Hadestown cancels casting of Geno Segers after trans-related remarks surface

Broadway’s Tony-winning musical Hadestown said on Sunday that it and actor Geno Segers have mutually agreed to end his involvement with the show, which had slated him to assume the role of Hades when a new principal cast begins on Sept. 1. The announcement did not provide a reason for the change.

The decision follows the appearance of online videos in which Segres expressed views that were critical of transgender rights and the practice of sharing preferred pronouns. The clips, originally posted on his YouTube channel and later shared by the theater site OnStage Blog, have since been removed or set to private.

"I’m not against anyone living out their lives the way they want, but I am against their rights superseding the rights of other people," Segres said in one video. He also questioned the need for pronoun disclosure, stating, "If you asked me what my preferred pronouns are and it’s not obvious to you that I’m a he/him, that I’m good with he/him, surely you don’t need any help. I’m not wearing a dress."

The videos also included a comparison of transgender individuals to people who pretend to be service animals for discounts, though the timing of the recordings was not disclosed. Segres and his representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

Hadestown, which has been running at the Walter Kerr Theatre for seven years, will continue casting for the upcoming season. The production, written by Anaïs Mitchell and directed by Rachel Chavkin, won eight Tony Awards in 2019, including Best Musical.

Segres, a singer and voice actor known for roles such as Mufasa in an Australian staging of The Lion King and appearances on TV series including Yellowstone, Teen Wolf and Castle, was announced in July as part of the new cast alongside Amber Iman, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Kayko.