Broadway's Hadestown has cut ties with Geno Segers before he ever stepped into the Walter Kerr Theatre, after online clips resurfaced comments about transgender people that quickly detonated among theater fans. The actor will no longer play Hades in the hit musical's upcoming principal cast.
The producers and Segers mutually agreed Sunday that he would no longer join the production, according to BroadwayWorld. Segers had been announced Wednesday as the show's next Hades, scheduled to begin performances on September 1 alongside Amber Iman as Persephone, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Eurydice and Kayko as Orpheus. The production said additional casting would be announced shortly.
Videos Surfaced Days After Casting Reveal
The controversy centered on videos posted to Segers' online accounts, with clips appearing after his casting was announced. In the videos, as reported by The New York Times, Segers questioned whether transgender people are oppressed, criticized requests for preferred pronouns and argued that transgender rights should not supersede the rights of others.
One clip reportedly compared transgender people with people pretending to be service animals to obtain cheaper airfare. The recording dates were unclear, and videos were later removed or made private from Segers' social-media accounts, according to the Times.
A Sudden Reversal For A Tony-Winning Broadway Staple
The reversal leaves Hadestown searching for a new Hades less than five weeks before Segers was scheduled to begin performances. His representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment, the Times reported.
The musical, written by Anaïs Mitchell and directed by Rachel Chavkin, has been playing at the Walter Kerr Theatre for seven years. Hadestown's official site describes the show as the winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and a retelling of the myths of Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades and Persephone.
For a production built around themes of love, resilience and the possibility of changing the world, the casting detour has become an unusually public reminder that Broadway hiring decisions do not end when the announcement goes live. This one lasted four days.
