The real-life Rogers: The Musical isn't exactly as Clint Barton saw it in Hawkeye on Disney+.
Thanks to Disney and Marvel, theaters and Disney+ are no longer the only means for experiencing MCU storytelling. But in bringing a full Rogers: The Musical show to the universe of the fans, Disney found that one thing needed to change.
What Changed in Disney's Rogers: The Musical
The Direct's Savannah Sanders spoke exclusively with Rogers: The Musical's conductor and composer Christopher Lennertz on how this fictional Broadway show became a reality at the Disneyland Resort.
Just like Hawkeye, the real-life Captain America musical also features Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman's "Save the City."
However, when bringing the number to the show, Lennertz and the team found that how the Avengers were introduced needed to change.
For reference, in Hawkeye's version, the individual Avengers (Ant-Man included!) are revealed through the following lyrics:
"The Hulk is incredible, smashing things up
While Iron Man takes to the sky
(Takes to the sky)
Captain America’s strong, and that Thor is a god
And lord knows they're easy on the eyes!
Black Widow’s a knockout who can knock you out
And when Ant-Man flies you won't hear a sound!
While Hawkeye seems cool, like a really nice guy
We just wish that New York wasn't the battleground!"
But in the real-world version, it's Nick Fury who introduces each member of the roster through "What You Missed," a musical number that cleverly combines Steve's notebook from Captain America: The Winter Soldier with the Avengers Initiative.
In discussing the song, which Lennertz described as a "Gilbert and Sullivan patter" mixed with an almost "'Uptown Funk' kind of chorus." He added that when Fury gets to his "famous line" is when "we get really serious and turn it into the Avengers announcement:"
"He's going to wake up from the ice, and Nick's going to be there, and he's going to be like, 'Here's what you missed,' and, he's just gonna plow through it as fast as possible. And, when he gets to this great task, this idea, and his famous line - at that point is when we get really serious and turn it into the Avengers announcement."
Speaking of which, the Avengers announcement in "What You Missed" offers a different run-through of The Avengers' heroes, with lines like "Hulk is quite explosive, just a tad impulsive," and "Thor's speech is kinda odd, did I mention he's a god?"
According to Lennertz, this change was necessary because "Fury had to bring Cap up to speed" on who the Avengers were before fighting alongside them and "in order for it to work dramatically:"
"That's the reason it had to be cut from 'Save the City'. Because they also introduce them in the 'Hawkeye' version of 'Save the City,' but we announce them here as part of Nick's recapping. We knew Nick had to bring Cap up to speed. So we were not only letting the audience know who the Avengers were, we were letting Cap know who the Avengers were. And, we had to do that in this song before we got to 'Save the City' in order for it to work dramatically."
Saving the City and Saving the Story
While it's true that "Save the City" was completed prior to Disney's Rogers: The Musical, Hawkeye and the stage show serve two completely different purposes.
If the number had remained as is, either Steve wouldn't have known the Avengers prior to being introduced alongside them or they would've been introduced twice.
The first would've been confusing; the second, redundant.
Fortunately, the end result isn't just a win for the show's narrative but for audiences as well. After all, two versions of "Save the City" now exist, both of which fittingly - as while as humorously - celebrate Earth's mightiest heroes.
Still, for fans who love the original Hawkeye rendition, rest assured the bulk of "Save the City" has been successfully translated from screen to stage, and the latter allows audiences to experience its energy live and in person.
Rogers: The Musical is playing at Disney California Adventure - and conveniently next to Avengers Campus - Tuesday through Saturday until August 31.
