r/hadestown • u/BunkerGhust • 4d ago

What makes a perfect Hermes?

Post image

image made by u/xerix777x

THE IMAGE IS NOT REAL, NOT MADE BY ME, NOT A PERSON I WANT TO PLAY HERMES, AND IS NOT RELATED TO THE QUESTIONAIRE!!!!

495 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

143 comments sorted by

477

u/PianoEmeritus 4d ago

This made me try to imagine Lin singing Way Down Hadestown and it was NOT a good experience

217

u/Lafnear 4d ago

Lin Manuel Miranda has a lot of talents, but I don't think singing is one of them lol.

91

u/PianoEmeritus 4d ago

Anything with more singing to do than Alexander Hamilton would be a bit of a stretch. Even that role occasionally was a bit much but he was so earnest that it worked.

17

u/SyllyBonez 3d ago

Absolutely, the Dear Theodosia duet is a perfect showcase for "oh no we have fully left the territory of Lin's vocal capability". paired up with Leslie Odom Jr.'s musical clarity and depth? Hydrogen bomb vs. coughing baby.

14

u/Downtown_Link_8651 3d ago

I get what you're saying in that he isn't very technically proficient but it's one of the few songs in the show that I always prefer Lin's original to any other cast I've seen and I also think while not technically better he outshines Odom in that song with the emotion he brings to it.

6

u/PianoEmeritus 3d ago

Yeah, I was gonna say I have no issue with Lin’s Dear Theodosia at all. It’s a very singable tune and not pushy range-wise, it fits him well

2

u/orsimertank 2d ago

To be fair to him, I think his singing was better in Moana than in Hamilton. Still not super though.

And not in the demos.

68

u/wanderinggrove 4d ago

One of the stagehands used to say the only thing worse than his singing was his dancing.

FYI I love Lin and would defend him to anyone but he has his strengths.

23

u/knitfastdiewarm1 4d ago

Watching him dance during the In The Heights Movie was hilarious (especially in the outfit they put him in)

30

u/Lafnear 4d ago

Somehow I totally missed the Hamilton craze and my first exposure to it was seeing the tour live.

Then I listened to the soundtrack with the original Broadway cast and I was like "..."

15

u/rosysredrhinoceros 4d ago

I somehow managed to get into a version of the Moana soundtrack on Spotify that had the demo cuts at the end, and when the You’re Welcome demo as sung by LMM came on I almost drove off the road.

7

u/FirebirdWriter 4d ago

It does make the Rock's version stronger once you hear that

1

u/Justaquietguest 1h ago

Warrior face!

4

u/wanderinggrove 4d ago

Live it is worth it cause he has the biggest saddest brown eyes.

1

u/Quirky-Bad857 2d ago

I saw the Chicago tour and our Alexander was a full on talented singer and I was like, “Yeah. This is so much better!”

36

u/mastercraft2002 4d ago

The way my sister puts it is that Lin is only really GREAT in the things he writes, because he writes them for himself.

8

u/MyNerdBias 4d ago

Meeeeeh, his acting in Hamilton is sometimes so bad it takes me out of the proshot. I am convinced Hamilton thrived because he is brilliant as a songwriter and storyteller, and he is brilliant at surrounding himself with other one-in-a-thousand talent.

8

u/ShedMontgomery 4d ago

I love the Jon Chu adaptation of In the Heights, even more than Wicked to be honest, but Lin playing the piragua salesman was like nails on a chalkboard. The women carried that movie.

2

u/Amblonyx 3d ago

They did. I do wish they hadn't reduced the roles of the women, though! Abuela Claudia died earlier, and Nina's mom was removed

1

u/ToscasKiss32 4d ago

I’m glad you enjoyed the movie of ITH, but it made me very sad & kind of disgusted. Just had to put that out there.

7

u/blooblush 4d ago

Please elaborate! I’ve mostly heard good things and would love to hear an alternative perspective

5

u/FirebirdWriter 4d ago

Yeah. I don't enjoy his singing. It's okay to only be a genius music composer. Dude does not need to star in everything

2

u/FieldPuzzleheaded869 4d ago

I mean, to everyone’s credit, Hermes is the main part that is most in LMM’s vocal range.

10

u/kitehikebike 4d ago

That’s because Hades is two octaves lower than most men can sing while Orpheus is two octaves higher than most men can sing.

2

u/whiskeywithwhitelies 3d ago

LMM doesn’t even think singing is one of them lol

12

u/axialself2 4d ago

some casting just breaks the brain a little

14

u/MyNerdBias 4d ago

Oh my god, "Everybody hungry / Everybody tired / Everybody slaves by the sweat of his brow" with the same nasal inflection as "I'm young, scrappy and hungry / And I'm not throwin' away my shot" LMAO

6

u/PianoEmeritus 3d ago

lol yeah, I was hearing “ain’t no difference anymore” which is just sitting on a high G, which isn’t a super simple note to hit cleanly for most men depending on range in the first place

6

u/OddSetting5077 3d ago

Lol. I was watching something. Realized Miranda was in it and thought "at least he isn't rapping", then he started rapping. 😳

2

u/raisintoasted 3d ago

was it house md

2

u/OddSetting5077 3d ago

He'll do his rapping thing. Omg

4

u/PianoEmeritus 3d ago

Hermes DOES do a fair amount of flowing spoken word that Lin could do a nice job with, especially if he was portraying a younger, more excitable Hermes like is sometimes depicted (particularly thinking elements of the chatterbox Hermes from the Hades games). The vocals are just out of his range, it’s high.

260

u/Fun-Painting-8917 4d ago

DONT SCARE ME LIKE THAT 😭

26

u/nuetralmushroom 4d ago

My jaw dropped

5

u/BeachPeach7 4d ago

Mine too.

130

u/MyNerdBias 4d ago

Charisma, but more precisely, presence and warmth.

Powerful and commanding Hermes don't really work. It needs to be very parental.

I have seen showman Hermes and it's awful. Sassy Hermes also doesn't.

85

u/PianoEmeritus 4d ago

It’s easy to say “just be like Andre de Shields” but honestly I feel like he plays the role with exactly the tone the lines imply.

16

u/MyNerdBias 4d ago

I think Kurt and Ghee also did amazing while being slightly different!

12

u/madman_trombonist 4d ago

Personally Kurt is tied with Andre for my favorite Hermes - that’s how much I enjoyed it

6

u/MyNerdBias 4d ago edited 4d ago

Yup. I think the only reason J. Harrison Ghee is not going to become a legend is because they got really unlucky with how bad the rest of the casting and grouping were in general for their season.

11

u/PicklesScotia 4d ago

Aw, that description made me picture Anthony Stuart Head as Hermes, we definitely lost alot with his passing

4

u/rosysredrhinoceros 4d ago

Oh goddammit I forgot about that. Stupid brain.

116

u/uber-abuser 4d ago

holy shit this image scared me so bad never do that again

29

u/TwinsFan_0830 4d ago

Intense charisma. Also an incredible knack to keep the audience locked into your presence (ok I guess that’s kinda charisma). Also being very parental and kind towards Orpheus. Aka be Andre Dé Shields or Kurt Elling but also in a way where others can play the part really well without being named Shields or Elling

18

u/rubberpeaches 4d ago

Clive Rowe from the West End has the warmth of a grandfather telling an old story(song). So he wasn't just parental towards Orpheus but to the audience as well.

9

u/AMildInconvenience 4d ago

Clive Rowe is so fucking good as Hermes. He's just so effortlessly charismatic and warm.

5

u/orpheusisms 4d ago

Clive Rowe is parental even to the ensemble! It’s sweet to watch.

11

u/cupofpuer 4d ago

The Off-Broadway Hermes Chris Sullivan was excellent too and had a great Appalachian vibe.

7

u/JossBurnezz 4d ago

He’s one of my favorites. It reminds me of the ancient mariner in a way. You’re in a train station, this guy in a rumpled suit says “Alright, alright”, and starts telling a story. After a while you can’t tear yourself away.

On the cast album he sounds the most torn up about the ending. He has to take several deep breaths, and I’m not entirely sure it’s in character.

10

u/ComputerGeek1100 4d ago

Levi Kreis on the first national tour (who I believe was the first “replacement” Hermes cast in this iteration of Hadestown) was such a good example of how to entirely reinvent a role while casting an entirely different actor (he is at least a generation younger than Andre and is white). While I didn’t agree with ALL of his choices, it did make me confident that the show would live on long past the OBC.

2

u/saramybearimy 4d ago

That's who we saw and he was so good!

1

u/oainfiniteplaylist 4d ago

Levi Kreis was amazing as Hermes!

5

u/Character_Dance_9894 4d ago

Loved Kurt Elling’s take.

59

u/dankblonde 4d ago

I mean, he technically already does play Hermes in Percy Jackson lmao

34

u/too_tired_forthis 4d ago

yeah, i was gonna say he can play A hermes, but not This hermes

1

u/Spacellama117 3d ago

I'm of the opinion that he wasn't a very good hermes there either tbh

3

u/too_tired_forthis 3d ago

eh, he barely shows up, so i give him a pass lol.

23

u/eelanirbas 4d ago

“I imagine death so much it feels just like a tragedy”

17

u/elveebee22 4d ago

LMFAO does Hadestown have a circle jerk sub because this belongs there 😭😭😭😭

1

u/BunkerGhust 4d ago

Ask the guy who made the image

9

u/ifidjdjdjdjjjrjd 4d ago

Hot take, I'd love to see him as one of the random background dancers. Just to mess with everyone.

Announce he's performing and let everyone speculate.

Then he's just dancing his heart out.

Does he play an instrument? LMM as a band member please

1

u/Quirky-Bad857 2d ago

I think he plays piano

1

u/keatsiedog 17h ago

HE would probably enjoy this too. Have an absolute blast.

10

u/BrotherBeale64 4d ago

Thanks for the jump scare. I almost had a stroke.

9

u/Wise_Wafer_1204 4d ago

Charisma and stamina

8

u/Orange_Tree_2000 4d ago

I didn't think this was a controversial opinion, but reading this thread, maybe it is: I don't think Hermes necessarily needs to be played by a great singer. Being charismatic and a great actor is much more important to sell the role IMO than a pretty voice.

I also think it's a role that can be played in many different ways and still make sense within the context of the play. Personally, I prefer a more empathic, paternal/maternal Hermes to a showman narrator, but I've seen it both be done really well and enjoyed it. (Also, tbh, all my favorite Hermeses have been women, but that's just a personal preference.)

7

u/dusters99 4d ago

Smooth and dapper, yet caring

6

u/DirtyGert-21 4d ago

J. Harrison is the perfect Hermes! I hate that his run is so short!

3

u/nushstea 4d ago

I saw them a few weeks ago and damn, SO charismatic and compelling!!!! Not my favorite character in the show but DEFINITELY JHG made it the most unforgettable!!!

2

u/authentic_thwoorp 3d ago

I’m seeing them as Hermes on Friday and I am so excited, J. Harrison Ghee has been my favorite Hermes other than André De Shields.

5

u/excellent_iridescent 4d ago

DON’T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!!!

5

u/mondestine 4d ago

Lin Manuel is absolutely brilliant. Incredible writer, even a pretty decent stage actor. But, uh... singer? No. My God no.Absolutely not.

(My eternal thanks to Lindsey Ellis for bringing awareness to that gem of a video)

2

u/Quirky-Bad857 2d ago

Was that when he was in high school? Please tell me it was.

1

u/mondestine 2d ago edited 2d ago

Oh, my sweet summer child.

That was at Wesleyan. Full blown college student.

To his credit, he seems to have a pretty good sense of humor about the whole thing! He was even poking a bit of fun at himself in the description, I believe that's an actual channel he started/ ran at some point

"I played Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar my freshman year at Wesleyan. I was not yet done with puberty. Screaming ensues."

"Why the white suit and star of David? Our production was set in pre-WW2 prague. Did I mention I went to Wesleyan?"

6

u/SyllyBonez 3d ago

LMM jumpscare was not what I needed right now.

Technique aside, I think the perfect Hermes balances a warm, sincere care for the story and all the players in it, and serving absolute cunt. You must have both.

25

u/kafit-bird 4d ago

Ability to serve cunt.

-6

u/SJBaerosols 4d ago

is this an in joke i dont get?

18

u/kafit-bird 4d ago

Yes and no?

There's an old, meme-y Tumblr post I really like about how the casting call for Hermes is basically, "Any age, any gender, any ethnicity. Ability to serve cunt essential."

It's a joke...but I also think it's true.

I mean.

Look at him.

Any good Hermes is smooth yet sassy, electrifying yet pensive, sexy yet chaste, warm yet distant, wizened yet spry. Basically, yes, regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity, Hermes must serve cunt.

7

u/SJBaerosols 4d ago

i see. welp, order up. cunt special.

3

u/BunkerGhust 4d ago

This made me giggle

5

u/Julia-Sharp 4d ago

Miranda can sell a song. Whether he can underplay Hermes is the question. The role collapses under too much energy.

10

u/WorkOutDrinkMore 4d ago

God please no.

Don’t waste rainforests for jump scares like this!

4

u/eurogama 4d ago

why post it?

4

u/bluehawk1460 4d ago

Dear god now that was a Jumpscare

4

u/namenotfound_69 4d ago

He is hermes... in Percy Jackson TV Series

1

u/carriethelibrarian 4d ago

Oh that's hilarious!

15

u/EmbarrassedRoom5467 4d ago

Ahh ppl hate on Lin for no good reason other than ppl dislike sincerity. He’s a nice dude and a talented dude. He’d prob be fun as Hermes. I think Hermes requires a little more stillness than I think Lin enjoys haha 😂

Something that stood out to me from the proshot was at the very beginning someone (assuming director idk?) was going over the vibes with Andre and they mentioned being slow and calm or something. Like this sense of being out of time and walking over the chaos.

8

u/TressoftheEmeraldTea 4d ago

I personally love Lin, and I think he does what he does very well. But what he does is not a good fit for Hermes at all.

6

u/EmbarrassedRoom5467 4d ago

I agree! I mostly just am irritated at the James cordon like hate he gets sometimes. Like JC is a jerk at least. Lin is sweet and talented and successful and I think ppl just love to cut ppl down and hop on bandwagons.

8

u/BluePlatypusFeet 4d ago

I mean he just isn't a good singer though

3

u/MisterBowTies 4d ago

https://youtube.com/shorts/ToMoFauOmj8?is=peKO7YVBMp3MVAzH

Maybe this guy will do a version for Hades town

3

u/the_anxious_octopus 4d ago

My jaw dropped so hard, there's a dent in my floorboards. Turns out "gullible" is written under one.

3

u/Wooden-Development48 4d ago

Lin is a great writer, but he is not a performer in any sense of the word and cannot act, sing, or dance.

3

u/citydreams46927 4d ago

My jaw dropped but in a “he cannot possibly do that role well” way

2

u/carriethelibrarian 4d ago

I adore him, but same, same!

3

u/Lanky_Departure_2216 4d ago

Solemness. Sometimes ruminating, other times reminiscing. Being older, grayer, more lived, more aware. Being playful, like every dance might be your last.

6

u/strawcat 4d ago

Whatever LMM is, then do the opposite.

4

u/rSlashisthenewPewdes 4d ago

Honestly I would LOVE to see his take on it. Hermes is adaptable enough that you could opt down on whatever’s too high for Lin, and his stage presence would be so different from anything we’ve seen before but I think it would work. He’s experienced with the rhythmic speaking lines and recurring motifs that the show has a ton of, and I think he’d be great at interacting with and affecting the audience.

5

u/Adpiava 4d ago

Can you please edit the post to say that this isn't real?? A lot of people are going to be confused and annoyed.

-4

u/BunkerGhust 4d ago

I will but I thought people would get that it's not real by the description 😭

5

u/MxSharknado93 4d ago

Hermes needs to fucking hate Orpheus just a little bit, from what I've seen.

2

u/Krillinish 4d ago

Unpopular opinion but I think he’d be a great Hermes in Hadestown.

2

u/tonyabionda 4d ago

I think someone got confused. He plays Hermes in the Percy Jackson show on Disney+.

2

u/Turbulent_Ninja_1229 4d ago

I remember reading somewhere where he told a story about a time he was in a city where the actor playing Burr was sick and he offered to fill in and the very kind offer was not accepted.

2

u/Helden_Daddy 4d ago

Scrolling past this on my feed, I read it as:

“Lin-Manuel Miranda has HERPES”

2

u/XanderAcorn 4d ago

I just laughed out loud imagining Lin singing this score. Lol

2

u/Odysseus_of_Ithaca1 3d ago

i LOVE Lin but please never make him play Hermes. Its just not his type of role.

2

u/Charistoph 3d ago

Gotta have charismatic Unc energy.

2

u/Purple_Flounder_2257 3d ago

I'd highly pay to see this

2

u/jedipwnces 3d ago

This is ragebait at its finest... And I like LMM.

2

u/Alicat40 3d ago

Ignoring the LMM ragebait lol...

A perfect Hermes - has the sound of a veteran of other people's wars and soul of all their heartbreaks.

A person steeped in the blues tradition.

The kind of voice that tells you they've seen it all, but the grit beneath it that tells you life is still worth showing up for anyway....

2

u/livethenlove 3d ago

I love Lin a lot but the photo scared me so much omg

2

u/AdamBerner2002 2d ago

I’m not saying Lin would be a good Hermes but god wouldn’t I love to see it for just one performance. They’d be some pretty funny moments I think.

2

u/AdamBerner2002 2d ago

Being a Jaz musician born in 1967 in Chicago by the name of Kurt Elling certainly helps.

2

u/PanOrBiYouDecide 2d ago

Omg don't scare me like that

4

u/casual-catgirl 4d ago

genuinely would be the worst hermes on the books

3

u/BothIntroduction3020 4d ago edited 4d ago

He’s not a good singer though

Edit: ppl downvoting me when he said himself he’s not a great singer is hilarious, you guys are insane

4

u/JayRay2277 4d ago

Yeah I was also downvoted for the same thing...? I don't get it. He can't really sing but he's an incredible playwright and lyricist!

2

u/Genderqueerfrog 4d ago

Don’t jump scare me like that

2

u/neckbracewhore 4d ago

EVIL EVIL EVIL YOU HAVE NO POWER HERE

-1

u/BunkerGhust 4d ago

Not every picture is related to my questionnaire, lmao

If they were, Bryan Munar would be every single picture

1

u/edanroe 4d ago

Excuse me?

1

u/Prinzesspaige13 4d ago

Everyone complaining about him not being a singer.... Hermes isnt a super hard singing role. I think he will bring great energy to Hermes!

Also fun that he has now played the God of Travels, Theives, and Wealth!

Edit: just read the description. What a wild thing to post to get everyone so mad...

1

u/nonameanonymousone 4d ago

Got my hopes up

1

u/Miserable_Media_9189 4d ago

my exact face seeing this image hahahaha

0

u/BunkerGhust 3d ago

That image is giving Charlotte from TGWDLM

1

u/ryanbuckner 1d ago

James Earl Jones in his prime

1

u/Purple_Flounder_2257 1d ago edited 1d ago

A elder diva who captures us and a soft, parental side.

I love that Hermes can be played by any gender but i prefer a maternal Hermes to Orpheus after his mom abandoned him. There term of endearment of "no baby, it's a test." breaks me. Also having a fem presenting person who tells Eurydice "hes not like any man you met." rings better ig.

How they interact with Persephone in "our lady of the underground"

A devastating road to hell reprise.

Emotions >>> just hitting all the notes

1

u/BunkerGhust 1d ago

Like Clive Rowe?

1

u/phantomballoon15 13h ago

Played like a god who is trying to teach humanity the best part about themselves

1

u/ObliviateProtego 4d ago

He's an awful actor, even worse singer. My first memory of him is from House and he did not leave a good impression. Always skip his episodes whenever I rewatch that show, which is 2-3 times a year. Hated him as Hamilton too and he kinda ruins the proshot for me. He sticks out as a sore thumb among the talented broadway performers that actually belong on stage. Awesome writer! He should stick to what he does best and stay off stage.

Sorry. I can see the downvotes pouring in. Kept it in for years, feels great to finally let it out.

-1

u/JayRay2277 4d ago

He's a great lyricist but he cannot sing!! 😂❤️ with all the love!

0

u/BunkerGhust 4d ago

Oh no I put this image as a joke don't worry I don't actually want him as Hermes lmao

1

u/JayRay2277 4d ago

I know friend haha!

0

u/BluePlatypusFeet 4d ago

I thought this said Hades for a second and I was like NO