When Hawkeye introduced us to Rogers: The Musical’s “Save the City” number, MCU fans wondered if they would ever experience a Marvel Musical in real life in any shape or form. Shortly afterward, D23 attendees got an exclusive answer when that same number was performed live in front of an audience.

And judging by their ecstatic reaction, it only made sense that Disney and Marvel explored bringing this to a broader audience. Now, Rogers: The Musical goes from a bit to a 30-minute live musical show that can be seen only at Disney’s California Adventure starting today.

For anyone who has ever experienced a live performance show at the Hyperion Theater at Disney’s California Adventure, they know they are in for something wholesome, fun, and a little bit meta. The “timeless story about a hero” is every bit of that and more. For the fans who have waited for this since the first episode of Hawkeye, they’ll get to see more than just “Save the City” as Rogers: The Musical chronicles the story of Steve Rogers, an earnest but meek man with a heart of gold who doesn’t like bullies who become the First Avenger. And the five songs cover a variety of genres, from the classic big band jazz numbers of the ‘40s and ‘50s to some contemporary pop and modern funk that feels like something you’d see from Hamilton.

The show pulls bits and pieces from Captain American: The First Avenger and starts with a trio of U.S.O. starlets singing “U.S. Opening,” a number that serves as the musical exposition. As they sing, they clearly establish that they have 80 years of storytelling to cover in “30 minutes or less. Their acknowledgment of the time constraints plays into the meta-ness of the show. As we are introduced to the sickly Steve Rogers, our hero sings “I Want You,” the classic and obligatory “I want” song. In it, he vocalizes how the Army advertises about how they want you for the just not someone like Steve. So we hear a dejected Steve, depressed about the constant rejections because he cannot fight for the little guy and against the bullies who threaten them. Moved by his words, Abraham Erskine and S.S.R. Agent Peggy Carter recommend him for Project Rebirth. And if you are familiar with Captain America: The First Avenger, you know the sequence of events that helped turn Steve Rogers from the sickly man into the First Avenger. 

There’s also a love song incorporated into the show that lyrically represents Steve and Peggy’s blossoming relationship. The show captures Steve’s inability to find the right words to tell Peggy because their conversation is the longest he’s ever had with a woman. And yet, that interaction is what made fans fall in love with the two. But because the show is short on time and has a lot of stories to tell, it doesn’t get into their relationship like it did in the film. 

From there, it hits all of the familiar emotional beats. The show gives us a new way of seeing Captain America going on his U.S.O. Tour and how they incorporate staging, practical sets, and costume changes into “The Star Spangled Man.” It’s an ingenious way to see how Steve becomes a part of those iconic comic book covers. And as they take us on the journey of a hero who saved Bucky and the 107th Infantry Regiment and stopped the Red Skull to the man who sacrificed himself to save the world by deliberately crashing a Hyrda plane into the artic. 

That’s when Steve awakens from his icy slumber to a Nick Fuy recap number. The one-eyed head of S.H.I.E.L.D. is more charismatic and less enigmatic than the cinematic version, and the Starlets play up the cheesy musical rendition of the spymaster. They help recap what Steve has missed to the beat of a semi-rap with some corporate synergy and is very meta. But what sounds fun on paper and visually stunning is, unfortunately, the weakest part of the show because it’s hard to follow due to the lousy audio or just the speed of the rap. However, it’s easy to get the jist of what’s going on through the physical performances, unique dance choreography, and the changing visuals displayed in the artist’s rendering of Times Square.

And as Nick and the Starlets introduce Steve and us to the Avengers, which eventually takes us to “Save the City.” The show-stopping performance is as vibrant and colorful as it is cheesy and energetic when we saw it in the first episode of Hawkeye. But Rogers: The Musical doesn’t end there as the musical is meant to cover his story from start to finish. That also means giving audiences a melancholic ballad to represent the end of Steve’s story. And if you are familiar with how his journey as a hero ends in Avengers: Endgame, you’ll remember how there is an unseen gap in time. So Rogers: The Musical gives audiences a look at what if the film visualized his story if Steve had survived and could make it back in time for his Saturday night date with Peggy. As you might expect, it is very emotional and heartfelt and might bring a tear to your eye.

As a 30-minute musical at the Hyperion Theater in Disney’s California Adventure, Rogers: The Musical gets the job done. It’s cheesy, sure. But there is a reverence to it that is lovely and beautiful and would make any fan of the MCU proud. It does a great job of recapping Steve’s Phase One of the Infinity Saga journey while adding just a little bit more emotional nuances and narrative shape to complete his story.

Developed by an expert team at Disney Live Entertainment, the creative direction for Rogers: The Musical hits those familiar beats Marvel fans know well and helps non-Marvel fans get the jist through an energized performance and combination of ever-changing layered two-dimensional scenery, physical set pieces, and the theater’s 2,200-square-foot video screen. The rousing five new songs are an eclectic array of musical styles and genres that’s complimented by brought to life by a 60-piece orchestra and original dance choreography that incorporates techniques from across the decades. It’s a good show worthy of your time and will undoubtedly be a hit for those who are theater and comic book geeks.

As part of the Disney100 celebration, guests can experience Rogers: The Musical – an all-new, one-act musical theater production – at the Hyperion Theater in Disney California Adventure Park for a limited time, June 30 through Aug. 31, 2023. During the limited-time run of Rogers: The Musical, select locations across Disney California Adventure will serve patriotic and heroically-themed food and beverages, with vending carts outside the Hyperion Theater offering a themed popcorn bucket that comes with red, white, and blue kettle corn at the time of purchase.