Geno Segers Will No Longer Join Hadestown Following Backlash Over Social Media Videos
by Chris Peterson
Geno Segers will no longer join the Broadway cast of Hadestown following several days of online backlash over videos he posted about transgender people and other social issues.
“The producers of Hadestown and Geno Segers have mutually agreed that Mr. Segers will no longer join the Broadway production,” the production said in a brief statement released Sunday. “Additional casting will be announced shortly.”
Segers had been announced on July 29 as the musical’s next Hades and was scheduled to begin performances at the Walter Kerr Theatre on September 1. He was part of a new group of principal performers that also includes Norbert Leo Butz as Hermes, Amber Iman as Persephone, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Eurydice and Kayko as Orpheus. The remaining cast changes are still expected to move forward as announced.
Shortly after the casting announcement, theatre fans began circulating clips from Segers’ social media accounts and YouTube channel. Several of the videos focused on transgender people, including posts titled “TRANS FAIRNESS?,” “HE… I MEAN SHE, BROKE THE RECORD” and “NO MORE TRANS?” His YouTube videos were later deleted.
In one video posted in 2024, Segers compared transgender people seeking equal rights to passengers pretending to be dogs to receive airline discounts. He also said he did not believe transgender people were oppressed. Other videos mocked the idea of transgender men becoming pregnant and criticized people who asked about his pronouns.
The posts quickly generated criticism among Hadestown fans, particularly because the musical has built a reputation for gender-inclusive casting and has employed transgender and nonbinary performers in its Broadway and West End companies.
The production’s statement does not directly address the videos or explain what led to the mutual decision. Segers has also not released a public statement addressing his departure.
In my opinion, Hadestown made the correct decision. Segers is entitled to express his beliefs, but employment in a Broadway means becoming part of a workplace filled with people whose identities he repeatedly mocked and dismissed.
That creates legitimate questions about whether every company member could feel respected and supported while working alongside him. Which is why I thought his casting needed to be rescinded.
The larger concern is how the casting reached the announcement stage in the first place. Fans uncovered these videos almost immediately, suggesting that even a basic review of Segers’ public accounts would have raised serious questions.
Hadestown responded quickly once the backlash began. That deserves acknowledgment. But Broadway producers should not have to wait for audiences to perform the background checks that casting teams should already be doing.