Hadestown: A History of Defiance
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2021
- On paper, Hadestown should have never worked. Originally starting as a "folk opera" in a small town in Vermont in 2006, the show would undergo a 13 year journey culminating in it becoming a Broadway smash. This is the story of how a DIY Theatre Project would come to rock the very foundation of the Great White Way. This is the story, of Hadestown.
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#Hadestown #Broadway - Zábava
Did you like the video, but want to learn even MORE about Hadestown? This book was basically my bible for this episode and there were so many goodies in it that I wanted to throw in but just didn't have the time allowance to do so: amzn.to/3B6I4dw
I would LOVE to see you do an episode on Once on This Island
Can I just say how absolutely beautiful and inspiring this story and this documentary are? I've been watching these videos for a few days now, and for some reason I feel like they have the potential to genuinely shape my carreer some day. It gives me so much hope listening to these documentaries. I shit you not, I had tears in my eyes at the end of this one. I don’t want to sound overly dramatic, but I just had to get this out there. Thank you for making these videos, and telling these stories in such a compelling and inspiring way.
Whoever invented the rotating stage should get like 16 Tony's just for that
Those have been around for forever.
@@tananario yeah and whoever invented them should get a bunch of tonys
@@tananario but think about it
Les Mis had one revolve and it was considered a huge innovation
Hamilton has 2 and they take hours a day to calibrate
being able to pull off 3, while having pieces of the set slide on and off of them, takes so much brainpower and careful collaboration that a lot of people thought it'd be impossible
@@QuikVidGuy a huge feat of mechnical engineering
Those have always been a thing, what was really amazing was when the stage opened up and those lights started swinging
The way that Eva Noblezada and Reeve Carney actually fell in love during this process makes me want to cry in a good way
Same!!!
They're actually the cutest omg
its so adorable
They're not actually in love; they're just really good method actors
I didn't know that, and now my serotonin levels have improved threefold.
To me, the biggest proof that this show works, is that even tho I knew the story, I was at the edge of my seat in the end, wondering If Orpheus was going to keep his head forward or was going to turn it... The show made me care, gave me hope and then gloriously shattered them
In a lot of interviews with the cast the interviewer will say they "dont want to spoil the ending for people watching." it absolutely speaks to the effectiveness of the show that Hadestown is an over 2000 year old story and people STILL think that there is something to spoil in the ending.
@@razberrymist9475 I mean someone complained that we talked about Alexander Hamilton in history class, because that'd "spoil the musical", so there's always people that don't know the stories.
@@lilia3944 That's actually kinda funny. And a goof point. But I know for a fact that a lot of people who already knew the story were still shocked by the ending (in the case of Hadestown.) The other thing is that Both Hamilton and Hadestown spoil the ending in the opening number. And people are still surprised.
@@razberrymist9475 right? "I'm the damn fool who shot him" is right there and then people are like "I can't believe Aaron Burr just shot him... how would I have ever seen this coming?"
There were audible gasps of surprise and despair in the theater when I saw it.
This CZcams series is the exact thing every theater kid, young and old, needs
This is so sweet. Thank you so much Jimmie!
I’m not even a theater kid and I need it
theater HAG lmao
The Reeve Carney/Patrick Page Broadway universe continues
After a train wreck of a musical
After being the best part of the last musical
Arachne was there for a time, but poor Jennifer Damiano didn't even get an invite.
@@arubinojr5670 ouch
I'm confused about the whole "the webs of an underground broadway conspiracy were being woven" thing. Is that talking about Hadestown or something? I'm so confused...
Wait a minute...so you're telling me Rachel Chavkin was working on Hadestown AND Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at the same time?!?!?! Goddamn, I thought I couldn't respect and admire that woman more than I already did, yet here I am
And amber grey was/is in both of them!
i kept thinking she did one then the other because i just don't know much bts information about... well, any show
it's like coffee is her blood or something
She’s insanely talented! And honestly? I love Hadestown, but The Great Comet was the one of the best things I’ve ever had the privilege to see, and for that, I like it just a bit more than Hadestown.
As CZcams's gigantic coconut crab says she is a goddess among women
Holy shit what a genius
Oh, I only just realized that the swinging lights are kind of like how you see passing lights by the road. Wow/
I'm happy you noticed!!!
“This is going to win a Tony”
Cut to CZcams ad: “Broadway’s reigning Grammy and Tony winning Hadestown…”
Gods that made be laugh and tear up a bit. This masterpiece has come so far and although I have nothing to do with it I somehow feel so proud of it.
This channel is to musicals as defunctland is to theme parks and i love it
Just at me next time.
No because I was thinking that too
The funny part is Kevin is one of this channel's biggest backers because he's a secret theater kid lol
The way that both make me reallyyyy invested in stuff I otherwise knew nothing about/ cares for shows how they both know how to make enthralling content!!!
@@missybarbour6885 The nerdy essayist youtuber cinematic universe is a wonderful thing
The importance of Orpheus’ turn and how it evolved in the staging is fascinating. I saw the tour last night, and in lieu of the trap door, they have a great illuminated garage door upstage and it is as gut wrenching as can be as he turns and the clamshell doors start to close before Eurydice can even get a word out. I love that the show can once again tweak to bring it across America while maintaining the spirit they strived so hard to cement in the final Broadway revisions
What really strikes me about it is... I am not a musical person. I don't dislike them, and I enjoy watching them occasionally, but I'm not into them like some people are. What I am is an English person, and by "English" I mean "literature." Majored in English, and... Even starting with AP English, learning those skills gave me a way of seeing the world. Even though I don't read a whole lot, if I'm watching a movie, cartoon, listening to music, playing a video game, whatever, I am tuned into literary elements like themes, symbols, motifs, all that good stuff. If I am not that much into musicals in general, I am OBSESSED with Hadestown, in no small part because it is extremely literary. The first thing I got about the turning stage was how it plays into themes about cycles: seasons, cycles of oppression, cycles in a person's life (by the end it seems like Orpheus and Hades have switched positions when it comes to trusting their lovers). AND THEN I realized it ALSO plays into themes about fate, because like... Well, at times characters move against the motion of the stage, and at others, they're carried along by it. Come to think of it... Are the themes of cycles and fate really two different things? Because like, isn't it kind of inevitable that things change? Wow, what a FANTASTIC show!
It’s weird how in a lot of productions, we don’t really hear about the constant revisions and tweaking unless it goes wrong and it’s all “They should have left it alone, it was fine as it was.” While sometimes I understand the “don’t fix what’s not broken” or “too many cooks in the kitchen,” I sometimes can’t help but think there’s some dishonesty whenever someone says that was the reason why a production went wrong. Because they don’t point out the examples where it went right.
Yeah Hadestown is such a wonderful example of what happens when art is allowed to evolve and refine with creative minds. There's definitely a lot of people that lament the show lost some of its revolutionary edge, but it's also become such a more profound human story. It's also rare that we actually get _recordings_ of the steps along the way. It's a very inspiring collection of works.
@@kueller917 I’m gonna have to look for them. So far, I’ve only head the cast album. They’re available on CZcams, yes?
@@katherinealvarez9216 The off-broadway version has a selection album and there's audience recordings of the rest of the songs. The 2010 music album is of course available wherever music can be streamed (including youtube). There's also a full recording of one of the NYC Sings Hadestown shows which is just the album live.
The old Vermont performance only has a few clips which were shown in this video (look it up, it was posted by Matchstick himself). However, Anais's book "Working on a Song" has the lyrics of every version so you can compare.
The info is out there if people are really interested. But most audience members aren’t. And if you intend to ever book a gig again, you need to be judicious about what you say about former colleagues. This is a business, and a very small world.
I'm glad that Ben Matchsticks part of the story has finally been told, he's always forgotten about when talking about this show. I feel bad for him and how he was told to "Walk away" from the project but at the same time I understand why.
I feel bad too, but at the end of the day he wasn't compatible with what the show could be and if they'd kept him i doubt the show would've suceeded like it did. Some artists are just like that, they live in the avant garde and the confusing and the obscure and you can't take them out of that.
Obviously Hadestown is an amazing show, but I do wonder what it would've become if Ben had gotten to infuse it with more steampunk, Brechtian influence.
No one is talking about how hysterical your retellling of the myth was! Start to finish I was DYING laughing.
Orpheus goes: "Well that's kinda weird.. but whatever dude. HOT TOPIC CLOSES AT 8!"
that retelling has the potential to get even crazier! In one version of the story, Orpheus was into both dudes and gals, and when he failed to bring Eurydice back he was like "Oh no, I lost my one true female love! Guess I'm strictly into dudes now!" And these women from Dionysus' cult (which is very much into sacrifice and dismemberment) got offended that he wouldn't pursue women anymore, and chopped him to bits.
She stepped on a SNEKKK!!
Softboi becomes sadboi! 🤣🤣 10/10 just for that!
Lmao yeah
Also I love your profile pic, great album.
@@sunnydong9069hmm, purr, I guess 😂
I am just glad Reeve is getting the recognition he deserves - he IS Orpheus, and even though I love Damon, Reeve captures that naïveté in a way that is mesmerizing and perfect for the role. Plus that falsetto tho - SHEEESH
and I mean we’d all die for Eva so
I have that one part of Wait For Me (Reprise) on repeat always
Absolutely! Reeve Is just freaking awesome! He went from the friendly neighborhood Spiderman to the musical poet that change the world
I absolutely LOVE Reeve as Orpheus. I found Hadestown after it's Broadway move, so I don't have a strong connection to either cast. But Reeve is just irreplaceable for me.
Honestly same it's been stuck in my head
Nah Damon is my Orpheus 100%, his version of epic iii and if it's true will be in my mind forever
Sato Oni tho…👀
I’m still waiting for a Great Comet wait in the wings. That show needs its recognition and redemption.
It was certainly on par with 'Hadestown' ... I'll leave it there for any/all to conclude what I mean by that ...
I wish there was more footage of the 2016 off-broadway version. That one is my _faaaavorite_
same
If any musical deserves to get a proshot, it’s probably Hadestown. I know a lot was changed between the off and on Broadway versions, but I adore the Broadway version
@@erikdaniels0n agree
This isn’t a chance at a freebie bootleg.
@@tananario that version of the musical literally isn't around to make profit lol, people just want to see what the 2016 version was
I love this show. It's AMAZING! I read the book that Anïes Mitchel wrote with the lyrics and stories behind all of the changes that were made to the show over it's many years. If you like the show I would highly recommend it. It's called "Working on a Song: the Lyrics of Hadestown".
The book is soooo good! Big influence for this video too.
"We had a really lovely meeting during the whole awards season. You wind up seeing all the same folks everywhere and [...] well, I basically just told him - "Hello, uh, actually, sorry, we worked together... Sorry, we did this once together", and then he very beautifully, very just gracefully pulled out his little bag, pulled out this piece of paper and unfolded it and it was the program from the 2012 reading of Hadestown that had all of the information on it, and he had all these notes scribbled on it, and he gave me a big hug [...] And I did a thing where I just sang in restaurant or something and he was right there and he was like "See? You're still Orpheus" and I was just like "Ahh, gosh... thank you!"
- Damon Daunno on meeting André de Shields during the Tony awards season
That might be the cutest thing ever
This is so pure, it gives me so many feelings. Thank you for posting this.
I saw this show back in October 2019 it was my 18th birthday gift. I was so excited when I entered the theatre and all throughout the show I was mesmerised by the cast visuals and the music. At the end of the show I stared to cry because I was so overwhelmed and happy at what I just witnessed and during we raise our cups me and Amber Gray locked eyes she gave me a little smile and continued on looking at the rest of the audience. that moment broke me I started to sob and I couldn’t stop sobbing for like ten minutes. I know I maybe sound like a cry baby but that night was truly like an out of body experience that I’m never going to forget
I just saw it on Broadway (only my 2nd time ever!) yesterday with a friend who's deeply into theatre. I had no idea what I was about to experience. I pretty much cried uncontrollably for the entire second half, and we were right up in the front row. Absolutely mesmerizing, and I also had moments where cast members locked eyes with me. It totally did feel like an out of body experience! :)
I just saw this this past Sunday on tour in Minneapolis, and it was MAGNIFICENT. For the life of me, I just couldn't cry. I don't know why or how even though I was basically trying. That moment in Road to Hell when Hermes called Orpheus's name and he didn't hear so he called him again and he gave the cheeriest wave was so cute and I'll never forget it
That's so beautiful! Thank you for sharing. I too cried throughout and quite uncontrollably near the end, especially during the raise our cups song. The show is full of so much soul, from the writer to the cast. It's almost too much to bear with how much love was present.
Hadestown with that tree and that railroad track would have been so cool! I get that they wanted to simplify the set, but man that would have been great
I do miss the "You're early" "I missed you" repeated lines from the original off-Broadway version at the Turn. The parallels between Hades and Persephone, and Orpheus and Eurydice, are scattered throughout the show, and that final punch just ... feels right to me. I adore the Broadway version too, but something about those repeated lines has stuck with me.
Many lines from the workshop that are gone i miss 🥲
Oh my god I didn't know this. Sobbing just thinking about it
i cant be the only one who got so hyped remembering how good hadestown is and paused the video halfway through to listen to the soundtrack again. completely unmatched
This was really that beautifull. One of, If not THE, best Episodes, certainly surpassed my already high expactations. Congratulations, your work os really precious for the theater world.
Lara you’re so nice. I’m so happy you enjoyed the videos and your words mean the world to me
I was one of those people who really didn't like Hadestown the first time I saw it. I got attracted to it because I love Greek Mythology and folk music. Then I sat down to watch a bootleg and hated it; I was bored thirty minutes in because I felt it was padding out a myth that you can tell in fifteen minutes tops.
This video, however, made me want to give it another chance and I'm so glad it did. It is truly a beautiful musical and a fantastic take on an ancient tale. So thank you. Thank you for opening my eyes to its beauty and the love, blood, sweat and tears that went into it.
EDIT: I just came back from watching the show on Broadway. Wow...just wow... It's better than I even imagined.
It really is a show that has to be seen live to be fully appreciated.
I had a similar issue where I had to turn the bootleg on in the background to get through it all; then of course I loved it. But all the times I'd spent listening to it could not have prepared me for how absolutely wonderful seeing it live was.
Not that the Tony's are or should be the end all be all, after I saw the show in 2019, I was left astounded by the entire production, but couldn't believe how Reeve Carney was overlooked at the Tony's. The entire cast is phenomenal and every ounce of praise is well-earned, but his performance left me speechless in ways I never would have expected. I know I'll get chills from Page's voice and tickled be De Shield's delivery, and that Eva's belt will absolutely ruin me, but Reeve's Orpheus is the emotional anchor in the show. He brings so much skill, nuance, and vulnerability to the role in a way that is so unique to his style, that I could easily see how the character would have been less successful when interpreted differently. And when he plays his guitar, you can see the reverence and appreciation for music and storytelling he has. Exactly what the character needs to be. I adore this show and can't wait to finally see it again when it tours.
Reeve was robbed of a nomination and i can rant about it forever
i do think he's grown into the role a bit, but i saw it in 2019 and i have to say he just wasn't on the same level as most of the other cast members. persephone or eurydice could be alone on the stage during their solo numbers and take up the whole space, but during the epics i wondered why he was just sitting there. i cant really explain it concretely but i feel like the noms were given to the right actors
My husband and I have been following this show since the beginning. I've known him for a long time - We were children when the workshop ran, teenagers when the concept album released, and now in 2023 we're married, nearly 30, and this summer we'll FINALLY get to see a staged production together. Hadestown has been the backdrop of our love and a place to return to whatever the rhythms of life throw at us. Thank you for documenting the history of such an important piece of art, it quite literally means everything to us ❤
I had the privilege of working on Hadestown when I was working at NYTW, I could never anticipate what it would become. You do an amazing job of chronicling it, thanks so much WitW, keep up the excellent work!!
I remember seeing Hadestown on Broadway back in July of 2019 for my birthday. When André de Shields walked onstage, the audience went dead silent and hung on to every one of his movements. That energy was amazing to experience and is truly irreplaceable. Thank you for this awesome documentary.
I wish they made a Proshot of this musical, wich is my second fav of all time, just losing it for Hamilton.
Both Hamilton and Hadestown are Awesome! Wish They made a Proshot of Hadestown.
A proshot version actually exists in the National Theater Library Archives in London, where you can book for free and watch. Of course, it is the London production (that is, before all the Broadway changes), but it's still wonderful it exists!
My husband does not like musicals. However I was able to bully him into listening to Hadestown when we were dating. He loved it. He loved the jazz/blues sound, he loved Amber’s voice and he liked he could follow the story. I was so freaking happy. We both loved it so much that our first dance at our wedding was to All I’ve Ever Known. So this musical holds a special place in my heart.
Listening to the Concept Album right now, it’s incredible that a full 9 years before the show went to Broadway the Score was essentially already done. Sure there are tweaks and changes, but that goes to show how much of a masterpiece the music and lyrics were and it was “everything else” they had to keep adjusting and tweaking to take it to Broadway. Also being able to hear Ani DiFranco is a dream.
As someone who followed Anaïs Mitchell's career primarily from the folk music angle, and has only just caught up on the musical in the last couple years, I love that people are so enthusiastically going back to that album (and hopefully more) - was my favorite album of 2010 and that wasn't exactly a bad year for music
I was privileged to experience Hades Town at the Barre Opera House in Vermont. It was an amazing convergence of artists and artistry, with a generous sprinkling of fairy dust from the Muse. Anais, Ben, Sarah Grace, Miriam-all wonderful talented folks I knew and loved from Langdon Street Cafe-were transformed into moving resonating art. It was a perfect moment of creative ecstasy never to be repeated. The Broadway version is nice, too.
I adore Hadestown so much and I go back and forth all the time on whether I prefer the concept album or the broadway version. The broadway show has so many good additional songs and lyrics (IT SOUNDS LIKE DRUMMING) but I feel like the concept album has such a personal sadness to it that gets lost and the story was never really made to be 2 hours long. Its a show that really benefits knowing the full story and appreciating the creative journey that Anais has gone down.
Edit: Also I had never seen the character prints before! They're so beautiful.
I can concur IT SOUNDS LIKE DRUMMING
Listen to some of the concept album last night, it’s so insane because A lot of is the same lyrics in the same tune, in the same story, but it’s so different it’s just really cool!
I'll confess that up until the last couple of years I had ONLY heard the concept album because I am a folk/bluegrass fan before I'm a musical theatre fan, and so I was more invested in following Anaïs Mitchell's rise circa 2008-2013 than I was the musical affect of that album in particular
Glad to see the story behind Hadestown had a happier ending than in the actual show.
My dad went to see an off-broadway production of this show shortly before it hit it big and I will forever regret not asking him to get me tickets as well. He came back from it eyes glowing and said that it was fantastic. I will always regret that.
Dear Mr. Brendon,
I have never met someone who could convince me to love a show through the story of its trials…
I think you broke that record.
Sincerely and with love,
An Upstart of Broadway
I’m an usher for Hadestown, and I never get tired of it ❤
You can feel the love for this musical in this video. Genuinely made me cry because I honestly love this show so much.
Actually cried about this video. Hadestown is an incredible show that has just as gorgeous a history as its story. I really don't know when we'll have another show like Hadestown, but it is a story of hope for everyone that dreams of writing a song to change the world. I'm so thankful you made this video. Fantastic work.
If I may, I think the Dance of the Vampires debacle would make a great episode.
I’ve been following hadestown since my music history teacher introduced her rock opera album to us in class. It hasn’t left my head since. One of my favorite shows!
I saw Anais Mitchell open for Bon Iver in 2012 in concert. They performed tracks from Hadestown and I fell for the album immediately. I haven’t seen the musical, I’m kind of scared it might ruin the experience of the album for me!
This video was great, but the blur covering the face of the President Not to Be Named was just the cherry on top
I saw Hadestown back in December of 2019, and my god, it was one of the most transcendent moments of my life.
Thank you for this!! Hadestown is such an incredible show, but it hits you differently. After I saw it on Broadway, I didn't immediately knew I had LOVED it. It wasn't until i couldn't stop thinking about it, that I realized it had had a deeper impact on me than most, if not all shows I'd seen. It's also incredible how instrumental Reeve was to this. Orpheus needed to have an innocence and a humbleness to him to make the turn believable, and Reeve embodies that so well! But his influence also affected the love story. I read that Anais Mitchell said that All I've Ever Known was original a solo for Euridice. And it was Reeve's who said it should be a duet. I think that song explains why Orpheus went to Hades and why Euridice came back, and it did it so beautifully!!
Okay I FINALLY had time to watch this because Life is getting hectic (you try quitting your job in a foreign country and trying to pack up an apartment and job search) but I am HERE! Holy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hadestown is that type of show that will be timeless in all aspects. It is just so good. And then we have the fact that it had so many versions and iterations before the Broadway one came and it's like a lightbulb that was swaying back and forth finally clicked. I'm actually going to be seeing the South Korean production in September (in the second to last row of the theatre but that is what I could get) and I am so excited to see how it transcends from English to Korean theatre. Also...REBECCA IS NEXT!!!!!!! It's actually been done here in South Korea a few times which is ????? I cannot WAIT! Also, I spy with my little eye Fun Home???? I saw the show in South Korea last year but it only ran for a month due to low ticket sales. Ah, this was such a long comment I'm so sorry. But I just have so many feels about this show!
Can you do a video on the Hunchback of Notre Dame? It might be one of the best pieces of theater I've ever seen and yet... never made it to Broadway
I’ve had this in my “watch later” since it released. I had no idea how far back the story of Hadestown went, all the revisions, etc. It might be a bit of a basic choice, but I can’t say any other musical when someone asks my favorite. The intricacies in each lyric, character, line of music… it makes so much sense, knowing it’s been worked on for a decade. Thank you for the amazing video (as always)!
I knew nothing about this show before going to see it on a trip to New York with my partner last month and, as someone who isn't really into musicals, I was blown away. I loved it more than I ever thought I would a musical. Honestly a stunning piece of work.
God, I'm about to cry. This is what it means to be an artist.
This video is close to being as much of a masterpiece as hadestown
SHE STEPS ON A SNEK
AND GETS BITTEN
*AND DIES*
This if polyphonic made video essays about theater and I love a second of it
Just saw the show this week with Jordan Fisher, Solea Pfeiffer, and Lillis White as leads! So very magical!!! Such a heartfelt piece of artistry!
I watched hadestown in london in 2018. the group I went with got the tickets free, and we all came out unanimose in our hate for orpheus and love for euridyce. glad to know I've never had an original experience in my life.
I'm the kind of fan that looked through every story and interview to get the overview, and I ended up knowing most of the info before going into this video but it's soooo nice to get a wonderfully presented documentary now for everyone.
I also never found what happened with Matchstick. It was obvious he got phased out since he just disappears from the show when it reached NY but I never knew the details. It's a really sad outcome and I'd like to know how he is now. He seems to still pass positive comments on the show but it's upsetting he never got to be part of the spotlight when it broke big. At least hopefully this will get the name out.
Ben continued to be supportive all the way through the production, going to the off Broadway opening night and the Broadway friend and family preview night. He says “What we had was the Bernie Sanders of musicals. What showed up on Broadway was the Barack Obama”. 😂😂
@@WaitintheWings Omgggg. Well at least I can say it's probably the most overtly socialist thing I've seen on Broadway, though that's more of an indictment of Broadway.
Hadestown is hard for me. I adore the off broadway cast album. It is so poetic and emotional. There is something truest lost in the broadway adaptation and it breaks my heart that that version is the one most people will encounter.
I agree. I actually had a friend who wouldn’t listen to the full musical for the longest time because she wasn’t a fan of Reeve Carney as Orpheus. I had to practically beg her to listen to the 2017 version with Damon Daunno. The broadway version we have now is just way blunter and (in my opinion) too obvious and repetitive. It’s still a damn good show, but it’s not the transcendent experience the older shows were.
Thank you SO MUCH for including those shots of Devil's Carnival 2: Alleluia! because there are parts of Hadestown that STRONGLY remind me of it! I worked with the road show and the amount of work that went into that show under TZ's crazy thumb deserves more acknowledgement.
I got to see Hadestown near the end of previews, where all of these changes had already been made, and to say my breath was taken away cuts it short. It was incredible, and stays in my heart. I was incredibly lucky to be able to see it.
Not sure how you did it.... but i did not realize a whole hour had passed. Amazing storytelling!
congrats on making me tear up a bit... I'm so glad they got the recognition they deserved ;-; the fact that its an old tale from way back when that can always be re-interpreted again and again even after thousands of years? does something to my heart
Been binging a lot of Wait In The Wings’ videos recently, been a musical fan for years now, but these videos on how all these musicals start off and build themselves up, going through hurdles with highs and lows, I believe I have gained a newfound appreciation for this medium. Especially with this video, I honestly started tearing up in moments just seeing the change this group of people want to bring to the theater world. Also, just seeing these people work so hard and be able to realize their dreams after all the effort they put in and also find the message they were missing that ended up resonating with so much they have gone through in their journey through the creation of this musical. Wonderful video! I look forward to your future videos. Now, I shall continue on my binge
Wow. This is one of your best video essays. Well researched, engaging story, theres drama and intrigue, a build up to anticipation and a powerful insight and message in the end. Just brilliant.
P.S. I think Hadestown is a brilliant musical and your video made me appreciate it even more. Thank you for the work you are doing. Keep on.
I had tears in my eyes as I was watching this!
Your storytelling is beautiful!
I felt like I was there with the crew, i felt their anguish and became so proud when they finally pieced everything together.
I love hadestown and i love it even more knowing the journey it took to be where it’s supposed to be 🥰🥰🥰
amazing video! the idea for the final incarnation of orpheus being an innocent soul representing spring reminds me much of the musical celebration and the character orphan! wonder if that piece was at all an inspiration for them throughout the process, definitely a lot of similar themes albeit from a very different era.
Thanks for taking the time to thoughtfully tell the full story for us! When I got the album in 2010 as a senior in highschool it changed my life & I was fortunate enough to see it on Broadway before the pandemic took hold. It’s incredible how much I didn’t know! I’m looking forward to seeing the tour when it stops in DC.
I’ve been waiting to watch this show back in 2019 before the pandemic and I cannot believe that I was able to watch it last year with my boyfriend in November for my birthday, it was like my story with this show came in full circle :’)
not even two minutes in and I am getting chills, I cannot wait to experience this journey!!
I really love these videos. As I live im Argentina, I never get to see small time shows becoming big-time on Broadway years later. If I were to ever see a show like Hadestown in person, I would have to wait many years until someone here buys the rights and translates it. I love learning about how this wonderful journey to create this pieces of art that transcend all other mediums. Thank you for all your hard work
I saw it three times in London and totally saw their love. It’s an honest shock to hear the reviews of him from its NT run as I didn’t feel that way at all.
The production value of this vid is just amazing! Can't wait to see what you have to say about Rebecca next!
Haven't seen/heard that one yet, tho I do love Elisabeth and Mozart, so I might have to get on this soon!
Nine months late as usual for a lurker as myself, but this video helped me. I was a fan of the musical before, sure, but I had never looked into this story. Currently, I’m a high school senior out of a small town in Nebraska. In four months I’ll be a college student. After 12 different “families” that I’ve called my crewmates, cast, and teammates. I haven’t taken the chance to reflect on the past 14 years of my life until this video. My high school performances of Addams family and Shrek. Every time I took to the field, court, ring, or stage for the first time. Meeting and engaging with every single person involved. I’m ready. I’m scared. But, I’m ready. Thank you. You have one more proud subscriber.
thank you for service bestie
This was really interesting. I saw it in Edmonton, and the group I was with seemed to cheer for Orpheus and I saw him as a naive more than a braggart, it's interesting to see how the turn evolved but I was blown away with it in Edmonton, and know I wasn't the the only one cause I was there on theatre club night with the talk back.
This was heart-thrilling. As a young writer, Hadestown has always been one of the best sources of inspiration I've ever found, and this video made me cry soooooo hard so many times. Thank you so much for this, this story is amazing and deserves all the work you gave doing research for the video !!! Truly incredible!
I like how you talk about the Cinderella stories of great musicals like this. Every production of Hadestown since its Vermont days is equally great.
You are just incredible, friend. You have such a captivating way of narration and storytelling with these types of videos. This video made me fall EVEN DEEPER in love with my already favorite musical. Your pursuits and career as a documentarian is gonna take you so far.
Bravo, Brendon! This one brought tears to my eyes more than once. Superbly written, wonderfully edited, you’ve really found your stride. I’m so proud to be a supporter, and, as always, can’t wait to see the next thing waiting in the wings! 🥰🥰🥰
Oh wow! An hour long episode! Complete with an orchestra warm up and an intro. Me likey!
I think it really speaks to the talent that Hadestown was able to create that feeling when Orpheus is leading Eurydice out of the Underworld, where no matter how many times you watch that scene or listen to the song on the album you're always like 'Don't do it, don't you dare do it, don't turn around, don't you fucking turn around-!' even though, deep down, you KNOW he's gonna turn around
oh my goodness. my obsession with this musical is so strong and this doc is INCREDIBLE! love all the iterations of this story and the changes along the way so helpfully explained. thank you for this!
Wow thank you for making this, the story from the beginning to the triumph of this musical is deeply inspiring! Time to create!
This is so good! Thank you! Hadestown is a show that stays with you and keeps you thinking - I wanted so badly to learn the story behind this insanely good show.
Wonderful episode! I didn't know anything about this show's roots, and it makes it all the better.
New York Theatre Workshop being the original home of both Hadestown and Rent really says something about the place.
just saw it on broadway today. hands down the best show i’ve ever seen, learning how it got to this point makes that much more beautiful. thank you for the video!
Welcome back! My limited experience with musical theater includes Disney shows and finally catching Hamilton when it came to Houston. I've learned a lot from you and I hope to expand my horizons one day :-)
I finally got to watch this all the way through and holy shit! Amazing work, sir. I hope your channel continues to grow because you're insanely talented at capturing the story as well as the context of these productions.
Oooh my god this is so good! You bring your love for storytelling and theatre and this piece in particular across to the audience so perfectly! 😍
Yet again you have surpassed yourselves. 👏
Was lucky enough to see the show during its London run but learned so much from this brilliant documentary. Thank you, team WitW!
this series never disappoints. I'd love to see an episode on Good Vibrations; i feel like no one ever talks about that show. excellent work on this one as always!!
Man your videos are so through and informative. I always learn so much. Thank you for the incredible content you create.
Thank you for doing this! This is such an elaborate and well-thought-out video for this amazing musical
Worth the wait! Truly amazing, can’t wait for the next video after that little tease.
35:10 Lore Olympus cameo?!? Man after my own heart 🥰
It didn’t defy odds, all it needed was some funky trombone playing in the opening song.
I've cried twice and I'm 8 minutes in, this is powerful magic ye be wielding
I work at Hadestown and I always tell patrons to watch this when they tell me how much they loved the show!
It’s soooo satisfying to hear success stories after hearing so many musical failures from this channel. There’s gotta be an alternate reality where the original director (Ben) stayed on and Hadestown was a huge flop though