‘Rogers: The Musical’ Debuts at Disney California Adventure Park: Everything to Know About the New Marvel Show
Avengers fans, it’s time to assemble at the Disneyland Resort. “Rogers: The Musical,” a live musical retelling of the story of Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, premiered today at the Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure Park for a limited run through Aug. 31, 2023.
We got a first look at the show during a media preview yesterday and fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and one its most iconic heroes are definitely going to want to consider a summer trip to Disneyland to see it.
‘Rogers: The Musical’ — the Backstory
MCU fans got the first tease of “Rogers: The Musical” via a New York City billboard shown briefly in a teaser trailer for the Disney+ series “Hawkeye,” and quickly took to the internet to share their hopes that the show might become a reality. The first episode of the show took it one step further, giving “Hawkeye” viewers a taste with a fictional Broadway performance of “Save The City,” an original song with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman.
Dan Fields, Executive Creative Director at Disney Live Entertainment, says that episode immediately got his team’s wheels turning.
““The moment we saw ‘Save the City’ performed in the ‘Hawkeye’ series on Disney+, it sparked an idea: What if we could bring ‘Rogers: The Musical’ to life at Disneyland Resort?” Fields said.
A live performance of the number, introduced by Marvel President Kevin Feige, at Disney’s D23 Expo last September, brought the house down and left fans continuing to call for a longer production. They finally got their wish when Disney announced the limited-run show at the Hyperion Theater, a collaboration between Disney Live Entertainment and Marvel Studios.
“Being able to work with the amazing creatives at Disney Live Entertainment in expanding a fan-favorite scene from the ‘Hawkeye’ series into a real musical theater production has been awesome!” said Dave Bushore, Vice President – Franchise Creative and Marketing at Marvel Studios. “It really speaks to the passionate creativity for bringing this to life, along with the tremendous inspiration and support from the team that started it all.”
What to Know About the Show
With a run time of about 30 minutes, the one-act musical will keep even the shortest attention spans engaged and won’t take too much time out of a full day at the theme parks.
“The live production of ‘Rogers: The Musical’ was specially crafted for Disneyland Resort guests by a team of more than 20 creatives and theater experts at Disney Live Entertainment,” said Roger Heartsner, Executive Producer at Disney Live Entertainment
The show stars titular hero Steve Rogers and tells the story of his journey from World War II soldier to becoming Captain America, the Avengers’ heroic leader.
“The show is a unique retelling of Steve’s story, featuring original songs and a customized set design for the Hyperion Theater,” Heartsner said.
A 1940s vibe is immediately set when guests enter the theater. A vintage radio plays, announcing that the Starkettes will soon take the stage. Parks fans should listen for the Elias & Co. advertisement that plays — a nod to the shop on Disney California Adventure’s Buena Vista Street.
The set combines two-dimensional scenery, physical set pieces, and impressive graphics on the theater’s 2,200-square-foot video screen.
Though not essential pre-performance viewing, guests who have seen “Captain America: The First Avenger” will catch onto the show’s plot most readily.
We’ll avoid big spoilers, but MCU fans can look forward to appearances by numerous Avengers, with references to many more that don’t take the stage, plus Peggy Carter and Nick Fury. (Guests can also spot Nick Fury in nearby Avengers Campus, where he’s appearing for a limited time in tandem with the latest Marvel series on Disney+, “Secret Invasion.”)
A Broadway-Style Treat for Musical Theater Fans
The show holds plenty of appeal even for guests not well versed in the world of Marvel. It was developed by Disney Live Entertainment in partnership with Hunter Bell, the star and book writer of a Tony Award-nominated show, as well as Disney Cruise Line’s “Villains Tonight!”
“It is amazing and surreal to be part of the ‘Rogers: The Musical’ team, and the task of capturing this rich story in a one-act production is a lot less challenging with such brilliant collaborators,” Bell said. “Love stories make great musicals, and our show is largely guided by the relationship between Steve Rogers and the remarkable Peggy Carter.”
Like a mini Broadway musical, the show would be a great introduction to the classic musical format for younger guests. It blends action, comedy and emotion, rapidly tackling themes of life purpose, love, and the passage of time.
“Both avid fans and guests that are new to the story of Captain America will relate to Steve’s journey to answer, ‘What do I aspire to? How do I get it? What choices do I have to make?’ Guests of all ages will be won over by the humanity and good-natured positivity of ‘Rogers: The Musical.’” Jennifer Magill, Producer at Disney Live Entertainment said.
Fans will without a doubt leave the theater clamoring for the release of the score, which was recorded by a 60-piece orchestra, and pulls from genres including big band jazz, modern funk, and classic orchestra. In addition to “Save the City,” by Tony-winning duo Shaiman and Wittman, musical numbers also include “Star Spangled Man” from “Captain America: The First Avenger,” with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by David Zippel, and five new songs with music by Grammy-winning composer Christopher Lennertz and lyrics by Jordan Peterson, Christopher Lennertz and Alex Karukas.
“It was important to us to continue the best of both Avengers and Broadway traditions, infusing humor, heart and heroic action into the music,” said Lennertz. “The score has memorable melodies and a huge scope of instrumentation that match the iconic presence of our hero. Audiences will hear big band jazz, modern funk, classic orchestra and more.”
The music, costuming and choreography all capitalize on the time travel components that’s integral to Captain America’s story. Costumes run the gamut from modern tongue-in-cheek “bounding” takes on the Avengers’ superhero costumes to chic, vintage style to patriotic pops of red, white and blue. The choreography similarly spans periods and styles.
“The music and lyrics tell such a great story from the opening to the final bows, and I wanted to make sure the dance carried the same strong narrative,” said Sarah Kobayashi, Choreographer at Disney Live Entertainment. “The time travel aspect gave us a great well to draw from choreographically, taking inspiration from various dance styles throughout the decades and spinning them with a modern twist.”
Know Before You Go: When — and How — to See ‘Rogers: The Musical’
“Rogers: The Musical” will perform several times a day, Tuesday through Saturday, “most weeks,” so be sure to check the schedule for the specific date of your visit.
A complimentary virtual queue system via the Disneyland app will be used to allocate access to seating areas. To attempt to join the virtual queue, guests need to have entered Disney California Adventure Park with a one-park ticket or Park Hopper ticket, or Disneyland Park with a Park Hopper ticket.
On performance days, virtual queue distribution will open at 10:30am PT for the first two show times and 2pm PT for the remaining show times. If successful, guests will automatically be allocated a showtime and cannot select their own. Guests will be called back via the Disneyland app to enter the physical queue at the Hyperion Theater approximately 30 to 45 minutes before showtime.
Walk-up availability for performances may be available via standby queue, space permitting, but guests are strongly advised to join the virtual queue.
Whatever It Takes — a Premium Viewing Option
To guarantee access in lieu of the virtual queue, plus nab better seats and some added perks, guests can opt for the upcharge Premium Viewing Experience. Available in limited quantities for purchase for $29 per person from Studio Catering Co. in Hollywood Land, the experience includes:
Reserved pre-show seating in an exclusive lounge area
Priority access to the theater for first choice of seats
Souvenir “Rogers: The Musical” popcorn bucket with red, white and blue kettle corn and a bottled soda
A souvenir lanyard
An exclusive Disney PhotoPass photo opportunity and free digital download
Sales of the premium experience open at park open and will be available until it’s sold out for the day or 90 minutes before the final show of the day. Guests will receive their souvenir lanyard upon purchase of the package and can check in at Stage 12 at the Hyperion Theater for the pre-show lounge up to 90 minutes before their showtime, with entrance to the theater beginning 30 minutes before showtime.
Here’s a look at what’s included with the package:
Other Ways to Celebrate ‘Rogers: The Musical’ — Food, Merchandise and Photo Ops
Just in time for 4th of July weekend, select locations in Disney California Adventure Park will be serving “patriotic and heroically-themed” food and drinks to celebrate the new show including a red, white and blue milkshake, drink and popcorn, inventive hot dog creations, and a “Shawarm-izza” from Shawarma Palace at Avengers Campus. See more photos and all the details at DisneyEats:
Disney PhotoPass is also offering two limited-time Magic Shots in front of the Hyperion Theater Marquee, including one with Captain America’s shield.
In addition to the souvenir popcorn bucket, which will be sold separately in addition to being part of the Premium Viewing Experience package, commemorative merchandise has also been released — a T-shirt, magnet, ornament and sign. Show-specific merchandise is being sold from two carts near the Hyperion Theater.
To see “Rogers: The Musical,” you’ll need a valid ticket or Magic Key and theme park reservation for either Disney California Adventure Park with a one-park ticket or Park Hopper ticket, or Disneyland Park with a Park Hopper ticket.