HADESTOWN west end 1st preview | everything you need to know about the London musical transfer
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- čas přidán 16. 07. 2024
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OHMYGOD HEY!
Last weekend I booked a pair of tickets to go see the hugely anticipated 1st preview performance of the West End transfer of HADESTOWN at the Lyric Theatre in London.
The show, which won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Musical, will open in February 2024 at the Lyric Theatre in London and will star Donal Finn, Grace Hodgett Young, Zachary James, Gloria Onitiri, Melanie La Barrie, and more.
Check out today's answers to questions submitted via my instagram page (@mickeyjotheatre) to find out about the show's venue, merch, cast, UK differences, stage door, and more!
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00:00 | introduction
03:20 | curtain call
05:33 | we raise our cups
08:12 | merchandise
10:44 | loyalty cards
11:38 | different accents
14:18 | US vs UK changes
17:28 | stage door
19:29 | seat recommendations
22:17 | misc questions
24:42 | band questions
25:58 | the Lyric theatre
27:00 | thoughts on the show
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#musical #hadestown #theatre - Zábava
Missed opportunity to start the opening with "omg HEY-destown" but I absolutely love the quip about train stations so I will allow it this time.
First off, love your channel. About the issue of ushers being able to reach people filming in that theater. My friend lives in Jakarta and what THEY do is if someone is filming during a performance, all the ushers use laser pointers and aim it at the person until they stop. Apparently the people next to them see it and there is a public shaming. Seems like a good way to handle it.
I actually love this
Saw this on Broadway also! Yesss
@@Martje84 I’ve also seen this when Broadway shows to San Francisco.
Irish person here! Just so you know, Dónal's name is pronounced 'dough-nul' ! The fada or accent above the o broadens the sound
I LOVE that you mentioned the color Dónal’s accent gives to the character because I noticed it, too (in the promos). It was so beautiful.
What a magical night that was. I went with a friend, but we were sitting in completely different parts of the theatre, so I started chatting with the people around me and what a merry bunch they were! A lovely girl with a gorgeous Persephone dress even gave me a carnation! And I got to chat with you and Aeron for a few seconds during the interval! It was very much worth the international trip, I can’t wait to see it again in March.
That was me dressed as Persephone!! Lovely to meet you 😊 what a night it was!
Such a shame to miss that, I was keeping an eye out for you MickeyJo :p
My answer for if you should read up on Hadestown before seeing it depends on how familiar a person is with musical theatre in general. My non stagey sister struggled a bit with the show because it was the first time she'd ever seen something sung through so I wish I'd urged her to read at least a wikipedia summary before we went. But If you have experience with theatre I don't anticipate that being a problem because on a comprehension-level Hadestown is no more complex than Les Mis and Hamilton.
I can only comment on the American and NA tour versions, but one of the brilliancies of this play is that it acts as evidence that spoiler culture is bullshit. It is just as emotionally effective and tense if you know the ending vs. if you don't. I wouldn't necessarily recommend seeking out the Orpheus and Eurydice story if you don't already know it, but the show will hit regardless.
IMO, it hits b/c even when you know how it ends, the show gives you hope that it might hit different.
YES!! I don’t think it would be as effective if we didn’t have that degree of preface, it’s the same with Hamilton, knowing that he gets shot in the end makes it more about the journey rather than the climax, and I think Hadestown is very similar.
Tbf that only applies to certain stories. Spoilers are still an issue
I've seen it twice including with the original cast on Broadway and it's so good I'll see it again too.
@@adaj472 Everytime 😭
The elevator adds *so much* to the show
agreed, I saw it on tour and the hatch at the top of the stairs wasn't bad, but watching them actually descend into the stage feels so much cooler than watching the hatch close on them
I think regardless if its your first time or hundredth time seeing the show, if you are open to going on the journey, you will be impacted in some way. I love that they have the passport to get stamped in London - Hermes says they're going to keep on telling the story so you may as well go along for the ride and get some fun souvenirs at the same time.
Im hoping to get some friends to see it with me when it tours near me again later this year.
Passport???? Can you explain what you mean by that?
I saw it a year & a-half ago on Broadway & LOVED it. (Patrick Page has one of the most amazing voices I've ever heard.) It opened nearly 5 yrs ago (of course, the pandemic interrupted its run for 18 months) & is still going strong. If the West End production is as good as the Broadway production, I'm sure your viewers will love it too.
Very excited to see this next weekend. I went to nyc in 2022 with a friend who doesn't like musicals and refused to go to Broadway and see it. So i thought i never would.
Melanie as Hermes is already my favourite from the bits I've seen online. I love her❤
Saw it on monday for the second preview it was absolutely incredible honestly think it was the best theatre experience ive ever gad
So excited to see this on Monday
Re: looking up the show before hand;
I'm a huge greek mythology nerd so I was already familiar with the story of Orpheus and Eurydice before I saw the show and the ending was still incredibly emotional for me. I always love hearing the opinions of people who saw the show without knowing the myth and listening to their perspective. The beauty of this show is the way it takes a story that has been told for thousands of years in thousands of different ways and finds a way to keep it new and fresh while also being a timeless classic. I think you can totally go into this show without knowing anything about it. It's such a rich and beautiful world that it's easy to fall into it no matter what your previous knowledge and experience is. I'd say if you want to lookup anything about the show maybe look up some of the songs to get a vibe for the style of music since it is a very unique sound.
i think hadestown is a show that's prepared for the audience to be aware of greek myth, and plays on that in fact. i don't think you should necessarily look up the plot of the show itself but a brief understanding of the myth of hades/persephone and orpheus/eurydice isn't a bad idea. part of why hadestown is so infinitely revisitable is that knowledge of the story interacts with and heightens the emotional experience of the show itself, which is a unique thing that can't be claimed by most stories
anyway the more i think about finally seeing hadestown in a few months in london the more i lose my MIND i'm so excited
Saw it last night, phenomenal
*Love* your beanie! I have the same one and wear it almost year round. It's extremely comfortable and very well made. Hopefully you guys get the beanie at some point in the UK too!
The off Broadway show The Lonely Few at the MCC theater. I saw it in LA five times last year and it’s amazing!!!!
I think it's always useful to listen to the soundtrack before I go to see a musical live. It gives you a good idea about the story and also, on the night, you can focus properly on the lyrics because you're already familiar with the melody. Even though I'm proficient in English speaker, I'm not a native speaker, and I find this really helpful 😊
I cannot express enough how much I wish I could get to London to see Melanie La Barrie as Hermes. I loved loved LOVED her in & Juliet when I saw it in NYC.
The Walter Kerr is the PERFECT house for this show in NY.
I think the change in Epic III is AWESOME, and I understand the struggles Miss Anaïs has with it after reading the book. The only thing that is kind of a bummer to me is that the replaced verses didn't connect Hades with Orpheus (the whole song connects them, though) but with his WORKERS. He keeps his head low, he keeps his back bending. Idk. Anyways, I love it, and I hope I can see it live someday. It's my favorite musical.
Thank you for another fab video! Going to see it tonight and soooo excited! Was really hoping to see you there - i was sadly as excited about that prospect as i was about seeing the show! But never mind, one day. Are you seeing Sherlock at the Watermill?
Maybe this is sacrilege, but for this show I recommend people listen to the recording ahead of time! It’s such a unique sound and a slow-moving plot, I feel that most of the joy of the show comes from enjoying the performances, and knowing the songs enhances that.
I'm going to see the last preview on Tuesday 20th, I've got front row balcony seats. Can't waittttttt!!!
Loving the fact that Quincy left a question for you! Also I’m now considering booking the matinee on the day I see Cruel Intentions when I’m back in Kent for a week at April …
If you come back to NYC in May, the Met is doing the Mark Morris production of Orfeo. A stunning production.
I buy the coffee mugs whenever I see a tour. The mug you showed is MUCH better than the one we got. Mine looks like the ones they use on stage. Thin, metal, and small. It's still a nice souvenir. :-)
The West End is in for a truly spectactular experience with this show.
Regarding the view from further back in the stalls, I was in row S and had a perfect view between the people in front of me. I could see everything in detail, and despite the overhang... (mild spoiler below)
.
.
.
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...when the set opens up, I could see the 'roof' section lift up and back, making the set feel so much bigger! I believe the rows behind me may have struggled to see this.
100% go in blind. As a mythology lover, to hear the gasp from audience members during that “one scene” who didn’t know how it ended gave me goosebumps and made me jealous. I wish I could have had that experience because it’s such a beautiful retelling.
Thanks everyone for your advice on whether to read up on the story before going! Really looking forward to press night next week. 😍
Looking forward to seeing you there!
@@MickeyJoTheatre same goes to you! Will probably be a very hectic one but will be nice to catch up!
if you have the chance, absolutely go in blind because the experience of not knowing the end would be incredible! (also, as someone who sat in the grand circle, you will be able to see into the pit on the stage which the actors are aware of and it goes deep enough that you dont see people moving around to get in and out of the pit, HOWEVER, the pit stays down for extended periods of time and it is quite stressful seeing people dancing and walking around so close to a 10ft hole in the ground!)
I went Tuesday with someone who knew nothing and she loved it. She wasn’t spoiled but she knew what was going to happen with just the general vibe. She knew it wasn’t ending happily. For whatever reason, Donal didn’t play the guitar on the preview for Raise our Cups but he certainly did on Tues. I was in row F and definitely felt too close.
I saw it on tour in the US. We sat in the overhang about eye level with the balcony. In the beginning my attention kept getting divided between the performers on the mainstage and Hades on the balcony.
For me re: the synopsis, I don't think it matters, I had done the original Greek myth in school, so already knew the story behind Orpheus and Eurydice, but I don't think it affected my enjoyment of the show at all. If you want to read up go for it, if you don't then that's great too. I saw the show for the first time in 2022 at the Walter Kerr, and loved it so much I went back the next day and saw it again, that original cast were truly something special; I saw it twice more last year during the summer, before Reeve and Eva left, but with Tom and Lillias, so I have very high expectations, however also high hopes for the London cast!
ooh an Irish Orpheus sounds lovely!
18:29 I saw the US your, and I knew the myths very well, but still went into the show blind, but I still SOBBED AT THE END,knowing this ending was coming.
I agree it probably doesn’t make much difference if they use their regular accents for the west end version and the location can be general but the US version hints pretty heavily that it’s inspired by/influenced/set with New Orleans vibes both set/costume and music wise. It was really apparent to me and there were some Easter eggs about New Orleans culture that those familiar with the city would pick up.
I was explaining to my friend the significance of the umbrella Hades uses as she wondered about that - though anyone who has seen Bond’s Live and Let Die may recognise it. 😅
@@s.hopkins4490 it’s such a good moment and little Easter egg for people who know what’s up.
Where can you buy the merchandise from the UK production online?
I've seen it a bunch of times in NY. I can't wait to see it in the West End. Is it too early to say I already want a West End Cast Recording?
All the t-shirts had sold out when I went to see it on Wednesday! (PHENOMENAL show, don't miss it!)
Hi Mickey Jo!! I am pretty new to appreciating theater so sorry if this is common knowledge I just haven't learned yet. Do the West End shows release recordings of their casts and band performing the songs? I want to hear the West End version of this so badly, but I don't make enough money to travel to England to see it in person
I must advocate for having a working knowledge of the myths. My husband and I saw the touring company, I had a working knowledge he didnt. I think it really effected our enjoyment.
I cheered so much on Saturday my voice is still messed up
I can say, as someone who saw it knowing almost nothing about it beforehand, will be fine seeing it live. TBH, that's a better way to approach it. Expect the unexpected.
❤
I'm hoping so bad for a West End cast recording 🙏🙏🙏
The band sound amazing from the clip of the music at the end. Is this on the level of Screech Out from Come From Away in terms of walkout music where none of the audience actually leave?
Yes, no one left til they finished.
Nottingham is NOT in the north, excuse you very much, it is in the midlands, it's about 50 miles south of where Manchester is, which is only just in the north 😜
To add to the re watchableness of the show, to Trombone player does a slightly different solo during the playout!
the stage looks like the American tour stage, costumes as well. Why wouldnt it work in other accents? I do love the attention to the differences: I have seen a LOT of versions of some operas, and what makes seeing a new production exciting is what those differences and the distinctions bring to a production.
i haven't watched the entire video just to avoid risking too many spoilers but i am really intrigued about the US vs UK changes...can anyone who's seen the new UK version tell me if in Wait For Me the stage wall opens up? That was a trick that really moved me when I saw the old UK run and I just really hope they kept it in :')
Agree with Mickey here: get some background on Hades and Persephone but keep the rest as spoiler free as you can. It'll still gut punch you regardless if you know it or not *stifled sob*
I think you can go in blind, it's explained well enough in the show, plus then you have more suspense when Orpheus and Eurydice are walking out of Hades
Piggybacking on the question regarding the synopsis, I don't know a single thing about greek mythology, do I need to read some bits and pieces before going to the show?
We need an allears and mickyjo crossover! Critiquing live performances at wdw? Pretty please?
Oh if EVER I get to Florida!
I sat in G3 last night and had a great view. Only a tiny bit of the band is cut off. Also, you are not completely covered in torrents of dry ice which those in rows further forward suffered from!
Hadestown has such a traditional folk tone to it that I truly think it would work with any accent. American, Irish, Australian, Maritime (think come from away lol). As well, a big theme in the show is that the story has been told so many times, so many different ways, I think to sing it without the authentic voices of the actors and all the differences that can create would do the show a disservice.
I know bootlegs = bad (I live in MD and I poor, okay?), but i finally got to hear the new verse, and I dont like it ;-;. It sounds rough and chunky to my ear like verses that had to be sanded down and excised between NYTW and Broadway, and thematically, I dont think the song needs to call upon the parallel between Orpheus and Hades any more than a line like "And I know how it was because he was like me...." It's too on the nose, imo, like when they had a literally railroad track on the stage in Edmonton.
I adore the callbacks and cyclical nature of the music and lyrics of the show, so I get where the verse came from, but, yeah, I don't like it. Maybe more workshopping would make it better.
Nottingham is a Midlands accent. 😂
I absolutely always get this wrong 😅
Thank you was about to comment this myself
Just got back from the first press night (so the show is likely frozen now) and Melanie’s Hermes now goes by female pronouns.
Hiya. Hate to be critical. I am nearly 7mins in and still not heard a summary of the story unless I missed it. I have had a curtain call and a finale song. I was hoping to find out what the story is, what you thought of the show. Hey ho.
Not a review, as I said - that is coming after I see the show again on press night.
There is also a video from not too long ago on my channel from the show's press launch in which I explain it in a little more detail.
It’s accepted protocol to not release a review during previews, and Mickey Jo addressed this at the start. This isn’t a review.
Besides, the plot is easily found not just from other videos on this same channel, but on other channels too, and a simple google. Mickey Jo is being careful to not breach the understanding that critics have about previews.