In this Music Behind the Ride, I wanted to look at the recent Disney live stage production based on the most unlikely of sources - Rogers: The Musical.
In the first episode of 2021's Hawkeye on Disney+, we see Clint Barton dealing with his past trauma during a showing of the in-universe Rogers: The Musical. Hawkeye sits uncomfortably during the musical number "Save the City". New Yorkers sing about their need for saving while introducing each Avenger: Captain America, Black Widow, Iron Man, Hawkeye and Hulk. We also see various Chituri, Loki and even Ant-Man (not even in the Battle for New York). We only see snippets of the Broadway number in the first episode, but the entire thing is shown in the credits of the show's finale. The song was written by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman.
The next stop was at the D23 Expo in 2022, where "Save the City" was performed live with a full cast and band led by Marc Shaiman. Around that time, Disney Live Entertainment looked at transforming the song into a full live stage show to fill the empty Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure.
Broadway writer Hunter Bell would write a the book, and Jordan Peterson would direct. Christopher Lennertz, Peterson and Alex Karukas would write five new songs, filling out the show with "Save the City" and "Star Spangled Man" (the Alan Menken/David Zippel song from Captain America: The First Avenger). Eventually it became the a 30 minute stage show full of music, humor and heart.
Now onto the show. Captain's shield is projected onto the curtain and an illuminated radio plays old-time jazz tunes and pre-show announcements. After the fanfare, we're introduced to the Starkettes, three storytellers that welcome us and begin to tell the story of Steve Rogers in "U-S-Opening Night". They are joined by dancers, paperboys and soldiers dancing around the Stark Club. When Steve enters, we hear a snippets of the Captain America theme by Alan Silvestri. After greeting his pal Bucky, Steve sings the ballad "I Want You" under an Uncle Sam poster while seeing various doctors turn him away.
Dr. Erskine and Agent Carter meet up with Steve, introducing him to the Super Soldier machine with the Skarkettes sing part of "Star Spangled Man". He steps into the machine and steps out as Captain America. He quickly jumps into the role as war bond mascot as the song continues. Agent Carter tells him about a mission to rescue Bucky, and they sing a snippet of "Just One Dance". A comic book-styled montage of Captain's missions plays over different verses of "Star Spangled Man". "Just One Dance" continues as Steve's plane crashes into the ice.
Time passes with sound clips as Steve wakes up in a hospital. Nick Fury gives him the rundown of "What You Missed". This patter song (mixed with funk) has tons of quick references, which also appear on the Times Square-styled billboards. The Starkettes jump in with musical references to the "I Love Lucy" theme, Imperial March from Star Wars and "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin. Nick introduces the Avengers as their Alan Silvestri theme plays. He quickly introduces the other MCU characters as Captain suits up with jacket and shield.
An announcer mentions the alien invasion with a large explosion, leading into "Save the City", replicated pretty much from Hawkeye. After the applause, bits of the song are interjected with the announcer mentioning the Sokovia attack, Winter Soldier attack on Washington DC, and Wakanda attack.
Captain America meets up with older Steve Rogers on a bench, and they sing the duet "End of the Line". We see comic projections from the time stone of young Steve, Captain and Sam Wilson's Captain. A clock ticks with snippets of past conversations with Peggy Carter. She's standing outside of the Stark Club and sings "Just One Dance", which Steve joins in. The narrating Starkettes return for the "Finale" with the whole cast and a reprise of "Save the City" with mini reprises of other songs put in. The company takes their bow to a playoff reprise of "End of the Line".
The show ran at the Hyperion Theater in Disney California Adventure from June to August 2023. A digital cast recording of the show followed in September 2023. With great reviews and reception from park guests, the future of Rogers: The Musical is uncertain. For a brief time, it was great to have the Hyperion Theater filled with campy humor, real heart and singing Marvel superheroes.
0 Comments