#Also the choreography in hadestown is Good I like it much better than the choreography in hamilton

[2024skin]

I'm watching Hadestown on YouTube and I can't tell you how vindicating it is to see them do choreography that I made up in my head because I thought it matched the tone of the song. Im on the hadestown choreographers wavelength 👁

[keep-ur-head-low]

I just watched an early In The Heights screening! Here’s an in-depth, mostly non-spoilery review for anyone interested

To sum it all up: I have a feeling this movie will be divisive among fans but in my personal opinion, this film is absolutely gorgeous and one of my new favorite movies. It captures the spirit of the original production perfectly while also being a COMPLETELY different beast. I’ll split my thoughts up into 4 sections: Story, Cast, Music, and Visuals. I will avoid spoilers as much as possible simply because this really is something that should be watched fairly blind.

Story: The way they tell the story here is SO different from the original musical that I’d go as far as to say that it’s more a remake than an adaptation. Entire plot lines are removed, characters have different motivations for certain actions, and specific plot points are sorta shuffled around. But in the end, a lot of the changes were needed to shift from stage to film. By far my favorite change was the ending: I personally always thought the original ending felt rushed and abrupt, but they really take their time here and everything feels so much more cohesive while still maintaining the old ending’s infectious joy and message. I’m certain that there will be people who will just hate this movie because so much has been altered and that’s perfectly fine as long as you don’t expect it to be a copy of the original musical.

Cast: Everyone is well cast here. I’m so insanely glad Jon M Chu prioritized talent over famous names, because the actors really shined in their roles. I loved everyone but specific highlights were totally Anthony Ramos as Usnavi, Olga Merediz as Abuela (of course), and Daphne Rubin-Vega as Daniela. Corey Hawkins‘ Benny and Leslie Grace’s Nina had really good chemistry as well. The one person I admittedly wasn’t a super huge fan of was Melissa Barrera as Vanessa just because she never seemed to have that much energy, but I‘m sure I’ll warm up to her when I watch the film again. Also a Hadestown actor has a tiny role here and and I may have squealed

Music: Don’t watch the movie thinking two or three songs have been cut, because I can assure you the number is bigger than that. However, I think some of us forget just how music heavy the original production was, and there are still a TON of songs in this movie that I think any more would have caused casual audiences to be taken off-guard by the sheer amount of singing. It is also worth mentioning that the song order has been heavily changed to fit the movie’s new plot structure, so don’t panic right away if a song appears to be missing cuz it might just appear later. There is one song in particular that has been HEAVILY altered and I KNOW that people will be mad at the new version, but there’s a little twist added to the moment that just completely recontextalizes everything and I believe that it more than makes up for the somewhat disappointing lyric changes.

Visuals: Damn Jon. You really outdid yourself here. The film has SUCH a distinct visual style and it is not afraid to be straight up cheesy or weird. Amidst all the cool camera work, fantastical cgi, and gorgeous shots, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to adapt these songs. There are three songs in particular that I cannot wait to watch again:

- When You’re Home: the choreography is insanely cute and fun

- Paciencia Y Fe: my god this was stunning

- Champagne: this was the most mundane song in the entire film but it utilizes a neat camera technique that made it really stand out.

Was the movie perfect? No, there were definitely flaws here and there. Three that stuck out to me were the obvious voice-overs in some songs, weird cuts to the Rosario storyline, and the fact that Daniela and Carla’s interactions were safe enough that you could easily mistake them as really close friends rather than in an explicit lesbian relationship like Lin said they’d be. The most they ever did was slow dance together, so that kinda annoyed me. But for the most part, I felt this movie was just incredible and completely worth the wait, and I am incredibly eager to see all y’all’s reactions when it official comes out. Feel free to ask further questions, though I’ll definitely be avoiding spoilery talk.

[ladyzayinwonderland]

Hiya Zay! So I noticed you posted about a Hadestown crossover and I wanted to ask you what you love about the musical! Favorite song? Favorite quality? What about the story/songs/costumes/characters/choreography/atmosphere/etc evokes Feelings? What is/are the primary mood(s) it inspires in you? Favorite headcanon or tender moment? Favorite line/lyric? (FYI I know you're not on here regularly and I RESPECT that, so if you want to answer, feel utterly free to take your time)... ❤️ Poly

Okay this has been a long time coming (I just didn’t realize how long it would take) but I finally have an answer! Thank you for your patience, dear Poly, and thank you for the super ask! I’m always willing to gush about Hadestown and it was so fun to have the opportunity ^_^

It is, however, a very long answer... it kinda got away from me in the process, hehe.

Favorite song: I feel like it might be cliché to say Wait for Me, but… all the versions of the song are gorgeous in different ways. If I had to be more original, then I would have to say We Raise Our Cups. I tear up every time I listen to it.

Favorite Quality: In the words of Hermes, “it’s a love song.” Orpheus loves Eurydice enough to go to hell to get her. Eurydice loves Orpheus enough to follow him out, though the way is hard. Hades loves Persephone, though he doesn’t know how to show it and is afraid to lose her. Persephone loves Hades enough to keep coming back to him to “try again”. I know that some of those loves are flawed, but they’re human. The beacon of that love and what it represents is important.

Story: I adore the inevitability of Hadestown. We know from the very beginning how this is going to end and yet we still hope that maybe it might just be different this time. We can’t help but hope. I think it speaks to the quality of the musical that it can still pull you in every time. Very cathartic.

Songs: My favorite thing about the songs is having been able to witness their growth and maturity from album to album! Themes, lyrics, and melodies have so many subtle changes that only seem to ring more true with time. It’s also so cool to see how it needed 10+ years to ruminate into the musical we have now. (But this might also be subjective to me because I found out about Hadestown when there was only a concept album, then kept up with each new development until my husband and I were able to see it on Broadway just after its premier.) And I’m very excited to see how the national tour turns out!!

Costumes: I love the tattered/steampunk/industrial look of the OBC show. But I also love what I’ve seen of the off-broadway show, the whimsical costumes of Nabiyah’s Eurydice and early Persephone’s dresses and boldness of Damon’s red jacket (bring! it! back!). The costumes definitely change the vibes of the show though, which is just fascinating to me. Mostly in Eurydice’s character, so…….

Characters: Eurydice. Has. Character. She is three-dimensional, rounded out, and can stand on her own. (this was always something I wished had been different with the myth) It’s interesting to note how her character is portrayed slightly differently depending on the show though? I can’t speak so much to Nabiyah’s portrayal because I didn’t see it, but the music makes me think that she’s harsher and angrier than Eva’s softer and more hopeful version. Orpheus too experiences subtle shifts between Damon and Reeve, specifically bolder to more naïve, which… I don’t hate, but I miss Damon’s Oprheus. I also love that all the main players experience change/growth! They all have agency!

Choreography: I love the transition between carefree in the world above to stark and sharp down below. Tbh Livin’ It Up On Top is not my ~fav~ choreography-wise, however, I recognize it’s a chance for the cast to let loose and have a good time, and it’s important to show just how different things are between the two settings. But the moment we are down below? Stellar. Sharp, synchronized movements that immediately remind you of the cogs of a machine. And I do love how the movements become more human by the time we get to If It’s True and Wait for Me II.

Bonus—the lamp choreo in Wait for Me. I sobbed when I saw them swinging and being used to light an otherwise dark space, leading Orpheus deeper underground.

Atmosphere: slight steampunk vibes my beloved. The off-broadway and Canadian productions’ Tree is something I wish had stayed for the OBC production. In addition to being gorgeous, it adds an element of nature to juxtapose to Hades’ cold, harshly lit, industrial underground. The OBC loses that little bit of earth by taking place in a train station bar. That said, I do enjoy the bar setting in parallel to Persephone’s dismal speakeasy down below. The presence of the band on stage, motley but involved in the story beyond just the music.

Inspired moods: I like angst, for better or for worse. I’ve always been drawn to Orpheus and Eurydice because of how tragic it is. I think it’s very Romantic™. Therefore, any incarnation or representation of the story is automatically my jam. I like that, regardless of how many times I have listened to the album, I still hold on to the hope that it might turn out differently. Just once. That hope is something so precious, something that still deserves to be passed on even if it’s been dashed to pieces. It’s never in vain, you can always try again.

(And, this probably isn’t as relevant, but I think there’s something to be said from a Christian perspective on the show as well. Orpheus is just a man and prone to doubt, as the show illustrates. He fails. We all fail. But there is hope found in One who literally can’t fail in bringing the lost back to Him, and that is an encouraging thought.)

Headcanon: I hold to this one interpretation of the tale that Orpheus looking back was a sign of love (though I don’t discount it being an act of doubt or weakness). I like to think that he was just wanted to see her again, wanted to make sure she made it too, but he was just a fraction of a moment too soon. It almost makes her “death” more tragic.

Tender Moment: my favorite tender moments from the show are 1) when Orpheus runs to the stage through the audience to reach Eurydice again in the second act. Mostly because I didn’t expect it. I was focused on her when a white and red blur with a guitar ran down the aisle to peek his head above the edge of the stage with a joyful “come home with me?” My Heart. 2) when Orpheus finishes Epic III and Hermes says “and you know what they did? They danced.” There is a twenty second bit of acoustic guitar and violin while Hades and Persephone dance for the first time together in ages. It wasn’t a grand or sweeping moment—it was just an old man stumbling through a rusty dance with his wife, and it felt genuine.

Favorite Line/Lyric: starting off strong with the first words of the show. There’s no introduction to Hadestown, no warning it’s about to start. Just Hermes sauntering onstage, looking you straight in the eye, and saying “Alright?” Then the band starts playing and the show begins. Incredible. Unprecedented. But also I weep for all of the Epics. Such solid poetry. So soft.

So anyway, those are my thoughts! They may be a little repetitive, but hopefully I conveyed myself decently enough. Thank you again, lovely!! <3

[kennagiardi]

𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 // para

𝐖𝐇𝐎: Kenna Giardi​​

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: Wednesday, February 17th. Afternoon. Brief mention of the day before.

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: Lima Community Theatre. Tibideux Theatre. Brief moment at the Giardi house.

𝐓𝐋𝐃𝐑: Kenna auditions for Ilse with Flowers from Hadestown despite originally wanting to audition for Wendla (a decision she was talked out of by her mom) which also features a bit w/ everyone’s favorite crazy sister, Kendra Giardi.

“Men are kind until they aren't,“ Kenna sang out as she paced around in the living room of her home, scribbling over her music sheet of Flowers that she had printed off at Carmel’s library, but something about the song she was singing just didn’t feel like Wendla though. The only issue? Kenna had settled on singing it when Bryan Ryan announced the spring musical. Now she was a night away from her audition time, absolutely despising the song she had picked out. Maybe she should have gone with something from Bare or Next to Normal for Wendla, that would have made more sense.

Letting out a sigh and a huff, a stressed out Kenna sat down on the couch, tossing the piece of paper away from her and put her head in her hands. After rubbing tired eyes, she glanced at the clock on the end table. 11 PM. And as if to make all the matters worse, Kenna could hear booming footsteps that only meant one thing. Her mom was up and pissed. “Kenna Jade, what on God’s green Earth are you doing right now?” The matriarch demanded, tightening the white robe around her body. Shit. Kenna was always meticulous when it came to auditions because there was one simple fact. Kendra Giardi hated whenever Kenna wanted to audition for musicals.

Most of the time, Kenna would keep things hush, breaking into Carmel late at night to practice her songs and monologues so her mother wouldn’t overhear and demand her not to do the musical and for the most part it worked because by the time Kenna had been casted, there was nothing more Kendra could really do. 

“I’m auditioning for Spring Awakening,” Kenna’s voice was soft, timid. The way it always had to be if she wanted to please Kendra.

“Spring a-what-now? No, no, you’re not doing that, come on. Bed. Now.”

“No.”

“No?”

Kenna Jade Giardi had royally fucked up. If there was one word that was banned in their house, it was the word no. 

“I just mean...” she was at a loss for words, “Davis is auditioning!” Kenna was pretty sure Davis was auditioning at least, she knew he would, but there had been no real talk about it. Between regionals and Davis’ own plan of wooing Gigi Stone, there hadn’t been much musical talk between them. “Wouldn’t you like to see us play leads?” She asked, cringing at her own words but Kendra loved the idea of Kenna getting a boyfriend and there was no suitable man for Kenna in Kendra’s eyes than Davis Goolsby, even if he was ‘a little fruity’ (a direct quote from the woman herself)

“Oh baby,” Kendra tsked. Here it was. The condescending message. Kendra moved closer to her only daughter, tucking a piece of her dry, curled hair behind her ear. “If anyone saw you as lead potential, Davis would have never had to get Ivy St. James on your team,” she was right. Kenna may have been talented, but she wasn’t lead potential and as much as she wanted to believe she had the same pizzazz as Ivy St. James, she didn’t. The words still cut through the teenager like a piercing dagger. 

“Yeah,” Kenna whispered, “you’re right,” she could already feel her tears welling and she needed to step away as soon as possible. “Um, can I still audition though?”

“Sure.” 

After that Kenna had made her true decision. She would audition for Ilse. The song and monologue she had already picked out coincided more with Ilse’s character than Wendla’s anyway. Ilse was still partially a lead and Kenna would be more than content with any role in the musical. It would be fine. Ilse was fine. Ilse had to be fine.

As 4pm rolled around the following day, Kenna was sitting in her seat, jitters upon jitters flowing through her body. She was a nervous girl. Sure, she could play everything calm, cool, and collected but there was always the fear of not getting the role she wanted and she was already skimping out on Wendla, she didn’t want to skimp out on Ilse either.

Tapping her flat clad foot against the tile flooring of the waiting room, Kenna tried to keep talking to people to a minimum, but that didn’t stop her from hearing that Ivy had auditioned for Wendla. That put her more at ease, Kenna would have felt terrible for going after the same role. It was easy not to do that when Ivy had been at McKinley, but community theatre was a different ball game. Maybe this was all just fate. Maybe she was meant to audition and play Ilse from the get-go.

“Kenna Giardi, they’re ready for you,” the facilitator called out from the door. With a smile, Kenna stood up, cracked her neck, and pushed her shoulders back with a calming breath leaving her mouth. She could do this.

Entering the familiar theatre was nothing new and that made her feel much more at ease. Kenna had three Lima Players gigs under her belt so she was nothing but familiar with Bryan Ryan and what he expected out of performers, especially ones he had trusted with roles in the past. “Hello, I’m Kenna Giardi. Today I will be performing a rendition of Flowers from Hadestown and I will be performing Lynette’s monologue from Assassins,” she took a pause to allow Mr. Ryan to absorb everything she had said, “if possible, I would like to be considered for the role of Ilse, but if you see me as a better fit for another character then I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity,” after that, she motioned to the accompanists on stage to begin her song.

What I wanted was to fall asleep, to close my eyes and disappear, like a petal on a stream, a feather on the air, lily white and poppy red.

As any good auditionist, Kenna might have made use of the stage with proper blocking and small bits of choreography, but with a song choice such as hers and character such as Ilse’s, she wanted to keep everything to a strict minimum. It was a key choice for her. She stood on center stage, beginning the soft words of Eurydice’s song, her hands darting to clutch her stomach. If she wanted to play Ilse, any role in the musical at all for that matter, she had to dig deep into her emotions. 

Nothing gonna wake me now, flowers, I remember fields

Kenna coursed through the first verse with ease, her voice not one faltering or trembling. She allowed her eyes to tear up, whether that was from acting or how she truly felt, she wasn’t sure. Kenna would never know what it was like to be homeless and live some bohemian life among artists, but she allowed herself to imagine. An actor’s greatest attribute was being able to put themselves in a role without truly knowing what it was like. Some could have argued that having the personal connection was more important, but Kenna didn’t lead a traumatic life. She was just a normal teen in Lima, Ohio. That’s what led her to add a certain softness to her voice, to feign the innocence yet maturity of Ilse. Something Kenna herself lacked.

I remember someone someone by my side turned his face to mine and then I turned away

With the song pushing its close, Kenna looked up and closed her eyes as she finished the lyrics to the song, bringing her arms close to his chest. With one final breath, she pulled her head down and opened her eyes, proud of the song she had performed. With a rush of adrenaline and confidence running through her, she quickly moved onto her monologue.

While Lynette was a part of the Manson Family, Kenna couldn’t help but think of Ilse when she had stumbled across the monologue late last night because the two couldn’t be more similar. Lynette had been kicked out of her home by her parents when Charles Manson had found her and convinced her to join his cult. The same could be said for Ilse who was a homeless child, kicked out by her abusive parents, forced to join an artist’s colony. It seemed like the choice for Kenna’s audition.

The monologue went by quicker than her song, but Kenna made sure to focus on every pause, every movement of her arms, clutching her chest at one point as Lynette spilled out her explanation of love for the killer. Finished, Kenna gave a smile and a nod to Bryan Ryan, immediately regretting her choice for not preparing a dance combination. She assumed he didn’t want that, but now reflecting, maybe it couldn’t have hurt. 

“Thank you, you’ll hear back on Friday,” the older man said. “Thank you so much,” Kenna announced, before making her way down the steps of the stage and out the theatre door. She did good. She knew that much. And hopefully it was enough for Bryan Ryan to see her as Ilse.

[enthusiasticmusicalquotes]

QUESTION OF THE DAY #6: Send me your most unpopular theatre opinion. Something that might make someone want to fight you. Please don’t be offensive (racist, misogynistic, etc.), but other than that…go as hard as you want. Spill all the tea.

MY ANSWERS: 1) The Pretty Woman score fucking slaps idek, 2) Come From Away (or even Bandstand...) should’ve won the 2017 Best Musical Tony, 3) I prefer the West End Heathers cast album to Off Broadway, 4) Shows shouldn’t sweep the Tonys just because they’re Best Musical worthy...shows that aren’t too critically acclaimed but have really impressive elements should get recognition too.

SUMMARY: Out of 37 responses: 5 were about Dear Evan Hansen, 3 were about Hamilton specifically, 2 were about: Rent, ALW, Wicked, In The Heights, Be More Chill, etc. etc....if your favorite musical is one of these and you get easily offended i wouldn’t read these.

NOTE: I agree with some of these, I highly disagree with others. I do not endorse any of the things that were said, I am simply sharing them with you all. These were what was sent to me. I’m going to number them so if you want to complain about or agree with one you can send me an ask with the number you’re referring to. 

1. howmuchchildrens said: unpopular opinion: i really liked the 2012 version of les mis. i liked russel crowe as javert.

2. Anonymous said: Unpopular opinion: Bootlegs harm to local theatre communities, though I do not believe anyone intends for that to be the case. While it's possible to bootleg responsibly (and I might even say it's beneficial to do so), those who may not know the intricacies of theatrical copyright law or who haven't heard the horror stories from a theatre that's been hit with legal action DUE to a bootleg may record or watch a show irresponsibly, which can greatly harm other routes of theatre accessibility.

3. Anonymous said: Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals are mostly terrible. He only got and stayed popular because a lot of other musical creators and taste makers died in the AIDS epidemic

4. Anonymous said: Almost all musicals using the songs of one artist are cash grabs with no plot or point.

5. Anonymous said: If your musical only has 1 woman OR the women only get sad/romantic songs you need to do something else with your life.

6. nerdshrimp said: Unpopular opinion: Next To Normal does a better job of portraying the effects of mental illness than Dear Evan Hansen does. N2N also doesn't romanticise mental illness & excuse shitty behavior like DEH tries to

7. Anonymous said: Hadestown is a lesser show on Broadway. I fell in love with the live album, and I was so excited for it to come to Broadway. I was so disappointed to see the changes they made. Orpheus and Eurydice's relationship is less interesting and more generic. The changed lyrics are often sloppy and not as good as the original. They fucking wrecked Epic III. Also, no hate to R/ee/ve, but he's just not a good enough singer to convince me that he could soften the heart of Hades. His high notes are awful.

8. Anonymous said: opinion: we are the tigers deserves a broadway run or at least a proshot

9. bimystique said: e/c is NOT A GOOD FUCKING SHIP. the ENTIRE PLOT OF PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is christine trying to escape erik's abuse. WHAT FUCKING PART OF THAT IS ROMANTIC TO YOU PEOPLE.

10. Anonymous said: unpopular theatre opinion(s): Dear Evan Hansen is Very Bad for its handling of mental illness, Hamilton is overrated and praised too much, and high school/college musical theatre programs can be just as good as Broadway. (also, musical movies would be better if they hired broadway actors, but that's not an unpopular opinion)

11. Anonymous said: I don’t like Lin Manuel Miranda and Hamilton is overrated

12. Anonymous said: I don’t like dear Evan Hansen..... at all. I think it’s kind of boring and really overhyped.

13. Anonymous said: unpopular opinion: in the heights is far better than Hamilton. both are good but ith hits different yknow

14. Anonymous said: The bring it on and legally blonde musicals are BAD! The movies are 100 times better

15. Anonymous said: unpopular opinion? wicked is the epitome of white feminism. it's preached as super great for representation but we literally got the first black glinda in 2019?!?!?!? and before that woc could only play elphaba who's villainized and deemed evil by the whole city

16. Anonymous said: Not so much an opinion as a reaction, but of all Lin's works (ITH, Bring it On, 21 Chump Street, Hamilton), 21 Chump Street gets the biggest emotional reaction of all the cast recordings. The second Justin is like "I don't want your money" (And then later on with the "...what the heck did you.... dooooo", I am a complete goner. Worse than Abuela Claudia and Philip Hamilton's deaths combined

17. Anonymous said: Whenever Je.ssie Mu.eller hits certain notes, she sounds like Tommy Pickles from Rugrats.

18. Anonymous said: aotd6: not everyone knows what im talking about, but the cats 2016 broadway revival choreography was WAYYYY better than the original. the original had a lot of creepy uncomfortable moments and the new one looks way cleaner and up to date

19. Anonymous said: raoul is better than the phantom in every conceivable way

20. Anonymous said: I hate Anastasia so much. it's such a boring show and the music is uninteresting. I wanted to like it so bad but GOD is it boring.

21. Anonymous said: In the Heights.... Overrated.

22. Anonymous said: I do not know if this is an unpopular opinion or not, but here is my opinion: Musicals that are entirely or nearly entirely songs (Hamilton, Hadestown, In The Heights, etc) are the most valid bc I can understand the plot without using wikipedia (I'm looking at you, Jagged Little Pill, I love you but what is your plot????)

23. Anonymous said: I'd rather have a bad film adaptation than no film adaptation

24. Anonymous said: Rent sucks and while it was a stepping stone for more ""controversial"" topics to appear on Broadway it's actually biphobic and features several generally terrible people doing generally terrible things and doesn't actually address the real crisis at all; it's all performative wokeness. The only real good it did was cast a bunch of "nobodies" for the time and make theater somewhat more accessible.

25. stardust-and-seas said: Dear Evan Hansen doesn't properly address mental health despite being about mental health and resolves nobodies character arcs satisfactorily. It's another show that reaches its hands around the throats of marginalized teenagers saying "look I'm relatable!!" The songs taken out of context are significantly more powerful than when placed in the context of the show, which gives us exactly zero evidence of Evan's work to improve and also never resolves Evan's u healthy goals in the first place.

26. stardust-and-seas said: Be More Chill is a raging dumpster fire and the only decent song from it, Michael in the Bathroom, reads as a whiny rich white boy whose potential social anxiety and depression is left ambiguous, which is exactly what it is. When taken out of context it better exemplifies the othering that happens to marginalized groups but lets be real here: bullying/cliques don't happen to "just anyone"; it's the marginalized groups that are othered and abandoned for not being "normal"

27. stardust-and-seas said: There's a difference between shows that don't take themselves seriously because they're meant to be fun and light and shows that pretend not to take themselves too seriously but want to be taken seriously by the audience and the latter always ends up mediocre at best

28. redueka said: i think that dear evan hansen handles every issue it presents badly. i also think that beetlejuice was badly directed

29. Anonymous said: Well I don’t EVER condone cheating, I’m team Jamie in the last five years. He tried so hard to make their relationship and life good, and Cathy gave him nothing in return

30. youcanlolyoucansayohwell said: The answer of the day- I don't get the BMC hype. I'm out of the age bracket it's meant for that might it be. I enjoy it but I don't think it's the greatest thing in the world like some theatre fans do.

31. Anonymous said: i like the rent 2005 recording better than the obcr

32. Anonymous said: unpopular opinion ? : the music of wicked just like isn’t that good. like it’s good but it’s not like, Good, yknow. it’s pretty standard it doesn’t stand out to me. kinda boring

33. Anonymous said: mari.ah r.ose fa.ith is not a good regina george. everything she says sounds monotonous and while i understand she's trying to play off the ""whatever"" teenager (she does this a lot with her teenage characters), 90% of the time she sounds and looks like she doesn't want to be there; her voice is great but most songs feel unnatural and forced and she changes them too much. she's just not selling regina to me as a believable character (this is all from a technical point of view)

34. Anonymous said: Unpopular Opinion: as much as i like musicals based on movies (like waitress), i think not every movie needs to be a musical.

35. Anonymous said: Unpopular opinion (?) the emojiland musical Kinda Slaps

36. Anonymous said: as one of my high school tech theatre teachers once said: "Andrew Lloyd Webber is overrated"

37. Anonymous said: sorry to whoever likes it but Seussical is an absolutely nonsense crackpot plot disguised with okay-to-good music, like I don't even know where to start. I was in the show and didn't even know there was an entire secondary plot line featuring sending children to war until we were halfway through rehearsals

[wings-of-indigo]

So, Waitress is closing and Why I am Happy about that: An Exceedingly long essay Rant about Broadway

Look. Nobody's gonna read this, most likely, but it's 2 in the morning and my brain's been obsessing over Broadway (more than usual, anyway) since communing with my people at intensive this week. So, in the interest of getting some sleep before 8 hrs of dance and shitty high notes tomorrow, here goes.

I love classic, high-school-and-community standard musicals. I love new and experimental musicals. I love Disney film-to-stage musicals. I love institution musicals like Chorus Line, Cats, and Wicked; I even have a soft spot for Phantom. I am eagerly anticipating West Side Story next Christmas (seriously, I have a calander).

BUT.

As I said to one of my fellow dancers during post-class stretch (after noting his insane flexibilty and making yet another resolution to stretch more) I am Sick to GoDAMnEd DEATH of revivals, franchise adaptions, and restagings taking up the Broadway and greater theater markets.

I get why it's happening; I do. Musical theater, even shows that never make it out of Regional productions (Be More Chill, btw, I'm so proud of you bby :'-D ) are REALLY FREAKING EXPENSIVE, not just to stage, but also to develop. Broadway productions nowadays regularly go upwards of TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in costs.

Those costs are more and more frequently being met through funding by large groups of wealthy investors, who can expect basically little to no return on that investment. Only a select few shows that make it to the Great White Way do well enough to turn a profit (let alone the kinds of numbers that Hamilton, DEH, and Wicked continue to make), and more and more shows are closing in defict or once they break even. (Coincidentally, this is probably why we're seeing more and more straight plays on Broadway, especially in limited engagements. They're quicker, cheaper, and still have the same level of prestige.)

It makes sense then to assume that a show linked to an already successful property has a better chance of reaching that break-even mark, or perhaps generating a small return, than a more original idea. It's a surer bet, and we've seen it a lot these past few seasons. Anastasia, Beetlejuice, Pretty Woman, Moulin Rouge, Mean Girls... we get it. We promise. Investors want some security in an extremely and notoriously insecure market before they're willing to lay out the dough.

I get it. Everybody gets it.

And, to be fair, some of those shows are and continue to be GOOD. Tony nominees and award winners, even. But here's the problem: it's boring.

And not because I know how Act 2 ends without getting spoilers on tumblr. Unless they're younger than ten, the population of Broadway-and-musicals fans generally has a good handle on where a show's relevant plotlines are going. It's really not the wanting to know the end that keeps your butt in your overpriced red velvet seat and your eyes on the stage. It's the score, the words, occasionally the choreography, and most importantly the magicians on, off, and backstage bringing those things to life in a new and interesting way.

The antithesis of this, then, is having to watch slavish recreation of iconic scenes, lines, and characters from iconic films, presented Onstage! (TM), now with Bonus Songs! for your reconsumption. (Yes, Pretty Woman, I'm looking at you.)

Hey, I love Pretty Woman the Movie, slightly dodgy messages about feminity aside. I love it as a movie, and I really don't need to watch the knock off version of it, even if it comes in a shiny Broadway package.

Anastasia, and Beetlejuice, on the other hand, work extrodinarily well as musicals because they are NOT carbon copies of the original, somehow miraculously transplanted onto the stage.

Ironically, musicals based on original ideas are actually some of the most successful and well reviewed recent productions. Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away, and Hadestown this season are all original works, and well, look at them. (Fishy, huh? Coincidence, I think the fuck not.)

Recently I got to see The Prom on Broadway, the day after I saw Pretty Woman. The contrast between shows and my enjoyment of them was well defined. I couldn't look away from The Prom, despite many of the major story beats being as obvious as our Cheeto-in-Chief's spray tan. I and the entire rest of the theater were completely engaged by what was going on onstage, both comedically and dramatically. At Pretty Woman, I found myself checking the Playbill to see how many songs were left for me to make it through and anxiously comparing the size of my thighs to the dancers onstage to pass the time (ah, pre pro Body Issues, welcome back! We all thought you'd retired!)

Three guesses which show I'd choose to see again.

When I read that Waitress was closing, the first thing I did was panic and start marking pre January weekends where I would both be free and possibly have disposable income (I've never gotten to see the show, and frankly I would like too). My second reaction was, yes, to mourn the closure of a wonderful show, but it was mixed with hopeful anticipation. Waitress had a good long time in the sun, and just like a well lived life, eventually it must and should end. It's better, in my humble student opinion, to live with memories and cast albums (and regional productions) than the stodgy life of a show that's jealously clung to its Broadway berth through the tourist-and-date-night trade (*cough*Phantom*cough*). It's sort of like your 40 something mother taking selfies in booty shorts in an effort to prove she's still 'hip' and in her twenties. Cringe.

Ephemera is the nature of live performance, and probably part of its allure. And just like in the natural world, old things have to end so that new things can become. Waitress closing is a vital part of this cycle.

Broadway has a limited number of theaters. That's a hard and absolute fact. Maybe a quarter of them are effectively taken off the market for new shows by productions apparently cursed with immortality. Waitress has just opened up another spot both physically and creatively for a new project- hopefully something we haven't seen before- and I hope to God, Satan, and Sondheim that it doesn't get filled with another franchise spinoff, celebrity jukebox musical, or -Lin Miranda forbid - yet another revival.

Why the revival hate, though? Aren't revivals an major way to revisit the landmark and important musicals of the past and bring them to a new audience?

Well, yes. They are, especially when they're staged and presented with the emphasis on letting the music and words speak for themselves and giving the actors leeway to work with the material, without the typical levels of Broadway Extra (TM) and creative meddling from the producers. (The recent Lincoln Center staging of A Chorus Line is a good example of the stripped down style I'm talking about.) But even if they have their place, once again, revivals (while valuable and cool and all that) are Something We've Already Seen.

Let's take Newsies for example. A show with a huge fan base (mostly teen, mostly girls) who I frequently see wishing for a revival.

Now, I am a raging Newsies fan. Newsies is the show that got me started on attempting to make a profession out of dance and theater. I can sing both the OBC and Live albums back to front. I may or may not have had embarrassing crushes on certain cast and characters that I will take to my grave (I'll never tell and you'll never know, mwahhaha). So, do I love and worship ever iteration of this show? Yes. Do I wish I had been able to see either the Natl Tour or Broadway productions? Hell yes, with all my heart. Do I wish the Gatelli choreography was in any way accessible for me to learn? More than I want Broadway tickets to cost less than my soul, kidney, and hypothetical but unlikely first born combined.

But do I want a Broadway revival? Hell FUCKING No.

It's over, it's done, and it lives on in reinterpretation in regional and junior productions. Good. That, to be quite honest, is where it should belong.

It doesn't need to be rehashed on the biggest stages, and to be frank, neither do most of the ultra popular revivals that have been happening. (Yes, Ali Stoker is awesome and deserves the world, but Broadway does not need Oklahoma. If you need to see it that bad, go find a high school production somewhere. I recommend the midwest.) Broadway does not need 1776 (even though I am looking forward to it). Broadway does not need a Sweeney Todd revival (even though I want one like I want ice cream after suffering through jazz class in an un-air-conditioned studio on a 90 degree afternoon with no breeze. Seriously, I might be making sacrifices at my altar to this cause in the back of my closet).

Broadway needs musicals that are at least nominally original, and if not, come from something obscure enough (Kinky Boots, Waitress, Newsies) that they can make their own way. Barring that, investors, writers, and directors, please have the courage and decency to take established content in a new direction. Please, I'm begging you. I'd honestly-and-truly much rather sit through something that didn't try to shove the better version of itself down my throat even as it bored and annoyed me to tears. If I'm going to pay $80+ to sit through two hours of something terrible (and less engaging than my dancer body image issues) at least let me get my money's worth in unique horribleness.

[theaterdisneynerdsunite]

A (Controversial) Ranking Of 2010’s 10 Tony Winning Best Musicals

Remember when I thought this blog would be full of original theater content? Oops. Anyways here’s my list. Keep in mind some of these were incredibly close. I kept switching around 7/8, 5/6, and 3/4, but this is what I ultimately settled on. There’s a certain placement that I’m sure a lot of people are going to say is way too low, I’m not saying this is the definitive ranking or “correct”, just my personal opinion based on my individual taste. There are a bunch of musicals from this decade that I love that didn’t win the Tony, but that’s an entirely separate list lol.

10: Memphis

Tbh I know nothing about this show. It could be fantastic, but I’ve never heard the soundtrack, know nothing about it, and am unfortunately unable to listen to the soundtrack until 2020. Nothing against Memphis, I just don’t know anything about it which is why I put it at the bottom

9: Dear Evan Hansen

Put down your pitchforks. This is why I put controversial in the title. I’ve listened to this show multiple times, I’ve read the plot a bunch of times, I’ve had DEH Stan’s try to change my mind, I really, really wanted to like this show. The actors are incredibly talented and have great voices, no complaints there. I have anxiety and other mental health conditions and I was ecstatic at hearing about a show getting popular being about those things. I wanted to like this show. I wanted to connect to Evan, I really did, but the way the story is written makes me deeply uncomfortable with what it says about mental illness, and the music is fine but doesn’t distract from the story for me. It’s sort of generic music wise in my opinion. The way they portray both Connor’s and Evan’s characters makes me actively dislike the show, and it is really, really hard to make me actively dislike a show. I feel ambivalent sometimes, I have mixed feelings sometimes, but I actively dislike this show and that almost never happens. Also NPATGCO1812’s score and staging was phenomenal, Come From Away was sentimental and moving without feeling corny, and Groundhog Day surprised me by being better than I expected. I literally preferred every other show in the category from that year, I know a lot of people love it and that’s great but this is where it falls for me.

8. Once

I love the song Falling Slowly, and I think the actors dancing with instruments on stage was really cool. I think it was one of the first times it was done on Broadway, but I’m not sure. Other than the plot being a bit contrived and flat for me, there’s nothing I really dislike about this show. I just...feel nothing about this show. It’s fine, the music is good background study music, it just didn’t leave much of an impression for me.

7. Book of Mormon

So the songs in this show are absolute bops, and some of the wordplay is fantastic. I can appreciate this show for what it was trying to do. But ultimately, this show comes down to the humor, and you either like this style of humor or you don’t. I never personally found South Park to be my taste in humor. If you like South Park, you’re going to love this show. Even though I don’t find South Park funny, there were parts of this show I laughed at. But there were also parts that I cringed at and the cringe parts increased in hindsight. The songs are my favorite part: Hello, Sal Tlay Ka Siti, Turn it Off, Baptize Me, Mostly Me, I love those songs.

6. Fun Home

This show may have three Alison’s, which are all really good, but it felt like two plots to me. There is the story of Alison and her relationship with her father, and there’s the story of Alison’s self discovery and realizing her identity. These stories intertwine, but I personally find the self discovery and realizing her sexuality story much more interesting and compelling, and I also prefer the songs that are a part of that journey. Ring of Keys and Changing My Major are my favorite songs from the cast album. I read the graphic novel and it seems like it is really true to the spirit of the book. This and Memphis are the only ones I haven’t seen or seen a bootleg of, so I’m not really able to comment on the costumes, acting, choreography, setting etc, but for the most part I like what I’ve heard.

5. Band’s Visit

Another show that really comes down to taste. I liked this show when I saw it, the person who came with me didn’t. Part of the point of the show is rather than go to a big exciting city, they end up in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere in a desert where nothing happens. There are multiple songs dedicated to how nothing happens. And there are a bunch of mini story arcs with varying degrees of focus put on them, the focus shifts to much for anything to really happen. Which is the point, and it’s interesting, you just have to know what you’re in for. It feels like Waiting for Godot set to music, which if you like waiting for Godot like I do is a good thing. The romances are sweet. It feels like it should be in a more intimate off broadway setting, but I like it. The music is hit or miss for me, but the hits nail it out of the park. I like a lot of the songs but I love Omar Sharif, I could listen to it on repeat for hours.

4. Kinky Boots

This show is absolutely fantastic and I love everything about it. The fact that it’s at #4 for me was a shock, because this show is so good. This shows how strong the top of the list is in my opinion, because this show knocks it out of the park. This show has so much heart and sole. The costumes, especially for the drag queens, are stunning, the choreography like the boxing match and the conveyor belt dance are really cool, the acting is phenomenal, and the songs. The songs are so good. If they want to make you laugh they make you laugh, if they want to make you cry they make you cry, if they want to make you dance along belting out at the top of your lungs they are going to make you do that. Seriously, this show is so good.

3. Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder

This just barely edged out Kinky Boots, because I feel like most people like and appreciate Kinky Boots, and I feel like Gentleman’s Guide is severely underrated and ranking it higher is going to let me talk about it even longer. This show isn’t as deep as Kinky Boots but it doesn’t try to be. What this show is, and why I think it’s underrated, is pure comedy. There are a lot of comedic Best Musicals sure, but the comedy is only part of it, but this one is wholeheartedly a comedy, which I feel is kind rare. A lot of things have comedy but it seems like not many are straight up comedy anymore. And the thing is... I’m not usually a fan of straight up comedy, like there are very few straight comedy movies that I enjoy, so the fact that I love this so much when I expected to only like it makes it even better. And as much as I call it a pure comedy, it’s got beautiful love song, great commentary, and a couple of twists that are fun even though you see them coming. The murders are really creative and funny. The characters are great, I love the gag with the Dysquiths where all of the murdered people are played by one actor. The acting, costume quick changes, and everything involved in pulling it off is so cool. I love the songs so much, I don’t think there’s a weak one in the bunch. And one scene may have one of my favorite bits of choreography of all time. It only needs three people, a doorframe and a chair. It’s not flashy or involves a million moving pieces like the costume bit does, but it is ingenious in its simplicity and comedic timing. This show seems largely forgotten by people, maybe because it’s not trying to be deep, but it 100% deserves more love than it gets.

2. Hadestown

If Gentleman’s Guide is one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen, this is one of my favorite modern cast albums. This also hits a lot of my personal interests, so that definitely helps. I love Greek mythology, I love the anachronistic but also roaring 20’s setting, I love the genres of music they pull from, I love the oral tradition storytelling feel it has, it hits so many of my stylistic favorites that I naturally feel pulled towards it. I love the music, if you asked me to pick my top five, no top ten songs from this show I couldn’t do it. The casting fits the characters perfectly, and the songs match the characters so well. The lyrics are fantastic and the themes are both timeless and incredibly relevant. It feels like it was written in the past year or two, especially the song Why we Build the Wall, but it was written way before ‘Build the wall’ was ever a thing. And the design of the show is so incredibly effective, everything contributes to the feel of the piece and the function of the show. Everything seems so well thought out and crafted, from the costumes to the choreography to the script to the music, there is so much attention to detail and is so intricately tied together even though it feels simple, earnest and straightforward. Which to me is an incredibly difficult needle to thread. Like the famous Dolly Parton quote “it takes a lot of work to look this cheap”, it is such a complex show that looks so simple. And it’s so immersive, you fall into the story. You know how it ends, it tells you from the beginning how it ends, but that doesn’t stop you from feeling exactly what they’re feeling, from believing wholeheartedly that it could end differently despite knowing how it ends, it’s a masterful piece of art.

1. Hamilton

I doubt this comes as a surprise to anyone, even if I did technically make you Wait For It. I feel like calling it a cultural phenomenon is underselling it’s impact. There’s nothing I could possibly say about this show that hasn’t been said hundreds of thousands of times already. This show is a piece of lyrical genius, of musical genius too but a lyrical masterpiece. This show was like Rent was in the 90’s or Wicked in the 00’s, not only an instant classic that permanently affected the modern theater world, but outside of theater as well. I have loved theater long before Hamilton, but this show spoke to so many people outside of theater, made so many people fall in love with theater that wouldn’t have otherwise. It might not be my favorite show by Lin Manuel Miranda, it might not even be my personal favorite one on this list to see live, but nothing else could possibly take the top spot of this list for me. Who would have thought a hip hop inspired rap musical about a relatively ignored founding father would become the juggernaut it is. I don’t know what else to say that other people haven’t said already. It’s Hamilton, what else can I say?

[reblogthiscrapkay]

Some Thoughts on “Hadestown” and the Tony Awards

I do not claim to be an oracle of who will win the Tonys but here are my ideas, culled from a lot of time spent online reading hot takes and the smaller theater award winners, discussions with my two biggest theater friends who I have been discussing theater with for over 12 years, and also brief chatting with an acquittance who is Tony-nominated adjacent (one day, she will have her own instead of just getting mentioned in speeches!).

Here are what I think the odds are of "Hadestown" winning Tonys.

Best Musical

"Hadestown" has a really good chance of winning but it is by no means guaranteed. Mostly everyone thinks it's going to come down to "Hadestown" or "Tootsie." No one is talking about "Ain't Too Proud", "Beetlejuice" doesn't seem to be a viable candidate (described by my friend as fun but nothing to write home about), and "The Prom" seems to only be really endorsed by the New York Times writers who have an unreasonable amount of power when it comes to what goes to Broadway (they are why "Hadestown" got changed so much and why "Fortress of Solitude," the best musical you've never heard of, never went to Broadway) but not necessarily the deciding vote.

The thing here is really whether the voters want to go safe and traditional with "Tootsie" or new and unique with "Hadestown." In the past few years, they have definitely tended towards the new and unique, but they also have a clear bias against sung-through musicals (see 2017 when "Come From Away" won Best Director but lost Best Musical to "Dear Evan Hansen" in spite of doing really well at the smaller awards). "Hamilton" is a recent exception to this but "Hamilton" was an exception in so many ways.

Overall "Hadestown" is the better show. Both shows have issues with their books but "Tootsie" is tighter and also less interesting. And "Hadestown" has vastly better music. Personally, I'll be surprised if "Tootsie" wins but these kinds of things have happened before.

Best Director

Basically everyone seems to say it will be Rachel Chavkin even if they don't think "Hadestown" will win best musical, and this is very interesting to me as someone who knows a bit more about the interworkings of the Oscars than the Tonys. The Oscars have done this weird and possibly bad thing a lot over the last few years where they give Best Direction to the most artistic and interesting film but Best Picture to whatever movie they enjoyed the most. Last year this was painfully obvious with Alfonso Curon winning for his direction for "Roma" but "Green Book" winning Best Picture. The Tonys don't do this as they usually give both to the same show or they give direction to a revival that will then win Best Revival. But again, 2017 this changed.

That being said "Oklahoma!" seems like the only real competitor here and if Daniel Fish wins over Rachel, I'd be okay with it. "Oklahoma!" was a revelation (and better win Best Revival over "Kiss Me Kate").

Best Book

Here's one where I think "Hadestown" is likely to lose. First of all, the book of "Hadestown" is messy. I love "Hadestown," it's probably my favorite musical of all time, but the book is messy. There are places that are overexplained and a lot of imbalance in how the themes are woven into the story (while still being totally brillant but yeah). There are things that should have been fixed in all the transfers, but they weren't, and it started to feel a bit like writing wack-a-mole following this show since the New York Theatre Workshop.

Also a lot of people find "Hadestown" confusing, which is a problem, but I find this is often a problem of people not being good readers more than anything having to do with the show.

Additionally, Tony voters have no idea what the book is with a sung-through musical. Basically, they don't think there is one. Dialogue is only part of what makes the book, guys.

"Tootsie" will probably win instead. It's got a very tight script and is truthfully very funny. Even though there are as many oops-you-should-edit moments as in "Hadestown," the comedy and the appeal to the particular demographic they were shooting for will win it.

Best Original Score

I feel like "Hadestown" has this one locked down. Even people who find the show incomprehensible seem to love the music. David Yazbek won last year for "Band's Visit" (a vastly better show than "Tootsie") so it's safe to say he's out of the running. I've got nothing else here.

Best Orchestrations

"Hadestown" has a damn good chance here too. Its music is one of its strongest qualities, and if you compare the NYTW to the Broadway in terms of orchestration, there's a lot going on here and it's all good. "Oklahoma!" is a potential opponent because of how they managed to change around the original to make it all read so much better to a modern audience.

Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role

I'm going to say Eva has only a 25% chance of winning. Stephanie J. Block seems to be a likely winner because of her previous nominations and the fact that the Tonys often give out awards for career work instead of the single show they are in. Otherwise, "The Cher Show." Really. Some people think Kelli O'Hara has a chance because the Tony voters love their generic starlets but since she's already got a Tony, I think Stephanie and Eva are much more likely competitors. "The Prom" girls seem to cancel each other out (more on the canceling effect two categories below).

If Eva wins I will be PUMPED, but I'm not counting on it.

Best Performance By An Actress In A Featured Role

Everything here comes down to Amber Gray versus Ali Stoker. The "Tootsie" actresses cancel each other out (more on the canceling effect one category below), but Ali is far and away a standout over Mary Testa. To quote my acquaintance, "Amber Gray will win because she's the most interesting woman on Broadway, like how Katrina Lenk won last year." I think she could be right here, but I will propose an additional theory for why Amber may win: Amber originated a role, one she has been working on for years. Ali stole the show in "Oklahoma!" but she stole the show with a classic show stealing role. Also, because those voters like career work, Amber has been around longer (although she wasn't nominated, she was the best thing about "Natasha Pierre" for me). Ali is young and at this point mostly known for her small role in Deaf West's "Spring Awakening."

Ali will be a Tony winner. Maybe this Sunday. Maybe in a few years. If she wins I'll be happy for her and there's no denying she will deserve the award, but I'm rooting for Amber.

Best Performance By An Actor In A Featured Role

I have gone on a journey with this category. Let me start by saying it seems like Andre DeShields will win. Now let me back up and tell you the long adventure I went on to conclude this.

I have now mentioned "canceling out" a lot, which has a tendency to happen with shows where multiple people are nominated (usually in acting). The important thing to note is that just because two people are in the same category does not mean they automatically cancel each other. Daveed Diggs won for featured actor for "Hamilton" over his costars Chris Jackson and Jon Groff, and there's a clear reason why: of the three he was the standout. He was the most dynamic and had the meatiest role. This only works when there isn't an obvious winner in that show. And this is why figuring out this category has been so damn difficult and I still may be wrong.

Originally one of my friends said he thought Andre and Patrick Page would cancel each other out and that the two guys nominated for "Ain't Too Proud" would cancel each other out and we would have the award going to the guy from "Tootsie" (sorry I don't have the names, but for the reference that guy was literally my favorite thing about "Tootsie"). I initally argued that while both "Hadestown" guys do clearly dominate the category in general, Patrick could win because he plays a dynamic character while Andre plays a static one. My friend countered that the Tony voters really love narrator characters, and well, he's right. This idea was expanded by my other friend who pointed out that Andre opens and closes the show and has a lot of the theme-dropping lines, while Patrick doesn't make his entrance until halfway through Act One and that this leaves an impression.

But ultimately it probably comes down to this: career. Andre will get the award because of his career. Every middle aged gay man I've spoken to who didn't understand the show was very proud to tell me that they saw him in "Ain't Misbehavin" in the 70s (to which I said I saw him in "Fortress of Solitude" a few years ago as a jest that none of them seemed to be amused by).

The canceling theory may still play here, but it's hard for me to imagine that the award won't at least go to one of the "Hadestown" guys.

Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Choreography

I'm talking about these three together because my explanation for all three is basically the same. In all three of these categories, "Hadestown" feels like an underdog because it is not flashy in the way shows like "Beetlejuice" or "King Kong" are. They don't have the grandiosity or diversity of costumes of "The Cher Show" or the traditional choreography of "Tootsie."

But "Hadestown" is literally creating a time and place that doesn't really exist; it's not even fantasy, just otherworldliness. The scenic design and costumes anchor you in a place that is like our world but isn't and everything about the choices made, from the shifting set to the details of the costumes, is meant to create this place of kinda New Orleans, kinda 1930s, but also kinda anywhere and now. If "Hadestown" wins scenic design or costume design it will be very deserved and very unconventional.

The choreography has a similar effect. The only real 'dance' numbers are "Living It Up On Top" which is very traditional, "Way Down Hadestown" which feels more frenetic and unplanned, and "Lover's Desire" which is literally a slow dance. The thing is, the choreography throughout the show tells you so much about characters, what they are thinking, and how they are feeling in a way traditional choreography doesn't. Interesting enough Amber Gray was nominated for a dance award for the show. Like with scenic design and costume design, if "Hadestown" wins it will be deserved but a bit uexpected.

Best Lighting Design

Those "Wait For Me" lights will probably win them this Tony but it's worth acknowledging that this show has a lot of amazing lighting design from those swinging lights to the lanterns the Fates use to how Eurydice is able to disappear with the use of light, smoke, and turntable, to the lights of Hadestown, to those colored lights in "How Long" that I am now weirdly obsessed with. But those swinging lights are so iconic that they just might win it on that alone.

Best Sound Design

I know nothing about sound design and no one else seems to either. I noticed some sound design. I also noticed some sound design in "Oklahoma!" I don't know anyone who saw "King Kong" or "Ain't Too Proud." Who knows.

[letsfillmoominvalleywithcrime]

My Thoughts on the 2019 Tonys That Nobody Asked For!!!

I’m just gonna talk about the musicals (and Choir Boy) that performed like I did last year. Let me know your thoughts too!

Ain’t Too Proud: Fun! I don’t really know anything about this show or about the Temptations but I was dancing in my chair the entire time they were doing their thing, they definitely deserved the award for Best Choreography

Tootsie: Honestly probably my least favorite performance of the night. I had pretty high expectations for Santino Fontana specifically because everyone said he was the favorite to win (and then he won lol) but I don’t think it was the strongest performance of the night by a long shot, also the song got boring after like the second verse and I expected the quick change to be more impressive :/

Oklahoma: GOOD LORD ALI STROKER CAME FOR MY LIFE AND MY WIG AND MY FIRSTBORN CHILD, her performance was absolutely electrifying, the rest of the performance was really fun (Damon Daunno is so cute oh man) but I think it needs to be in the round to work and it lost a bit of its power on a traditional stage, definitely still one of my favorites of the night

Beetlejuice: I’m going against everything I believe in here but honestly? As far as movie adaptation musicals go, I liked this a lot. The movie is a camp horror masterpiece so it makes sense that it translates so well to the stage, I’m happy they kept the Harry Belafonte songs, Alex Brightman is so into it and I respect that (tbh as far as Best Actor performances I think he was one of if not the strongest and he was definitely leagues better than Santino srry), kinda want to check out the soundtrack now

The Prom: Glad it didn’t win Best Musical (I’m a Hadestown bitch I won’t apologize for it) but I think it deserved more awards, overall just a fun and strong piece of musical comedy that I’m definitely going to check out the soundtrack for now, also two girls kissed on live national television and I burst into tears!!! I’m about to cry just thinking about it! The American Theatre Wing said gay rights!

Choir Boy: I know I said earlier that Ain’t Too Proud deserved Best Choreography but now that I think about it I’m a little mad Choir Boy didn’t get it, I was awed by this performance and I think I read there’s a proshot somewhere and I definitely want to watch it immediately if I can find it because it looks incredible, I’m also glad that a play got as much stage time as a musical and I know they’re trying but I hope they figure out a way to give plays without music a chance to perform too

Hadestown: Y’all already KNOW I love this show with my whole entire heart and every time the cast shows up on my TV I’m gonna say it’s the most perfect thing to ever happen, I do wish they picked a song that showcased more of the cast but I know they’ve already done a lot of those songs on TV appearances before and I also know that this was the biggest “fuck you” they could have given to the American Theatre Wing for not nominating Reeve Carney and I can respect that

Kiss Me, Kate: I’m gonna be completely honest, I started getting really tired at this point in the night and was paying attention a lot less, I remember being disappointed that I wasn’t about to see Kelli O’Hara sing about hating men for two and a half minutes (or like anything else that demonstrates how this revival is different from other revivals) but the dancing was really good and Corbin Bleu was there and I was shook, overall a strong revival that I’m sure is amazing but I’m glad it lost to Oklahoma

The Cher Show: My sleepy bisexual heart expected a lot more from this in all honesty, I’m not a huge fan of bio-musicals in general so maybe I’m biased but it wasn’t as exciting for me as the other performances, also Cher didn’t even show up? The dancing and costumes were fun, I guess (also okay I’m proud of Stephanie J. Block but if you told me her Tony win was for Cher and not Falsettos I’d be confused as hell, she was good but I really wish it had gone to Eva Noblezada or Caitlin Kinnunen)

[newyorktheater]

   Beetlejuicethe Broadway musical differs in crucial ways from Tim Burton’s 1988 comic horror movie, as the character Beetlejuice himself (portrayed by Alex Brightman) makes clear from his first appearance on stage.

The musical begins with the funeral for Lydia’s mother, with the teenage Lydia (Sophia Anne Caruso) singing movingly of her loss.

Suddenly, there’s Beetlejuice perched on the coffin

“Holy crap! A ballad already?” he exclaims, shattering the melancholy mood. “And such a bold departure from the original source material.”

If you remember the movie (and I didn’t; I watched it again this week on Amazon), Beetlejuice doesn’t appear until about the half-way mark, and his high octane obnoxiousness and show biz wisecracking are delivered in memorable but limited doses. The musical’s Beetlejuice, hyper and foul-mouthed, takes center stage nearly from the get-go, and without letup. Most to the point, the demon sets the turbo-charged pace and loud tone for the entire proceedings. I’d say this was a fatal mistake, but in a musical comedy about death and the netherworld, that might sound like a good thing.

Still, if you can tolerate the bombardment, and don’t mind sappy scenes mixed in with the comically macabre plot, Beetlejuice the musical does have its pleasures – principally a few standout performances and especially the vivid visuals.

The  story in outline is more or less the same as in the movie. Young couple Adam Maitland (Rob McClure) and his wife Barbara (Kerry Butler)  die by falling through a hole in their living room. Lydia’s father Charles  (Adam Dannheisser) moves in with his family.  Adam and Barbara don’t want them in their house, and Beetlejuice tries to scare them away, but it backfires. Lydia, wearing black and in mourning for her mother, makes a connection with the deceased couple. Beetlejuice would like to make a connection with Lydia…by marrying her.

Alex Brightman, who scored big as the original star of School of Rock, makes the most of the meta theatrical wisecracking in “Beetlejuice”; does what he can with Beetlejuice’s crude jokes; wears out his welcome (through no fault of his own) with the character’s extended hyper-adrenalized antics.  But the musical’s “departure from the original source material” helps create showcases for a couple of the other cast members.  Leslie Kritzer portrays Delia, whom Charles hired to be Lydia’s life coach, and is secretly having an affair with Charles. Kritzer makes comic hay from quoting her conman guru Otho (Kevin Moon Loh), e.g.: “Sadness is like kale salad. No one likes it. Throw it out.”

Sophia Anne Caruso, 17, who has wowed New York theatergoers for years with her startling talent and uncomfortable precocity in such shows as The Netherand Lazarus,  has a show-stopping number early in Beetlejuice, “Dead Mom.”  Despite the cheeky tone of that song, the musical allows her to mourn, which makes her character less of a cartoon. But then Lydia tries to enter the Netherworld to retrieve her loved one – a plot served to much better effect by another new Broadway musical, Hadestown, especially musically.

Indeed, few of the songs by Eddie Perfect are anything more than serviceable in Beetlejuice, though the lyrics can be clever and funny. They can also be puerile and profane.

The book, too, by (former New York Magazine drama critic) Scott Brown and Anthony King, feels at odds with itself. At the end of “Beetlejuice,” there is a sentimental family reconciliation and also a crass, loud game show parody – reflecting the two contrasting, and conflicting, tones of the show. I suppose mentioning these could be considered spoiler, if they weren’t both so overdone and predictable.

Yet, one aspect of “Beetlejuice” does stand out — its design. This makes sense. The movie won its sole Academy Award for best makeup. Five of the seven Drama Desk Award nominationsthat Beetlejuice the musical received this afternoon were for its design, as were three of the four Outer Critics Circle Award nominations.(Both also nominated Leslie Kritzer.)

Set designer David Korins (Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen) gives a Tim Burton vibe to the show, not just from Beetlejuice but from other movies Burton directed, including The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands, as he offers three different versions of the Victorian house — first one being restored by the Maitlands, preservationists at heart; then the tasteless redo by Charles and Lydia, and finally the ghoulish abode inhabited by, well, ghouls, once Beetlejuice takes over.   Puppet designer Mark Curry (Frozen, Young Frankenstein) brings some of the monsters from the movie to life, most effectively the giant sandworm, and creates some of his own. Jeremy Chernick and Michael Weber create the special effects, like burning hands and levitation. Costume designer William Ivey Long and projection designer Peter Nigrini do their usual spot-on spectacular jobs. As a result, when Beetlejuice suddenly replicates into a chorus line of clones, you don’t cringe, you revel in all those stripes.

  Beetlejuice. Winter Garden Theater Directed by Alex Timbers, Score by Eddie Perfect, book by Scott Brown & Anthony King, music supervision, orchestrations and incidental music by Kris Kukul, choreography by Connor Gallagher. Scenic design by David Korins, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by Peter Hylenski, projection design by Peter Nigrini, puppet design by Michael Curry, special effects design by Jeremy Chernick, illusions by Michael Weber, hair & wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, make-up design by Joe Dulude. Cast: Alex Brightman, Sophia Anne Caruso, Kerry Butler, Rob McClure, Adam Dannheisser, and Leslie Kritzer, with Jill Abramovitz, Kelvin Moon Loh, Danny Rutigliano, and Dana Steingold, Tessa Alves, Gilbert L. Bailey II, Will Blum, Johnny Brantley III, Ryan Breslin, Natalie Charle Ellis, Brooke Engen, Abe Goldfarb, Eric Anthony Johnson, Elliott Mattox, Mateo Melendez, Sean Montgomery, Ramone Owens, Presley Ryan and Kim Sava. Running time: Two hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission Tickets: $69 – $300

Beetlejuice Review: A Broadway Musical From Tim Burton’s Comic Macabre Movie  Beetlejuicethe Broadway musical differs in crucial ways from Tim Burton’s 1988 comic horror movie, as the character Beetlejuice himself (portrayed by Alex Brightman) makes clear from his first appearance on stage.

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What Got Better In Hadestown on Broadway (And What Got Worse)

So I saw Hadestown in London last December and I just saw it in New York last weekend (I’m not crazy rich; my boyfriend lives in London and I live a fairly reasonable drive from New York). Here is my hopefully somewhat concise breakdown of what has changed.

For my overly long analysis of Hadestown in London, click here.

For my concise list analysis of Hadestown in London, click here.

For my favorite essay on Hades’ politics, click here.

Good Changes:

1. Hermes’ role has been reinstated. In the original Hermes very much was the intermediary between the humans and the gods and was especially friendly with Orpheus and Persephone. In London he was weirdly distrant from everyone, standing in the corner the whole time and being very detatched. Now he’s more like Orpheus’ mentor and is very clearly a friend of Persephone in addition to his role as narrator (oh, and he’s no longer an unreliable narrator too).

2. More mythology stuff. In the beginning Hermes gives a bit more mythology stuff to the beginning. I don’t like how he straight up explains the myth of Hades and Persephone (Epic I existed for this reason, guys) but I like the background about Orpheus’ mom. Persephone’s mom gets more shout outs too.

3. Overall the first act is tighter. They didn’t change much from London but everything feels smoother somehow. One of my favorite examples of this is “All I’ve Ever Known.” I hated the choreography in London but they really fixed it. Now it’s much simplier and follows a very logical progression. When Eurydice first sings, “Now I wanna hold you” she does so while gripping his arms as if she’s fighting the desire because she’s still unsure. By the music breakdown they do the simulated sex thing (although it felt less weird than in London), showing her accepting her feelings, and the last verse involves her sitting up from the floor as if she can’t sleep because she’s genuinely afraid he may leave her. It’s beautiful.

4. The costumes are more cohesive. I said that I liked the human costumes in London as clothes but they drove me nuts because they were so anachronistic with the gods costumes. Now they’re all looking more “vaguely early 20th century.” I love how Eurydice’s costume looks like she literally bought a nightgown and a vest from a thrift shop. Also, minor details but I think they added wings to Hermes’ suit (didn’t notice before if they did) and Hades’ nylon sleeve wall tattoo doesn’t look as bad as I thought it would. Although Hades’ hair is slightly different and it’s not better.

5. More humor. They’ve added in some humor and it mostly all works. There’s a moment when Hermes says to Orpheus, “Don’t come on too strong” and he responds with, “Come home with me!” Persephone before singng “Our Lady of the Underground” drunkenly stumbs out and shouts “Step into MY office.” Also after two lines of “Epic III” Hades interrupts with, “Oh, it’s about me” which made everyone laugh.

6. The Fates. I think I forget about them a lot but I was startled by how much they KILLED it in this show.

7. They brought back most of the original New York musicians. I just thought this was cute. When Persephone is naming them in “Our Lady of the Underground” I was shook.

8. Amber Gray grabs her boob. To explain, in London “Our Lady of The Underground” was performed with the workers and they raid her bag. Now it’s just her onstage, singing moreso to us. They clearly have it set up so that the chorus parts should be sung by the audience, and there was just enough audience who knew the lines to make it happen (this will probably improve over time). Instead of having her bag and wine bottles, she just has a flask on a string which she puts in her bra at the beginning of the song. At the line “I’ve got the wind right here in a jar” she grabs her boob where the flask is. Overall, I don’t know if this staging is an improvement, but this moment amused me.

Bad Things:

A lot of the bad things can be broken down by the phrase, “Why does she love him.” Also unfortunately, the bad things had really profund consequences.

1. Orpheus is an idiot now. He is a deer in headlights the whole dang show. I’ve thought it over and even with the lines that seemingly make him look stupid, if they were simply acted more sincerely and less awkwardly there wouldn’t be a problem. Because he is so dumb now, it makes no sense why Eurydice falls for him aside from the fact that he’s vaguely magic. The guy sitting to my right HATED him and blamed Reeve. I don’t know who’s responsible for this change but it really undermines the quality of the show and all the decent things I said about Reeve in London.

2. Hades is meaner. In London Hades and Persephone’s relationship was easily one of the strongest parts of the show. Now what used to be a lot of genuine sadness on Hades’ part seems to have turned into anger. “The girl means nothing to me” used to be a line that kind of hurt but it was said a bit too maliciously here. They’ve also added in other bits where they snip at each other and it makes me uncomfortable. Persephone is now present when Orpheus shows up in Hadestown and tries to speak for him and Hades tells her to be quiet. He also, very condescendingly, tells her, “Oh, go have another drink” before “How Long.” If this line had been said sadly, this would have read so differently. Persephone snips back at him in “Epic III” when she demands that he let Orpheus finish. They also cut the bit where Persephone is present when you find out the Eurydice didn’t sleep with Hades and her crying when Hades takes Eurydice to his office is WAY more subtle. They also cut her verse in “Chant II” which really affects their relationship. I didn’t even cry at any of their parts and I usually cry at all of them. I am worried.

3. Lots of the songs in Act II has been shortened. I thought something like this might happen but I’m still sad about it. First they came for “Promises.” Now they also cut down “Chant II” (Persephone doesn’t even have a part in it anymore, why), “His Kiss, The Riot” “If It’s True” “Epic III” and “Way Down Hadestown II” and “Doubt Comes In” felt shorter too but I could be wrong. “Lover’s Desire” didn’t even sound like the same song which majorly messed me up because that song usually makes me bawl like a baby. Also, all the “Epic” s are now the same song over and over. I hate this because the “Epic”s before showed this nice progression of Orpheus writing about the gods in general to realizing that he needs to tell the story of their love. Now he realizes this in “Chant I” but at least they made it seem like he realized this on his own and didn’t tell Eurydice so her leaving has gone back to being a reasonable solution. In London she seemed like she didn’t care he was trying to fix the world, but now she doesn’t know about it.

4. They still haven’t really integrated the worker subplot. And they probably won’t. I think you’d have to pry this out of someone’s cold dead hands at this point, which sucks because it still feels like a hastily slapped on “We have been left behind by the system” concept. Perhaps even worse, Persephone is now frequently positioned on the side of the workers instead of being an intermediary between them and Hades, which further weakens her relationship with Hades. Hades isn’t supposed to be the bad guy! Doubt is!

So anyway, Anais Mitchell walked past me during intermission and my friend Alex was like, “Are you going to talk to her” and I, a person who can’t ever talk to people if I think I may be bothering them, said, “Hell no, What would I even say.” “Just ‘thank you for the show.’” “I would definitely fuck up and say ‘Thank you for the show but please stop messing with it.’”

The joke later became me sidling up to her and saying, “One socialist to another, how much corporate nonsense is making you change things that didn’t need fixing.” I don’t think that would go over well though.

Anyway, they gave me a flower before I left and the shows not locked in until April 16th so I can dream for the next few days that they might fix it.

[newyorktheater]

Ten of the 34 shows that opened on Broadway during the 2018-2019 season began life Off-Broadway.  I was struck  by how sharply different my reactions were to seeing the Off-Broadway and Broadway versions of four of these shows – Be More Chill, Hadestown, Oklahoma, and What The Constitution Means to Me. This was true even though all four were considered transfers, with little change in the casts and no change in the creative teams. The biggest change in some of these was the context — and that could make all the difference.

Boys in the Band, Off-Broadway, 1968

Suddenly dancing The Madison in The Boys in the Band: Robin De Jesus, Michael Benjamin Washington, Andrew Rannells, Jim Parsons (There’s a similarly memorable moment of a dance break in “Straight White Men”)

Now, the significance of a Broadway run was surely greatest this season in the play “The Boys in the Band,” which had debuted Off-Broadway in 1968, and had been produced around the world ever since, but had never been on Broadway. The Broadway debut production on the play’s 50th anniversary offered a symbolic importance that was as much political and aesthetic. Though many feel the script is dated — the characters stereotypes of unhappy homosexuals – the production was a celebration of how far we’d come.   All nine actors were openly gay men, as were the director Joe Mantello and all five producers including Ryan Murphy (creator of such TV series as Glee,American Horror Story, and Feud). Several were famous—TV stars (Parsons of The Big Bang Theory, Matt Bomer of White Collar), movie stars (Quinto of the Star Trek films), Broadway stars (Andrew Rannells of Book of Mormon, Hamilton.) These good-looking, successful, popular out gay actors weren’t so much re-creating gay history, or even honoring gay history, when they portrayed these brittle homosexual characters from the past. By their very participation in this production, they were making history.

“Straight White Men” Written and Directed by Young Jean Lee Public Theater New York, N.Y. November 6, 2014

Stephen Payne, Josh Charles, Armie Hammer, and Paul Schneider in Straight White Men, Broadway 2018

Given how vibrant the work that is produced Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway and in regional theaters, it’s easy to argue that making it to Broadway should mean less than it used to.  But Broadway still carries an emotional weight for theater people. How else to explain, for example, the Broadway debuts this season of such downtown avant-garde artists as Taylor Mac (Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus) and Young Jean Lee, whose Straight White Menearlier this season came some four years after the play debuted Off-Broadwayat the Public Theater.

Damon Daunno and band, Oklahoma, St. Ann’s warehouse, 2018

Oklahoma, Broadway 2019

Avant garde artists’ dreams of mainstream success can work in the audience’s favor. Exhibit A for me is director Daniel Fish’s dark production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma. When I saw it Off-Broadway at St. Ann’s Warehouse last October, I found its reliance on too many familiar avant garde devices tiresome and annoying. I felt it lost sight of a theater maker’s basic compact with the audience. “In its effort to make the environment feel authentic, the show suggests low-budget community theater as much as small town community gathering: The folding wooden chairs are physically uncomfortable, and the seating on either side of a long narrow stage (which looks like a fashion runway, except it’s made out of unfinished wood) nearly guarantees obstructed views at various times for a large portion of the audience. The director’s commitment to naturalism sometimes comes at the expense of audibility. Whole scenes unfold in complete darkness.”

Six months later, on Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theater, I was pleasantly surprised to discover comfortable seats and decent sightlines. Was the bigger theater more able to accommodate the set without sacrificing comfort and accessibility, or did the producers put the pressure on the creative team to accommodate the more demanding (and higher paying) Broadway theatergoers?

They also now give the playbill to you before the show begins, rather than after it is over, as at St. Ann’s — an affectation that to me epitomized the gratuitous  efforts to be au courant.

There are still plenty of what I consider avant garde affectations in Fish’s Oklahoma. Many were toned down, and there are enough adjustments for the balance to have shifted for me. I could better enjoy  Rodgers and Hammerstein’s score and the performances by a diverse and talented cast, and better appreciate Fish’s take on the world of the musical.

Be More Chill, Off Broadway 2018

Be More Chill, Broadway, 2019

The changes in two of the other transfers were less tangible, but they had the opposite effect on me.

When “Be More Chill” made it to Off-Broadway, the odyssey of the musical felt as engaging as anything in the show itself. A short run to mixed reviews in a New Jersey theater resulted in an original cast album that went viral, creating a whole nation of teenage fans for this high energy adaptation of a popular young adult novel that combines high school bestiary with sci-fi.  The transfer to Broadway marks the Broadway debut of talented songwriter Joe Iconis, and incorporates changes that reflects an obviously bigger budget – more, fancier stage effects. But the biggest change is its new context. The show has gone from a theater with fewer than 300 seats to one with more than 900, and ticket prices as high as $325. It no longer feels like the little show that could. It’s a noisy, high-powered commercial enterprise, selling itself largely to kids. So, what exactly are they selling?

Curious, I read the original novel by Ned Vizzini, and was taken aback by a couple of the changes in the stage adaptation. In the musical, Jeremy is reluctant to join the cast of the school play, saying “ It’s a sign-up sheet for getting called gay.”  But in the original novel by Ned Vizzini, Jeremy is a theater kid who has performed frequently in high school productions. Shouldn’t Broadway be the one place where young gay theatergoers don’t have to feel left out and put down?

What The Constitution Means to Me, 2018

What the Constitution Means to Me, Broadway 2019

When I saw “What The Constitution Means to Me” Off-Broadway, I found  Heidi Schreck’s show about the United States Constitution extraordinary — funny and infuriated, analytical and confessional, erudite and heartbreaking. Schreck, who plays herself at age 15 competing in oratorical contests about the Constitution, and then herself at her current age, is a good storyteller. Her play is informative, enlightening even, inspiring me to re-read the U.S. Constitution (copies of which are distributed during the show.)  It also has some important, justifiably angry points to make about the Court-sanctioned subjugation of women. Yet, in retrospect, what was most powerful about Schreck’s play was similar to the pull two decades ago of Anne Nelson’s “The Guys,” which was presented at The Flea Theater not far from the World Trade Center right after 9/11. “What’s The Constitution Means to Me” has allowed people to gather communally in a time of crisis.  The crisis this time is not a foreign invasion, but what the theatergoers drawn to this show see as a domestic threat to democracy.

There are few discernible changes to Schreck’s play, which has the feel of spontaneous improv but is actually carefully scripted. While other critics have reacted ecstatically to Schreck’s piece both on and Off Broadway, I have mixed feelings about the transfer of this straightforward, three-character play to Broadway’s Helen Hayes Theater, where there are three times as many seats as Off-Broadway, and ticket prices are more than 70 percent higher.  Instead of one producer, there are now more than a dozen. “What The Constitution Means to Me” can still serve as a salve for the politically shell-shocked and disaffected; they just have to be a little richer, which kind of undermines “we’re all in this together” vibe for me.

  Hadestown Off-Broadway 2016

Amber Gray Patrick Page Reeve Carney on Broadway 2019

Hadestown was a very different show when it debuted at a reconfigured New York Theater Workshop in 2016.  Just eight cast members brought Anais Mitchell’s concept album to life, performing in the sung-through musical all along the dimly lit spaces in front of stadium seating that evoked the rings of Hell

  Three years later, after a run at The National Theater in London, Hadestown is now on Broadway, with an expanded cast of 13, and elaborate choreography for them. Only two cast members of whom are holdovers from the original eight,  Gone is the reconfigured theater. The show plays out on Walter Kerr’s proscenium stage, and now features all sorts of stage effects, from stage smoke to a working steam whistle to a few surprise alterations of the set that are obviously the fruit of a bigger Broadway budget.

Some of the intimacy is lost. But there is now a sharper clarity to the tale, in large part because of the expansion of the role of Hermes as narrator, now performed by André De Shields. (There is also a note in the program explaining, “Who’s Who in Greek Mythology,” which is helpful in a show that still focuses more on atmosphere than plot.)

What made Hadestown most thrilling remains – the delightful score.

In the case of Hadestown, then, Broadway neither ruined nor redeemed an Off-Broadway show. It created something that’s different, adjusting to the new context and changed expectations, and in its own way just as good.

      Are Off Broadway Shows Redeemed or Ruined on Broadway? Ten of the 34 shows that opened on Broadway during the 2018-2019 season began life Off-Broadway.  I was struck  by how sharply different my reactions were to seeing the Off-Broadway and Broadway versions of four of these shows – Be More Chill, Hadestown, Oklahoma, and What The Constitution Means to Me.