![]() ![]() Computer animation was used in several scenes, predominantly in the Hydra battle sequence. Animation for the film was done in California and Paris. Research trips to Greece and Turkey provided inspiration for the background designs. British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe was recruited as production designer and produced over seven hundred visualization designs of the characters. During production, McEnery, Shaw, and Mecchi were brought on board to revise Musker and Clements' script. The project underwent multiple story treatments and a first script draft was inspired by the screwball comedy films of the classic Hollywood era and popular culture of the 1990s. Following an unused treatment by Haidar, Clements and Musker studied multiple interpretations of Greek mythology before abandoning Zeus's adulterous affair with Alcmene. Their project was removed from development in 1993, and Musker and Clements joined Hercules later that same year. Meanwhile, Clements and Musker re-developed their idea for Treasure Planet (2002) following the critical and commercial success of Aladdin (1992). Featuring the voices of Tate Donovan, Danny DeVito, James Woods, and Susan Egan, the film follows the titular Hercules, a demigod with super-strength raised among mortals, who must learn to become a true hero in order to earn back his godhood and place in Mount Olympus, while his evil uncle Hades plots his downfall.ĭevelopment of Hercules began in 1992 following a pitch adaptation of the Heracles mythological stories by animator Joe Haidar. The screenplay was written by Musker, Clements, Donald McEnery, Bob Shaw, and Irene Mecchi. The film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, both of whom also produced the film with Alice Dewey Goldstone. The 35th Disney animated feature film and the eighth animated film produced during the Disney Renaissance, it is loosely based on the legendary hero Heracles (known in the film by his Roman name, Hercules), the son of Zeus, in Greek mythology. "It's a whole new world - to quote a great Disney song - as far as ways you can play the devil.Hercules is a 1997 American animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation for Walt Disney Pictures. So here I was 20-whatever years later and learning one of his tunes for this show from a whole different perspective," he told TheaterMania ahead of the stage production's opening night. Within a half an hour, I was listening to Alan sing a Hades song (of course there isn't one in the movie). ![]() ![]() "I got a call from Alan Menken, which is always an amusing thing. Original songwriters Alan Menken and David Zippel have returned to write a handful of new songs for the stage version, including a jazzy, classically villainous tune for Hades called "A Cool Day in Hell." For his part, Bart is thrilled to be returning to Hercules from a new perspective. He's also appeared on TV in recurring roles on series such as A Series of Unfortunate Events and, most recently, Good Trouble.įans of the original Disney film will remember that Hades (then voiced by James Woods) never actually got to sing, but all that has changed onstage. In the years since singing Hercules's songs in the animated movie, Bart has kept up his musical chops, often with comedy roles on Broadway including Young Frankenstein and Disaster!. The main cast, however, includes Broadway pros such as Jelani Alladin (as Hercules), Krysta Rodriguez (as Meg), Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart (as Phil), and Bart, who's switched from playing the earnest hero to the snarky villain. Instead, it's part of the Public Theater's Public Works series, which brings in hundreds of community members alongside theater pros. ![]() The stage version of Hercules isn't your typical Broadway production, like recent versions of Frozen, Aladdin, and more. Why is actor Roger Bart a perfect fit? He was the original singing voice of Hercules himself in the 1997 animated feature, singing the now-classic song "Go the Distance." Here's how Bart went from zero to hero to villain. In this Summer's stage adaptation of Hercules at New York's Public Theater, the actor playing Hades has some big shoes to fill, but there's no one better suited. ![]()
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