On paper, Hazbin Hotel seemed like it would never come to life. It started as a YouTube pilot in 2019, created by Vivienne Medrano, and amassed ninety-four million views and an avid fan base eager to see what came next.
The series got picked up by A24, an indie studio known for picking up experimental television and film. After five long years of waiting, it’s finally here!
Hazbin Hotel follows Charlie (Erika Henningsen), daughter of Lucifer (Jeremy Jordan), on her quest to create a path to redeem the sinners of Hell and save them from the yearly slaughter Heaven casts upon them.
The cast of the show is STACKED with the best of Broadway. Actors from shows like Newsies, Falsettos, Legally Blonde, Mean Girls, Waitress, and Beetlejuice along with alum from Disney films such as Princess and the Frog and Encanto join together to create an experience I never would have expected from a vulgar indie cartoon.
Erika Henningsen was a standout for me. Her bubbly voice perfectly captures the naivety, sweetness, and determination of Charlie Morningstar. Stephanie Beatriz had a huge role to fill as Vaggie. Her character has so much angst and a twist integral to the plot of the series, and she played it perfectly. It was strange not to hear her voice with Mirabel’s chipper tone from Encanto, but she showed her range.
I was so surprised to see Christian Borle and Jeremy Jordan join the cast as Vox and Lucifer! Borle’s portrayal of the queer-coded rivalry between Vox and Alastor(Amir Talai) was hilarious. He truly gave off bitter ex-partner energy with the duet “Stayed Gone” and his commentary in the finale.
Jordan gave an emotional punch I was not expecting in Lucifer. He balanced comic relief with so much heart and created who is undoubtedly a fan favorite. He also has some of the best songs of the season, with the Aladdin-esque tune “Hell’s Greatest Dad” and the power ballad “More Than Anything”.
The animation in the show was so fluid. Both fight scenes, musical numbers, and scenes were a well-drawn pleasure. The character designs were also beautiful. The artists did a great job rejuvenating the outfits from the pilot and creating looks that embodied sinners and angels alike.
The most intriguing part of the show for me was its twist on Christianity. The cruelty of Adam(Alex Brightman) and those running Heaven redefine the line between good and evil and lead the audience to contemplate the morals of the world Medrano created. I’m excited to see the show delve deeper into this theme in season two and beyond.
I highly recommend Hazbin Hotel. Its writing, character development, worldbuilding, and songwriting were better than I could have expected. If you enjoy Broadway tunes and animation and aren’t bothered by vulgarity and gore, I would give it a watch.
Hazbin Hotel is available to watch on Amazon Prime.
