We were no ones
zeroes, zeroes
Now we’re honchos
We’re the heroes
We were the kids with our act down pat
From zero to hero in no time flat
Zero to hero just like that

Check out this video showing the storyboard side-by-side with the finished sequence. Live performers choreographed the Muses’ dance sequence. Fun fact: the Spice Girls were originally chosen to play the Muses. They declined though, forever denying the world a gospel number sung by an animated Mel C. I am going to be spending all night now trying to figure out which Muse was which Spice Girl.

Alan Menken was not initially on-board with the gospel music direction. He wanted a more classic Grecian sound, perhaps something like you’d hear on the orchestration portion of “Go The Distance.” Would the direction have saved the movie? Hercules failed to take its own songs to heart and did not go from zero to hero in no time flat. The movie underperformed despite getting a considerable marketing push. (The marketing wags grumbled that the movie opened opposite of Batman & Robin… and, cripes, you don’t want to publicize that you got crushed by freaking Batman & Robin.)

Pairing gospel music with Greek myth felt too much like trying too hard to replicate the magic of Aladdin, where a Middle Eastern tale was paired with 40’s swing jazz. The latter fusion fits much better, though, what with woodwind instruments being a dominant component in signature sound of both genres. The biggest commonality between a gospel chorus and a Greek chorus is the name.

That said… “Zero to Hero” has been playing in my brainspace for two weeks now.

Are Herc’s daring deeds great theater? We’ll soon find out. A theatrical stage production of Hercules will debut in New York’s Central Park in two months, the latest animated film to get a musical adaptation. Performances are scheduled from August 31 to September 8 and will be free to the public (as part of the Shakespeare in the Park event).

A humble origin, I must say, and completely befitting of Disney’s Hercules. Time will tell if this stage show can go the distance.