We Made It There ALREADY?? | Wait For Me/Why We Build The Wall | Hadestown Reaction/Analysis

[@softly3359]

I think Hermes being upset with Orpheus kinda tracks honestly, Hermes' one thing he told Eurydice is that he'd make her feel alive and she literally starved and froze to death. He appreciates Orpheus as an artist and showing others what could be, but he neglected the what things are like currently in a physical matter. Like, as a writer, pursuing crafts and passions and drives is important... But also people starve, people need proper shelter, physically staying alive to pursue the craft is necessary, putting in work to support your support structures is also necessary, something Orpheus failed to do and in doing so lost Eurydice

[@mcgamez8955]

agreed

[@Ozloz]

I think the whole thing with Orpheus is “he could make you see how the world could be, in spite of the way that it was” but the downfall to that was he was constantly *ignoring* how the world actually was. You can see a little moment in Livin’ It Up On Top when Orpheus goes “to what we dream about” and Herme’s goes “uh-huh…” and then Orpheus goes *”AND…* the one we live in now” it was kinda like Herme’s correcting him or being like “here he goes again”

[@Miner49er201]

Bad news has to be delivered all the same, and if the messenger knows the contents and context, how do you think that messenger would feel?

[@d.c-4075]

Also, I think the fact of Hermes being the official narrator of the story plays a big part in here. He’s the one telling the story again and again for forever, and in the play you see how most of the time when he talks in tense situations, his face is mostly looking at the audience, knowing that whatever he says, the story won’t change. He could be upset about how no matter how many times he tells the story, Orpheus makes the same mistakes

[@evilgenius7193]

So fun fact, that last line by Persephone is directed at the AUDIENCE, as if to say, "Boy that was some heavy shit, wanna drink about it?"

[@robzen2713]

Conveniently timed at Intermission!

[@sleepieselkie]

Kinda similar to Jefferson saying "Can we go back to politics?" in Hamilton

[@saiyasha848]

But Hermes is right. In Chant one, Euridicy _repeatedly_ calls for Orpeheus, _begging_ him to not leave her alone and he essentially did, so lost in his music that he did not hear her.

[@DefenestrateYourself]

Eurydice

[@FrostyTheSnowPickle]

Hermes is 100% justified in being upset with Orpheus. He helped Orpheus win Eurydice over. He watched as Orpheus used the literal LOVE SONG OF THE GODS to earn her love. And then Orpheus PROMISED Eurydice that they would always be together, and they'd always have each other and care for each other. Then, they got married, and Orpheus just completely ignored Eurydice, focusing entirely on his song. He never listened or responded when she begged him to help her find something to eat. She was literally starving, and he never even noticed, focusing entirely on his song. And then, when Eurydice "dies" (goes to Hadestown), she calls out for him, and he's still not listening and doesn't hear. So, in Hermes' eyes, Orpheus took advantage of Eurydice, courting her and winning her over just to neglect her. He says "What do you care? You'll find another muse somewhere," because Orpheus treated Eurydice as if she was nothing but a muse for his songs, and not an actual person. Now, Orpheus is young and naive, and he obviously didn't realize this is how he was treating Eurydice, but the fact of the matter is that he was. And so, if he wants to get her back, Hermes isn't going to just hop on board immediately. First, he has to make sure Orpheus realizes how he treated her, because otherwise, even if he gets her back, he might just treat her the same way again.

[@sarahhandberg5185]

My first time listening to hadestown (like a month ago or smth) it was immediately clear to me why Hermes was like this in wait for me and I agree with you that it was completely justified. Orpheus done fucked up

[@PumpkinSparks]

Fun fact: when Hadestown dropped and people heard "Why we build the wall" for the first time, Anaïs Mitchell had to go on record telling them basically: "my dudes, I wrote this song YEARS before the idiotic trump-wall-rhetoric. I did not write this song as a political callout, nor intentionally wanted to draw parrallels between Trump and Hades" (not a direct quote, highly paraphrased by my own worldview) I think that's kinda funny. But also fair game! When I heard this song for the first time (and then I had no context for the show) it was also my first association...

[@begaydocrime5719]

to be fair, hadestown came to Broadway in _2016_ so it existed in that context, I can't blame them for seeing. This song IS very political but it wasn't written just for that era of politics.

[@MLoreley]

@@begaydocrime5719 To be even MORE fair, as someone who had listened to select tracks from the original concept album late 2000's/VERY early 2010's, the song *was* written LONG before Trump was anywhere near the office. So she was definitely telling the truth- the fact that she made such an eerily accurate prediction goes to show how prescient this entire musical is.

[@Painocus]

@@begaydocrime5719 The song dropped to the broader public in 2010, on an album that was nominated for a Grammy. The song was in Hadestown performances probably as early as 2006. Also Hadestown came to Broadway in 2019 not 2016. 2016 was when she revived and expanded it, but it was still off-Broadway, and quite a bit different from the eventual Broadway version. While the length and song-list was more comparable to the Broadway version, the actual lyrics and music was quite a bit more similar to the 2006/2007/2010 versions than the final version.

[@cloversghostsings]

I am just now finding out people even saw this as a trump rethoric, I always saw this as a thing about the Iron Curtain with the wall keeping out the poverty and keeping out the enemy, i thought it was giga opposing sides comparing the others as (to quote 'history of the entire world, i guess') an evil virus from satan, so i just thought it was a cold war rethoric

[@Mahathemime89]

Makes is very hard to sing this song openly because it sounds like trump rhetoric unfortunately...

[@CatinaLeon]

Orpheus deserves being called out, he was not a good partner to her, he promised her a life together and then left her to starve and didn't even hear her calling out for him, begging him for help before she left/died. We all know his music is important, and balancing the world again is a very important long term objective, but also making sure your wife has food and shelter right now is much MUCH more important... he has to realize that, Hermes is right in being tough.

[@probablynotapelican5808]

But orpheus only didn’t hear her because he was deep in his songwriting to try and fix the broken love of the gods after his realisation in chant. I think of it as a tragic accident bought about by the whole god situation. Lots of nuance here because Mitchell is a freakin genius storyteller as well as songwriter.

[@bluebay1031]

@@probablynotapelican5808 That doesn’t really make it any better. And that’s also kind of the point people are making. Most people understand *why* he behaved the way he did and the context behind it, but it doesn’t really alter or even *help* the behavior itself. It doesn’t do anything for the fact that he still repeatedly neglected his wife after promising her a life together and it directly led to her dying a horrible death starving and cold. Him having a valid reason for focusing so much on his song doesn’t change what it caused, and it doesn’t change that he was a bad husband and deserved to be called out for it.

[@probablynotapelican5808]

@@bluebay1031 that’s true. I think I take this show very metaphorically bc I hadn’t really thought about the characters and their literal actions and moral consequences of those actions very much until now. I do think I agree with your view more to an extent after thinking about the show in this way a little more. 😃

[@fromthelostdays]

Other people are pointing out Hermes being pissed because of Orpheus' neglecting Eurydice, but also keep in mind (though I know this was two videos back now) that Hermes himself was _begging_ Orpheus to look up and notice the storm coming in before it was too late. He obviously can't directly intervene (or else he could, y'know, just refuse to take her fare if he could offer that sort of heavenly intervention) but he genuinely tried to make things come out right in the one place he could try to push back indirectly and Orpheus failed to budge.

[@august1837]

don't forget that hermes told us that he didn't take orpheus under his wing because he's kind, he's a god after all. And orpheus did mess up. Hermes in this version is also the train conductor, since in mythology one of his roles was leading the souls of the dead to the underground, so he would've been the one to take eurydice down there. Also once you get to the end you might see that hermes might have some motivation to make the story go a certain way. He's not exactly an impartial narrator

[@felixhenson9926]

Mortius: You're a garbage man!!! Hades: -Makes a noise- Mortius: -melts-

[@JoeFromSanDiego]

It’s important to remember Hermes tries to help him all throughout act 1. But as the storm comes on, Orpheus ignores him. You can literally hear him yell at Orpheus to “Look up!” Also in the staging of the musical, once Eurydice dies, Hermes is the one who has to collect her payment. He begrudgingly sends her to the underworld. It’s a somber quiet moment. This song happens literally right afterwards.

[@PurpleQuestions]

I remember Why We Build the Wall making me feel low key anxious when I saw the show in person, it felt like I was at a cult meeting or like at a rally, with Hades and all the ensemble facing the audience, it was a cool effect in musicality and staging!

[@alexandermackay9636]

Honestly Hermes is 100% in the right here. He says "Brother why do you care," because Orpheus has been flagrantly neglecting Eurydice all fall/winter and only just now suddenly remembers she exists. She literally starved to death because of his neglect. Orpheus is NOT a good partner.

[@kiram.3619]

And "she called your name before she went, i guess you weren't listening" is also just ... facts. There was a whole song of Eurydice trying to bring those problems up to Orpheus, calling his name and never getting an answer. Soooo. It's not really cruel to point that out, i think.

[@emilyrln]

Yup. Hermes is making it crystal clear to Orpheus how staggeringly monumental his fuck-up was. "Yes, I know you've been working on that song to try to save the entire world, but you made promises to that women and you broke them. That is unacceptable and you need to own your failure."

[@alexandermackay9636]

@emilyrln There is never any indication that the world is ending RIGHT NOW. Yeah the weather has been increasingly bad the past few years and will continue to get worse but it's not in danger of immediate apocalypse. Also Eurydice wasn't asking him not to work on the song. She was asking him to help get essential provisions for them to survive the winter. With a little time management he could have still been working on the song too. Additionally this miracle song of his isn't going to do any world saving if he dies from starvation before he gets a chance to finish it. The immediate needs had to be priority and he lost sight of that. Doing so cost Eurydice her life and could very easily have cost him his as well.

[@kiram.3619]

@@alexandermackay9636 And we learned "It's a love song" that's bringing the miracle/healing. We only see him succeeding around Eurydice, so... Isolating himself doesn't seem to be the best way.

[@customink1576]

Mortius' constantly being torn between loving whenever Hades opens his mouth but hating what comes out is my favorite thing ever.

[@sunnysunsins]

My freaking god, i have never seen this animatic for Wait for me- It's so gorgeous

[@seeschwalbe]

Oh wow, you are right, it is gorgeous! I hadn't seen it either!

[@karlwilker579]

The flashes of Eurydice during the climax are a legitimately genius touch.

[@Phasmania]

It’s genuinely one of the most well made musical animatics out there imo. Just seeing the whole detailed underworld and the glimpses of Eurydice, especially that one of her as a worker

[@audreyii6750]

5:30 yeap! You got it exactly right, Hermes _is_ upset at Orpheus for neglecting Eurydice in _the dead of winter_ SO BADLY to the point that she Died! Like, he was sooo in love with her, then he basically just forgot her existence

[@cydneyking7453]

Something Hermes does ALOT as a character in this show is play the “unaffiliated, neutral narrator”, whilst everyone around them knows he’s actually going to help Orpheus no matter what. He pretends he’s an uncaring trickster but he’d do anything for that boy.

[@emilyrln]

Haha bro pulling a Nick Carraway

[@FellGambler]

Unsure if this has been mentioned by anyone else, but "Aint no compass, aint no map, just a telephone wire and a railroad track" seems like it has less to do with "you won't know the way to your destination" , but more to do with "after a while, you wont know what direction you're going in, or how much longer you've got to go, or where in your journey you're at, and you'll feel like you've been walking forever"!

[@mintyxx1]

Hermes is mad at Orpheus, yes. He's unimpressed. Because if Orpheus had been paying attention to his wife, he would have noticed how hungry she was. I think he's both angry at him for being so self-focused AND being purposeful in guilt-tripping Orpheus. If Orpheus wants to prove his love, he has to REALLY mean it. Otherwise, he'll die too. Also, Orpheus is alive and entering the Underworld. That's entirely not allowed. Hence why he has to be undercover.

[@scatterofstardust]

I always thought that Persephone's "Anybody want a drink?" is where she breaks the fourth wall as a segue into intermission, inviting the audience members to take a break and a drink before the story resumes. I'm not sure if that is correct, but she does continue to break the fourth wall in the Act 2 opening, so that was how I interpreted it.

[@archviceroy]

In at least some of the original productions, she actually served drinks to the audience during intermission.

[@scatterofstardust]

@@archviceroy Yes I remember hearing about that! Thanks for remindng me--it's so cool. I love how Hadestown finds ways to connect to the audience; it works so fantastically in the medium of theatre.

[@nudgificator]

As others have mentioned, Persephone's 'Anybody want a drink?' is generally a direct invitation to the audience to go to the bar in the interval. However, when I saw it with the wonderful Gloria Onitiri as Persephone, she managed to make such a simple line incredibly multi layered. You could absolutely tell she was showing you a woman on the edge, smiling but with desperation in her eyes. It felt like she was begging us to drink with her so she didn't have to be alone.

[@teejaykaye]

Mortius getting so ticked by the way Hermes is acting is kind of hilarious ngl xD Orpheus deserved that talking-to tbh

[@edensgraces]

my favorite part about this animatic is the moment the wall breaks orpheus for him in wait for me, is when the stage walls physically split and move in the actual broadway performance, giving way to the underworld's setting. such a cool way to portray it

[@MarcyStevonshy]

I LOVE watching that in any videos I can find of the moment, and LOVE that every single one captures the audio of audience reactions. The genuine awe & amazement in their voices makes me feel like im sitting right there with them, a genuinely magical experience that I would KILL to see live

[@edensgraces]

@@MarcyStevonshy yes!! i've seen it 4 times live and i think the reactions surrounding me are one of my favorite bits, there's always gasps throughout the theater which add to it all

[@jonathangaming7510]

Just wanna say that that low note Hades hits at the beginning of Why We Build the Wall is a G1, A FREAKING G1! Patrick Page is on a whole other level of bass singing

[@archviceroy]

Dying at Mort asking all the questions Hades is about to ask for him! 😂

[@somedudewatchintv5297]

I think whatever else Hermes had planned, he was genuinely frustrated with Orpheus for neglecting his wife so hard that she died alone. Yes, everyone understands he was doing very important work, but he still should have taken time to talk to his wife, especially since she has abandonment issues.

[@kippykuiper5154]

I'm pretty sure you've figured this out by now, but I wanted to mention it anyway - I'm pretty sure the "ain't no compass, ain't no map'" isn't supposed to be taken *completely* literally. It's more like 'mortals don't come back from the Underworld alive. There's no map you can follow, no tips and tricks from others. You're on your own.' Orpheus is basically mapping the road to hell on his own. Of course, there are many other ways to interpret that line! Thanks for your time! Love your reaction and analysis of this show!! I feel like I'm seeing this whole story in a completely new light now and it's making me love Hadestown even more. Thanks for sharing!! ❤

[@elsie8757]

I figured it just meant, "the journey will be hard, but not because you might get lost-- the path to follow is actually pretty straightforward-- it's hard for other reasons."

[@Kayleigh_Kaygra]

I think it's fun how you keep trying to make logical sense of a show with poetic, non literal lyrics set in ancient mythology The confusion you get is pretty fun to watch. The actual emotion you show that the story and music make you feel are even more enjoyable to experience

[@BogathusDogathus]

mortius' freakout over the "behind closed doors" outro is so fun, not to mention "ANYBODY WANT A DRINK?". Will be waiting with bated breath for our lady of the underground, ive been adoring this series so far!!

[@AnnMegFair]

'Who woke up one day and thought hey, let's make a jazzy New Orleans re-etelling of one of the greatest greek tragedies of all time except the bad guy is just Jeff Bezos' Anaïs Mitchell. Anaïs Mitchell did that.

[@lbentertainment373]

Fun fact: The Hadestown Concept Album was released in 2010 and when the Off-Broadway and On-Broadway came out in 2016-2019 with a certain US President who wanted to build a certain wall to keep a certain group of impoverished people out and the workers inside the wall to keep their jobs as very much a coincidence but breathed new life and meaning into "Why Do We Build The Wall."

[@TheCanderemy]

Mort loves Orpheus waaaay too much, he's blinded to his flaws. Yes, Orpheus had good intentions, that doesn't mean that how he treated Eurydice was ok. If I were in Hermes's shoes, I would've been pissed too. Hermes is the one who introduced them, who encouraged Eurydice to give Orpheus a chance. He watched as Orpheus made his promises to her and watched her fall for it. He tried to warn him about the storm multiple times but he wouldnt listen. He had to watch as Eurydice, a girl he indirectly put in that situation, died because Orpheus couldnt be bothered to care for her. He watched as Orpheus serenaded her and once she fell in love and STAYED for him and fed him and cared for him, he ignored her, disregarded his promises and left her to die even when she begged for him. Yes, I would be mad if I were Hermes. Orpheus disappointed Hermes and made him to be a liar, and a young girl died because of it. Orpheus deserved that anger. Orpheus has to learn and Hermes is allowed to be mad. This is a very logical direction to take his character and doesnt come from nowhere at all

[@MLoreley]

Others have been pointing it out, but yes, Hermes was a smidge angry with Orpheus here, AND he was intentionally goading Orpheus. In fact, the situation was dire; Eurydice DIED (and potentially at her own hands) because Orpheus had left her to starve, and you just don't come back from death. In fact, bringing someone back from death is somewhere in the same vein as slaying dragons; it's a metaphor for an impossible fight that can only be won by a miracle or superhuman ability. So for Orpheus to be able to go down and bring Eurydice back from the dead, he would need every last inch of his resolve, and to understand the consequences. He needed to know how hard it was going to be, he needed the fire of "Oh shit, I really messed up" to empower him to make the journey to the underworld. "With all your heart? Hmm. That's a start." Hermes was trying to gird him against the horrors he was up against. And pretty much everything in this musical is a metaphor, even if it can also be taken just as a literal story. The road to hell isn't on a map, there's no direction to it; the only way to get there is by following the track that all humans travel. If you come into contact with the dead, they will drain the life from you. (And as you get more into Act 2, which I'm pretty sure you're likely mostly through at this point IF NOT FINISHED, you'll know why the people are so quick to 'cut the heart right out'chya chest') You picked up on the circular logic of "Why We Build The Wall" flawlessly. Using the very thing that they're building as the answer as to why they're building it, using fearmongering ("It keeps out the ENEMY, the ENEMY is POVERTY") to stop people from thinking about it, people conditioned to "keep their heads low" and not question anymore, because the alternative is starving in the cold. And what you're picking up from Hades is a sort of pastor sing-shouting the gospel to his flock, his children. In the stage performance, we see Eurydice arrive during the instrumental break. She sees everything as it happens, sees people who are fed and given work to do, a world of heat and lights and everyone doing the work they need to do. She joins in the last "We build the wall to keep us free", exultant. And that creepy vibe you got from "Step into my office"? ....Yeah. That's intentional. And it gets more obvious in the second act what goes on "behind closed doors".

[@QuikVidGuy]

"I feel like I've procrastinated enough. *big pause*" most relatable shit

[@keona5560]

I'm genuinely surprised Mortius is mad at HERMES here. Orpheus ignored Eurydice to literal death brother, idk how you aren't on Hermes' side to give Orpheus a much needed talking to! Speaking plainly, anybody else would have put hands on him over it!!

[@Psychoinnocent]

Its because he interpreted Eurydice talking to Orpheus in the songs prior as demanding attention (/distracting him from his song) vs the genuine plea of help. In his previous video he spent the entire time telling Eurydice to leave Orpheus alone lol Granted i think the animatic didn’t instill the sense of “time” as much as the choreography does on stage but 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@felixgaiastral9001]

I kind of a little annoyed by Mort's hatred to Hermes. Maybe because he already knew who Orpheus is, what he is gonna do, and had something like "protagonist bias" on him. But, at that point, Orpheus done nothing to Eurydice except serenaded her. He was just giving empty promises, ignoring her, and ignoring Hermes' warning about the storm. So Hermes has every right to be mad at Orpheus when he asked about his lover when she's literally dead. Hermes is usually full of jolly, yes, but he's not a cartoon character with 2D feeling. In fact every character isn't. If you read Greek Mythologies thoroughly, you should've known, most of the characters are complex, there is no such thing as "good" and "evil". Like Hades is usually viewed as an evil God, but he is actually one of the least problematic major Greek Gods. Anyway, I love this series and probably would watch more. Would love some cuts on unnecessary hatred, including on Hades. He is just a lonesome old man, who yearns for his wife to be together longer with him.

[@KelilaBennet]

Anaïs Mitchell wrote Why We Build The Wall in 2006! It's kinda crazy how accurate it became...

[@possiblepuzzles8137]

Uh oh, I knew his overt sympathy for "starving artists" would make Mort deaf to the lesson... Maybe he'll understand as the story developed...

[@kavtoM]

yeah, he's bit too partial to orpheus.

[@bluebay1031]

Which is ironic since Eurydice *literally* starved because of him lmao

[@internetuser528]

Hermes is just scolding Orpheus like any father would.

[@ryanbagley3293]

You gotta remember that in Much of Greek mythology Hermes was responsible for getting the souls of the dead from above to bellow, passing them off to Charon to cross the river. So he had to TAKE Eurydice’s soul, tired, starving, freezing, suffering, BEGGING for support from her HUSBAND, to the underworld. I’d be pissed to if the boy I raised did that to his wife, much less if I had to take her soul to the great beyond!!!

[@Phasmania]

That Wait for Me animatic is genuinely one of the best musical animatics ever made imo. Everyone hearing Orpheus’ song across Hadestown ugh

[@journey9641]

In Hermes' defense, he tried to warn Orpheus throughout the chant song and Orpheus ignored/didn't hear him. How upset/mad would you be if your friend broke his promise and let his girlfriend amd your new friend die because he ignored your warnings and attempts at getting his attention?

[@anonymousname5860]

Anäis Mitchell wrote “why do we build the wall” years before recent events. It reads like prophecy. Very fitting for Greek myth retelling, no?

[@rynbliss]

i just love the construction (ha) of why we build the wall, the way they repeat every line while adding on more, literally *building* on each previous line, its such cool lyricism

[@Nazrock12]

9:40 When I heard this line first I thought it's about that he won't know how much he still has to go. Like yes there is the track in the darkness that you have to follow but you don't know after weeks of non stop walking if you are halfway there or maybe you didn't even traveled 1/100 of the distance.

[@lydiavalentino]

Something that's fascinated me, and I don't know if I've heard anyone bring this up, is that Hermes is also singing under "I'm coming, wait for me." I don't have the wits to decipher why, but it's entrancing.

[@august1837]

hermes only starts singing on the and i am not alone line, i think it's ment to represent that orpheus is not alone

[@karamelalb2328]

Seeing your previous reactions, you got me quite intrigued in Hadestown and now that I’ve consumed the entire thing, I have to say Thank you for introducing me to this beauty and also, oh boy you’ve got songs and specific lyrics to be excited for!! I can’t wait to see you react to Doubt Comes In! ❤

[@mickmash13]

I think its also interesting that in Hadestown, the Fates are voicing Orpheus' doubts. They're introduced as the voices in the back of your mind. So these are all Orpheus' doubts. These are all things he's thinking.

[@annekeener4119]

The list of humans (or humans at the time) who went into and out of the underworld successfully according to the Greeks and Romans are Orpheus, Theseus (rescued by Hercules, long story but he earned getting stuck in the Underworld for a long time), Hercules, Odysseus, Aeneas. That’s about it. Even the gods can’t easily go back and forth. Hermes was notable for his ability to do that.

[@mangacraz00]

26:47 that would be the writer and composer Anaïs Mitchell. She wrote a fantastic book going behind the scenes into the writing of all the songs in the musical called ‘Working On A Song: The Lyrics of Hadestown’

[@PersonalZombie]

Welcome to the point of this retelling being set in a mining company town in the great depression! Why We Build The Wall is just SO good

[@ReginaCordium722]

i really recommend watching hadestown's tony awards performance of wait for me as well!! seeing reeve's face makes it just that much more emotional!

[@renees4577]

If you see the Tony Awards performance you get to see the gorgeous staging of Wait for me. Also loved how you asked the questions RIGHT AS they got answered. And keep in mind Why we build the wall was written in 2006. The show didn't open on Broadway until 2019. Long before.. you know.

[@luckyklutz26]

"Oh, not the harmonica" made me laugh. Thanks!

[@grassiehalls3922]

loved this reaction! Yes, Wait for Me is a song that continually grows on you, but nothing beats the very first "OMG" reaction of seeing the wall open up at Orpheus' song

[@Irishxlily]

Lol not every musical works like Epic, story telling wise and musically. Maybe since this is another Greek mythology you subconciously think so. Epic is a more literal retelling of the Odyssey, while Hadestown is slightly more poetic more modern retelling of its story with layered metaphors. Some characters, like Hermes for example, being fully aware it's a stage show. It's easier to see when you watch a live performance. Maybe once your done with this, you can find a live 'slime tutorial' and watch it on your own in one sitting. I think youll see the full picture then. Plus the stage setting is really well done as well and worth seeing. The setting and the time period are vague on purpose (dont ask where, dont ask when). It's just the myth retold sometime during the industrial revolusion/great depression, or at least heavily implied. Set in some random poor small town along the railroad track that leads to the underworld. That's it. Hadestown or "Hell" is the underworld/hades (in mythology, Hades is also a name for the underworld. Talking about Hades the underworld is just ubiquitous to talking about Hades, the God and ruler of the underworld.) Here it takes on the appearance and function of an industrial city. With Hades as its CEO/Foreman/kinda Authoritarian ruler. And like other commenters said: Orpheus deserved that verbal smackdown by Hermes. Dont be distracted by his good boy/golden retriever energy. He means well, but you know what they say about good intentions ;)

[@august1837]

yeah i kinda wish there was a gap between him reacting to epic then hadestown. Trying to read this musical literally impedes understanding it. Like at some point during set design they had actual train tracks on stage but they quickly got rid of them because it made the setting too literal. The scenic design and lyrics for this show was a constant balancing act between abstract and literal. I hope Mortius listens to the show in one go after those reactions. I think it's better to view it as one whole piece instead of individual songs

[@Chaoticdisc]

This comment, yes!!! What I tried to phrase but couldn't :) I hope Mortius sees this, cus good explanations!

[@thedanielklintworth]

The craziest part about Build The Wall is that it was written before some of the more, er... obvious... real-world analogies one might think of now.

[@gabriellagadfly1863]

Interesting analysis, as always! My personal interpretation of where Hadestown is is that a while back, Hades took a look at the Fields of Asphodel and figured, why have all these shades just wandering around doing nothing when he can put them to work?

[@Matheus-ql7mn]

People love "Wait for me", but my favorite Hadestown's song is "Why we build the wall". It's so well constructed (no pun intended) with the back and forth dialogue, the message behind is so strong and important, the harmony and Hades's voice is so gorgeous, it's really impactful. And it represents so well the world, the way it's a cycle with no purpose, how we remove the meaning of the things and transform it in a machine, only to exploit the poor by lying and promises. I love it.

[@tiffany02020]

10:20 hilariously wild take hahaha 😂 the extent to which you side with Orpheus to the point of implying he should leave her in hell to keep working on his song is such a fascinatingly different take than what I normally see. Always cool to see a fresh perspective haha. 🎉

[@tiffany02020]

And for the record I’m not being snippy! I mean this so sincerely. That thought has never even entered my brain and it’s cool to hear other perspectives. AND I know you don’t really think she should stay in hell it’s just wild to me ur first instinct isn’t like mine which is “GO GET THE GIRL” haha 😂 so sincerely not trying to be snippy. I read it back and realized it sounded harsher than I meant.

[@coffeetailor]

I kinda read Hermes' tone here as testing how serious Orpheus is about this before he sends him into danger.

[@robinhb3849]

This is actually so wonderful live I really hope you get to see it one day

[@felixhenson9926]

I think Hermes is like 'what do you care you'll find another muse somewhere' bc he just completely ignored her while she was freezing and starving to death and she tried to get Orpheus's attention before she made the deal with Hades.

[@thesausageman5388]

Also, Persephone’s line leads into ‘Our Lady of the Underground’, which in many productions of the play is a song sung DURING intermission, though many productions treat it as the Act 2 Opener.

[@mintyxx1]

It's worth noting that there's a reprise of Wait for Me. That one is probably what you were expecting. (We shall see.)

[@jessc.994]

I personally like to think that Hadestown takes the place of Asphodel in the underworld. The underworld is spilt into Elysium/Elysian Fields, Tartarus, and Asphodel. A paradise for heroes and truly great souls, the equivalent of Hell, and the place for all of the generic souls to be. I think Hades put all of the Asphodel souls to work and built it into a factory city.

[@chaoticpresence7151]

Some information of note, idk if someone has already said this but hadestown takes large inspiration from the american Great depression, this music genre, and general themes are meant to parallel that of the 1930's (the storm/the dust bowl)(the constant theme of poverty and wealth divide)(jazz and gospel music) ect

[@unstableshade373]

So sad that I only got here just as it ended, but this first artist is amazing, doing full coloured animatics with this kind of shading must have taken them ages. They use both cell and soft shading which is supper time consuming but is really nice. And their lighting is beautiful, its really finicky to get light sources to glow like they have.

[@felixhenson9926]

'what incredible political symbolism we're getting from this, but i don't wanna get into it TOO hard...' Hadestown is an inherently political show. I always saw it as a metaphor where Hades represents capitalism and Persephone nature and Hades' pollution is capitalism causing climate crisis.

[@e_n-o]

You can watch an abbreviated and slightly modified version of Wait For Me performed at the 2019 Tony's here on KZbin. I definitely recommend it for the fun of getting to see the actors performing plus getting a sense of the character designs and staging. Also, after you've finished the musical, I'd highly recommend checking out Hadestown: A History of Defiance by the channel Wait in the Wings. It's an hour-long video covering the whole evolution of the musical and it touches on some things that you have talked about in your reactions.

[@Katie281]

If you get a chance, the obc did “Wait for Me” on the 2019 Emmys. Worth watching to get a taste of the staging.

[@vkdragonfire2123]

*Tony's, but yes, seconded! Seeing the emotions on Reeve Carney's face during that song definitely elevates the experience. One day I'll see this show live, one day...

[@annegasko7719]

In the show, Hermes is the TRAIN CONDUCTOR! He literally had to take Eurydice's coin and ferry her to Hadestown, knowing exactly what would happen to her there. Maybe some of it is his own guilt, seeing as he helped Orpheus win her over, but he would absolutely be angry at him at this point. Yeah the anti-capitalism hits hard as the show goes on. The idea that Hades created the terrible conditions on top that killed Eurydice, then came to her as her 'only way out', only to make her sign contracts to belong to him is truly awful. And as he says in 'build the wall', the wall is never done. The lost souls aren't just building until the wall is completed so they can then live in safety they'll be building the wall forever...just how many people will labour under capitalism for their whole lives and never reach their own financial 'safe space'. They just grind until they die

[@seeschwalbe]

22:23 I always interpreted Hadestown as a real city but synonymous with the underworld. The musical really plays with the concept of the underworld and death and Hades ruling over the souls of the deceased, but I don't think it's actually said that anyone dies in the whole musical. Hadestown is called "a graveyard" and a "neon necropolis", but that can be taken as metaphors for a very bleak place. Eurydice is "gone" and "six feet under the ground below", but that can also mean that she just left to work in the mines. Like I said, I'm pretty sure no one actually dies if you just look at the text, or at least it is left very ambiguous (and intentonally so). Likewise can "the road to hell" be interpreted as either literal hell or just a place ypu really don't want to be. So for me, Hadestown is an actual city, the people in it didn't die but aren't exactly alive either because they are only there to work and don't get anything else out of their existence (extreme capitalist work culture and economy where only money counts is what I took from it). Hope that helps, that interpretation worked for me at least!

[@emilyrln]

Yes! "Where the whistles scream and the foreman shouts / And you're punching in, punching in / Punching in and you can't punch out.""Why are we digging our own grave for a living?" There is nothing but the hustle.

[@Ichigochii]

I love how hadestown is just a good representation of how corrupt capitalism is

[@PanicBasedRiot]

Wait for me is what got me into Hadestown, and dropkicked me into the world of Broadway beyond hamilton. This animatic was STUNNING. Thank you for giving me more reasons to love this show! Why we build the wall gave me chills 😮‍💨😮‍💨

[@opalo4113]

I can't wait! Such a beautiful animation :) For "How long" I recommend Oh My Stars animatic, her understanding of anatomy is so good! This art style is just stunning.

[@justherbirdy]

In case the other comments have SOMEHOW not mentioned this, Hades and Eurydice ~behind closed doors~ makes a lot more sense if you've seen the live show - at the end of Chant, when Hades says "think of them as my embrace...of you." he gazes directly at Eurydice. He's rejecting Persephone, choosing someone else who just expressed interest in him (Fates: "He owns everything", Eurydice: "Kind of makes you wonder how it feels...") and who isn't whining about wanting things like sunlight and flowers (who needs those when you have A WALL). So he's taken Eurydice into his office, into his world, and Persephone is left outside with the workers/the dead.

[@morgancason7156]

Fun fact: The way characters are dressed and look in the wait for me animatic are very accurate to the original actors and their costumes in the musical!!

[@kiram.3619]

Love the Hades related outrage! I'll be honest, i was hypnotised by his voice. I didn't fully realise how damn horrifying his behaviour was before witnessing you pause and be outraged. You are so right! He's doing horrible shit, we can't be fooled by the heavenly voice (Hades was the dry Siren all along):

[@TheElaborinth8993]

As someone that saw this musical with NO prior knowledge, had not even heard one song. Act 1 ended, and I could not move from my seat. The information I had to process, and the emotions I was going through made me unable to move. The same goes for the finale of the show

[@raijade9644]

Mortius being so partial to Orpheus he forgets other characters aren't gonna just take what Orpheus does as gospel 😂 Orpheus got so into his work his wife starved and froze to death and he didn't notice! Hermes is giving the news she's dead because Orpheus *didn't notice her suffering*. He's a good character and a terrible husband lol. I know everyone's spelling it out but I couldn't let it go

[@jamescook5783]

Again, another recomendation to react to Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.

[@lotamburro5969]

Second this

[@wuttatota148]

I will die on the hill that Wait For Me should've been the Act 1 closer. The staging and choreo of this song live is such a spectacle. The entire stage literally SPLITS IN TWO from the power of Orpheus's song. It's such a perfect transition from Act 1 to Act 2 since it also signifies the transition of Orpheus from the overworld to the underworld

[@lynnashmore4677]

I gotta say I disagree with that because why we build finishes explaining the world, it’s the last bit we the audience need to fully see the parallels between the story and our world (and the most overt moment too), and it gives the audience time to process all of the similarities and themes so that they can come into the second act understanding it

[@august1837]

i don't think that would've been possible to do without cutting out something. Act 2 needs to start with our lady of the underground since that song wouldn't work anywhere else. So that would mean either cutting our lady or moving why we build the wall after it or before wait for me. Neither would work very well without disrupting the flow of the story. I think ending with persephone's anybody want a drink is a nice touch because it breaks the forth wall and reminds the audience that in this show they are part of the story. Our lady of the underground actually used to be on during intermission, so the audience would get drinks and chill around with persephone. But that's not always easy to pull off so they made it the act 2 opener. It's a good song for that because it's not story heavy and would allow the audience to get back in the groove of the show. It doesn't serve much function elsewhere other than giving us a bit more insight into persephone. Ok this comment was longer than it needed to be. apologies, huge hadestown nerd here

[@wuttatota148]

@@lynnashmore4677 I think Why We Build the Wall works better as the opener of Act 2 since it explains the workings and current state of the underworld. It introduces us to the place that we're going to be spending almost all of Act 2 in. Act 1 takes place in the overworld, so the beginning of Act 1 introduces us to the characters of the overworld and shows us the horrible state of the seasons there, shows us the famine etc. It's only fitting that since Act 2 takes place in the underworld, the beginning should introduce us to the underworld. Why We Build the Wall does just that.

[@SmileAndBeAwesome55]

I totally agree! I’ve thought this since I saw the show. I also think it brings so much energy that is really killed by Why We Build the Wall. Though I do love Our Lady as the Act 2 opener.

[@pinkcowqueen]

My main defense of "Why we build the wall" being the end of act one is so that it an end with "anybody want a drink," and then it cuts to intermissions where you can go get drinks. That really stood out to me when I watched it live because it felt like the story was part of the theatre, not just taking place in it.

[@kallandar13]

The circular logos of Why We Build The Wall is absolutely diabolical and I love it! The real villain is capitalism.

[@Swan-yo6hn]

I loved that Wait for Me animation so much!! it was so very close to the stage production I saw in the West End. That was such a coherent and clear representation of what they showed on stage! Fantastic! And great reaction as always! The propaganda song is so good and so icky!

[@elsie8757]

Hermes _is_ the god of tricksters, it makes perfect sense that he would mess with Orpheus and push his buttons.

[@wobbewiedijk9859]

I love how in its animation they have the same clothes on as they have on on stage

[@wobbewiedijk9859]

In the first animation

[@IsyThatWay]

First: I love your videos, keep going! It's incredible An opinion, I hope it doesn't sound rude or wrong, English is not my firt language. I understand Hermes' anger at the moment, but it's completely justified. 1 - He seems to be trying to make the boy he raised become a man. To pay attention to what's around him, to the people around him. Orpheus has a gift and a dream, but none of this is useful if he neglects the here and now. Hermes is teasing him, talking as if he (Orpheus) thought of Eurydice as something disposable, because Orpheus' negligence treated her as disposable, as someone who could be left for after the Great Mission, even if unintentionally. Hermes wants him to see that the great mission has no meaning if, in order to fulfill it, you lose those for whom that great mission was meant to serve 2 - He was the one who "guaranteed" that Orpheus was different, that he would make her feel alive. He was the one who opened her heart to Orpheus. And then Orpheus acted just like everyone else, leaving her alone, unsupported, letting her die. He ignored her pleas and the call of Hermes himself. He wasn't a good husband, because his "ambitions" can't be more important than the present and his partner, not to the extent that he only realized it after he'd lost her He said he took care of Orpheus, like a guardian or a father, and as such it's completely understandable that he feels disappointment at seeing his protégé demonstrating what you thought he wasn't capable of

[@girlgenius17]

The musical debuted in 2016- I have no idea how long it took to write, edit, choreograph, cast, and refine prior to its debut, but I'm assuming that the political happenings of the times flavored the songs! Edit: Thank you to those who have corrected me and added their information/opinions- I do sincerely appreciate it!! Instead of 'art imitating life', it's 'life coincidentally and uncannily resembling art'.

[@aislingbannett4450]

While yes, the song obviously has political undertones, the original concept album that became the musical came out in 2010. Meaning the songs were written sometime before then. It's just that Anaïs Mitchell has a good understanding of the conservative, xenophobic mindset and depicted it so expertly that a few years later a certain real life bigoted demagogue stumbled into the exact imagery and concept that she did Definitely made the song more immediately relevant and relatable to the general public but it was actually a coincidence

[@deejaydee1578]

Nope, she had to go out on record that the Trump shit had absolutely no bearing on the story, since it was written years before. Crazy how reality models fiction though

[@Ozloz]

14:26 So, on stage this is the moment where a giant brick wall opens up and the entire stage behind them and gets like two times bigger, revealing a large wall of lights, much like in the animatics. This is literally the walls surrounding Hadestown opening up and revealing all the lights and electronics and technology Hades has implemented. So yeah Hades’ instrument/motif is intention

[@Randomner2562]

Arguably the most stunning thing I’ve ever seen on stage. The way it opens and you finally see it all, incredible.

[@singenstattatmen5096]

With Wait For Me, you picked the most incredibly amazing animatic/animation for all off Hadestown, btw. Love this one so so so much, the artist is crazy talented and *dedicated* to do all that! ❤❤❤

[@kahlanbruce19]

Personally, I’m with Hermes on this one. She begged him for help and I get that he was entranced but still

[@ChanceMills-nn7ew]

So, I have been waiting for the connection, but I do want to provide some heavy context here. Buckle up, this is a bit rant-y I think it is important to provide the context that Hadestown is set to the backdrop of 1930s America (aka, The Great Depression). With that context in mind, and the divinity of characters reduced to more... passive influences, a few things make a bit more sense: +Never having enough money to go around, food being in short supply. Explained by Persephone being pulled back by Hades way more often, leading to massive Economic problems +What the hell (heh) is Hadestown? With the context provided, it is essentially a company town built into a cavern ("six feet under the ground below"). It's literally a work camp in which money is made (both figuratively and literally in the form of metalworking), and provides an endless task for which people are consistently paid. +Why do people end up in Hadestown? Not so much that they die, but they may as well be. Signing into what is essentially a deal with the devil (Hades), you work at an endless task in terrible conditions, until the job literally *sucks* the soul out of you. Good luck getting time off, you've got quotas to make! Hades' speech in "Why We Build The Wall" is borrowing a lot from '30s rhetoric at the time, in which people who had jobs were considered better than those who didn't (particularly men, but that's another problem). +Hades essentially offers people *permanent* employment in his town, where all their needs are met, and he continues to profit, so he can continue to hire people. Permanent employment in the 30s was *super* rare, when people were chosen at the front gate of factories *daily* to fill roles, and were let go at the end of the day. Through this lens, it makes a few things clearer, especially when one thinks of things in a more fantastical/mythological point of view. It is a little more grounded (not my much, I mean with Orpheus harmonizing with the literal WORLD, but you see my point!) Sorry that this was long-winded. Hope it was helpful Though!

[@lucylyles2632]

I like the parallel to Hades and Persephone that Orpheus and Eurydice have. (In my opinion on perceived symbolisms - and this very well might just be me rambling.) Hades was deafened by a river of stone symbolizing that he thought he was doing what his wife wanted and not listening to her tell him what she needed, and Persephone was blinded by a river of wine, not seeing Hades’ acts of love for her and instead only seeing it all as bad and drinking away her woes over what she wasn’t getting in their relationship anymore. Orpheus was deafened by his work (which, yes, the world needed him to do, but he also was doing it because he thought it’s what she needed and wanted right then - which it wasn’t, she could wait on the big goal until it was ready) so he couldn’t hear Eurydice calling for help and telling him what she needed (which, at the time, was just his warmth and support), and Eurydice was blinded by his dreams and optimism, so she couldn’t see that he wasn’t truly ready to provide for her as a husband and partner in the moment.

[@RedEvie]

Wait For Me is one of a handful of moments in theater where I have audibly gasped at the visuals used on stage. When the lights cut and all you see are the swinging lamps, I cannot understate how much I recommend the live viewing of the show.

[@elsie8757]

Regarding whether or not Orpheus journeying into Hadestown will doom the overworld because he isn't working on his song: Not necessarily?? The plan is to bring Eurydice _back,_ after all, he's not planning on staying. And the world's waited this long for the song to be finished, it can wait a little longer.

[@GrayLou]

I was very excited to hear your take on Why We Build the Wall and was not disappointed. It's such a fascinating piece. Some fun facts: 1. Why We Build the Wall was first released in 2010 and written years before (I think an interview said 2006). However, Hadestown didn't get big until/after 2016, and there were people who walked out of the theater thinking it was a deliberate political dig. 2. Patrick Page (Hades) gets down to a G1, the lowest note sang in a Broadway musical.

[@sodapopworks550]

my other theory why hermes is pissed at orpheus is how the musical ends, its a repeat on an events happening and hermes as a story teller probably wants it to end

[@w0lfpuppluto]

i've loved watching you react to this, Hadestown is hands down my favorite musical! The part with Hermes being mean to Orpheus, I always saw as him kind of, goading him, testing his resolve, to really prod him to *go* and get Eurydice. Like Hermes wanted to be sure Orpheus went there for the right reasons, before he gave him the path. Also the mixed feelings of "God Hades is an asshole" but then "but HIS VOICE IS AMAZING" is truly the peak Hadestown experience.

[@anyathepanther7977]

I believe that in the Mythos Orpheus was also the first to travel down to the Underworld. Than later came Theseus and his Buddy, whose name i forgot, to kidnapp Persephone. Last would be Heracles becouse of one of his 12 Labures.

[@elsie8757]

Pirithous is the buddy's name, I think

[@d_wiseman3409]

Outside of the Chants, Why We Build The Wall is my favorite song in this musical. It just works rhythmically and call and response is amazing with that melody. Lyrics are also definitely evocative enough.