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Mickey-Jo’s favourite HADESTOWN performances: thoughts on the West End, Broadway and international casts
With the proshot recording of HADESTOWN having recently been released in cinemas to tremendous success, theatre fans are once again talking about the Tony Award winning musical.
Today, Mickey-Jo is sharing his thoughts on the most impactful performances I've seen in the show, between the West End, Broadway and international productions.
Hear what Mickey-Jo has to say about alumni including Jack Wolfe, Jordan Fisher, Melanie La Barrie, Edwin Jonker, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Kurt Elling, and more, and share your own thoughts about your favourite performances in the show!
sign up to Mickey-Jo’s weekly substack newsletter:
www.mickeyjotheatre.substack.com
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00:00 | introduction
03:19 | Hermes
10:35 | Orpheus & Eurydice
17:09 | Hades & Persephone
23:55 | The Fates / conclusion
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Blending American songwriting traditions, from indie folk, to pop, blues, and New Orleans-inspired jazz, Hadestown has music, lyrics, and book by acclaimed Grammy®-winning singer-songwriter and BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-winner Anaïs Mitchell who originated Hadestown as an indie theatre project and acclaimed album, before transforming the show into a genre-defying new musical alongside artistic collaborator and Tony® Award-winning director Rachel Chavkin.
About Mickey-Jo:
As one of the leading voices in theatre criticism on a social platform, Mickey-Jo is pioneering a new medium for a dwindling field. His YouTube channel: MickeyJoTheatre is the largest worldwide in terms of dedicated theatre criticism, where he also share features, news and interviews as well as lifestyle content for over 95,000 subscribers. With a viewership that is largely split between the US and the UK he has been fortunate enough to be able to work with PR, Marketing, and Social Media representatives for shows in New York, London, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Toronto, Sao Pãolo, and Paris. His reviews and features have also been published by WhatsOnStage, for whom he was a panelist to help curate nominees for their 2023 and 2024 Awards as well as BroadwayWorldUK, Musicals Magazine and LondonTheatre.co.uk. Instagram/TikTok/X: @MickeyJoTheatre
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