Credit: DisneyAfter a two-year closure, the Hyperion Theater is finally reopening its doors at Disneyland Resort, welcoming an all-new musical soon!
As Park officials and Cast Members continue to work hard to make Disneyland Resort — home to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure — the Most Magical Place on Earth again, a long-awaited offering is finally making its way back to the Southern California Resort, with an all-new musical production ready to make the triumphant return a truly memorable event for thousands of Disney fans.
Since Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure reopened their doors in April 2021 after the unexpected closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many fan-favorite offerings were temporarily suspended as part of the phased reopening efforts. And while Cast Members and Park officials have worked hard to return to normal operations, some beloved offerings have taken longer than expected to return to the Parks.
A great example is the highly anticipated return of the “Magic Happens” Parade to Disneyland Park, which was scheduled to debut yesterday, February 24, after being shelved since Disneyland’s reopening. Unfortunately, both performances scheduled for yesterday, February 24, were canceled at the last minute.
While multiple offerings have slowly returned to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure since the Parks reopened nearly two years ago, an iconic building has remained closed, making thousands of fans wonder if it would reopen, when that could happen, and if any changes were planned for the location.
Fortunately, after nearly two years of uncertainty and anticipation, Disney officials recently announced the long-awaited reopening of the Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure, which will have a triumphant return this summer with the debut of a brand-new musical inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Rogers: The Musical.
While there is still no official reopening date, having the certainty that the Hyperion Theater will once again welcome hundreds of Guests eager to enjoy an all-new world-class musical at the iconic location this summer is beyond exciting! And more so for Marvel fans, who will be able to enjoy the timeless story of the timeless hero Steve Rogers, better known to many as Captain America.
And in true Steve Rogers fashion, let’s take a trip down memory lane to learn more about the Hyperion Theater at Disneyland Resort and remember some of the musical productions it has been home to.
More on the Hyperion Theater at Disneyland Resort
What is the Hyperion Theater?
The Hyperion Theater is a Broadway-level indoor theater that can seat nearly 2,000 Guests per show and has been home to multiple world-class musicals since its opening at Disney California Adventure.
Where is the Hyperion Theater?
The Hyperion Theater is located on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood Land at Disney California Adventure Park. However, due to its proximity to Avengers Campus, the latest immersive land in Disney California Adventure inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the premiere of the upcoming musical Rogers: The Musical, the Hyperion Theater could be absorbed by Avengers Campus in the future, possibly retheming or completely reimagining the location. It is worth mentioning that, as of this article’s publishing, this is purely speculative as Disneyland has not announced any official plans to change the Hyperion Theater.
When did the Hyperion Theater open?
The Hyperion Theater was an opening-day attraction at Disney California Adventure, opening with the Park on February 8, 2001. The iconic location has been home to four musical productions since and is gearing up for the premiere of its fifth musical this summer.
Is the Hyperion Theater operating now?
Unfortunately, the Hyperion Theater is not currently operational at Disney California Adventure. The Theater closed on March 14, 2020, when Disneyland Resort closed temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hyperion Theater has remained closed since Disneyland Reopened on April 30, 2021.
Which musicals have been performed at the Hyperion Theater?
As we mentioned above, the Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure has been home to four world-class musical productions and is currently gearing up for the premiere of its fifth musical, inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which Disney has capitalized upon since The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Studios in 2009.
Steps in Time (February 8, 2001 – October 14, 2001)
Steps in Time was the opening day show at the Hyperion Theater. While the musical featured songs from iconic Disney movies, including Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Hercules, Mary Poppins, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Beauty and the Beast, the show had an underwhelming reception from the audience and was canceled after a few months. Steps in Time was replaced by a shortened version of the Broadway hit musical Blast!
The Power of Blast! (November 22, 2001 – September 2, 2002)
Following the success of the original Blast! production in New York, a scaled-down version of the musical called The Power of Blast! performed at EPCOT’s America Gardens theater for two months before its closure in August 2001. The show then moved to Disney California Adventure, where it became successful over the months, drawing crowds back into the Hyperion Theater. However, the show closed on September 2, 2002, due to licensing rights to use the Blast! musical in Disney Parks expiring. The Power of Blast! was replaced by Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular the following year.
Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular (January 16, 2003 – January 10, 2016)
Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular was the longest-running musical to perform at the Hyperion Theater in Disney California Adventure’s Hollywood Land, delighting Guests for nearly 13 years. The musical was inspired by the 1992 hit Disney movie Aladdin and was a genuinely breathtaking production with talented dancers and actors, world-class special effects, impressive props, and hilarious jokes.
It was initially announced that Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular would close in the Spring of 2010 and be replaced by a musical inspired by the Toy Story franchise. However, it was later announced that the plans to replace Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular were canceled and that the show would continue its performances.
However, Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular closed in 2016 to make way for a new musical inspired by Disney’s award-winning movie Frozen, entitled Frozen: Live at the Hyperion.
Frozen: Live at the Hyperion (May 27, 2016 – March 12, 2020)
Frozen: Live at the Hyperion was the last show to perform at the Hyperion Theater before Disneyland Resort’s temporary closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new show brought updates to the Hyperion Theater to better accommodate the production, including a rebuilt stage and the addition of a large LED video wall and large curtains on either side of the stage, which served as a projection surface. Frozen: Live at the Hyperion also introduced many mobile sets in addition to the video elements.
Frozen: Live at the Hyperion quickly matched the popularity of Frozen, the movie which inspired it, drawing large crowds to sing along to fan-favorite songs like “Let it Go,” “In Summer,” “Love Is an Open Door,” and “For the First Time in Forever,” to mention a few.
However, as the Hyperion Theater remained closed to stick to COVID-19 guidelines, it was uncertain if Frozen: Live at the Hyperion would return to Disney California Adventure or if a new production would replace the show. Disney officials recently confirmed the latter as they teased the premiere of Rogers: The Musical, debuting this summer.
Rogers: The Musical
Rogers: The Musical is set to be the fifth musical production to premiere at the Hyperion Theater. While not much information is currently available, Rogers will most likely be inspired by the musical we saw in the first episode of Hawkeye on Disney Plus. Inside the Magic did an in-depth exploration of the casting call for this musical when rumors first started, which you can read here.
Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) teased the all-new musical production on its social media channels, with Peggy Carter, Captain America’s sweetheart, walking toward the iconic Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure’s Sunset Boulevard after pulling out a program for Rogers: The Musical. Disney added that the short one-act musical would premiere this summer and be available for a limited time at Disney California Adventure Park’s Hyperion Theater.
A timeless story of a timeless hero! A short one-act musical is coming for a limited time this summer to Disney California Adventure Park! Stay tuned for more details
A timeless story of a timeless hero! 🇺🇸 💫 A short one-act musical is coming for a limited time this summer to Disney California Adventure Park! Stay tuned for more details🤩 pic.twitter.com/N8Ugh54LsU
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) February 23, 2023
Inside the Magic will keep you updated as more information on the premiere of Rogers: The Musical and the reopening of the Hyperion Theater becomes available.
Are you excited about the return of the Hyperion Theater to Disney California Adventure? After it debuts, will you visit Disneyland Resort to enjoy “Rogers: The Musical”? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!