Rogers: The Musical review – Worth the Wait?
Rogers: The Musical is a theatrical experience which has recently taken the stage in the Hyperion Theater for a limited time, located in the heart of Disney’s California Adventure park. This enchanting production brings to life the beloved story of Captain America (Steve Rogers), a courageous and determined hero who happens to be one of the founding members of the Avengers.
If the show name sounds familiar to you, a small portion of the show was portrayed during an end credit scene of Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye, and another portion was performed at D23 in 2022. So without further ado, we hope you enjoy our spoiler filled Rogers: The Musical review!
Seating
As with most popular attractions nowadays, Rogers: The Musical utilizes a virtual queue to seat guests within the theater. As someone who often struggles with technology within the parks, this made me extremely nervous since opening day for the show was our last day at the resort. Fortunately though we were able to score a virtual cue for the first showing of the day, which was the 12:30 PM show!
The virtual queue for Rogers: The Musical definitely has its pros and cons. The system most definitely ensures a more efficient and organized process for getting into the theater especially with specific call times, however technical glitches or system failures could very easily cause problems for guests and cause members to miss the showing.
Once we got through the process of securing our spot in the virtual queue, it was actually incredibly easy to get into the theater itself once we scanned in. For our first viewing of the show we were sat in the wheelchair, accessible seating up in the mezzanine, which I personally think offered a far better view than our seats later on in the evening!
This was my first time viewing a show within the Hyperion and so while I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, I certainly was not disappointed with either of our seating options!
One of the main benefits in my opinion for being placed in the orchestra level was the confetti that got fired out of cannons in the middle of the show! Unfortunately, none of this confetti reached the mezzanine level, however guests in the orchestra level were covered in the red, white and blue streamers! This was a lot of fun, and added a great touch to an already amazing experience!
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Storyline
If you’re familiar with the comic book and MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) story of Captain America, there’s honestly not a whole lot of the storyline from Rogers: The Musical that will wind up being a surprise for you as a viewer, and that’s part of what made the experience and the show as a whole so legendary!
This 30 minute performance starts out the same way that Steve’s original story started, with the titular character attempting (and being denied) the opportunity to serve his country. Steve is then approached with the opportunity to become the superhero that we all know him as today, with the introduction of super serum into his bloodstream.
In my personal opinion, this was one of the highlights of the story, and the production did a wonderful job of capturing all of the tension leading up to this moment, through its writing and storytelling.
Following Steve’s transformation into Captain America (this is done using two separate actors!) we see what feels almost like a “montage“ of sorts as Steve becomes an emblem for the sale of war bonds!
The story also takes a deeper dive into the romance between Steve and Peggy and we get to see a bit more than the movies of the MCU originally gave us, which helped connect the audience to the turmoil that Peggy may have been facing upon Steve’s crash into the Arctic (which we also see).
Following the crash, the audience is treated to a wonderful synopsis of everything that Steve missed, which includes none other than Nick Fury himself and the storyline takes a detour to focus briefly on the Avengers as an ensemble rather than Steve just by himself!
It’s towards the end of the production that we get to see the section of the show that was previously produced at D23, and this includes a very large handful of the Avengers that we are all familiar with from the movies!
The audience is taken through several of the major battles that the team fought in the films, and this is one of my personal favorite sets from the entire production, because it allows us to see just how many times Steve Rogers has saved the world alongside his team!
Finally, we are met with the grand finale in which we see Steve interacting with the older version of himself that we see in Endgame! This felt like a wonderful way to go pay tribute to the MCU as an entirety, but also felt like a great sendoff for Steve whom we may never see in a marvel project again! This portion of the story actually had me tearing up as he makes the choice to return to Peggy, just like in the films!
Check out a video showing off the behind-the-scenes of making Rogers: The Musical!
Music
Disney’s Rogers: The Musical is a spectacular opportunity for guests to experience quite a large variety of different genres of music!. The pieces in this enchanting show contain a masterful blend of catchy tunes, heartfelt ballads, and toe-tapping melodies that transport viewers into the magical world of Disney.
The show starts out spectacularly and features one of several original songs written specifically for live life production of the musical, titled “U-S-Opening Night“. This is easily one of the most catchy songs in the entire show, and I found myself humming the tune even the next day after we left the parks!
Throughout the musical the music serves as a powerful storytelling tool, conveying both Steve and Peggy’s hopes, dreams, and triumphs. It truly feels like every single song is carefully crafted to reflect the personality and motivations of the characters, allowing the audience to connect with them on a deeper level than they might if they were just viewing the movie within the MCU.
The upbeat and energetic numbers, such as “Star-Spangled Man” that was featured in the original Captain America film and “Save the City” featured in Hawkeye and performed at D23 perfectly capture the spirit of adventure and optimism that Steve embodies, while also allowing the onstage actors to add another layer into the immersion that the show provides!
One of the standout songs in the musical is the hauntingly beautiful love themed ballad, titled “Just One Dance” which is another portion of the show that had me genuinely bawling my eyeballs out both times we watched it!
This tender and heartfelt piece genuinely showcases the vulnerability and love that Steve has in his heart for Peggy, as he battles internally with the situation that he has found himself in through the story. The heartfelt lyrics and haunting melody evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing, creating a truly emotional experience for the audience.
Another wildly memorable musical piece in Rogers: The Musical that had the audience both dancing in their seats as well as hooting and hollering for everyone’s favorite one-eyed director of SHIELD, “What You Missed” almost felt like a fever dream for those of us in the audience!
The premise of this piece was simply Nick Fury catching Steve up on all of the pop culture and historical events that he had missed throughout the last 70 years! This song presented a completely different version of Fury than Marvel fans are probably used to seeing and in my opinion, it was one of the most engaging songs in the entire production! I had a ton of fun, watching the background images on this one, and pointing out things that I recognized from my own childhood!
In addition to the captivating songs and performances done live by the cast, the music in Disney’s Rogers: The Musical is brought to life by a talented orchestra and a team of skilled musicians who had recorded the backing track for the songs themselves.
The seamless integration of live music and vocals alongside the pre-recorded tracks enhances the overall theatrical experience, and to be quite honest as an audience member I would never have known that the instrumental pieces and backing tracks were pre-recorded at all!
Overall, the music used in Disney’s Rogers: The Musical is a true masterpiece that sets the stage on fire and leaves the audience in awe of the star-spangled man with a plan. From its catchy and infectious ensemble melodies to its heartfelt and emotional ballad, Rogers: The Musical provides tunes that had me dancing in the seat and ones in which I would return to see over and over again if given the opportunity, just for the music and soundtrack alone!
Whether you’re a fan of Disney, musical theater, or simply enjoy a captivating and memorable experience in air conditioning, this musical is a must-see for all music lovers purely due to the variety that this show contains!
Overall Thoughts
It should be no secret by now that Rogers: The Musical is absolutely a must see attraction and if you are planning a trip to DCA at any point before the production closes on August 31st, I would highly recommend making it a priority for you and your family!
There are four showtimes per day ranging from a 12:30 PM start all the way to a 5 PM start, which gives you a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the show during the heat of the day when the summer sun can be grueling!
It does seem important to note, however, that the show only runs for a few days a week so if you are planning a trip specifically around this musical, I would highly recommend taking a detailed look at the calendar and figuring out exactly what day would work best for you to attend the show!
Just like with any attraction, keep an eye on your Disneyland app for any unplanned changes and closures due to technical difficulties, as these are entirely possible, even with a big production such as Rogers: The Musical!
I am so very glad that we got to experience this production on opening day, and I am fairly confident in saying that this is one of the best productions I have ever seen from a company!
Every minute detail both in the interior and in the merchandise was nearly perfect, and the energy in the crowd was unbeatable, especially for the first showing on the first day of the run! I would recommend this musical to anyone and everyone, and I am so very glad that we got to see this beautiful story come to life!
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This article was written by Peyton and edited by Michael.
