A free stage adaptation of the Disney musical “Hercules” starring an original “Frozen on Broadway” cast member is heading to The Public Theater at the end of August.
Jelani Alladin, who originated the role of Kristoff in “Frozen,” will play Hercules himself in the musical, which runs from Aug. 31 to Sept. 8 at The Delacorte Theater.
Tony Award-winner Roger Bart, who provided Hercules’ singing voice in the 1997 Disney film, will play the villainous Hades, while actor James Monroe Iglehart, who won a Tony for his role as the Genie in the original Broadway production of “Aladdin,” will play Hercules’ trainer Phil.
“Spring Awakening” and “The Addams Family” actress Krysta Rodriguez will take on the role of Meg; actor Jeff Hiller will play Hades’ sidekick Panic; and actresses Ramona Keller, Tamika Lawrence and Rema Webb will be muses Thalia, Calliope and Terpsichore, respectively, the theater said in a release.
“Many generations of our Public Works families have embraced Disney musicals as a shared American canon,” Public Works founder Lear deBessonet, who is directing the musical, said in a statement.
“‘Hercules’’ roots in Greek mythology, infused with soulful gospel music, make it a natural extension of Public Works’ radical exploration of humanity through Shakespeare and the classics,” she added.
Public Works is a Public Theater initiative that “seeks to engage the people of New York by making them creators and not just spectators,” the theater’s website notes.
The Public Theater production will feature new songs with music by legendary composer Alan Menken and lyrics by David Zippel, along with six songs from the original Disney film, the theater said.
Information about how to access free tickets to the show will be available on the theater’s website next month.
Here are some of Disney’s Broadway animated adaptations
- ‘Beauty and the Beast’: The Broadway adaptation of Disney’s 1991 film premiered in April 1994; Disney Theatrical Productions recently announced that a Broadway revival is in the works.
- ‘The Lion King’: The theatrical version of the 1994 animated musical debuted on Broadway in 1997 and has been running ever since, making it the third-longest-running Broadway show ever (“The Phantom of the Opera” and “Chicago” currently hold the first and second spots, respectively.)
- ‘Tarzan’: “Tarzan” opened on Broadway in 2006 with the same Phil Collins music featured in the 1999 film, but only ran for a little over a year after receiving tepid reviews.
- ‘The Little Mermaid’: The Broadway version of “The Little Mermaid” ran for 20 months after debuting in 2007 — nearly two decades after the 1989 Disney film came out — with the producer saying its reception was “not what I would have hoped for.”
- ‘Aladdin’: Aladdin and Jasmine made their way to Broadway in 2014, and the show based on the 1992 film is still going strong. The production garnered a handful of Tony nominations, including one for Best Musical.
- ‘Frozen’: The wildly popular 2013 film starring Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel as sisters Anna and Elsa premiered on Broadway last year. The show is still running at the St. James Theatre.
