'Hercules' Musical Coming to New York City This Summer

Disney's Hercules is making the move to live musical theater this summer, as a new stage production based on the animated film is coming to New York City.

The Public Theater has announced that the Hercules musical will be a free show in Central Park, set to close out the 2019 season of Shakespeare in the Park.

Hercules is presented by Public Theater alongside Disney Theatrical Productions under the direction of Thomas Schumacher. The show will feature songs from Disney's animated film, as well as new original numbers from Alan Menken and David Zippel. There will be a new book from Kritoffer Diaz and original choreography by Chase Brock. Public Works Founder Lear deBessonet will direct the musical and it will run from August 31st through September 8th.

"We are thrilled to welcome Lear deBessonet back at the helm of our Public Works initiative for the first time since 2015," said Oskar Eustis, artistic director, The Public Theater. "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!"

"Many generations of our Public Works families have embraced Disney musicals as a shared American canon," said deBessonet. "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. 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.

Are you looking forward to the live Hercules musical this summer? Will you try to make it out to see it? Let us know in the comments!