by Madelyn Young '25 on November 10, 2023
A&E Staff
Arts & Entertainment
After over four years and 1,000 performances on Broadway, the popular musical Hadestown will have a new leading actor. Reeve Carney, who has played the role of Orpheus since the show’s opening, will sing this tragic tale for the last time on Nov. 19.
Hadestown is a modern retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus, a musician trying to bring seasons back, and Eurydice, a starving traveler who claims a ticket to work in Hades’ industrial underworld. When the two fall in love, Orpheus travels to rescue Eurydice and help restore the love between Hades and Persephone. Written by Anaïs Mitchell, the musical tells this tragedy through a series of soulful, blues-inspired ballads.
Although the story of the play (and, unfortunately, its devastating ending) remains perpetually constant, the cast has recently undergone several changes. Eva Noblezada, for example, played Eurydice since Hadestown’s Broadway debut, but recently left to star in The Great Gatsby with Jeremy Jordan. In August, she was replaced by Solea Pfeiffer. Additionally, singer Betty Who took over for the role of Persephone. So far, the show has had great success with these changes.
The newest and arguably biggest change, and arguably, the biggest, will be Reeve Carney’s departure next month. Although other amazing actors have played the role of Orpheus on tour, Carney has been with the show for four years and eight Tony awards. While this announcement has been upsetting for fans of the show, many people are excited to learn that actor Jordan Fisher will be taking over the role.
Fisher rose to fame thanks to his work with Disney, starring in hits such as Teen Beach Movie and , Liv & Maddie, as well as being the first black performer to star as Evan Hansen in the hit Brodway musical Dear Evan Hansen. Most recently, he worked with famous actors Josh Groban and Gaten Matarazzo in the cast of the Sweeney Todd Broadway revival. The news was announced on Hadestown’s Instagram page on Oct. 10, accompanied by a video of Fisher singing one of the show’s most famous songs, “Wait for Me.”
As the narrator, Hermes, tells us, Orpheus’ gift is to, “make you see how the world could be, in spite of the way that it is.” Hadestown is a tragedy, yet somehow, it is able to bring hope to its audience with every performance. While Reeve Carney’s time with Orpheus is coming to an end, Jordan Fisher is sure to bring a new, inspiring voice to the stage.