#hyperion theatre

[dk-wren]

Rogers: The Musical First Impressions

Just finished watching a recording of Rogers: The Musical, which I am so happy to finally say, is currently running at the Hyperion Theatre inside Disney's California Adventure theme park on select days through Aug. 31st!

While subject to change, Rogers: The Musical will typically run from Tuesday to Saturday, with performances at 12:30, 2:00, 4:00, and 5:30

Here is a link to the recording I watched, but there are already plenty of videos of the whole show to choose from. Just thought I'd include it since my thoughts may be specific to what I saw in this video.

Summary of Final thoughts: I was very excited about this musical actually becoming a real thing and being developed more. Additionally, I was super interested to see if Disney tried to develop it as a serious musical or leaned more into the satire and comedy of "Save the City." Bottom line, I had so much fun watching it and thoroughly enjoyed it. I am a huge theatre fan, so definitely have a few critiques, but given its constraints, for a first production, really great.

And now, if you are interested, here is my long list of more in depth first impressions/thoughts:

Even based solely on what's been adapted in the MCU, there's still a lot of history that could be covered in a musical about Steve Rogers, which this musical does attempt to cover. So, the pacing is pretty quick.

It's kinda like a slideshow where you see the snapshots, but not the details. The only times it felt like I had a break to just sit and be in the moment was during the songs/musical numbers. Now, I don't think I can necessarily say this is a negative since it is only a 35 minute musical. I just had to sorta shift my expectations.

Building off of that, for a 35 minute, theme park musical, I'd say it's pretty darn good. It had less base material compared to Aladdin or Frozen (the previous two musicals staged in the Hyperion Theatre) that could easily translate to the stage, which allowed this creative team to have a lot of freedom in how to adapt this story for the stage. And, honestly, I really enjoyed their choices.

It's Disney and it's their theme parks. Avengers Campus is literally steps away from this theatre, so they absolutely could have gone all in in designing beautifully elaborate costumes, specifically the super hero suites. But they didn't, and I kinda liked it. Part of the decision for the actors' costumes to look more like everyday clothing likely comes from the design choices made for "Save the City" when it appeared in Hawkeye, but also, if the Captain America walk-around costume was to be the one used in this musical, I feel it would actually look a little out of place. I enjoyed how the costumes weren't one-to-one reproductions, but rather representations of each character and their signature look. You can still clearly tell who is who, but it matches the more minimalist style of the stage design too.

Loved The Starkettes! In terms of costuming, loved how their looks changed between the 40s/USO look and the modern day/business look to reflect the setting. I'm debating if I want to refer to them as the narrators or the chorus, but either way, loved their interactions with the Marvel characters and responses to certain lines in the show.

At least from this video, the projections and digital backdrops looked well done. Loved how there was not an emphasis on making like Times Square look hyper-realistic.

I don't think I'd say the digital backgrounds looked cartoonish, especially in a bad way, but there definitely is an aspect to them that's meant to be stylized. Again, this then compliments the design choices of like 3 comic book covers and that whole sequence about Steve fighting in WWII.

I could be wrong, but Rogers seems to have a smaller cast than Aladdin or Frozen. Absolutely loved their performances, but sometimes it felt like the stage was a little too big or too bare for the size of the ensemble/cast (could also be due to having minimal set pieces). - This is meant as an observation not as a critique

During the scene in which Steve and Peggy are chatting about going dancing before he crashes the plane into the ice, that conversation was translated into a song. And in my head, I was like YES!!! That's how you do a musical adaptation. You take those iconic and emotionally charged lines and put them to music.

Like I said at the very beginning, there's a lot that could be covered in a musical about Steve Rogers, so I kinda appreciated how there was like a mini reprise or continuation of "Save the City" as announcements came about attacks in different locations, which corresponds to all or most of the movies Captain America has been in. It reminded me of "Drive" from The Lightning Thief of quickly condensing a bunch of events/locations into the span of a few minutes, something the musical needed given its runtime.

This way, it acknowledges those events rather than completely ignoring them, but doesn't spend a whole lot of time with each one. The way I interpreted it too, when Cap sings the very last "I can do this all day," it then feels kinda somber in that he is reflecting on having to continuously fight in all these battles, with the expectation of always "saving the city." Plus, I thought it was a great transition to the next song, which in all honesty, I could not tell from the video if it was meant to be pre-serum or old Steve.

Loved how everyone came back out in the end for the finale (it's like memory lane)

Hoping to see it in person. This recording just confirmed to me that I am going to have a good time. Literally, big smile on my face, quietly cheering and whooping throughout the show, I'm just so excited to (hopefully) go to the theatre for a purely fun/good time.

[scorbuslove]

West End Year 6: Tommy Grant (Albus Potter) and Adam Wadsworth (Scorpius Malfoy)

These two are amazing! 

Tommy Grant Instagram (tommyjgrant)

Adam Wadsworth Instagram (adambloodywadsworth)

[scorbuslove]

Latest picture from the Official HPCC London account. Love these boys!

bros petite 😂 bros feet don't touch ground 🤣

[obeythetoaster]

Hyperion Theatre, Disney California Adventure

[magicaltrash]

Silver, unthemed trash cans found outside the Hyperion Theater, located in the Echo Lake area of Disney's Hollywood Studios. The theater has been home to For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration since 2015. Full-sized cans are located near the stage inside the theatre, while half, slanted cans find a home outside the entrance and exit doors. Unfortunately, no amount of Elsa's magic can bring back SuperStar Television. // Walt Disney World, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Echo Lake, Hyperion Theater, For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, 2023 [Source: Rob Olson. Used by Permission.]

[smidgen-of-hotboy]

Kay, Zeph- bouncing up and down banging on the walls of my enclosure.

Peter cannot go back to his dream of New Kinshasa or Brahma and Juno can't go back to his dream of Hyperion City, the places wouldn't remember them, they wouldn't remember the place, a dream is just a dream and its okay that we dreamed it-!!!

Nureyev would have such a tough time adjusting to a stationary life, he wouldn't be able to! And Juno got to galavant across the galaxy but remember Puck! Remember why he agreed to help go after the CMP? Juno likes getting to help people. Protecting and helping, it's what he thinks he was made for!! And I think I lost my point...

@ceaseless-watchers-special-girl made a great addition to this post too: we don't know how much time we have left this season and we don't know who Peter will be without this constant crushing weight on him anymore. Smth smth, throw back to S1 "So who is Peter Nureyev?" blah blah "He makes me feel a lot of things. And I make him feel a lot too." Maybe we'll get a throwback to that Juno line.

Personally I am all in favor of Kabert leaving it open ended. Leave it to their fanbase to draw our own conclusions and epilogues. I am also in favor however for a final good bye. One last farewell to Slip Jackson and the Dream and Mag and New Kinshasa and Brahma and the GAS and Hyperion City and all the things we've left behind.

ooooh but the way they're setting up for a coming home arc tho.

I mean I'm a little conflicted bc having them Get Out of Hyperion City was such a triumph and even though they've technically been running around the galaxy since S3 the actual running around the galaxy bits felt a little sporadic. and I was really here for the parts where Juno was like 'hey you can miss something without actually wanting it back.' obv the whole 'Always Running Never Looking Back' thing was untenable from day one, but this whole time I haven't been ready to go back to Hyperion City. (for a minute there between WLB1 and Clean Break I'd had my heart set on the three of them following Jet around in the Ruby bc home isn't a place and there are endless menacing institutions to fuck up while in the company of the people you love.)

Going Back isn't necessarily what I hoped for but I'm seeing how that might turn out to be the logical conclusion and it is with gruDgiNG aCcepTAnce that I can see that being the most appropriate narrative choice given how much Home has been a theme this whole goddamn show. I gotta think they're toying with something interesting in the vein of Returning Changed, getting a full-circle parallel to FRP, also curious for a callback or more thoughts on Juno's Andromeda motif. like. can he Go Home? in a way that it's the Right Call? what does it mean if he Can? who's he gonna be if he Does?

and then there's our Thief Without A Home. i mean. I'm also not particularly interested in a 'settling down ever after' type narrative for them bc of who they are as people (they Need Shenanigans your honor). but. i mean they could still go pick fights with cyber-mobsters in Newtown. I could see it working if there's a focus on the idea of belonging and not just falling back on the usual model of domesticity. also i have already pictured This Conversation.

Juno: (scared shitless about the idea that this might be a dealbreaker after Everything) look before we get ahead of ourselves or anything. now that you're out from under their thumbs i need you to know I can't do the whole. running around the galaxy thing. like I should have told you the first time around. I can't actually do that forever and I'm not gonna ask you to stop if that's what you see yourself doing from here on out.

Nureyev (scared shitless that Juno's breaking up with him Now, After Everything): you don't. you don't mean you -

Juno: Rita and I want to go back to Hyperion City. not sure what we're doing yet, but I miss it and she misses Frannie and we're both ready to go home.

Nureyev:

Juno: and. there could be a place for you there too. if you wan-

Nureyev (has already thrown himself to the floor and flung his arms around Juno's knees): oh thank fuck please take me home with you i have been running for twenty years i am so tired

Juno (voice breaks): you're getting your own room to keep your stuff in and you can't hoard all the drinking glasses

[goodjazzsquares]

closed starter for @sharpayyyyy location: hyperion theatre

The first ending bow on a show’s opening night brings a feeling that almost nothing else can compare to. A sense of accomplishment and a rush of adrenaline as the crowd claps and cheers over the show you and your cast have put so much time and effort into creating for them. It’s always been a magical moment for Ryan, but tonight felt different than ever before. Maybe it was because it had been a few months since he’d put on a performance or perhaps it was because he just starred in a show with an international popstar as his co-lead, but he felt as if he were on top of the entire world. And nothing was going to bring him down. Not even his sister.

He really hoped that Sharpay would be supportive of him and be able to look past herself and the differences in their current career status… but he wasn’t about to bet any money on that hope, knowing the blonde girl far too well to not expect at least something to happen tonight. Of course he knew she would be happy for him on some level, but Ryan worried that his success was only going to make her realize the lack of her own. So it’s with a bit of hesitance that he pulls away from the bear tight hug his mother had him in and approached his sister. The family had been waiting for him in his dressing room once he’d finally come back after meeting some fans at the stage door. “How’d you like it?” he asks as he goes in to give her a hug of her own.

[inktober-of-a-fan-girl]

Day 12: Christian Borle

This is from 2009.

More information in Keep Reading.

It started as a book series…

The "Starcatchers" books by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson...

...are an unauthorized series reboot that was published by Hyperion Books (a subsidiary of Disney) in the US and by Walker Books in the UK.

The first book is Peter and the Starcatchers (2004). Set on a ship called Never Land featuring Peter and an earlier group of Lost Boys. In 2005, the publisher announced plans for Disney to adapt the book as a digitally animated movie. Second and third are Peter and the Shadow Thieves (2006) and Peter and the Secret of Rundoon (2007). The fourth book is Peter and the Sword of Mercy (2009), where twenty-three years since Peter and the Lost Boys returned from Rundoon. The Bridge to Never Land (2011), is an expanded part and fifth book where a pair of siblings, Sarah and Aidan Cooper drawn from the modern world as they follow clues left by an ancient coded document. The "Never Land Books" by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson, and Greg Call (ill.), is a series of unauthorized spin-off chapter books. Based on the continuity established by the "Starcatchers" novels, for a younger audience. The books are: Escape from the Carnivale (2006), Cave of the Dark Wind (2007) and Blood Tide (2008).

Captain Hook becomes this…

In the novel Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Captain Hook is distinguished by halitosis, beady black eyes, a pock-marked face, and perpetual filth of his person and surroundings contrasting strongly with J. M. Barrie's Etonian gentleman. The novel, which takes place before the Captain meets Peter Pan, calls Hook "Black Stache" for his prominent moustache, and his ship is called the Sea Devil; he captures the Jolly Roger, originally a British ship called the Wasp, later. Black Stache is renamed "Captain Hook" in the second instalment, Peter and the Shadow Thieves. In Barry and Pearson's book, his left hand is accidentally cut off by Peter.

But then it got adapted into a musical/play….

The first book, "Peter and the Starcatchers" was adapted into a play similarly titled "Peter and the Starcatcher" winning several Tony awards. It debuted in the winter of 2009 at La Jolla Playhouse as part of an arrangement with Disney Theatrical. It was re-staged Off-Broadway in 2011 and opened on Broadway on April 15, 2012, at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.

Captain Hook was made into this…

In Rick Ellis' theatrical adaptation of the Barry-Pearson novel, Black Stache (portrayed in the original production by Christian Borle, who won a Tony Award for the role) is a witty, poetical, but psychotic pirate prone to malapropisms and the occasional pratfall. Similar to the Disney film character, Black Stache resembles both a dangerous villain and a comic buffoon. The last of a line of villains, he seeks to become a great villain by fighting a great hero and finds one in Peter. His hand is cut off not by Peter, but accidentally severed when he slams the lid of a trunk in a fit of rage.

I am very disappointed in the creators.

But there is also this one...

Black Stache: A highly intelligent but malapropism-prone pirate chief, so-called due to the black mustache that is a trademark in his family. In search of a great hero who he can oppose to become a great villain, Stache is given to scenery chewing and anachronistic jokes and has a hook in his future. The name ‘Black Stache’ is a reference to the pirate Blackbeard.

Blackbeard will be mentioned in another Inktober.

At least the actor has blue eyes….but there is nothing else in Barrie's character here...just the mustache from which he gets his name.

Anyways, here are the play trailers and at the Tony awards….

"And I bet your milkshake brings all the boys to the yard but I'm not interested!" is the best.

[swan-of-sunrise]

OK but out of all the characters why do you think they chose Peggy - dresses in her ICONIC Agent Carter outfit for that little promo?

I actually have a little theory about it that I spent a half an hour ranting about to my mom, so thank you for giving me a chance to unleash it upon all of my beautiful followers!

Okay, so the announcement said that Rogers: The Musical would be a one-act production and because of CAL-OSHA regulations, the Hyperion Theatre in DCA cannot show anything longer than an hour. That means they'll have less than an hour to put on a show about Steve’s life, so I predict that they'll split the show into two parts: the 1940s and 2012.

It'll start with Steve receiving the serum/becoming Captain America and fast-track the events of The First Avenger with a musical number (similar to how Hamilton presents battles and passages of time through song); this is where I predict Peggy will have a thematically significant number, which is why I think they made the purposeful decision to use her in the marketing. The halfway point will have Steve being frozen and waking up in 2012, and I have a feeling that the second half of the show will be about him adapting to his new life/fast-tracking the events of The Avengers, culminating in the show-stopping finale "Save The City". (I have a hunch that Peggy might appear in this half of the show as some sort of figment of Steve’s imagination, perhaps as a visual representation of his inability to let go of his past).

I don't think that they'll show any events past the ending of the first Avengers film because anything after that is too convoluted to squeeze into an hour-long show/too many new characters would need to be introduced and "Save The City" is the only song that the audience is already familiar with, so they'll wanna end the show on the highest note possible. If anything, they might have a reprise of an earlier number with Steve and Peggy, where he acknowledges that he's where he needs to be and says goodbye to her (idk if they even wanna get into Peggy still being alive in 2012 or not lol).

This might be me being crazy or way too desperate for more Peggy Carter representation lol but I've got a gut-feeling that they didn't use Peggy in the marketing for nothing. Buena Vista Street and its surrounding area is modeled after 1920s Los Angeles, so the marketing team might’ve just thought "Well, Peggy Carter was in Los Angeles in 1947, wouldn't it be cute if we used her in the marketing?" but conversely, why didn't they have Clint and Kate there instead, since the musical was first depicted in their show? Definitely take all of this with a grain on salt, I'm just a Disney nerd with a degree in Performing Arts and History, but I definitely think that Peggy's inclusion was purposeful! 💖

[dk-wren]

Rogers: The Musical Live Reaction

I had the absolute pleasure of seeing Rogers: The Musical live this past weekend. I previously wrote a first reactions post based on a video I saw right before the musical opened to the public. Now I’m coming back with a sort of part 2 that includes my thoughts and reactions after seeing this musical in person.

Enjoy!

Based on the video/live stream I watched, I felt the size of the stage didn’t play to the strengths of the ensemble, which I definitely think is smaller than the casts of Aladdin or Frozen. However, after watching it live, the spacing or staging of the ensemble didn’t make the stage feel so bare or empty. Kinda noticeable, but not overwhelmingly like how I thought it would be based on the live stream.

The mixing of the music (audio) and live singing wasn’t always the best. I was blown away by the performers' performance from the video I watched, especially by the actor portraying pre-serum/old Steve. While it may have not been the exact same actors, hearing the songs live was another experience. Blown away by the cast’s vocals, which is why I was a little bummed when the music was a little too loud or overpowered the performer.

Compared to Frozen, I really liked Rogers blend of projection screens for backgrounds with physical sets. The most common physical set piece was some buildings that would cover the wings, but the matching look between the physical and projected buildings was very pleasant.

In all fairness, I watched the video I based my first reaction on at like 1 am, so I may have not caught everything. On that note, I love how in the performance I saw, when Steve cuts Nick Fury off at the end of his song, he ended with a little nod to Aladdin by singing “you ain’t never had a friend like me” (EDIT: I went to see Rogers a second time that day, and it seems this bit is somewhat improvised since in my second viewing, Nick Fury started singing the chorus of "Single Ladies")

 Additionally, don’t know if I missed it or the recording didn’t have the background projections in frame, but I loved the projections that were included in the Time Stone/Steve duet scene. The legacy of Captain America and sort of history is incapsulated first in three images/projections: Steve in First Avenger, holding Mjolnir, and Sam Wilson’s Captain America, then a projection of Peggy, which makes sense since this musical seems to focus on their love story. Absolutely wonderful job of underlining the lyrics and what Steve may be thinking about as he sings them.

It was a lot clearer when I watched Rogers: The Musical live that after "Save the City," Steve Rogers is joined by his older self rather than his pre-serum self. The dialogue clarified this for me, so I think my sleepiness hit when watching this part of the live stream.

Since this musical started off as a joke in Hawkeye or the MCU, and pulls it’s story beats from the MCU rather than previously unadapted material from the comics, I personally enjoyed how the comic book sequence had the cells consist of stills from Captain America: The First Avenger.

Going back to the way beginning, I loved the pre-show music and how it immediately sets the mood of seeing a show that begins in the 1940s.

I know Rogers: The Musical is only running for about one more month at California Adventure Park (that is assuming it will not have another engagement in the future at the Hyperion Theatre), but one other note I want to add is watch from the mezzanine (2nd) level. Now to be fair, any level or seat is going to have a pretty good view, but if you want the best in my opinion, then you gotta find a spot on the mezzanine.

The Hyperion Theatre has three levels (orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony), and theoretically, I've watched this musical from each level. The video I first watched was recorded from the orchestra level, my first time seeing it live was from the mezzanine (accessed through virtual queue), and the second time I watched it live was from the balcony (available by doing stand-by). While a video isn't always able to capture the entire experience, the Hyperion has a fairly large stage. Therefore, if sitting on the ground level, it is likely you will constantly be moving your head to take in all the action on-stage (this isn't necessarily a bad thing, just something to take into consideration). The balcony also has a fairly decent view of the whole stage. That being said, you are on the third/highest level, so I noticed that the very top of the building set pieces or projections were obstructed by the angle you were viewing the show from. Likewise, the balcony is steep, so there are safety bars in every row, which in some instances slightly blocked my view of the performer.

That is why I say love sitting in the mezzanine (and argue it's the best spot). You are slightly elevated and can see the whole stage without any obstructions (as long as the people sitting around you are respectful and don't hold their phones up). Plus, you're close to the action, but it's not right in your face.

.

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This turned out super long, but I don't really think that is surprising to anyone. Anyway, seeing this musical live confirmed that yes I really do love it and hope that it returns since I love this theatre so much, which makes me happy it currently is housing a production (and also because I only had one day to get my fill of seeing it live). Go see it if you have a chance, it's a lot of fun!

-Dakota Wren

(Bonus: I wanted to be present and just enjoy the show, so I really didn't take any photos. Here are a couple that I did take though. Apologies for the poor quality, but enjoy these little glimpses!)

[shy-nightmare]

The Toonz Twins: Toontown Sleuths Chapter Two: Right Place, Wrong Time?

Summary: After a long road trip, the twins finally arrive in the city of Los Angeles, and they get here first! But something seems off when the Red Car doors open. And what’s this about a job?

Hi, guys! I know I said this chapter was going to be posted tomorrow morning, but let’s just say I’m gonna be busy for most of the day and I didn’t wanna leave you guys hanging. So here you go! Enjoy 😊

Credit for inspiration goes to @imaginarytoon1, author of “The Birchwood Twins: Toontown Investigators” and @its-metal-mistress, author of “Bendy and the Ink Machine: Learning How to Live”. Please check out their own wonderful content ^^!

I would also like to give a special shoutout to @imaginarytoon1 and our special guests @marinerainbow, @weaselnerd and @slashingdisneypasta 😊! Thank you four so much for your kind words of encouragement! Please accept the following chapters as my Thank You gifts, and I hope this one gives you guys a silly dose of serotonin lol

BTW, if you guys think this chapter is hilarious, comment “Herman, you absolute BIST!” LMAO

This chapter contains some profanity, silly cartoon shenanigans, Raoul being a dick to Roger 😑, and Herman being an absolute bist -_-. Don’t worry, Tom’s gonna put him in his place XD

The morning sun shone brightly, striking Tom in the eyes when he first woke up. He let out a low, soft growl at the sun’s harsh glare while rubbing his eyelids to get rid of the discomfort. Once his eyes recovered, he turned to his sister who was in a slumber. Twyla, bless her heart, was laying her head on his shoulder wrapped in a snuggly blanket he pulled out for her, her long raven hair tufted up in messy, adorable curls.

Tom smirked at the sight, shaking his head with a smile gracing his lips and he lightly laughed at his sweet baby sister. However, his smile faltered when he saw the concealer starting to wear off, revealing the bruises that probably started healing. The memory of that night filled his heart with rage, but he had to extinguish his fury. That part of their lives is over. They are free now, miles and miles away from that Hellhole.

The Red Car pulled over, signaling Tom to wake up his sister. He nudged her shoulder gently, “Twyla, wake up. Wake up, sis.”

Her amethyst eyes slowly fluttered open, and she groaned groggily. “Tom?” she asked, letting out a puppy-like yawn that never failed to make Tom internally gush. So cute! She rubbed her eyes, “What’s up?”

“We’re here.” her brother responded, adjusting the collar of his jacket while grabbing his hat. He slowly sat up, grabbing onto the handgrip pole to keep himself steady as his feet were still asleep while helping Twyla up. Once the post-travel jetlag vanished, the twins grabbed their belongings, their hats, and walked over to the doors. Tom pulled out an extra $20 for the driver. “Thanks for the ride,” he thanked the elderly vulture, who only grumbled.

The Red Car doors opened…and the twins were greeted by an unusual sight.

When Tom and Adam first checked out Hyperion Avenue, the town was swarming with booming businesses operated by humans and Toons. The streets were packed with vehicles, human-made and Toon-drawn (of course, some Toons do drive real-life vehicles). And the El Rey Theatre was ablaze with life and light, brightening the darkness of night with its flashing colors of red, green, blue, and purple like stars.

Instead of having Toon-operated businesses, there were only a few buildings and businesses operated by humans surrounded by palm trees, a few bars, restaurants, and stores that didn’t look too convincing to them. And instead of seeing Toon-drawn vehicles or Toons driving modern-styled cars, there were Packards, Sedans, Cadillacs, and Convertibles. All designed during the 1930s. The El Rey Theatre was there, but…it was smaller, less colorful. And more suburban.

But what confused the twins most was the outfits the humans wore. The men were wearing 1940’s suits consisting of long-sleeved dress shirts, trousers with suspenders, fedoras, and jackets designed to look narrower and threaded in dull colors. And the ladies strolled around the streets wearing square-shouldered jackets with simple blouses, matching skirts, and a few wore tail hats accented by flowers, bows or feathers.

“Uh…are they doing a cosplay convention?” Tom asked his twin, who only shrugged.

“This is your stop.” The driver spoke, lifting his winged arm. “Good luck.” He swung down and pushed the twins out of the Red Car.

“What the hell?!” Tom shouted, pulling his sister close to keep her from falling as he struggled to stand from the rough impact. The doors behind them slid shut, and the Red Car drove away, leaving the twins in the dust. “Asshole!” Tom snarled, flipping the driver off.

“Uh, Tommy?” Twyla tapped her seething brother’s shoulder, not looking at him. “I don’t think there’s a cosplay going on.”

Tom rose a brow. “Why?”

“Because there’s no sign saying anything about it. Also, people are judging us.”

The Rubberhose wolf looked around and did see a couple folks giving the twins odd, funny looks. And a few guys were checking his sister out, which he did not like. He bared his teeth, revealing humongous, bone-crunching fangs and growled at them menacingly. They instantly got the message and scurried away. Tom wrapped a protective arm around his sister’s shoulders. “I think we should go somewhere a bit more Toon-friendly.” He spoke.

Twyla nodded in agreement, before she spotted something and pointed. “How about that studio?” she asked.

Tom looked over his shoulder to see where she was pointing at. A massive building reigned over the smaller businesses in North Cahuenga Blvd, governing 100,000 square feet. It was painted in pearl and ivory, standing out in comparison to the dull, brick buildings. The main entrance was designed with a wide archway styled with a set of embellishments that looked like TV screens, and on top of the main screen stood the American flag. Below the screens held a set of two signs written in bold black:

Maroon Cartoons.

“Maroon Cartoons?” Tom raised a brow, giving the impressive studio a once-over. Then he glanced at his sister and jerked his head forward.

The twins were able to sneak into the studio’s main doors, and the room was filled with a set of projections, camera lights, and a crew arranging their chairs and equipment.

“HEY, YOU TWO!” a man shouted at the twins.

Tom pointed at himself, “Us?”

“Yeah, you! Settle down back there! We’re about to start our take!”

Twyla held her hands up nonchalantly, gently pulling her snarling brother to the side just as the lights slowly dimmed.

“LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!” the man, possibly the director, shouted.

Opening cartoon music began to play.

The cartoon begins with a Toon baby, only wearing a pink bow and a diaper, babbling innocently while sitting in his…or her…or their…play pen. A lady wearing a blue dress splotched with white polka dots and white heels walks over, only revealing her legs. “Mommy’s going to the beauty parlor, darling.” She speaks, rubbing the child’s head lovingly. “But I’m leaving you with your favorite friend Roger.”

She turns around and walks down the purple-carpeted hallway to find a sleeping Toon rabbit, and then he wakes up. He was goofy, and kind of cute. He was a white Toon rabbit, with ears as long as his large feet and a cute fluffy tail. He wore red overalls adorned with two yellow buttons holding the straps, yellow gloves, and a blue-and-yellow polka-dot bow, accenting his goofy Toon personality. His eyes were sky blue, had a pink rabbit nose with whiskers, a tuft of carrot-red hair, and tiny little buck teeth.

“He’s going to take very, very good care of you.” The woman continues, “Because if he doesn’t…” she presses her index finger on his nose harshly. “HE’S GOING BACK TO THE SCIENCE LAB!!!”

Science lab? The twins’ brows raised, perturbed. What the fuck?!

“P-p-p-p-p-please, don’t worry,” Roger says with a slight lisp. “Yes, ma’am! Aye-aye, sir! Okey-dokey!” He does some random salutes as the mother opens the door, leaving. “Why, I’ll take care of him like he was my own brother, or my own sister!” He accidentally hits his face on the door. Twyla giggled a bit. “Ow! Or my brother’s sister, or my second cousin…”

While Roger absentmindedly begins to count the number of relatives, the baby manages to squeeze through the play pen bars with their milk bottle, and flies across the hallway leading to the checkerboarded kitchen floor. “Cookie.” the baby cooed, looking up at the top of the imposing refrigerator where a jar of cookies stood.

The scene goes back to Roger, whose ears were twisted like a goofball rabbit ear pretzel. “Or like my seventeenth cousin, who was a hundred-and-fifty-six times removed from any side!”

He trails off when he hears a banging noise and finds the play pen empty. He sees the baby in the kitchen climbing up the counter, knocking off a drawer full of kitchen utensils. Roger flips out and screams, his blue eyes bulging with sheer horror as the infant crawls across the stove and their little foot accidentally switches on the burner control knob.

“I’LL SAVE YA, BABY!!!” Roger shouts and takes off into the kitchen.

“Cookie,” the infant smiles, knocking off the rolling pan.

“Don’t burn yourself, Baby Herman!” Roger pleads before he accidentally slips on the rolling pan. He flails his hands around to steady himself, but there wasn’t anything for him to hold on to. He rolls around the whole kitchen and misses every time. The infant, Baby Herman, knocks down an aluminum tea kettle and falls directly on Roger’s face, blocking his vision.

“Who turned off the lights? Boy, it’s dark in here!” Roger exclaims.

As the rabbit continues to roll, Baby Herman’s foot slips and pushes the oven lid down just as his “roommate” rolls straight into the oven, and the lid closes on him. The child’s foot slips on the knob, and it spins to off, on, hot…and VOLCANO HEAT.             

“Uh-oh,” both the twins mouthed silently, their eyes wide.

Baby Herman, that accursed foot-slipping infant, continues his quest for the jar of cookies by literally crawling across a sink full of soapy water and dishes. “Cookie,” he giggles again, but then becomes distracted by a swinging clock pendulum. He reaches out to grab it, but instead his hand lands on the faucet handle, causing the sink to overflow with soapy water.

The oven dings, WELL DONE.

Oh shit, here it comes!

Roger bursts out of the oven, still blocked by the tea kettle, and runs around the whole kitchen with his tail on fire, leaving behind a long trail of smoke. He runs around circle after circle, creating a cloud of thick Toon smoke around the kitchen. Meanwhile, Baby Herman somehow manages to climb on a stack of boxes containing deadly mouse poison. Roger slips on the bar of soap, causing him to fly up into the air and the soap ricochets against the stand-in iron board before it hits Baby Herman on the tush. He grabs onto the pendulum, still in his little dreamland quest to get the cookies.

Roger’s foot lands on the soap, causing him to slip again, and nearly slams into the wall when two of his fingers stick into the outlet plug sockets. Sparks of electricity zap through his entire body, sending him violent waves of shock as he begins slamming his kettle-blocked cranium against the wall repeatedly, creating a crack on the wall. The crack leads up to a top shelf holding pots, pans, pasta drains, and plates, and splits the shelf. A waterfall of metal and steel falls onto Roger’s head, banging and clashing, until all there’s left is a bottle of Extra Hot Acme Chili Sauce. The bottle falls and lands on the spout, and Roger accidentally drinks the sauce. The kettle turns bright steaming red before Roger finally explodes the kettle off his head, only to fly straight towards the iron board.

Baby Herman grabs onto another shelf, high above a stack of sharp kitchen knives, but the shelf gives away, causing a jar of pickles to fall on the stack and soar across the kitchen. The little brat jumps off a toilet plunger and lands on a high stack of bread, finally getting his hands on the cookie jar.

“I’m here, Baby—AAAAAAHHHH!!!!” Roger screams as the knives pin him against the walls like deadly darts, and an axe lands just one inch away from his family jewels. Tom’s dark eyes bulged while Twyla cupped her mouth, horrified. Ohhhhhh, fuck!    

A small toaster holding the plunger tilts over, and the plunger flies directly into Roger’s face. Baby Herman starts kicking off the slices of bread while the rabbit struggles to pull the plunger off his face. He flies off the wall while he was still stuck, but he eventually pulls off the plunger. Unfortunately, he now lands headfirst into an Acme Suck-O-Lux vacuum cleaner.

“Suck-O-Lux?” Twyla tilted her head confusedly while her brother did a double take and gave the crew and the focused director a deadpan look. I see what you did.

Poor Roger starts inflating into a balloon as Baby Herman finally pulls out his precious cookie. When Roger is full of air, he starts deflating all around the ceiling, knocking off teapots and other utensils before he head-dives into the bottom of the refrigerator, causing it to wobble and make Baby Herman lose his footing. With the refrigerator pinning down his head, Roger begins bouncing and the child falls off the top of the fridge. He lands on Roger’s squishy stomach. The rabbit lifts the fridge and grabs the baby, smiling with joy.

“Cookie.” Baby Herman smiles, admiring his cookie.

Then, Roger looks up and looks at the audience with horror before the fridge lands on his head. The camera zooms in on the fridge door, opening to reveal Roger with Toon birds flying around his head.

“CUT!” the director shouted, storming over to the duo holding a script. “CUT, CUT, CUT, CUT, CUT, CUT!”

“What the hell was wrong with that take?!” Baby Herman shouted, but not in a childlike voice. His voice was deep, like a disgruntled 50-year-old man.

The twins gaped at him, stupefied. Did that cookie-happy brat just speak?!

“Nothing with you, Baby Herman,” the director knelt to the manchild’s level, beaming at him, “You were great. You were perfect. You were better than perfect! It’s Roger. HE KEEPS BLOWING HIS LINES!!!” he shouted, glaring at Herman’s coworker. “Roger, what’s this?” he yanked one of the birds.

“A tweeting bird,” Roger replied, smiling nervously.

“‘A tweeting bird’”, the director mocked, slamming the poor bird down. “Roger, read the script. Look what is says,” he pulls the script to Roger, “It says, ‘Rabbit gets clunked. Rabbit sees stars’. Not birds! STARS!” he looked over his shoulder, “Can we lose the playback, please?!” he shouted, “Roger, you’re killing me! Killing me!”

“For crying out loud, Roger! How the hell many times do we have to do this damn scene?!” Herman pointed at Roger’s nose before he started storming off, “Raoul! I’ll be in my trailer taking a nap!” he snuck his way underneath a lady’s skirt, “`Scuse me, toots.”

Tom and Twyla looked at each other. “What just happened?”

“Hey, you two!” Herman startled the twins, pointing at them.

“You talkin’ to us?” Tom asked, motioning to Twyla and himself.

“Yeah! I gotta talk to you two in my trailer!”

The twins shared a glance, then reluctantly followed him. Twyla cast a glance at Roger begging his employer, and another man wearing a trench coat drinking a flask.

“Twyla!” Tom called.

“Oh, sorry!” she replied and followed her brother and the…uh, baby.

________________

“So, is there anything that you need from us, um…Mr. Herman?” Tom asked once he and Twyla sat in their chairs at Herman’s “office”. The trailer was a fucking wreck reeking of cigar smoke and expired baby powder.

“You must be the investigators that I called for! I want you to investigate Roger!” Baby Herman exclaimed while he lit up a cigar.

Investigators? The twins shared a feigned confused glance. A couple of Toon twins show up at a studio, unannounced and uninvited, and this little fucker assumes that they’re professional investigators? “Uh, do we look like investigators to you?” Tom asked, playing the innocent bystander.

Baby Herman took a long draw of his cigar and blew out a huge puff of smoke. “If you’re not the sleuths I called for, then who the hell are you?” he demanded impatiently, “And where are ya from?”

Tom didn’t want to take any risks giving information to strangers, so he came up with a lie. “Well, my sister and I just showed up here and we have no idea where the fuck we are. What is this place?” he asked.

“You’re in Los Angeles, California…” the pint-sized actor answered, puffing on his stogie.

The twins’ brows raised. So they are in Los Angeles.

“…and if you’re confused on the time, this is the year 1947.” He finished, not noticing the twins’ reactions.

Tom and Twyla gaped at him in utter disbelief, their jaws dropped to the floor. They…they traveled back in time? They somehow found a Tardis operated as the Red Car, and now they’re in the year 1947?! WHAT THE FU—?!

“There is no way in hell we hitched a ride all way the way from Chicago to Los Angeles and traveled back in time!” Tom whispered-shouted. “What is this, some fuckin’ Doctor Who rip-off?!”

Baby Herman rose a brow but didn’t hear the last two parts. “So you’re from Chicago? Well, this is better than the last goons I called for. I would have called Valiant, but…” he grumbled, trailing off. He shook it off, “Anyways, I want to hire you two to find out why Roger keeps screwing up his lines! This is the twenty-third time we had to do this fuckin’ cartoon on the set, and I have a damn good feeling it’s Jessica.”

“Jessica?” Tom rose a brow.

“His wife. There’s been a streamline of rumors sayin’ that she’s having an affair with some schmuck, and I don’t know if those rumors are true.”

“So, you just want us to follow her around the town and see for ourselves?” Tom asked, glancing at his sister who only shrugged.

“Exactly, pal!” Herman exclaimed, exhaling another large puff. “I want you guys to gather some evidence and bring it back to me. If the rumors are true, then Roger’s gotta dump that broad. If it’s all a lie, then you’s two gotta help me do something with the rumors.”

“Do something, you say?” Tom asked coolly, his lips pulled into a wicked smile. “You mean, take care of the situation?” his voice darkened, his smile dropping down zero degrees and making the walls of the trailer freeze. But Baby Herman’s smug smile only widened, unaware of the danger he just unleashed for himself.

The twins shared a sinister smirk, then nodded. “OK. What’s in it for us, though?” Tom spoke, catching the baby’s attention.

“I’ll pay you both $500 grand for taking this job,” he replied, pulling out a real-life case. He unlocked it and pulled the lid up, revealing the stacks of green to prove himself.

Tom and Twyla peered at the stacks. It was real cash. Hand-printed, not Toon-drawn. And the money could be useful for…future purposes. They shared a quick silent chat, then nodded in agreement.

“All right,” Tom said, “We’ll help ya. But there’s just one problem.”

“What, cold feet?”

“No. Since we don’t know the ups and downs of this town, we’re going to need professional help. We may be good, but it’s experience versus practice, if you catch my drift. Do you know anyone who can help?” he asked.

Baby Herman coughed on his cigar, earning him raised brows. He fisted his chest, hacking out the smoke that somehow got in the wrong spot before he stopped coughing. He cleared his throat, then looked at the twins right in the eye.

“There’s only one fella who could help ya out. His name’s Eddie Valiant,” he said, his voice low and grave. “He’s a professional private investigator.” He reached over to tap his ashtray before taking another puff, “Back then, whenever a Toon’s in trouble, they’d go to him for help. He’s the only detective in Los Angeles who’s worked with Toons.”

The only detective? The twins glanced at each other, noting the slightly somber tone in Herman’s voice. Tom broke the silence, “OK, but that was then. What is he like now?”

“He stinks up the whole town, wastin’ his time and money on the booze. And he doesn’t take Toon cases anymore.” Herman answered, not making eye contact.

“Doesn’t take Toon cases anymore?” Tom raised a brow, his fur rubbed the wrong way. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then after a moment he turned his focus on Herman. He leaned over and patted the older Toon’s shoulder. “Look, how about this? You send us his way and we’ll take our chances. If he refuses, then my sister and I will see what we can dig up. OK?”

Herman lifted his chin up to meet Tom’s gaze, then smiled that smug grin again. “Perfect! I knew I can count on you two!” He pressed a button on the vintage intercom. “Hey, Maroon! Good news! I got you some assistant sleuths!”

“Oh, you did?” A man’s voice exclaimed excitedly, “That’s wonderful! How many?”

“A pair of twins from the other side of the state. Also, tell Valiant to freshen up, ‘cuz he’s got some Toon youngsters to train!”

“Toons?!” another voice, deeper and gruffer, shouted from the intercom. “You never said anything about me working with Toons! I am not training some ink-blood runts while on the job!”

“Oh, great. Another racist.” Tom rolled his eyes with a growl. Twyla only flipped the intercom off.

“Up yours too, asshole!” Herman barked back, joining Twyla. “And watch your fuckin’ mouth! There’s a lady present.”

“Now, now, boys. There’s no need for that,” the first voice broke up the confrontation, “Herman, my assistant will be around to escort our guests. Would you please send them my way?”

“Yeah, sure.” Herman said, glowering at the intercom before it turned off. Then, he turned to the twins, his eyes tense. “Good luck. You’re gonna need it.”

“Thanks. We’ll be in touch soon,” Tom shook hands with their new “client” and put on his fedora. He and Twyla made their way to the door when Tom stopped.

“Oh, and Herman?”

“Yeah?” Baby Herman looked up, only to nearly jump off his chair when Tom suddenly grabbed him by the chest and roughly pinned him against the wall. The smaller Toon tried to pry his tiny hands off the wolf’s grip, but it was futile. He wiggled around until he stopped dead in his tracks when his terrified blue eyes met two pitch-black orbs, and for a moment, he could have sworn he saw a tiny glowing streak of red.

Tom’s eyes glinted hellishly, and a trail of ink dripped down his forehead. “Listen closely, you cigar-chomping little shit.” he growled, his voice dropping down a few octaves. “You keep your part of the bargain, or I’ll tear you apart and eat your insides while you’re still alive.” His lips pulled into a wicked, fanged-like grin as he reveled in the bone-chilling fear and horror in Herman’s eyes. He watched the little man quiver in his diaper. Hell, he probably pissed himself. “And Hermie?” Tom leaned towards him until their noses touched. “If you try to blab on us, just remember…my sister hates snitches.”

Baby Herman dared to look over his attacker’s shoulder, and paled when Twyla gave him a sinister little smirk while filing her manicured, deadly claws. Quaking, he looked back at Tom and nodded frantically.

“Good.” He dropped the “baby” and fixed the collar of his jacket. “Come on, Twyla.”

He opened the door for his sister and followed, closing the door behind him. Baby Herman sat in his chair, alone and frozen with fear, then sipped on his milk bottle.           

[scorbuslove]

From Harry's Instagram, we get our first up-close photo of his Scorpius!

[thenerdsofcolor]

'Rogers: The Musical' Creatives Wanted To Focus On Steve and Peggy's Love Story

Disney California Adventure has a new show at the Hyperion Theatre and it’s one that was born from a silly gag from Disney+’s Hawkeye. In the series, Clint Barton aka Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) takes his kid to see a Broadway musical in New York called Rogers: The Musical – the story of Captain America and the Avengers. Clint makes fun of the musical as there is a scene depicting the Battle of New…

[fantasygerard2000]

If you want Starboy rep in the parks, you can always suggest a stage musical. Tho, not a big broadway production, something small like what they in the cruise lines and hyperion theatre.

Have Star be portrayed by an actor (or actress, they are a shapeshifter) and have them dress up in gold glittery clothing, representing stardust.

Just a suggestion.

In another reality, not only would Wish have closer resembled its original concepts, it would have also been integrated into one of my favorite nighttime shows at the best Disney park in the world. (Seriously, not only does the show have a wish theme, it's also performed in the park's entrance port Mediterranean Harbor, and Wish takes place IN the Mediterranean. It would have been a perfect fit! *sad sigh* We could have had it all.)

Mood music: Believe! Sea of Dreams soundtrack

This redraw was initially going to be much simpler looking, but then I had too much fun with rendering and trying to recreate the original lighting and effects.

Close up of Star and Asha:

[meggthenbafan2021]

                                   Get Your Tone Just Right with GrammarlyTone Mattersgrammarly.comAd 1 of 2 ·1:2050:00 / 1:21                                                                                                        "Disney's Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular" (Full Performance 1080p HD)