I Can Do This All Day

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Rogers: the Musical at Disney’s California Adventure. Please read this piece knowing that these spoilers are somewhat sprinkled throughout, so there is no way to directly avoid them. Reader discretion is advised.

It’s funny how a little joke can come a long way.

When the first trailer dropped for Disney Plus’s new Hawkeye limited series, one particular gag caught my eye. It was a brief clip showing a Broadway show based on the Avengers that was set in the MCU. Soon after the first episode released, Marvel’s official website started promoting this one joke all over their feeds: Rogers: the Musical, a Broadway show based on the life of the first Captain America, Steve Rogers. The show’s playbill, done in a style similar to the iconic Hamilton poster, showed the silhouette of Captain America with his iconic star-spangled shield by his side.

At first when I saw this scene, I thought it was hilarious. The one song we had from Hawkeye (“Save the City”) gave such a cartoonish look at Broadway tropes between the minimalist costumes and over the top hamming with the musical performances. I mean, you had the Hulk operatically singing the word, “Smash.” This show at the time clearly wasn’t meant to be more than just a simple joke to help with world building in the MCU post-Endgame.

However, Disney ended up turning this around with a surprise announcement. In April of this year, Disney Parks announced to the world that for a limited time, Rogers: the Musical would be filling the spot at the now empty Hyperion Theater at Disney’s California Adventure. Following in the footsteps of Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular and Frozen: Live at the Hyperion, this half-hour show would take you through the life of Steve Rogers from The First Avenger to Endgame. All the while, the story would be told through a combination of pre-established and brand new musical numbers written by the likes of Christopher Lennertz, Alan Menkin, and Marc Shaiman.

And when this show was announced, I was actually pretty excited. I absolutely love musicals, having grown up in a household that had musicals as a big part of my life. As someone on the Autism Spectrum, I have a difficult time reading emotions and picking up on slight facial cues and body language. But, in the format of the musical with both the bombastic performances and characters actively singing their emotions to the audience, I could easily follow what was happening in the story a lot more than a straightforward play or a simple movie. Combine that with the fact that I tend to remember things better when associating them with music, then you have one adventurer who definitely enjoys a good song and dance number.

With Rogers: the Musical coming to DCA, not only was I happy that we would be getting live shows performed at the Hyperion again, but I also didn’t know what to expect. The show’s appearance in Hawkeye only served the purpose of being a quick gag and a bonus after the series ended. And, the initial concept art only really showed stuff that reminded me of the USO Tour from First Avenger, so I didn’t have much of an expectation beyond this show being a simple, fun theme park show with a Broadway style.

What I got instead was something just a little bit more, something that nearly ended with me leaving the theater in tears.

Captain America isn’t one of my all-time favorite superheroes (my favorite, as you know from previous adventures, is Spider-Man). But, there is something about the stories of heroes like Steve Rogers or Sam Wilson that resonate with me as an Autistic person. To me, Captain America isn’t just a propaganda figure like what we see of him in the USO Tour. A true Captain America knows that their greatest goal in life is as a guardian, someone who stands up to bullies in protection of other people. And, Rogers: the Musical understood this meaning at the ultimate heart of the show.

The show opens in the 1940s at the height of the Second World War. We are introduced to our narrator characters, the Starkettes, as well as our protagonist, Steve Rogers. Stever Rogers in this show is played by two actors, one to portray the skinny version of the character and one to portray the Captain America version. When Skinny Steve is introduced, we see as everyone else prepares to head off to war, but he is left out.

This scene transitions to the first song that made me cry in the show: “I Want You Doesn't Actually Mean Me.” Steve sings about how despite his disabilities, he still wants to be someone who can protect others and stand up for those who cannot themselves. The whole song reminded me of “Go the Distance” from Disney’s Hercules, where Steve wants to find a place where he belongs and desires primarily to be a protector of others. He knows that he is limited by what he can do, but that knowledge isn’t going to stop him from doing what is right. Here, we already see his genuine kindness and protective nature, getting a sense of where his potential will be as a hero.

After this song, Steve meets Dr. Abraham Erskine as well as his love interest, Agent Peggy Carter, of the Strategic Scientific Reserve (the original version of SHIELD in the MCU). Learning of Steve’s nobility, Erskine offers Steve the chance to become the hero he wishes to be. To the tune of “Star Spangled Man With a Plan,” Skinny Steve enters the Super Soldier chamber and comes out as Captain America. The transformation is done really well in the style of a classic transformation cabinet magic trick, and the reveal of Captain America is really epic. The song finishes up with the USO Tour and Cap’s initial run as a propaganda figure to sell war bonds.

We then wrap up the World War II segment with a time skip set to a reprise of “Star Spangled Man” as well as another new song: “My First Dance With You.” This song is the love song of the show, sung primarily by Peggy Carter, and it is used to great emotional effect. Especially because they sing this song during the moment Cap crashes in the arctic, where he is put on ice. The silence after Cap crashes adds to the emotional impact of the scene and really had me empathizing with Peggy.

The modern day sequence is surprisingly the shortest part of the show. We only have two major songs set during the events of the Avengers and remaining Captain America films: “What You Missed,” which is Nick Fury’s song, and of course, “Save the City” from Hawkeye. I will actually admit that I liked “Save the City” in this stage version a lot more than its original appearance in Hawkeye. It especially helped seeing all of these talented performers doing all of the complex choreography and power singing live on stage, where you could actually applaud their performance. Plus, they make a fascinating change that really adds to this show’s story: adding the events of Age of Ultron, Winter Soldier, and Infinity War to the song while changing its key from an optimistic power ensemble piece to a more ominous song as Steve gets wearier and wearier.

This is when we get to my favorite song in the whole show: “At the End of the Line.” The Skinny Steve Rogers actor returns as Old Steve Rogers from Avengers: Endgame, and he takes a moment to talk to his younger self. The two then sing perhaps the most emotional song in the show, set to a gorgeous acoustic guitar tune. “At the End of the Line” is where I almost cried. This song involves Cap reflecting on how far he has come by the end of the show: the things he has witnessed, the allies he has lost, and the world he left behind. Steve finally finds himself towards the end of the journey, still believing that his destiny is to be a hero until the end. But, Old Steve hands him the Time Stone, effectively telling him that it is time for the soldier to rest. Using the stone’s power, Steve travels back to the 1940s to be reunited with Peggy in the finale, where they finally have their dance together.

Rogers: the Musical is a worthwhile show to see at DCA. As a musical itself, the show is not too overwhelming. Disney uses both the acoustics of the Hyperion Theater as well as a lower volume for the show to allow audiences to feel the energy of a Broadway show without all of the overwhelming sounds. The show doesn’t contain much in the way of pyrotechnics or things that explode: only a streamer blast during “Star-Spangled Man With a Plan” and a fog explosion before “Save the City.” And, there are enough quiet moments and slower songs to allow a bit of a break between the high energy numbers. Plus with the show only being about half an hour, you don’t have to sit still for too long (and with how comfy the Hyperion’s seats are, you are definitely going to be alright during the show).

If you are lucky enough, definitely take a chance to try the premium experience. Besides getting designated front row seats for the show, you also get an awesome souvenir popcorn bucket with red, white, and blue kettle corn as well as a drink. Plus, you can have your photo taken in front of a special photo stand based on the poster for the show and wait in an outdoor lounge area up to an hour and a half before the musical begins. I actually found a nice, cozy spot in the shade, while a show was going on at the Hollywood Backlot Stage. And, the sound didn’t really reach where I sat, so I actually got to enjoy a moment of quiet before going in to see the show.

But, if you want to give this show a try, definitely hop on a virtual queue or stand in line for the different potential seats for this show. If you have a disability need beyond Autism, there are reserved seats for wheelchairs and hearing disabilities in the Hyperion (some of them being in the front rows of the theater too). But as for Autistic Adventurers, I don’t think this show is too scary or startling. It’s a fun show that knows how to have really emotional moments at times. Marvel fans will enjoy it for its love of the source material. Musical fans will love it for its songs and emotion. And, Autistic Adventurers will like it for its approachability and accommodating environment.

If you need to escape the summer sun for something fun and indoors, definitely take a moment to relax and enjoy Rogers: the Musical.