By: Gianna Liantonio
Jorge Rivera-Herrans transformed Homer’s Odyssey into a nine saga musical.
On December 25, 2022, Jorge Rivera-Herrans released the first saga of Epic the Musical.
The musical consists of nine sagas; the first one started with the Troy Saga. Odysseus led six hundred men to the Battle of Troy in the infamous Trojan horse to save Princess Helen of Sparta. After they won, Zeus told Odysseus he had to kill the son of Prince Hector due to the possibility that he would grow up and be dangerous. That was the first of many decisions Odysseus would make on his journey.
Each saga was well done with spectacular voices and done in a way that made the story captivate the audience. If you were ever interested to learn about Greek Mythology, this musical is a great place to start!
The second saga was called “The Cyclops Saga,” which brought Odysseus and his crew to a mysterious island in search of food. Odysseus and his best friend Polites went to the island first and stumbled upon a cave full of sheep. They brought more of the crew there so they could see for themselves and were overjoyed to see they finally had food. However, it wasn’t that easy when a gigantic cyclops came out of the shadows thirsty for vengeance for killing one of his sheep. Odyessus tried to reason with the cyclops, but he did not comply and killed Polites; the first death Odysseus witnessed and the hardest one at that. Polites’ song “Open Arms,” was heard in many songs everytime Odysseus thought about him.
Throughout each saga, we saw Odysseus slowly start to change. The beginning had a feeling of hope that they would all make it home to Ithaca; however they constantly got proven wrong with every obstacle and foe they faced throughout the journey. They faced Polyphemus, Circe, Poseidon, and Scylla. They lost a little bit more of their crew and their sense of humanity as they faced each enemy. After the death of Polites, Odysseus became more reserved and did not talk to his crew as often, which led to Eurylochus, his second in command, to turn against him.
I loved that every time a new saga started, reprises from past songs were heard. This indicated that a perspective changed along with how the journey changed the characters. Maybe change this to “I loved that every time a new saga started, reprises from past songs were heard. The music was so well written that I felt so engrossed in the story. The song “Just A Man,” which was sung in the Troy Saga, had Odysseus talk about his goal: get home to his wife and son. Unbeknownst to him, this song would foreshadow his twenty year journey.
Every time Odysseus needed help, a Greek god would come to his aid. From a young age, Athena trained him to be a “Warrior of the Mind,” as sung in her introductory song. The introductions to each Greek god were so well written. Rivera made sure to capture their personalities in their lyrics and how they sang them. One of my favorite songs is “God Games,” which is in “The Wisdom Saga.” There, Athena pleaded with her father Zeus to help Odysseus escape the island of Calypso. Zeus made it a game and introduced each god. They each had lyrics, which highlighted their qualities and how they reacted to the request to help save Odyseus.
“The Vengeance Saga” was the major turning point in the story. Odysseus had lost his entire crew and made difficult choices. He had a final showdown with Posiedon who was the only obstacle to get home. He showed that he was tired and just wanted to see Penelope and Telemachus.
I loved this saga. The songs were so well written, and exemplified the change in Odysseus. From the beginning, it was important to him to only take lives if it was necessary, but he always chose mercy. Now, he became the person where people would beg mercy from him.
The final Saga: “The Ithaca Saga,” was released on December 25, 2024. Odysseus is back home and sees that the suitors had taken over the palace. They threatened to kill his son and hurt his wife. He took back his palace and left not one person behind.
“Hold Them Down” and “Odysseus,” were amazing songs and were so hauntingly beautiful.
I absolutely loved the reunion between Odysseus and Telemachus. The last time he saw his son, Telemachus was a baby. Telemechus has grown up with only the stories people have told him. Throughout the entire musical, Odysseus made sure nothing stood in the way of returning home.
“I Could Not Help but Wonder,” captured the emotions perfectly. They each talked about how they imagined how each other would be. Telemachus only had stories whereas Odysseus only had the memory of holding him twenty years prior.
Odysseus and Peneople’s reunion was written so well. “Would You Fall In Love With Me” was such a beautiful song. Odysseus was overjoyed to finally be home and have Penelope in front of his eyes. However, he was a different person and feared that Penelope would not love him like she used to after hearing what he’s done.
She proved him wrong and told him no matter what he had done, he is still her husband. He kept his promise that he made from the start. He made it home.
The whole musical was amazing and I can’t wait to see how they adapt it, whether it will be on Broadway or an animated series.
