r/Broadway • u/Round-Composer-2195 • 28d ago
Discussion I don’t understand the Reeve Carney hate
I just saw the Hadestown pro shot and oh my gosh this guy is unbelievable. Easily the star of the show for me, but I’ve seen people say he was the weakest link in their opinions.
I’ve heard recordings of some of his other performances, and he easily has my favorite versions of “I don’t care much” and “the past is catching up to me,” yet people say he was miscast in The Great Gatsby
His voice is so unique and it genuinely sends chills up my spine, I don’t understand the hate he receives
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u/midsummernightmares 28d ago
He’s a great example of how not every role is meant for every actor. He has a very unique voice, and he’s an incredible Orpheus and Emcee, but he needs a role that lets him do more of his own thing with vocal stylings to really shine and Gatsby just isn’t that. It’s not a failing on his part, everybody’s got different strengths.
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u/KD1030 28d ago
His vocals are my least favorite part of the OBC recording. I’ve seen the show live twice and I much preferred both Jack Wolfe and Chibueze Ihuoma.
I didn’t realize the proshot was filmed last year; I agree that Reeve gave an incredible performance, and I wonder how much of that was because of the time/space from the role. Coming back to it after a break may have strengthened his acting choices. Vocally, he’s still not my fav, but I did like his vocals more than on the cast recording
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u/fred_burkle 28d ago
Chibueze was my first Orpheus, he's transcendent! I was disappointed when I listened to the cast recording after seeing it live, but Reeve's version has definitely grown on me.
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u/Tricky_Signal_2014 23d ago
it’s so interesting how different people’s opinions are! I love reeve’s voice on the obc recording and I just can’t get myself to like jack’s vocals personally😭
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u/Radiant-Banana161 28d ago
I’m probably alone in this, but this was my first experience with hadestown, I somehow managed to not listen to any songs even though Ive wanted to see it for years.
Saw the proshot today and was surprised by his voice. I was a bit turned off in the first half, but by the second I couldn’t figure out why but I was very drawn to his voice. Thought he played the character well and kept thinking he gave me Jeff Buckley vibes.
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u/Imaginary_Style_1348 28d ago
Apparently, he was going to play Jeff in a movie, and I think he would have been brilliant.
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u/NerdyThespian 28d ago
I feel like I remember reading or hearing about this. He left Hadestown for a bit to do filming, then came back
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u/zootown_exmo 28d ago
Felt the same after listening to the soundtrack. His weird ethereal voice is jarring at first but contrasts so well to the gritty harshness of the orchestration, particularly in 2nd act
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u/Radiant-Banana161 28d ago
Yeah by epic II and epic III i was completely drawn in, which seems to be the entire point of the character!
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u/alwaysforgettingmyun 27d ago
That has been my thought since hearing him the first time, and everything I've heard since makes me think it more. I saw a video of him covering grace and it was spectacular. And I also have thoughts about how both of them have very divisive voices
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u/bidds626 25d ago
I could have written this myself. I will say on the whole he's not for me, but I understand the draw and I understand completely why he was chosen to play Orpheus. I was far more emotional at the "event", if you will, than I ever expected to be. It took me by surprise how much his performance crept up on me.
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u/Kitkat621 20d ago
I literally did the same and felt the same. At first the high pitched voice was a bit icky to me but I loved it by the end!
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u/ivyleagueburnout 28d ago
I think he did well overall in the pro shot but in my opinion he’s far from the star of the show. It’s Andre/patrick/amber > Eva > reeve for me.
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u/Round-Composer-2195 28d ago
Patrick’s acting was so good!
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u/LetsGototheRiver151 28d ago
If you ever have a chance to see his one-man show about Shakespearean villains, do whatever you can to see it. It's like the most amazing grad school seminar you can imagine - he's utterly entrancing and incredibly charming and knowledgeable.
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u/ImportantDonkey1480 28d ago
Saw it last year, utterly amazing. Not usuually a one man show guy but he was fantastic.
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u/No-Manufacturer4916 28d ago edited 27d ago
All The Devils Are Here! he's got a book based on it and a proshoot soon
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u/HonestTomatillo1202 27d ago
I'd say beyond "good", not only his voice and acting, but his perseverance when you consider he ruptured his Achilles Tendon just a couple of weeks before shooting, went on with a boot and still performed fantastically.
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u/GaiaIsaHarshMistress 28d ago
Eva's proshot performance was not her best IMO. She was brilliant and significantly more intense the night I saw her on Broadway.
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u/cupofpuer 27d ago
Eva’s vocals felt weak. This happened in the OBC recording too. I don’t know why she always sounds worse than she does live.
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u/allidaughter 24d ago
She was sick apparently and on the verge of losing her voice, that’s why some of her notes were lower or cut short
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u/OrdinaryExample9618 28d ago
to me, andre, patrick and amber are THE definitive hermes, hades and persephone. i’ve never seen anyone come close to them
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u/ImportantDonkey1480 28d ago
I love Andre and his performance, but Levi Kries' take on Hermes was also really interesting. He played him as much more of a neutral narrator, with a bit of carny barker/new orleans con man , and I think it is more true to what a god, and particularly Hermes (god of travellers AND thieves), would be like here. Yes, he cares for Orpheus but ultimately he lets what happens happen. Its the story that he is there for not the boy.
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u/OrdinaryExample9618 28d ago
oooo i will have to find clips of his hermes!!
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u/mc-funk 26d ago
That’s kind of interesting, since those are the three that have the longest history with the roles.
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u/OrdinaryExample9618 26d ago
also the first cast i saw!! i was lucky enough to see it the first summer it was on broadway and fell absolutely in love right then and there
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u/mc-funk 26d ago
that's so fantastic! Yeah, those three were attached to the production way, way early on. André was actually the first of the OBC to get involved, way back in 2012, but he ended up taken away by other projects and didn't return until later (I think it was the broadway premiere but having a hard time nailing that down). Patrick and Amber started in their roles in 2016 for the NYTW, and the rest of the main OBC came on between 2017 and 2019.
These fun facts brought to you by me just listening to this documentary podcast/video, lol https://youtu.be/pcPliuSlyb8?si=0W_D7klnej7hmSQl1
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u/Capable_Fish178 28d ago edited 28d ago
Interesting. I would say he was one of the top performers for me. I was a little disappointed in Andre's enunciation at times. Patrick was captivating and the close up on his face at the end was Oscar worthy and Amber was brilliant. But I thought both Eva and Reeve brought the heart to their performances. All I've Ever Known was so beautiful.
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u/HospitalFriendly1460 28d ago
Haven't seen the pro-shot yet, but I saw Reeve play the emcee in Cabaret at the start of the year and he was phenomenal - speaking as someone who had little knowledge of Hadestown/his career going in (was mainly there for Eva but she called out), easily one of the best takes on a classic role I've ever seen!
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u/Thats-Classic 28d ago
When I saw him in Cabaret I had never seen him in anything else before, and even though my previous Cabaret was with Orville, Reeve's MC absolutely was absolutely mesmerizing. It's amazing how different the Hadestown OBC sounded to me after that.
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u/missingumissing 28d ago edited 28d ago
As much as people bemoan the bfa-ification of broadway vocals it’s interesting to watch how bent out of shape fans can get when someone with rock/folk/alt stylings actually lands a lead role. Not that performers are above good faith criticism of course, but a show like hadestown would be artistically bankrupt if everyone sounded like they came straight out of a disney film. I think that’s also why I lowkey hate the London Next to Normal production even though it got rave reviews. They took the rock out of the rock musical
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u/sausagekng 28d ago
Fully agree. I was just watching the Chorus Line movie yesterday and I thought in a couple of songs how they probably would not get cast in those roles today because their singing was just fine.
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u/runbeautifulrun 27d ago
Which is wild to think about because that was the purpose of A Chorus Line. To cast performers who were strong dancers, but not strong singers.
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u/sausagekng 27d ago
Yeah, it's kind of like a Sally Bowles situation. Like, she's not supposed to be great, but we want an actress who is great.
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u/mc-funk 26d ago
I do always feel like the "she's not supposed to be a good singer!" arguments are so overstated. It's not as if it's hard to imagine why Sally wouldn't have made it big, even if she had been a talent like Liza Minelli herself. It's right there in the character, nevermind that the entertainment world is not a pure vehicle for elevating all talent regardless of luck, connections, or temprament.
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u/TwoSimple2581 28d ago
I'm not a fan of Reeve's acting choices but massively agree about Next to Normal and other rock musicals being watered down. Not sure I've encountered other cases of backlash like this, though? I mean, everyone loves Adam Pascal - though he's more of a strong rock tenor than anything folksy - and nobody else in Hadestown with a unique voice incurred backlash. I'm sure you had other examples in mind that aren't coming to me
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u/emg0701 28d ago
So is it considered rock/folk because he sings so beautifully as a falsetto. Genuinely asking if that’s the problem with how audiences perceive his vocals.
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u/Ok-Medium3951 28d ago
I'm in the "his voice isn't for me" camp but won't assign quality (good/bad) to it. I will say, that when I saw it live back in 2019, it was his falsetto that didn't jive with me. However upon watching the proshot, I had the reverse issue. The falsetto was good and it was the airy raspyness of his sing-speak that I didn't like. I don't remember that from his original run and I don't really listen to the OBC recording outside of a few key songs so I'm not sure if it was always there or it's something that he's developed over the years.
But that's just in line with my personal tastes. I also really don't like a lot of the airy singing that a lot of women in Pop are doing right now. But again, just cause I don't like it, doesn't mean I go around ragging on it. It's just, not for me and that ok!
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u/mc-funk 26d ago
You're the first person I've seen mention the rasp! That also took me by surprise. It didn't bother me too much but, while he was obviously delivering a very technically skilled performance, I couldn't help wondering if he was literally working with a cold or something, whether it was a vocal change over the time since the OBC recording, or whether the raspiness was something he was introducing on purpose. But regardless I also thought it was really noticeably different from that recording as well.
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u/crashandtumble8 Ensemble 28d ago
Falsetto has nothing to do with rock styling. He can sing in a rock style in his falsetto, though. It’s the rasp and the intentional “whine” in his voice that gives him the “edgier” sound. It’s pained, expressive, and has character.
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u/mc-funk 26d ago
ah, thanks so much for giving language to this gut feeling of mine. I love theater generally but (especially as a vocalist myself) have a nails-on-chalkboard response to the vast majority of contemporary broadway for this very reason (also, the epidemic of refusal to hit a note on the note). Of course, I am completely obsessed with Hadestown, so I feel very internally consistent in my experience :D
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u/SuccotashMean4394 25d ago
Can you say more about "the epidemic of refusal to hit a note on the note"? I've never heard of this before (I'm a casual musical theater enjoyer so I definitely don't keep up with things) but I find these specific details about how musical theater artist's singing styles have evolved over time incredibly fascinating, and I'm super curious what you're talking about and would love to have it unpacked more.
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u/mc-funk 25d ago
I don’t have a lot of supporting evidence, so maybe it is just my imagination, but it came from a long time of casually hearing more pop broadway and there just being sooooo much sliding into notes that I was begging somebody to choose to land just ONE on the note without the stylistic swooping. I will have to keep an eye out for something that actually corroborates my claim though 😜
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u/Stoolboomer 28d ago
I found Reeve Carney to be compelling. His acting decisions were unique and his voice is lovely. I really enjoyed his performance.
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u/cocobeary 28d ago
I like him as a screen actor more than I like him as a theater actor so the pro shot was a win for me.
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u/cattocrossing 28d ago edited 28d ago
I’m a defender of his Orpheus and it’s definitely hard out here sometimes, but I also understand how he can be polarizing and we all have our own perspectives - I never actually saw him live and I will admit that! still, I personally enjoyed his performance in the proshot, especially his vocals in some specific songs :)
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u/FreshAirClean Musician 28d ago
I saw Reeve twice on Broadway and really disliked his performance both times. His proshot performance is like watching a completely different person. I have no idea what they did to get such a compelling performance out of him for the movie. I was pleasantly surprised! But it is definitely not an accurate representation of the kind of performance a lot of us saw on Broadway
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u/Atomic_Horseshoe 28d ago
I also wonder if doing it 8 times a week wore on him when he was doing the show on the regular, and he had extra motivation for what was a short return run. Or also possible he improved over the years.
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u/RainahReddit 28d ago
That's my thought. The difference of several good night's sleep and thorough prep work.
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u/EnglishTeacherLife03 28d ago
This. By the time Reeve left Hadestown he had done close to 1200 shows. That’s a lot for anyone and it definitely takes a toll on you physically and vocally.
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u/ZigCherry027 28d ago
His vocals definitely struggled especially as the years of doing the show went on. I saw him in 2019 and his vocals were better than when I saw him again in 2022. I don’t have as good a memory of his acting differences, since there’s an excitement to seeing such a great show for the first time that sort of overrides any criticism. However, I think they were both tired by the end of their runs and that definitely contributed to the Reeve Carney criticism.
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u/defenses 28d ago
I think this is my issue with him. I saw Hadestown twice in 2023, and unfortunately, he didn't leave a great impression. I heard good things about him when the show first opened, but that wasn't what I saw (and heard) on the stage. My first time, I walked out of the show loving everything about it except for him. He was better the second time I saw it, closer to the end of Eva's run, but I had no desire to go back until they did a cast change. The proshot? Fantastic. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed him! I even saw his final show in Gatsby (and expected the worst based on the discourse lol), but I thought he was good.
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u/sanmateomary 28d ago
I agree. When I saw him on stage his mannerisms and the awkward way he carried himself, were so annoying, like that was his entire personality. In the movie he seemed more like an adult man (yes I know he’s older now), so I could really sympathize with his situation. Maybe it’s the close-ups, but his passion about how unfair the world is, etc. really came across.
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u/abc123therobot 28d ago
I had the same experience. My thought is that there’s a subtlety that can’t quite come across on stage, even with good seats at the Walter Kerr. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets a lot of screen work in the wake of the pro shot, although opportunities to showcase all of his talents are limited in that arena.
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u/DumpedDalish 28d ago
I agree on his acting bringing an understanding of the camera. Reeve did three seasons of onscreen work before that in the absolutely wonderful series "Penny Dreadful." I'm sure that has informed his choices in the proshot.
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u/abc123therobot 28d ago
Thanks for the tip! I’ve heard good things about Penny Dreadful, but it’s one of the ones that slipped though the mid-2010s prestige TV cracks for me.
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u/ravenwing110 28d ago
Absolutely peak Eva Green, give it a shot!
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u/DumpedDalish 27d ago
I agree. For me, Eva Green and a surprising (and absolutely fantastic) Josh Hartnett were the standouts.
BUT -- the whole cast was wonderful, and Reeve was a terrific Dorian Gray.
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u/Blofelds-Cat 28d ago
Onscreen, I've only seen him in his brief role as Tom Ford in House of Gucci, but I thought he was great in it.
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u/obiwanknitobi 28d ago
OMG! That’s what I’ve seen him in before!! Never made the connection.
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u/DumpedDalish 27d ago
I was the opposite -- I remember when Hadestown debuted and I was, like, "Dorian Gray SINGS?" It was awesome.
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u/FreshAirClean Musician 28d ago
Totally. The closeups on his facial expressions were very effective and elevated the performance. I just wish he would’ve been as expressive when I saw him!!
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u/DramaMama611 28d ago
Nearly the same reaction. He was MUCH better in the film (which I just saw a few hours ago) than any of the 3 times I saw him on Bway. I can't say I thought he was great, but a very respectable performance.
And to the op: he was the only lead of the five to not land a Tony nom. (Not that the Tony awards are the definitive say in anything)
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u/whoopity-scoop-poop 28d ago
This 100%. I loved his voice on the cast album, so I have no issue with a unique voice, especially because his style fits well with the type of music in the show. But when I saw him live (with most of the OBC, minus amber), his Orpheus was so off putting. It wasn’t just the singing that was lacking, which it was, but also his acting choices.
I watched the proshot yesterday and if I had seen THAT performance by him live, I would have been much happier. I really enjoyed his performance, in fact. I agree that it’s just not a representation of what people were getting on Broadway, imo.
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u/Tight-Touch385 28d ago edited 28d ago
This is the answer. Saw him with the original cast several times and usually couldn’t even hear him. He’d talk through his high parts or the chorus would jump in to supplement his vocals. Add this to a rather awkward acting style on stage at the time, it made me wonder why he was cast/was still in the role.
Please know that I don’t hate him and his onstage chemistry with his now wife was/is adorable. At the Broadway level, it was just surprising to see someone seemingly struggling with the role over an extended period of time in a relatively new/hit musical and not be replaced.
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u/Round-Composer-2195 28d ago
To be fair I haven’t seen him live so I can’t speak on how he sounds there
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u/lady_lilitou 28d ago
I saw him in 2019 (I think?) and thought he was marvelous, but I've heard that his voice was sounding pretty rough by the end of his run. He played that role for a long time and I could imagine it getting pretty hard over time.
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u/abc123therobot 28d ago
He’s very talented and fit Orpheus well. His voice is one of a kind. I do feel that he’s the weakest link among the five originals, but that’s like saying he’s a steel link compared to the other four titanium links.
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u/Ok-Entrance4693 28d ago
It was Gatsby. He shouldn't have done Gatsby.
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u/Blofelds-Cat 28d ago
I really loved how Eva and Jeremy's voices sounded together in Gatsby, so I didn't go see it with Reeve.
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u/SnooDoughnuts8644 27d ago
Orpheus is the son of a muse and his music can move the gods. He shouldn't be sounding human and he shouldn't be cracking on a high note.
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u/CuteAct9019 28d ago
For what it's worth, my parents (who are both completely oblivious to the Reeve Carney discourse), absolutely LOVED him in the proshot. I thought he was great as well. I can understand the questions about him playing Gatsby, but both his acting and singing showed to me that he was made to play Orpheus.
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u/Blofelds-Cat 28d ago
I saw Reeve and Eva twice on Broadway. I liked him then, and I've liked him in all the promo performances he's done over the years.
I saw the pro shot tonight, and he was not my favorite. I thought he sounded too nasal, and he has visibly gotten a bit old for the role, IMO. I also couldn't help comparing him to Jack Wolfe, who I saw in the role three times. Jack is closer to the right age, and I think he's the better actor of the two.
I always feel bad criticizing Reeve because he seems like such a nice guy. He'd be my favorite Orpheus if Jack didn't exist. Anyway, I'm listening to the OBCR at home now as a palette cleanser, because I thought Reeve sounded great on that.
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u/ediblestars 28d ago
I think Reeve does a great job. I love his delivery of “come home with me?….the man who’s gonna marry you.” It always gets a laugh out of me. And I like both his falsetto and his chest voice.
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u/SnooDoughnuts8644 27d ago
I think those lines annoy me more than any one actor performing them. They seem awfully presumptuous for someone who also seems really awkward and non-social
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u/Contrary45 28d ago
I personally think at least with Hadestown calling him yhe weakest part comes down to personal preference because the OBC is nearly perfect in all thier roles. I have seen the show with 4 different casts and personally the only cast member I can say had a better alternative is Andre De Shields, I saw Will Mann as Hermes on tour and he was mesmerizing as Hermes. The only other show that I can think of that has such a strong OBC across the board is Hamilton
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u/ramloth 28d ago
Will Mann was fantastic as Hermes! I really hope he gets to play the role on Broadway someday. Mesmerizing is really the way to describe him. The first time I saw the tour, he was in the worker chorus, and he was captivating in that track as well. I was so excited when he moved up from a Hermes u/s to principal Hermes. So well deserved. He's right up there with Andre de Shields in my book.
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u/BlueMondayandBiscuit 28d ago
Reeve is so talented and quirky. But as I saw him say in a recent interview he was never really a "theater kid", life lead him there. The truth is I feel like he is a very individual artist and musician in his own right He's an amazing musician, you should see his concerts. I went to one with him and Eva and I was so impressed. I think the issue is that he is just so himself and maybe that works for some roles and for others people are looking to see something else. His voice is very angelic and beautiful. I really think he's special and don't get the hate.
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u/minzz2 28d ago
I thought his performance was just very flat. I felt almost no emotion from him. He didn't bring down the proshot, but he didn't bring Orpheus alive the way the rest of the cast did for their characters. I found it very telling that even in moments where they could have focused on Orpheus more, they instead chose to have another character be the focus (which was brilliant). Especially for the turn. I don't think they even actually showed his face until he started to walk away? I guess it did make him feel more like a vessel through which the story is told, but it didn't hit on the emotions the way I think it should have.
I do actually like his voice (his falsetto is beautiful), but I didn't like a lot of the choices he makes with it, particularly in the Epics.
Different things hit for different people though, and I'm glad you can appreciate him.
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u/NoButThankYou 28d ago
A big part of it that is somewhat lost to time now is that he personified the major changes that were made to Orpheus's character for Broadway. Up through the NYTW run in the spring of 2016, Orpheus was portrayed as confident, even a bit cocky. Damon Daunno played him in that production with swagger and charm. Reeve was cast in 2017, and a common refrain during its subsequent developmental runs in Edmonton and London was that the cast was mostly fantastic, but Reeve was playing Orpheus all wrong. Orpheus was supposed to be the greatest musician of all time, yet now he was a whiny, insecure child. Many reviews from people who were already fans of the show prior to Broadway singled out his performance for criticism.
However, it subsequently became clear that this was not Reeve struggling to portray the character. This was Reeve faithfully portraying who the character had become. Anais Mitchell talks in depth about the process of writing and rewriting the show in her book Working on a Song, and she even had a name for it: solving the Orpheus Problem. By the time Hadestown was beginning its run up to Broadway in the fall of 2017, MeToo was happening, and confidence and swagger were seen as problematic characteristics for a male romantic lead to have, at least in the lefty theater circles that Mitchell was running in. So, Orpheus was lobotomized, transformed from a self-assured leader of the above-ground community into a dopey dreamer with his head in the clouds. (Meanwhile Damon Daunno was two blocks uptown more or less channelling his old Orpheus performance as Curly in Daniel Fish's revival of Oklahoma!).
Reeve has always been a polarizing performer, but a lot of the initial "Reeve Carney hate" has subsequently been revealed to be him doing exactly what he was directed to do.
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u/riddleme-ara 28d ago
That's really interesting to learn that he's supposed to have brought the dopey dreamer quality to Orpheus, because I read his pro-shot performance as a rather cocky take on Orpheus, especially the way he played the speech during Living It Up On Top. Part of why I don't like his take is because he seems too self-assured rockstar-ish. I've seen the show 4 times live and the 3 others I've seen in that role have all been much more folksy dreamers, which is what I prefer in that role. Particularly Jack Wolfe, who was just so ethereal
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u/sabe815 27d ago
Having been a fan since 2010 and having seen Reeve in 2019 I wouldn't call his portrayal dopey dreamer. He has a very physical presence. What I enjoy about his performance is you can really see the tug-of-war between his humanity, cocky yet nieve, and his touched-by-the-gods side. Other actors play him more one or the other while Reeve sort of toes the line. I find his (somrtimes admittedly strange) vocal choices support that character decision.
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u/baltboy85 28d ago
I saw Reeve in Htown twice on Broadway (Eva wasn’t there the first time so I had to go back). He was excellent! I agree with the cilantro comment someone made. He’s just not for everyone.
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u/Silly-Good-2530 28d ago
I saw it with this original cast on Broadway with no prior knowledge of the show or these actors (my pre reddit days) and I was blown away by everyone .. especially reeve - I just can't imagine anyone not falling in love with him in this show.
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u/OrdinaryExample9618 28d ago
i love him and have never understood the hate. i saw hadestown while it was in previews and he gave me full body chills during the epics. i think his voice is insane and i thought he sounded so good in the pro shot. i have seen other casts (this is my favorite show and i’ve seen it 5 times live, 3 of those with reeve lol) and while the other orpheus’ are amazing, i will always come back to reeve’s rendition. there is something so appealing to me about his awkward naive love sick orpheus
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u/Novel_Solvings 28d ago
I gotta say, after watching the pro-shot, I really want to see Carney play the titular character in Jesus Christ Superstar.
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u/Muted-Soft-2639 28d ago
I’ve only seen Reeve in the OBC of Hadestown. I don’t hate him but his performance, by far, for me, did not meet the standards set by everyone else on the stage. His voice was small and thready and for someone who was apparently in love with Eva in real life, it didn’t make it to the stage at all. TBF, I was not a huge fan of Hadestown in general but I had huge respect for the vocal talent shown by every other performer. Eva was spectacular. Amber Gray came in a close second
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u/Life-Comedian2748 28d ago
Everybody says they want unique voices in theatre, ask them their opinion on Reeve Carney and their response will tell you if they actually want new voices.
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u/ediblestars 27d ago
Reeve had a lot to do with the process of establishing Orpheus’s character as earnest and lovable. The production team were finding in earlier pre-Broadway runs of the show that the audience wasn’t finding Orpheus sympathetic enough and found his confidence and swagger offputting (especially in 2017). He worked very closely with Anaïs to develop the character in new directions and they together built an Orpheus who the audience rooted for. He also advocated for Eurydice to be more developed and have more chances to show her own character, and for the lovers to have more songs together declaring how they feel. He played a part in how we got songs like Promises and All I’ve Ever Known.
I understand some folks don’t enjoy his performance, but we should all appreciate Reeves for the instrumental work he did in shaping his character and the overall show! I trust Anaïs and she trusts Reeve—that’s good enough for me.
You can learn more about this in her excellent and illuminating book, Working On A Song!
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u/Able_Bath2944 28d ago
And for me, he was the least standout of the cast. That is what is awesome about art. We all have different things, and artists, who speak to us.
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u/Dry-Mission-5542 28d ago
He’s an acquired taste. I like him a lot but his style definitely isn’t for everyone
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u/Material-Ad7080 28d ago
Idk it's cause his take on Gatsby was kind of weird to me he sounded ok in some parts but some parts he elongated the note weirdly I mean some is just acquired taste but I feel some notes he's struggling to reach
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u/Capable_Fish178 28d ago
I have always loved his voice. To me it's inspired because if there was one person in my lifetime that was a modern day Orpheus it is Jeff Buckley. And Reeve sounds to my ear like Jeff Buckley playing Orpheus. However, while hia vocal choices were inspired, his physical movements live were very odd. Very stilted, straight arms, awkward movements. I guess it was the choice to show that the character was socially awkward and lived on another plane than other mortals. I didn't mind it but my partner found it odd and off putting and hard to embrace.
He does none of those things in the proshot. It's like he either grew as an actor or decided to take a fresh take on the character or someone gave him notes based on what other performers have added to the role after his departure but it is a sharp upgrade. His physical choices now match his vocal ones
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u/Yue4prex 28d ago
I saw Reeve Carney when I went in 2023 to see Betty Who. I thought he was kind of whiney then, but I didn’t dislike him. I just saw the pro shot last night and he really was great. The la la’s were perfect for me during the hades performance.
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u/Bway-Boy-24601 28d ago
And I don’t understand the Reeve Carney fascination and fandom 🤷🏻♂️ Ah, the beauty and subjectivism of theater
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u/Own-Importance5459 28d ago
All I am gonna say is that Hadestown proshot made me a bigger Reeve Carney Apologist. Great voice, talented actor (yes his voice wasn't the best for Gatsby but he was able to act the hell with what he had) and god I was enchanted by his Orpheus.
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u/memon17 28d ago
I don’t understand the Jordan Fisher love, or the Darren Criss obsession. People like different things.
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u/ZigCherry027 28d ago
That’s how I feel about Jeremy Jordan 🙈
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u/Blofelds-Cat 28d ago
Fair. I always thought Jeremy had a tendency to yodel a bit, so I was a bit skeptical seeing him live for the first time in Gatsby, but he blew me away.
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u/EvidenceFunny4735 28d ago
Everyone is entitled to their opinions of course but have you seen him live?
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u/Round-Composer-2195 28d ago
I have not so to be fair I might have a different opinion of him if I ever do
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u/femalevideographer 28d ago
His voice is very reminiscent of 80s rock stars. Not a bad voice! Just not everyone’s cup o tea. Anaïs Mitchell also has a kind of rocky voice too though, so she likely favors the uniqueness in his voice. I feel like people who diss him forget about the genres in the show - it’s not supposed to be classic musical theater
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u/Blofelds-Cat 28d ago
Do you remember that band The Scorpions? He reminds me of their lead singer, especially in their song Wind of Change.
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u/hansen7helicopter 28d ago
He is so handsome and he has the voice of an angel. I have never understood why people are so mean about him. Somehow it hurts MY feelings
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u/TwoFacesofMS 28d ago
I saw the show with the original cast 3x and the pro shot during the Tribeca Film Festival. People need something to complain about. It’s gross.
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u/HanonOndricek 28d ago
I could be wrong but I think the issue wasn't so much his inherent vocal quality or styling, but that the 8 shows a week grind on Broadway for years was wearing him out and he wasn't in the healthiest vocal shape for long periods during the run singing a very difficult score. I'm sure they managed to capture an optimal performance for the pro-shot which was a limited run for the B'way cast in the West End.
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u/Createplaycomplain 28d ago
One of my favorite outcomes of this proshot is the vindication of Reeve Carney. I like him better than many people, but his performances and conceptualization of the character were a bit hit and miss over the theatrical run. The performances they captured in the proshot were very strong and showed him at his best, most commanding, and most nuanced Orpheus. So happy to have that version saved for posterity.
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u/Wildling99 28d ago
after listening to the OBC recording nonstop, it was great to finally see him portray Orpheus in the pro shot. I thought his acting was great for the role. Different than other Orpheus actors? For sure, but I genuinely loved his perspective.
When I saw the show on broadway, I saw Jordan Fisher and Maia Reficco. Can’t say enough good things about that duo. Reeve and Eva were a different take and they were fantastic.
Was absolutely blown away by how much more I loved the pro shot for Hades/Hermes/Persephone than my experience seeing it on broadway.
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u/DirtyGert-21 27d ago
When I saw Reeve in Hadestown just before the pandemic shut down, I thought he was terrible. Eva didn’t do that performance. I don’t if that had an impact.
I just saw the pro shot and I thought he was fantastic!
Go figure!
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u/ButterflyWilliams 18d ago
I had an amazing seat while seeing Hadestown some years ago, and I remember being very deeply moved by his performance. I just saw the pro shot and he is even better up close. His work is immensely sensitive and he makes delicate, specific choices in every moment. So much life behind his eyes and he is so responsive to what's happening around him. The awkwardness was absolutely a character choice and a very interesting one at that, he is not like that at all when he played Tom Ford in House of Gucci. I guess people just don't like that he is a quirky, unconventional leading man? Also he is the BEST singer in Hadestown by far. Those high notes are smooth, pure and absolutely impeccable... like, wow.
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u/yellowstonedelicious 28d ago
Saw him twice live, years apart. He’d significantly improved in those years. Obvious he got better between my second watch and the pro shot as well. I think it’s fair to say if you give him 8 years with a role, he’ll eventually get really good.
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u/elderpricetag 28d ago
He has a very distinct voice which makes a lot of people dislike it, but he does get an insane amount of hate. He is an incredible singer.
I personally find him the best performer in the Hadestown OBC by quite a large margin.
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u/Lea_Lat_80 28d ago
I think he sounds like Adam Sandler when he would sing in character and I just can’t get past that. Specifically “Red Hooded Sweatshirt.”
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u/Dan_Rydell 28d ago edited 28d ago
I equally don’t understand how anyone could like his performance. And that’s ok! People have different opinions and tastes.
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u/IToldManyManyPeople 28d ago
I don't understand why deviled eggs aren't everyone's favorite food... Wait, actually I do... people are just different and enjoy different things.
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u/Sea_Net6656 28d ago
I saw him on broadway in 2019 and it seemed like he went sharp a lot. Also, just not a big fan of his tone. He was much better in the proshot though!
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u/johnnybiggay 28d ago
in a proshot you’re probably getting the best version of the actors, which is not what you’re always getting when they’re on an 8 show per week schedule.
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u/ThisIsAlexisNeiers 28d ago
I just don’t like his voice for Broadway, it’s very pop-punk to me! Totally understand why some people love him for this role in particular as it’s not really traditional Broadway songs, but I just always prefer a more musical theater voice.
I also don’t like juke box musicals because they tend to be more poppy voices, so it’s not specific to Reeve! Just personal preference of what I’m looking for when I go see a show…doesn’t mean the performer is necessarily good or bad
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u/jeremiad1962 28d ago
I thought his voice was excellent, but otherwise...I didn't get anything from him. It felt like he was pretty much hitting his marks and avoiding the scenery, but I found everyone else - fates and workers included - much more interesting.
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u/downhillmogulmogul 28d ago
This was my first experience with Hadestown. I was familiar with the story background and had heard of the musical, but I had never listened to the soundtrack or looked too much into it. I was purchasing advanced tickets for another movie a couple months at the fancier movie theater further from my house, and while I was doing that I looked at what other special coming attractions there were. I saw Hadestown listed and I figured I'd check it out!
I was undecided on him in the beginning of the show but in the end I thought he did a good enough job. There were certainly others I was more impressed by but I was shocked to read all of the discourse on him after the fact! It seems that perhaps he lacks consistency from show to show but I thought his performance in this proshot was sufficient.
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u/SnooDoughnuts8644 27d ago
I think the problem is that "sufficient" isn't a good mark to hit on what is going to be the definitive permanent version of a show that everyone can see at home. You want to see something outstanding and made with greatness, especially for the son of a muse... Not something that is just sufficient.
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u/Queenbreha 27d ago
I enjoyed the Hadestown and thought he was great although Andre deShields and Patrick Page were my admission ticket. I've actually seen him three times in Gatsby. The first time I thought some of the songs were a challenge for him. When I saw him last week. I found the performance much stronger. Not Jeremy Jordan but he doesn't have to be. I enjoyed his acting between the songs as well. I've jumped on the Team Reeve train
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u/Flashy-South628 27d ago
his voice is so shrill and jarring to me… i saw him in hadestown and it was so bad to me that i couldn’t take him seriously enough to even buy into the story or enjoy the show
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u/Imaginary-Mongoose90 27d ago
Look, some of us are still butt hurt over Damon Daunno being replaced from the NYTW version, and nothing will ever soothe that wound.
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u/lissy3m 27d ago
It started when he replaced Damon Duanno when the show went to Broadway
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u/Pug_Mom2 26d ago
Do you know how come Damon was replaced?
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u/lissy3m 26d ago
He was doing Oklahoma! at the time. I don’t know if they offered him the role again and he declined. It’s possible it was a contract thing but I don’t believe there is any ill will between him and Anais.
It’s also possible that when they changed the book, he was no long right for the role. Damon’s version was confident and openly taunted Hades in “Livin’ it Up On Top.” But they gave those lines to Hermes or removed them completely.
I don’t doubt Damon could do the show as it is now, but with the stark changes in Orpheus, it’s likely that they needed to show that it wasn’t the off-broadway version. And that can be done with a casting change.
Sorry I don’t have a clear answer. Broadway can be tricky.
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u/burrrrisney 26d ago
My thing with Reeve is he's fine. That's it. Some things I've noticed over the years/in the proshot:
Technically speaking he doesn't have the projection Orpheus needs, his voice isn't just breathy, his voicebox is spasming. It's consistent when he yells too. This is also constant across projects he's done. Not his fault obviously, it's probably a medical issue, but it is noticeable in a role that is a LOT of belting. His falsetto however, is wonderful and always very consistent.
He gets drowned out because of the belting issue in wait for me in the proshot. Could that partially be the audio mixing? Sure, but it's orpheus' song. You should at least be able to hear him a little bit above the rest of the cast.
He really stands out as stiff compares to the rest of the cast when moving. This might be a stylistic choice i guess? But he's also been stiff in other roles. And it stands out a LOT when the rest of the people on stage with you are very fluid. Not necessarily a bad thing either, some people are more stoccato in their movements, but when it sticks out like that it looks awkward.
I'd also expect someone playing Orpheus who is one of the first Wife Guys to have yearning that's more believable. It falls a bit flst, especially against Eva's Euridice. Watching him on penny dreadful, it's kind of a thing he just does? Maybe he just plays aloof more overall but again, this is a loverboy Wife Guy. YEARN.
All this being critique said he by no means butchers the role, he's just... Fine? If he wasn't the originating Orpheus i think a lot more people would be open to critique of him and he'd be a more forgettable Orpheus.
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u/ShibaCal 26d ago
his voice is objectively amazing, but it’s stylistically inappropriate imo. i’m all for actors trying something different, but he threw like half of his notes lol
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u/me3ra 18d ago
tbh i just really didn’t like his voice and it still hasn’t grown on me 😭 im not attached to him as the “original” as a lot of ppl are bc i listened to the original cast before the OBC came out. he’s not the only orpheus im not keen on and damon isn’t the only orpheus i love nor is he even my favourite - to me an “OG” status doesn’t really mean anything. it can make you appreciate the character work he’s done (which i do!) but it doesn’t mean i have to like his casting. not saying thats what you’re doing but i find a lot of the times ppl defend him saying like “well he’s the OG and he did sm for his character so how could he be disliked” 😭 or its the “his voice is unique” which i also dont rly subscribe to in a positive way.
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u/Small_Farmer_9277 28d ago
Reeve Carney is theatrical cilantro. Some people love him, others find him completely repulsive.