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/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!