Kayko and Jasmin Savoy Brown journey through the underworld in their Broadway debuts in ‘Hadestown’

The onstage lovers in the Tony-winning Best Musical share what they’re learning from each other at the Walter Kerr Theatre.

Summary

• Indie pop musician Kayko and actress Jasmine Savoy Brown are making their Broadway debuts as Orpheus and Eurydice in in Hadestown
• The performers discuss their first experiences with Hadestown, the energy at their debut performance, and their offstage bond
• The musical is a jazzy retelling of the Greek myth of lovers Orpheus and Eurydice

For mythic lovers Orpheus and Eurydice, looking back is hellish. But for Kayko and Jasmin Savoy Brown, who now play these characters in Hadestown, making their Broadway debuts in Anaïs Mitchell’s jazzy musical retelling is pure heaven.

Both their first impressions of the show, which opened at the Walter Kerr Theatre in 2019, are tied to the pandemic. “I actually saw Hadestown three days before Covid shut everything down,” said Kayko, 26, an indie pop artist and former American Idol contestant. “I was about to become completely obsessed. Five years later, I got to become totally re-obsessed.”

Brown (Scream, Yellowjackets), 32, first saw Hadestown in late 2021. “It was after they reopened after Covid, during that Broadway moment where we wanted to make sure it stayed alive. I saw it with a good friend of mine, way up in the nosebleeds. That’s what we could afford at the time. It was absolutely beautiful.”

The Tony Award-winning Best Musical still is. Both actors debuted on September 1 alongside three other newcomers to the production: Norbert Leo Butz (Hermes), Amber Iman (Persephone), and Ben Davis (Hades).

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous and just completely pumped with adrenaline in my entire life,” said Kayko of their first performance. “I normally don’t get stage fright. It was so real when we came out. The place was like MSG and the Knicks just won the finals.”

Over-the-top enthusiasm from the fans continues post-bows, said Brown, who’s thrilled about having a full-circle moment thanks to Hadestown. “I used to stage door. I would wait forever to meet the people that inspired me and moved me in a show,” she said. “To be on the other side of that is such an honor. I love meeting people and learning their connections to the show.”

A few weeks into their runs, the actors already share mutual appreciation that’s helped shape their performances. “Jasmin is one of the best actors I’ve ever met, bar none,” said Kayko. “She’s taught me so much about how to be present in a moment.”

Brown echoed the same sentiment. “Kayko has really helped me overcome my imposter syndrome, and I’ve really learned from him how to be present. I’m trying to apply that to my life. I will be talking to my therapist about it.”

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Bridget Gross contributed reporting to this story.

Photo credit: Kayko and Jasmin Savoy Brown in Hadestown. (Photos by Matthew Murphy)