Disney’s animated classic Hercules is the next in line to be adapted for the stage when it plays the Public Theater’s Delacorte Theater in Central Park, according to Playbill.
- The show will conclude Public Theater’s 2019 Shakespeare in the Park season.
- Performances of Hercules will run from August 31 through September 8.
- The production will be directed by Lear deBessonet and will include Alan Menken and David Zippel’s original music from the 1997 animated film, including the Oscar-nominated song “Go the Distance,” as well as new material and an adapted book by Pulitzer Prize finalist Kristoffer Diaz.
- Chase Brock will choreograph.
- The production will be presented through an arrangement with Disney Theatrical Productions.
- The show will feature sets by Dane Laffrey, costumes by Andrea Hood, lighting design by Tyler Micoleau, and sound design by Kai Harada and Jessica Paz.
- Casting for the upcoming production will be announced at a later date.
What they’re saying:
- Lear deBessonet, director: “We’re excited to see how this Public Works production will uncover the deeper meaning of what it means to be a hero and how true strength is derived, not from the greatness of one person, but the transformative power of community.”
- Public Theater Artistic Director Oscar Eustis: “We are thrilled to welcome Lear deBessonet back at the helm of our Public Works initiative for the first time since 2015. Alan Menken is one of the great musical geniuses of our time; it is an honor to welcome him, David Zippel, and Kristoffer Diaz to the Delacorte. Our Public Works community promises to connect this brilliantly conceived story back to the earth from which it sprang: the people. What a grand and unlikely experience this will be!”
ICYMI – More Disney theatrical news:
- Disney’s Frozen: The Broadway Musical will be heading to the land down under. The wildly successful musical is set to open in Australia in 2020.
- In celebration of International Women’s Day, Disney on Broadway has announced the second annual “Women’s Day on Broadway: Inspiring Changemakers.”
- Frozen: The Broadway Musical has announced two new cast members, including the first woman ever cast to play the role of Olaf, just a few months ahead of the show’s first anniversary.