NEW YORK – Jordan Fisher is going to hell this winter and he's very happy about it.
The actor and singer star enters Broadway's “Hadestown,” the brooding 2019 Tony Award-winning musical about the underworld, which intertwines the myths of Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades and Persephone.
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The actor, whose Broadway credits include “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Sweeney Todd” and “Hamilton,” will step into the role of Orpheus beginning Monday night at the Walter Kerr Theatre, succeeding original cast member Reeve Carney.
Fisher, also known for his work in the “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” and winning “Dancing With the Stars,” chatted with The Associated Press on the eve of his new gig, revealing how he might have manifested the role.
Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.
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AP: Have you been a fan of “Hadestown” a long time?
FISHER: I saw the show right after they opened. I think it was like the second week of it being up and I was absolutely blown away, right? I grew up loving Greek mythology. I specifically loved it in high school so I knew the story of Eurydice and Orpheus. But I’d never seen it so beautifully explored.
AP: Why do you think it has lasted so long, despite cast changes?
FISHER: At the end of the day, this is just a story about trial and testing and how far we should go and all of the difficult challenges that we face as humans every day. It holds up a mirror. This is just a tale that needs to be told because it explores so many different dynamics of our human nature.
AP: It's a really physical role. Orpheus catches cups, walks on tables, navigates the stage as it turns, hides flowers, gets thrown around and plays guitar. How has it been?
FISHER: What it’s doing is it’s stretching every creative muscle that I love to have from a live performance perspective. The fact that I get to be a part of the band and help tell the story from a storyteller’s perspective as well as being a musician, that’s just gold. How could I not have the time of my life? And then on top of that, it’s such a good building. It’s healthy. It’s good people in there. Everyone actually enjoys going to work.
AP: You and your wife, Ellie Woods, have a 17-month-old son. How will being a dad by day and ancient Greek hero at night be like?
FISHER: Frankly, we lucked out. We got the easiest kid. He’s just so awesome. He’s our best friend. He’s just easy is easy to have around. Everyone enjoys having him around, so that makes it all the easier. We’re grateful that he’s our first in that way.
AP: You've been in some really great Broadway shows. How does this one stack up?
FISHER: From an actor’s perspective, playing Orpheus, this is the most fun that I have had on a Broadway stage. Man, I can’t wait to do it eight times a week, truly.
AP: You appeared in a TikTok video singing the song “Wait For Me” from the show during the pandemic. What was going on that day?
FISHER: I had the house all to myself. It was me and my dogs. I tend to just sing for them, play for them. And that is what it was. And I was like, ‘Oh, I love this song so much!’ I had a wine glass in my hand and I was just pretending to literally be Reeve in this show.
AP: And now you are actually in the show. Did that video help land the role?
FISHER: Call it a seed sowed. I’m a big, big fan of manifestation and anyone that follows me at all knows that very well. I think that what you put out in the world — and what you claim — is yours to have at some point in time.
AP: You have a lot on your plate: Moving from Florida to New York, shoulder surgery, a baby and now a new role on Broadway.
FISHER: If I can be even more candid, 2023 has been the hardest year of my life, my family’s life. It has been the most challenging, most trying, the most dynamic year of our lives and one that we’re really grateful for as well. There’s been a lot of change. There’s been a lot of transition. There’s been a lot of evolution. And this show is all of those things. It’s also healing and it leaves you with a hug.
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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits