Review: ‘Hercules’ goes the distance on the Disney Destiny

While the reimagined production checks every box for lovers of the 1997 Disney animated movie, the beloved songs by Disney Legend Alan Menken, with lyricist David Zippel, have been refreshed, incorporating gospel, R&B, rock, and pop influences.

According to Disney Live Entertainment Creative Director Michael Serna, the creative team started with the 93-minute animated movie and selected key story elements to include in the 55-minute show. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you what was in those 38 minutes because the show feels complete.

“We started with the original film to figure out how to adapt it to a show that gives us all the ‘wows’ we want, but also caters to the story we all love and the nostalgia we all love,” Michael said. “So, we leaned into the music as a heavy piece of that.”

Interestingly, that includes a song nobody knows as the production marks the debut of “Shooting Star,” a ballad written for the movie but that didn’t make the final cut.

“If you look at the script, there really isn’t a moment for Hercules and Meg to fall in love—at least not traditionally—and ‘Shooting Star’ gives us a moment to see their romance,” Michael explained. “That was a huge point for us that helped us catapult to the end of the show.”

I love the new/old song—and the star-filled projection mapping that accompanies it is spectacular—but while I can understand why the creative team added it to the show, I can also understand why it was removed from the movie as the ballad is immediately followed by Meg’s iconic “I Won’t Say I’m In Love,” which has a similar tempo, so for me, it created a lull in the show’s energy level.

The Cast of Hercules

Michael explained the goal wasn’t to mimic the animated characters, but rather to “break the norms a little bit,” which includes casting three incredibly talented women and two incredibly talented men as the muses who narrate the story through song.

This casting, Michael said, is the result of directors Kevin and Marcel Wilson making the creative choice to “look at it differently.”

“The directors posed the question, ‘why do muses have to be just female?’” Michael said. “So, when it came to the audition process, we said, let’s just find the best vocalists. The goal has always been to make sure the muses are a universal element and not necessarily just a female or male element.”

The muses—and more specifically their costumes—are also at the center of a showstopping technological moment during “I Won’t Say I’m in Love.” No spoilers, but it’s definitely a highlight of the show.

The cast also features Broadway veteran Matthew Patrick Quinn as Hades and Disney Cruise Line veteran Corey Bradford as Hercules (Corey has appeared as Kristoff in Frozen on the Disney Wonder and Burt in Believe on the Disney Dream).

“My dream within the company was to open a ship, so to be here and portray the role of Hercules is such an honor and I’m really excited for people to see it,” Corey said. “You leave the theater feeling hopeful not only in yourself but in the world and humanity.”

Corey takes Hercules from “zero to hero” with heart, portraying an insecure young man bullied for being different who becomes a valiant hero (and eventually god) protecting the people he loves—his fantastic singing and dancing are the icing on the cake.

Following a stint playing Hades in the Broadway production of “Hadestown,” Matthew Patrick Quinn brings the iconic Disney villain to life in all his villainous glory, complete with a smoke-filled hoverboard-powered entrance.

“James Woods said his Hades was a fast-talking Hollywood agent, kind of slick and manipulative, so I used those words as my guidepost,” Matthew said. “After that, it was creating something that was fresh and new and completely my own.”

And he definitely did.

Matthew’s nuanced performance of the power-hungry Hades is hot-tempered, scheming… and charming. His inept minions, Pain and Panic, put a fresh spin on the hilarious animated duo, thereby creating a perfectly villainous trio—ten out of ten; no notes.

Innovative Puppetry

During a showcase for the Destiny in April 2025, Jeff Conover, creative director of puppetry and articulation, explained that the show’s puppetry provided opportunities to bring the story to life in new ways, including Hercules’ epic battle with the Hydra.

“We’re utilizing technology that has never been used before, including in any of our parks,” he said. “Being able to present that in a theatrical environment brings the emotion to another level. It’s magical.”

The production of Moana on the Disney Treasure includes a spectacular 15-foot-tall Te Ka puppet. In “Hercules,” the same creative team ups the ante (times three), with “wow moments” featuring puppets of the centaur Nessus, the massive multi-headed Hydra, and the ice and rock titans.

“The exo-suit technology we use with our ice and rock titans has never been done in a theatrical setting,” said Disney Live Entertainment producer Arin Dale. “It’s really given us the ability to bring a ten-foot-tall ice titan and a nine-foot-tall rock titan to life in a larger-than-life kind of way.”

You may have seen the exo-suit in action when the Hulk made an appearance at D23 Expo in 2022, but according to Dale, this is the first time this technology is being used in a stage show.

Final Thoughts

I entered the Walt Disney Theater with very high hopes for “Hercules,” but also concerns that an “updated” stage version of one of my favorite Disney movies might smooth out some of its endearing rough edges. I’m happy to report that my hopes were fulfilled and my concerns were unfounded.

“Hercules” is beautiful and joyful, the cast is fantastic, and in the grand tradition of West End productions, the show ends with a rousing post-curtain call “Mega Mix,” complete with awesome tambourine choreography. The medley of the show’s songs not only had me on my feet, I was still dancing as I left the theater.

And speaking of the West End…

Hercules in London

A musical inspired by the animated film is currently playing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London’s West End. Will it make its way across the pond to Broadway? Only the muses know.

The London production of “Hercules” was directed and choreographed by Tony winner Casey Nicholaw and stars Luke Brady as Hercules and Mae Ann Jorolan as Meg, along with Disney on Broadway veterans Stephen Carlile (“The Lion King”) as Hades and Trevor Dion Nicholas (“Aladdin”) as Phil.