The world premiere of Hercules is very different previous Disney musicals.
There are no plans to bring the show to Broadway or commercialize it in any way. Instead, the production is focusing on providing free theatre to the public and enlisting over 150 community members across all five boroughs in New York City as performers within the show.
Disney legend Alan Menken and David Zippel have written five new songs for the Public Works' production of Hercules which begins performances this Saturday, August 31, at Delacorte Theater.
The musical will feature duet between Hercules and his love interest Meg, a solo for Hades titled “A Cool Day in Hell,” and a high-energy ensemble number “Great Bolts of Thunder,” similar to the Disney fan favorite “Zero to Hero.” Most of the songs from the Disney film are kept intact, including “Zero to Hero” and “Go the Distance.”
Broadway’s original Kristoff in Frozen, Jelani Alladin, will star as Hercules opposite fellow Broadway alum Krysta Rodriguez (Spring Awakening) as Meg. The Disney film’s original Hercules singing voice, Roger Bart, will play Hades this time around. Rounding out the main performers are Aladdin's James Monroe Iglehart as Phil, and Tamika Lawrence (Come from Away) as the lead muse, Calliope.
Tickets are available in a daily in-person standby lottery for each performance.