I love Broadway. It's one of those places where every time I'm there, I am oh so happy.
I had seen Hadestown with my family last year but hadn't been able to fully appreciate and enjoy it at the time, so I was determined to go again. I said over and over that I was going to go again when Lola Tung was in it (because I love TSITP), but I never ended up going; I was always waiting to find someone to go with me. Then Lola Tung left the show, and I still wanted to see Jordan Fisher, who had been in the show for a few months, so I decided to just go during the summer since I'm off!
I bought a box seat for July 3, which, by the way, is the COOLEST seat I've ever sat in my entire life (more on that later), and went into the city myself to go see the show! I was even more excited when I realized that this was Maia Reficco's (Noa in the new Pretty Little Liars reboot!) second show ever. (She was incredible, btw. If you want to skip just to me gushing about Maia, just scroll a little -- sorry!).
My Day in New York City
Being that I already live in one of the five boroughs, it's pretty easy for me to get into the city, so I just hopped on a bus! Since it was a matinee show (2 p.m.), I was on the bus by 10:40 a.m., which, in hindsight, may have been a little too early, but I got to do a little more exploring with a lot less stress, so it ended up being for the best!
I was in Manhattan by 11:30am, which meant I had about two hours to spend before I even had to get to the theater, so I did what any book lover would do -- I went to the library! I had been here previously on my birthday (which I posted on my Bookstagram here if you wanna see how pretty it is!), and I really love the library. I spent some time just walking around and taking it all in, and then I made my way to the theater to find something to eat on the way.
I ended up having lunch at the cutest little cafe (literally little—it was like a hole in the wall, but their coffee and sandwich was SO GOOD), and I literally had to do a double take when I walked in because the barista looked just like Isabela Merced! (It wasn't. But I was like, woah.)
I sat outside for a while, and it was a perfect place to stop since it was literally next door to the theater. I knew the doors opened at 1:15 for the show, so I got on line at about 1:10 since I wanted to have lots of time to get snacks/merch/find my seat. It was pretty quick, and then I found my seat, and you guys, this seat was literally the COOLEST.
The Seat
This box seat discussion actually needs its own section because it was so awesome. I had never sat in a box before, and when I saw it was an option, I knew I needed to sit there.
I sat in Box Left, which, for Hadestown, is a great view. I literally felt so rich and important because when you show your ticket, they lead you through the orchestra & through the side, up the stairs, and behind a curtain to the box! Like. What. I sat in seat 8, which is the very last seat in the box, and not to toot my own horn, but that's literally the best one in this box. Here's a little tour of the box:
You were close enough to see the actor's facial expressions pretty well, and a few times, I even made eye contact with some of them (which, HOW COOL IS THAT?!) Even though it says it's a partial view on the ticket, my view was clear -- if they went too far stage left I couldn't see much, but that happened so rarely it didn't affect my enjoyment of the show at all.
Maia Reficco's Performance
Full spoilers for Hadestown ahead!
After I bought my ticket to the show, I learned that the show I would be seeing would be Maia's second Broadway performance ever. As someone who is a fan of the new Pretty Little Liars (Original Sin/Summer School) reboot, I was very interested to see her in the role of Eurydice. Admittedly, I didn't know too much about Maia and wasn't sure if this was just a stunt cast (where they put a TV/movie actor/actress on Broadway to up ticket sales), but I am pleased to report that she belongs on the stage.
When I initially saw Hadestown, I had the pleasure of seeing Eva Noblezada as Eurydice, the originator of the role. She was incredible, obviously. Eva is a beautiful performer, and it's no wonder she received a Tony Award for her role.
Since Eva, the Eurydice's of Broadway have been many, and from what I've seen (through some slime tutorials, iykyk), they've all been incredible. But Maia Reficco brings something unique to Eurydice that I haven't seen before, making it so easy to fall in love with her performance.
Maia's Eurydice is not only full of spunk and sass but also full of innocence, longing, and desperation. You could see the sass at the beginning of the show, when Eurydice still has her guard up around Orpheus, and you watch as that sass turns to love, and that love turns to desperation in such a way that made me cry during her rendition of Flowers. I watched in awe as that desperation turned to pleading and guilt when Orpheus shows up in Hadestown to get her back, and you watch Eurydice lose her innocence right before your eyes. And when Orpheus turns around, and the whole audience gasps, I watch as Maia has Eurydice crack wide open before your eyes so well that someone in the audience shouts "No!" as she sinks back down to Hadestown.
It is so beautiful to watch someone have the time of their life on the stage, and that's exactly what it's like watching Maia. When she first comes out on stage, her enthusiasm radiates off her as she looks around the theater (and I'm not saying we made eye contact and she smiled at me, but that for sure happened). I watched as she took it all in for her second-ever Broadway performance, and then, like a switch, she became Eurydice, emitting such a level of sass from such a small person that it made me (and the audience) laugh quite a few times. Her enjoyment radiates as she dances with the rest of the cast, and you can even see it when she's standing on the side watching everyone else. She truly just radiates happiness -- like she's a ray of sunshine.
But beneath that, you can see the vulnerability she brings to Eurydice, and it has you rooting for her so much more. I wish I had a photographic memory so I could tell you every little detail she brought to the role because even the smallest things made her performance that much more enjoyable. And even in Eurydice's deepest, most vulnerable moments, Maia shines like a bright light in the darkness.
And I know everyone wants to know... Maia's Wait for Me (Reprise) was nothing short of spectacular. She does the same little jump into it that Eva did (which I was so happy about; it adds so much oomph), and she has an insane voice -- like, my jaw literally dropped, and I was legitimately so far forward in my seat. She absolutely killed it!
Also, Maia is Argentinian, and it was so sweet to see her incorporate her culture & language into Eurydice! At one point, she says Càntala (which, if I'm not mistaken, means "sing it" in Spanish) to Orpheus, and I love that she's able to put her own spin on things! A couple of people in the audience even cheered, which was really cute.
I could go on and on and on about how incredible Maia was in this role. It was like she was made for it, and by the end of the show, I already wanted to see it again. If you have an opportunity to see her in Hadestown, you should. Maia Reficco is nothing short of phenomenal.
And, Maia, tu pasión como Eurydice es increíble. Puedes ver tu amor e corazòn desde el balcón.
(Obviously, I just need to go again.)
all my love,
gab <3
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