Greek gods and goddesses have been a topic that has never burned out or faded away (yes, a Ride the Cyclone reference), especially with The Odyssey being a popular tale told as a poem. Was anyone else exposed to this back in elementary school or was it just me? I still remember when my school took my class to see a kids-friendly play about it, which told a very watered-down version of the original epic story. Of course, the more modern retelling of this Ancient Greek epic that many will know immediately is the adventures of Percy Jackson.
Did you know there was another retelling of this story released in December 2022? Let me put you on to EPIC: The Musical, composed by Jorge Rivera-Herrans, who exploded on social media with this project. Even if you’re already caught up with this hot topic, here’s an update on the recent saga and what’s to come.
The whole concept of this musical is epic (pun intended), as he loosely follows the original story. It consists of 40 songs divided into nine sagas that span two acts. Five sagas are in Act 1, and four in Act 2. Sagas are chapters that divide the act into sections. The songs are meant to be cohesive, so from when you start the first song, “The Horse and the Infant” in the Troy Saga, to when you hear “Would You Fall In Love With Me Again” in the unreleased Ithaca Saga, it flows beautifully.
Fun fact: The singers for each god or goddess auditioned online for the part. Jorge exposed the world to so many talented singers through this process, and each of them beautifully embodied their characters. He also made so many smart composing choices that make the songs catchy, and each character has a special musical component assigned to them. How cool is that? I can honestly drone on forever about his musical genius in creating these concept albums.
Now that all the logistical stuff is out, let’s get into some recent news. The newest saga, The Wisdom Saga, was released on Aug. 30. It contained five songs that focus on Athena and Telemachus, Odysseus’ son. This is the seventh saga out of nine, so the musical is almost fully released!
If this fan-made animation doesn’t intrigue you to listen to the entire catalog of currently released songs, then I don’t know what will. I also implore you to watch the animations for this musical because so many talented people make them. I can almost promise these songs will make you want to perform a personal musical theatre moment in your room.
Currently in the works are the Vengeance Saga and Ithaca Saga. They’ve both already had their full song lists released for a while, but more teasers of the songs keep coming out on social media. They’re already giving me chills, and I’m on the edge of my seat, waiting for the release date.
Following the story, the Vengeance Saga will pick up at the end of the seven years Calypso holds Odysseus prisoner on her island of Ogygia. She tried to make him fall in love with her, as seen in “Love in Paradise” from the Wisdom Saga and the teasers of “Not Sorry For Loving You” from the upcoming Vengeance Saga. Personally, I don’t recommend Calypso’s methods for this.
It also starts the conflict in Ithaca, where suitors are lining up, trying to get the queen, Penelope, to choose a new husband because Odysseus has been gone for 20 years. A good portion of the story still needs to be unraveled in these last two sagas.
This whole concept created by Jorge reminds me of the musical Hamilton, just more fictional, depending on who you ask. Still, he teaches the epic Homer wrote through music as Lin-Manual Miranda did with Hamilton’s story. I guess this could almost be considered a type of study guide for The Odyssey!
If Greek gods and musicals are some of your interests, I hope I’ve opened a new door of content for you to explore. Jam out to this musical story while walking to class, or maybe not because you’ll want to act it out. Either way, I welcome you to this fandom as an honorary member…but I hope you’ll stay permanently.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!