Released way back in 1997 (when Reverend was a hot young Roman Catholic priest, lol), Disney's animated feature Hercules followed a string of more serious tales from the newly-resurgent studio. The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) were box office successes, but they were also darker and more adult than beloved — and more financially rewarding —predecessors The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Aladdin (1992).
The talented hit-making team of Ron Clements and John Musker (who had previously written-directed both The Little Mermaid and Aladdin) were assigned to develop a lighter, more farcical take on ancient Greece's most celebrated hero. There would be songs co-written by 8-time Oscar winner and EGOT Alan Menken, of course, as well as jokes featuring decidedly late-20th-century references, a fast-talking villain who seemed more like a scheming Hollywood agent or car salesman, and Danny DeVito voicing a goat-like satyr. Although I loved it, Hercules was considered a lesser achievement by the Mouse House at the time.
Apparently, it has grown in popularity among millennials over the last two decades. How else to explain the new stage adaptation of the film currently playing at New Jersey's famed Paper Mill Playhouse through March 19th? Reverend and friends attended a nearly sold-out matinee performance on February 25th that wasn't so much a mixed bag as it was dramatically and technically schizophrenic. While seemingly Broadway-bound, this theatrical venture needs some more work before it can hope to join such long-running Disney hits as The Lion King and Aladdin on the Great White Way. In its current form, Hercules is more akin to the short-lived stage adaptations of Tarzan and The Little Mermaid.
The Paper Mill Playhouse production, directed by Lear DeBessonet, opens with a serious, classically Greek prologue before the movie's chorus of Muses take over. These five African-American women were enthusiastically welcomed by the audience but were called backstage by an overhead announcer a few minutes later. This literally stopped the show, and not in a good way. There were some obvious sound issues prior to the Muses' recall; however, this was not a preview performance even though it unfortunately ended up feeling like one from that point forward.
Hercules was the mythological son of Greek god Zeus and his wife Hera. According to the Disney movie, the evil god of the underworld Hades (voiced delightfully by the then-hot James Woods) made Hercules mortal while he was still a baby. Hades ultimately planned to have the mortal Hercules killed, since seers had prophesied that only Hercules could prevent Hades' intended hostile takeover of Mount Olympus. Since Disney animated musicals require happy endings, Hades' plot was not realized.
Spoiler alert (not): Hades is disappointed once again at the end of the new stage version, despite the character's somewhat more serious shenanigans. Herein lies the show's schizophrenia. It's silly and farcical like the movie in some moments but serious in keeping with its classically Greek source, and sometimes at the same time. I primarily blame Robert Horn and Kwame Kwei-Armah, co-writers of the musical's book, for this. Horn primarily has comedic projects including Tootsie and the Broadway-bound Shucked to his credit. Meanwhile, the British Kwei-Armah has a strong dramatic resume. The tension between their divergent styles is palpable in the current book/production. One wonders whether the writers actually met, which admittedly wouldn't be unusual in the COVID era.
The cast, which includes Tony Award winners Shuler Hensley and James Monroe Iglehart, is its strongest asset. Hensley, as Hades, has some of the book's funniest lines but could still take a lighter approach to the character a la James Woods. Iglehart, memorable as Genie in Disney's Broadway adaptation of Aladdin, also takes a more serious approach to Phil, which is still essentially a light sidekick role. Additionally, both Iglehart and Hensley are saddled with unattractive, too-literal costumes as well as so-so new songs.
Speaking of new songs, the aforementioned Alan Menken and celebrated lyricist David Zippel contribute a handful of mostly dull, unmemorable tunes. The best of these are "To Be Human," a reflective 11th-hour song performed by Hercules himself, and "Forget About It," a feisty new number for heroine Meg (played by a game Isabelle McCalla). Hades, who didn't have a song in the movie but should have, here gets the ho-hum "Cool Day in Hell." Phil gets an additional song, the unnecessary and endless "I'm Back!" that opens Act 2. And "Uniquely Greek Tough Town" is a just plain awful anthem sung by the citizens of Thebes.
Finally, the single best attribute of Disney's Hercules at Paper Mill Playhouse is adorable Bradley Gibson in the title role. The handsome, out actor (he thanks "my love Adam" in the program) sings and dances with aplomb, and admirably pulls off the more schizophrenic, silly-serious aspects of his role. If this production does make it to Broadway (ideally after some revisions) I hope Gibson goes with it. Talk about "a star is born"!
For more information and tickets, visit Disney's Hercules | Paper Mill Playhouse.
Reverend's Rating: C+
Reviews by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.
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