Broadway stars’ hypothetical solo show names
Broadway stars joke about their hypothetical one-person shows on the 2026 Tony Awards red carpet.
“Hadestown” actor and Broadway star Geno Segers is stepping away from the production after online controversy.
Producers from the award-winning show and Segers “have mutually agreed” that he “will no longer join” the production, “Hadestown” producers confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY on Sunday, Aug. 2. No explanation was given.
The move comes after Segers reportedly made anti-transgender remarks that resurfaced online.
The production announced its new principal cast days earlier, with Segers to take on the role of Hades. The show will return to Broadway for its latest Walter Kerr Theatre run on Sept. 1.
Segers previously starred in international productions of “The Lion King” as Mufasa and a Missouri production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” He also starred in the early 2010s Disney XD series “Pair of Kings,” the short-lived Bradley Whitford-led comedy series “Perfect Harmony,” the Cinemax cop drama “Banshee” and has made various voice actor appearances, including in “Fortnite” and “Thelma the Unicorn.”
Segers’ exit from the production comes after his predecessor, Gary Dourdan, was also previously steeped in controversy. The once embattled “CSI” star, who made his Broadway debut as Hades in March, was sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to complete domestic violence counseling after pleading no contest to felony battery charges following an alleged incident with his ex-girlfriend in 2011. The case came after multiple drug possession arrests in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
“Hadestown,” written by Anaïs Mitchell and directed by Rachel Chavkin, won eight Tony Awards in 2019, including best musical, and the Grammy Award for best musical theater album in 2020. Its 2026 musical film, “Hadestown: The Musical,” recently surpassed “Hamilton” as the highest-grossing live stage capture film in box-office history. The milestone comes with the caveat that “Hamilton” debuted on Disney+ during the COVID-19 pandemic five years before its record-breaking theatrical release.
Contributing: KiMi Robinson and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY