I had a dream ... about a Megara drag musical ...
So, I just woke up from a fairly epic (and entertaining) dream, where I was playing the role of Megara in a live musical adaptation of Disney’s “Hercules” and I can’t really stop thinking about it.
In the dream, I start out the show as a boy, get ordered to play a woman by Hades when he' gets frustrated with his inability to kill him, and then I fall in love with the big galoot, just like in the animated film. But in this version, it’s all from Megara’s perspective as she/he wrestles with insecurities about gender, and falling in love with a man - but like, girl, we can’t blame you - Hercules, more like “HUNK-ules.”
I think it could be a super fun mish-mash Mulan-ification of the story and I’d get to wear an Amy Winehouse-meets-Olympus hairstyle. I think she could even be a bit more Mae West than the film version, with some little moments of sincerity.
Hercules had a history of taking male lovers, including the Greek hero, Abderos, the son of Hermes (who had another child with Aphrodite named Hermaphroditus, a god of same-sex desire - who was a gorgeous boy who was merged with a naiad he fell in love with - but that’s another story). Abderus helped Hercules with one of his Great Tasks to catch some man-eating horses. Who wind up eating him.
There’s something there!
Other “historical” boyfriends of Hercules include:
Corythus - is the son of Paris of Troy, a descendent of Zeus, designed the first helmet, and was killed by his father. Messy.
Hylas - was the son of King Theiodamas and served as Hercules’ arms-bearer. Hercules taught him to fight. He was described as having “hair that hung down in curls” by the poet Theocritus. Hylas was even on the Argo with him but was kidnapped by naiads at the Spring of Pegae in Mysia and disappeared. Setting Hercules off on a fruitless search for him for a long time. Theocritus said that the nymphs “shut his mouth underwater to stifle his screams for Hercules.” So graphic.
Iolaus - served as Hercules’ charioteer and companion for a long time and helped him fight against the Hydra, and Hercules gave him his own wife, Megara, because she reminded him too much of his dead daughter. Gurrrrl, now we know it isn’t a happy ending.
Iphitus - was the son of King Eurytus, who killed Hercules’ family and set off the Twelve Labors. He was given to Hercules as a prize and they were apparently lovers, but Hercules throws him from the walls of a city when he goes crazy again.
Nireus - was the king of the island Syme, and apparently the second most handsome man in the Greek camp outside Troy, after Achilles. He was known for his love of Hercules too.
Polystratus - accompanied Hercules in his fight against the conjoined twins, Eurytus and Cteatus, who were known as the Molinones, and had one body, two heads, four arms, and four legs. HE died in the battle and Hercules shaved his head Britney-style out of grief.
