orpheus was so roughed up it was hard to watch. Reeve acted through that really well.

I did like the call to arms that Orpheus did and how it roused the workers to action and to his side, but it felt sort of impersonal. I think his grief is too

important to his motivation. I almost wish it were more of a two parter- the grief and pain and then in another song maybe, the call to arms.

Amber Gray and Patrick Page acted the HELL out of How Long, which I've always loved for its subtle power and man did it hit me.

RIP Persephone's Verse in Chant

RIP me watching Patrick's expressions in Epic III and how he and Amber looked at each other in pain and dismay.

Honestly I was distraught and in an emotional puddle for the rest of the show so not many more specifics.

I love this show and all the joy and sorrow it has woven into it so well. Bravo Miss Mitchell, Bravo!

#long post #hadestown #broadway

[anais-mitchell]

My thoughts on the Hadestown Broadway lyric changes (for previews):

For reference, I’m talking abt changes from the London version

Things I like better than London:

-Mentioning that Orpheus is the son of a muse

-Hermes having a bigger role

-Epic I is... so pretty

-Returning to “king of ____” rather than “back in the beginning”

-Livin it Up on Top!!! I love how this is such a big fun dance number now, it feels a lot more Broadway™️ than other versions and if they had to Broadway-ify the songs, this is the best one to do it with. The energy in the end is amazing.

-DEMETER RECOGNITION

-The new All I’ve Ever Known lyrics, a bitch is soft

-”Everybody tryna get a ticket to go / those who go they don’t come back”

-Eurydice’s verses in Chant, especially where the Fates are ripping her bag away is so excellent, I love her desperation and yelling Orpheus’s name. It definitely justifies her decision with Hades more and shows how Orpheus isn’t listening. I also really like “trying to trust that the song etc.”

-THESE NEW FATES SOUND AMAZING IN WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN OH MY GODDDD.

-I feel like Eva’s Gone I’m Gone has improved a lot wow

-”Step into my office” god I would die for Persephone. Amber’s Our Lady just keeps getting better she WILL get her damn Tony.

-Eurydice’s new verses in Way Down Hadestown II have amazing symbolism.

-I love how If It’s True starts with Orpheus at rock bottom and allows a build to that crescendo

-The new beginning of How Long is so much angrier on Persephone’s behalf and “I’ve had enough” is so good it makes me want to cry. This is the best version of this song by far.

-”Son I was abandoned too” ouch

-THEY FIXED PERSEPHONE’S CHANT II VERSE GOD FUCKING BLESS. Still not as good as NYTW but better than London and actually focuses on her and Hades’s relationship. I wish it was a bit slower though.

-The crackling sound effect on “I conduct the electric city” is so fucking good.

-”Where’d you get that melody?” and “Let him finish Hades” should have been the only Hades/Persephone interjections until the end of Epic III bc they work really well.

-”Orpheus you finished it!”

-The orchestrations in Doubt Comes In somehow sound even creepier

Could take or leave them:

-”Gonna ride that train” in both Road to Hell and Way Down Hadestown. It’s.. fine.

-Eurydice’s new verses in Any Way the Wind Blows. They were stronger in London but they get the job done still.

-Moving the instrumental break to mid-song in All I’ve Ever Known.

-Epic II. I really miss “doubt that she’d ever come, dread that she’d never come, doubt that his lover would ever come back” and I liked it better when the la la la’s led straight into Chant.

-Orpheus’s Chant verses and Hermes’s interjections. I particularly dislike “talk about oblivious” though because I reaaallyyy don’t like this trend of Hermes infantilizing Orpheus.

-Come Home With Me II, I think I prefer London but it’s not like this is bad.

-I liked it better when it was Persephone saying “it’s the boy!” but not gonna lie I kinda like Disney villain Hades just in this one moment lmaoo.

-The new Lover’s Desire. It’s nice to have the la la la’s playing because that’s the song of Hades and Persephone’s love but I’m still attached to the old one.

Things I actively dislike:

-Saying “Orpheus was touched” and then proceeding to infantilize him and play his lines for jokes. I just DO NOT GET IT. If they wanted to imply Orpheus was autistic or on the spectrum, great!! Positive autistic rep is always needed. But the way they go about it is honestly bad. Even if they didn’t say the “touched,” part I would hate that they played so much of Orpheus for laughs. The show isn’t particularly funny but it doesn’t need to be? It’s a tragedy ofc there won’t be that many laughs.

-In a similar vein, I don’t love “oh it’s about me” because that triggers a huge laugh from the audience which honestly disrupts the whole flow of Epic III for me. This song is supposed to be the highest emotional point in the show and a comedic moment is not needed at all. I can see myself getting over this if the audience response is toned down I guess?

-The new Come Home With Me. Just... no. This is supposed to be between Orpheus and Eurydice, Hermes’s presence is not necessary for them falling in love.

Overall, I still love it. We still have an amazing cast and an amazing show, and maybe some of the problems will be fixed before opening night. I just wanted to get my thoughts out on the changes!!

#kira speaks

[awkward-but-nice]

umbrella academy and hadestown?

thank you for the ask!! already did the umbrella academy so i’m just gonna do hadestown

The first character I fell in love with: Eurydice!

A character that I used to love/like, but now do not: can’t really think of any? I guess i like nytw!Orpheus significantly less than i used to, but i don’t know if he counts? 

A ship that I used to love/like, but now do not: again, i really can’t think of any…

My ultimate favourite character: Eurydice, my babe

Prettiest character- Male & Female: Hermes and Persephone, you can’t change my mind 

My most hated character: i really don’t hate any characters tbh?

My OTP: ORPHEUS/EURYDICE

My NOPT: Hades/Orpheus? idk if it’s even a thing, but if it is, i’m not here for it

My favourite episode/scene: Wait for me, 100%

Saddest death: Eurydice

My favourite season/movie production in the franchise: altho i really love Broadway, the London version will always hold a special place in my heart

A character that everyone loves, but I hate: but i love them all :(

My “You’re a piece of trash, but you’re still a fave” fave: Hades. listen, i know he’s a deeply flawed character but i don’t believe he’s irredeemable. he’s doing his best, ok?

My “Beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this” fave: EURYDICE!!

My “This ship is wrong, but I still love it” ship: i’m sorry lmao, there really aren’t a lot of options

My “They’re kind of cute, and I lowkey ship them, but I’m not too invested” ship: Hades/Persephone. truth is, i do highkey ship them, and i am, in fact, very invested, but not as much as i am with Orpheus/Eurydice

#domesticbutch #hadestown #there is... a very limited amount of ships in this show