Draft:EPIC: The Musical
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| EPIC: The Musical | |
|---|---|
 Place holder image | |
| Music | Jorge Rivera-Herrans |
| Lyrics | Jorge Rivera-Herrans |
| Setting | Mycenaean Greece |
| Basis | The Odyssey by Homer |
EPIC is an upcoming sung-through musical with music and lyrics by Jorge Rivera-Herrans. Inspired by Homer's Odyssey, it tells the story of Odysseus as he journeys home after the ten year long Trojan War. Along the way, he must face gods and monsters as he tries to make it back to his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus.
A proof of concept EP entitled EPIC: The Troy Saga was released on December 25, 2022, featuring the first five songs and facing immediate success.[1] The full musical consists of forty songs across nine Sagas which act as mini-arcs within the story, and takes place in the original setting of ancient Greece. The music uses both traditional orchestral music and synthetic elements across a multitude of genres, and takes a lot of inspiration from video games and anime.
Background
[edit]Jorge Rivera-Herrans started the project as his senior thesis at the University of Notre Dame in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Turning to the social media platform TikTok, River-Herrans began frequently posting short progress updates with snippets of the songs he was working on and behind the scenes information of how he was putting the music together. He gained a huge following and community, which soon spread to other platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and Discord.[citation needed] On December 25, 2022, the first five songs were released in the first saga, EPIC: The Troy Saga, under BRP Record LLC as an original concept album EP, with performances from Rivera-Herrans and selected members of the ensemble.[1]
The EP faced immediate success, surpassing three million streams in its first week of release. It debuted on the Billboard Cast Album at No. 2 behind Hamilton, and the track "Warrior of the Mind" featured at No. 9 on Spotify's Top Songs Debut USA Chart. On the day of its Christmas release, it was the No. 1 Soundtrack Album on iTunes and the No. 4 Album in all genres, notably surpassing Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas, Taylor Swift's Midnights, and A Charlie Brown Christmas.[1] Rivera-Herrans' social media additionally went viral, receiving over 70 million views and netting him 480,000 followers on TikTok.[1] The next four songs were released in the original concept album EPIC: The Cyclops Saga on January 27, 2023, also under BRP Record LLC.
Almost a year later, the four songs in the official concept album EPIC: The Ocean Saga were released on December 25, 2023, under Rivera-Herrans' own LLC named Winion Entertainment LLC, which every saga after this has since been released under. EPIC: The Circe Saga was released on February 14, 2024, with four songs. The last saga of Act 1, EPIC: The Underworld Saga, released on April 26, 2024 with three songs.
Every saga in Act 2 has five songs each. EPIC: The Thunder Saga was released on July 4, 2024, along with the re-recorded versions of the Troy and Cyclops sagas, newly released under Winion Entertainment LLC following legal drama with BRP Record LLC.[2] EPIC: The Wisdom Saga is the latest release, on August 30, 2024. The final two sagas will be EPIC: The Vengeance Saga and EPIC: The Ithaca Saga.
Plot
[edit]Act I
[edit]After ten years of fighting in the Trojan War, Odysseus, king of Ithaca, leads the Greek army to victory using the Trojan Horse deception, intent on finally returning home to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus. Zeus arrives, giving Odysseus a vision of his death, and informing him that unless he eliminates the infant son of Prince Hector, the child will grow up to enact vengeance on all who took part in Troy's fall, including Odysseus and his family ("The Horse And The Infant"). Odysseus wrestles with the morality of the decision, the choice made all the harder as he can't help but be reminded of his own infant son. Ultimately, he steels his heart and casts the child from the wall of the city ("Just A Man").
Odysseus sets sail for Ithaca with his fleet of six hundred men, alongside his second-in-command Eurylochus and his best friend Polites. The war depleted their rations, so they search for a place to gather food. When they find an island that appears inhabited, Odysseus decides to scout ahead with Polites instead of attacking outright, reluctant to cause more bloodshed ("Full Speed Ahead"). As they explore the island, Polites tries to encourage him to move on from the war. They encounter the mischievous lotus-eaters, who direct them to a cave on a nearby island where they can find real food ("Open Arms"). Athena, Odysseus' mentor, sees that he is straying from her teachings because of Polites, and pulls him into a memory to remind him of her expectations ("Warrior of the Mind").
At the next island, Odysseus leads a scouting party into the cave and finds a flock of sheep, killing one for food. Their owner, the Cyclops Polyphemus, suddenly emerges and threatens to eat them for killing his favorite sheep. Odysseus attempts to reason with Polyphemus, offering him wine secretly spiked with lotus fruit and saying his name is Nobody. Polyphemus accepts the wine, but then says his gift in return will be allowing Odysseus to be the last to die, and attacks ("Polyphemus"). Odysseus rallys his men to try and kill Polyphemus before he can make it to the unaware fleet anchored at the beach, but Polyphemus begins killing the party one by one, including Polites, before the effects of the lotus cause him to fall unconscious, blocking the cave entrance ("Survive"). With only half of the party left, Odysseus enacts a plan to gouge out Polyphemus' eye so they render him harmless while still being able to escape, and his previous scheme of calling himself Nobody pays off when Polyphemus calls out to the rest of the Cyclopes for help but is ignored. They escape to the beach with the sheep, and are almost away, when Athena reappears and orders Odysseus to kill Polyphemus. Odysseus rejects her teachings and decides to spare Polyphemus and escape, but not before revealing his true name to the Cyclops out of anger and pride ("Remember Them"). Athena berates Odysseus for not following her orders, and they argue, both unwilling and unable to see the others side, and in the end they cut off their friendship ("My Goodbye").
The fleet battle divine storms at sea while trying to reach Ithaca, and when they happen across a floating island, they use harpoons to anchor themselves to it to take shelter ("Storm"). Eurylochus confronts Odysseus on his risky plan to try and ask the wind god Aeolus for help, and Odysseus pulls him aside and warns him against showing division in front of the crew ("Luck Runs Out"). Odysseus climbs up to the island and agrees to a game with Aeolus, who traps the winds of the storm in a bag and says that they'll reach Ithaca as long as it's not opened. Odysseus' crew believe that the bag contains treasure, and scheme to try and steal it. Odysseus stays awake for nine days straight to protect the bag, but falls asleep on the last stretch, and Eurylochus opens the bag right as they reach Ithaca. The storm erupts and the fleet is quickly blown away before Odysseus manages to close the bag. They stop near the land of the Giants ("Keep Your Friends Close"). Poseidon appears, revealing that he is the father of Polyphemus. He vows vengeance for the wounding and disrespecting of his son, mocking Odysseus for being reluctant to do what must be done to protect his own. Poseidon sinks all but Odysseus' own ship before Odysseus opens the wind bag and uses the last of the storm to blow his ship away and save himself and his crew from destruction ("Ruthlessness").
The ship crashes down near the island of Aeaea, and after beaching the ship, Odysseus sends a scouting party to search the island for threats. They encounter the enchantress Circe, and all but Eurylochus, who was too cautious to go inside, are turned into pigs. Eurylochus returns and tells Odysseus of what happened, and after arguing on whether to try and rescue the men or cut their losses, Odysseus leaves on what seems like a hopeless endeavor to save them ("Puppeteer"). Hermes appears to Odysseus and gives him moly to temporarily match Circe's powers ("Wouldn't You Like"). Odysseus confronts Circe and gains the upper hand. She switches tactics and attempts to seduce him ("Done For"). Odysseus rejects her advances, opening up and explaining his commitment to return home to Penelope. Circe agrees to let them go and help him escape Poseidon, granting them access to the Underworld to seek advice from the blind prophet Tiresias ("There Are Other Ways").
Odysseus and his crew follow Circe's instructions and sail into the Underworld, where they see the souls of the slain fleet, including Polites, and also the spirit of Anticlea, his mother, whom had passed away in the years he'd been gone ("The Underworld"). He finds Tiresias, who proclaims that he does not foresee Odysseus making it home, and can only see a terrible future ahead of him ("No Longer You"). Grieved, Odysseus decides to give in to what everyone has been telling him he must do, and buries the softer side of himself that holds him back, resolving to reach his family in Ithaca by any means necessary ("Monster").
Act 2
[edit]Two years later, while at sea, Odysseus interacts with a vision of Penelope, seeking advice for how to avoid Poseidon. She tells him to go where Poseidon would never dare venture, the lair of Scylla, before telling Odysseus to join her in the water ("Suffering"). Odysseus appears to give in, before attacking her and exposing her identity as a Siren. He reveals that while he'd distracted her by playing along with her charade, his crew captured the other members of the Siren pack, and now that he has the information they need, he orders that the Sirens be mercilessly thrown back into the water after cutting their tails off, so they would no longer lead sailors to their doom ("Different Beast"). They sail to Scylla's lair, where Eurylochus confesses that he was the one to open the wind bag. Odysseus ignores him, instead ordering Eurylochus to light six torches to pass to the members of the crew. Scylla, drawn to the lights, eats these six crew members while the ship successfully navigates the lair. ("Scylla").
Angered at Odysseus' willingness to sacrifice members of his crew to reach home, Eurylochus leads a mutiny, wounding and imprisoning Odysseus. They land at the first island they find, which happens to be the home of the sun god Helios. Starving, the crew slay one of the sacred cattle despite Odysseus' warnings and pleas ("Mutiny"). Zeus arrives at the behest of the sun god to mete out judgement, and forces Odysseus to choose who will die: himself, or the rest of the crew. Odysseus ultimately chooses to sacrifice the crew, unable to give up the chance that he can make it home to Penelope, and Zeus destroys the ship, killing everyone besides Odysseus ("Thunder Bringer").
Seven years later, in Ithaca, Telemachus is now twenty years old and longs for a chance to be like his father, while guarding his mother from her increasingly violent suitors ("Legendary"). His attempt to stand up to one such man, Antinous, in defense of his mother's honor leads to him being badly beaten, before Athena appears to Telemachus and gives him aid ("Little Wolf"). Athena vows to mentor Telemachus as she did Odysseus, causing her to reflect on that relationship, and her regrets on how it ended. Telemachus, unaware that she's speaking of his father, encourages her to reach out to her friend once again ("We'll Be Fine").
Athena decides to look through Odysseus' memories to find out what happened since she left, and where he is now, and discovers that he has been trapped on Ogygia for the last seven years, where the goddess Calypso has tried to make him love her, and Odysseus has become increasingly depressed and desperate to escape at all costs ("Love In Paradise"). Athena appeals to her father, Zeus, to free Odysseus, so Zeus constructs a game where Athena must convince five Olympians–Apollo, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Ares, and Hera–or Zeus himself, that Odysseus deserves to be freed. Athena uses her wit and wisdom to successfully sway the other five Olympians, and then demands Zeus uphold his end of the bargain. Zeus attacks her for daring to make a fool of him, but she survives and makes one final plea for Odysseus to be freed ("God Games").
Cast
[edit]- Jorge Rivera-Herrans as Odysseus, Winions, Polyphemus, Cyclopes, Ensemble
- Luke Holt as Zeus, Elpenor, Ensemble
- Armando Julián as Eurylochus, Ensemble
- Steven Dookie as Polites
- Teagan Earley as Athena
- Ayron Alexander as Perimedes, Antinous, Ensemble
- Kira Stone as Aeolus
- Anna Lea as Penelope, Sirens
- Miguel Veloso as Telemachus
- Steven Rodriguez as Poseidon
- Talya Sindel as Circe
- Troy Doherty as Hermes, Ensemble
- Wanda Herrans as Anticlea
- Mason Olshavsky as Tiresias
- KJ Burkhauser as Scylla
- Barbara Wangui as Calypso
- Brandon McInnis as Apollo
- Mike Rivera as Hephaestus
- Janani K. Jha as Aphrodite
- Earl Gresham Jr. as Ares
- Sarah Botelho as Hera
Track list
[edit]All tracks are written by Jorge Rivera-Herrans
| No. | Title | Starring | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Horse And The Infant" | Jorge Rivera-Herrans, Luke Holt, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 3:54 |
| 2. | "Just A Man" | Rivera-Herrans, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 2:29 |
| 3. | "Full Speed Ahead" | Rivera-Herrans, Armando Julián, Steven Dookie, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 3:00 |
| 4. | "Open Arms" | Rivera-Herrans, Dookie | 3:19 |
| 5. | "Warrior Of The Mind" | Rivera-Herrans, Teagan Earley, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 3:28 |
| Total length: | 16:10 | ||
| No. | Title | Starring | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Polyphemus" | Rivera-Herrans, Julián, Dookie | 3:36 |
| 2. | "Survive" | Rivera-Herrans, Dookie, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 3:15 |
| 3. | "Remember Them" | Rivera-Herrans, Julián, Earley, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 4:08 |
| 4. | "My Goodbye" | Rivera-Herrans, Earley, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 3:18 |
| Total length: | 14:17 | ||
| No. | Title | Starring | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Storm" | Rivera-Herrans, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 2:42 |
| 2. | "Luck Runs Out" | Rivera-Herrans, Julián, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 3:01 |
| 3. | "Keep Your Friends Close" | Rivera-Herrans, Julián, Kira Stone, Anna Lea, Miguel Veloso, Steven Rodriguez, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 4:07 |
| 4. | "Ruthlessness" | Rivera-Herrans, Rodriguez, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 4:22 |
| Total length: | 14:12 | ||
| No. | Title | Starring | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Puppeteer" | Rivera-Herrans, Julián, Talya Sindel, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 4:09 |
| 2. | "Wouldn't You Like" | Rivera-Herrans, Troy Doherty, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 2:54 |
| 3. | "Done For" | Rivera-Herrans, Sindel | 2:27 |
| 4. | "There Are Other Ways" | Rivera-Herrans, Sindel, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 3:27 |
| Total length: | 12:57 | ||
| No. | Title | Starring | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Underworld" | Rivera-Herrans, Dookie, Wanda Herrans, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 4:16 |
| 2. | "No Longer You" | Rivera-Herrans, Mason Olshavsky, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 2:47 |
| 3. | "Monster" | Rivera-Herrans, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 3:38 |
| Total length: | 10:41 | ||
| No. | Title | Starring | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Suffering" | Rivera-Herrans, Lea | 2:31 |
| 2. | "Different Beast" | Rivera-Herrans, Lea, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 3:31 |
| 3. | "Scylla" | Rivera-Herrans, Julián, KJ Burkhauser, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 2:55 |
| 4. | "Mutiny" | Rivera-Herrans, Julián, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 4:54 |
| 5. | "Thunder Bringer" | Rivera-Herrans, Holt, Lea, Julián, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 4:10 |
| Total length: | 18:01 | ||
| No. | Title | Starring | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Legendary" | Rivera-Herrans, Veloso, Ayron Alexander, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 3:15 |
| 2. | "Little Wolf" | Rivera-Herrans, Alexander, Earley, Veloso, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 3:14 |
| 3. | "We'll Be Fine" | Rivera-Herrans, Earley, Veloso | 2:06 |
| 4. | "Love In Paradise" | Rivera-Herrans, Earley, Stone, Rodriguez, Sindel, Olshavsky, Burkhauser, Barbara Wangui, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 4:11 |
| 5. | "God Games" | Rivera-Herrans, Earley, Holt, Brandon McInnis, Mike Rivera, Janani K. Jha, Earl Gresham Jr., Sarah Botelho, Cast of EPIC: The Musical | 5:20 |
| Total length: | 18:06 | ||
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Rabinowitz, Chloe. "EPIC: THE TROY SAGA Passes 3 Million Streams in First Week of Release". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ Hayes, Peter (November 7, 2023). "Producer Sues Over Rights to 'EPIC: The Musical' Recordings (1)". Bloomberg Law.