For any student who enjoyed reading Homer’s The Odyssey, there’s a perfect (loose) adaptation for you to enjoy. For any fan of theatre, specifically musicals…this is also perfect for you. I’m talking about Jorge Rivera-Herrans’ wildly popular musical concept series EPIC: The Musical.
EPIC is a loose adaptation of The Odyssey, kickstarted in 2019 as a senior thesis by Jorge and was influenced by musical theatre, animation, and gaming. By 2021, the concept would gain popularity after Rivera-Herrans shared concepts of his songs and documented his creative process on TikTok. The musical was split into nine EPs dubbed as “Sagas.” They started releasing in late 2022 and early 2023 but paused due to a legal battle between Jorge and his recording company. The musical would return at the end of 2023 and continue to the end of 2024, when the ninth and final EP (The Ithaca Saga) released. EPIC has continued to trend online due to the cast’s active social media presence, and as Rivera-Herrans shares more online about his creative process including small details featured in the songs as well as song ideas that didn’t make the cut. Anticipation is also high for the future of EPIC as there are plans for an animated movie based on the musical, as well as a live stage adaptation, and a trilogy of video games. There’s also a very active fan community that has created tons of art and animations based on EPIC.
To offer a student’s perspective on the musical (without spoilers), I only recently discovered EPIC: The Musical while doing typical screenager browsing. I was immediately won over by the seamless combination of compelling storytelling and fantastic songwriting that somehow manages to accomplish more than modern corporations do today with their movie musicals. I’m not the biggest fan of the original Odyssey but appreciated what remained the same and what was changed to make this retelling of Odysseus’s perilous journey throughout seventeen years (the musical mistakenly said twenty). While not every song is a hit, it’s a huge accomplishment by a team of regular people who were passionate about making this. I also believe that fans of that original story will like this version, as what changes are made aren’t detrimental at all to the original story. When it comes to the music, it’ll appeal the most to fans of musical theatre. But there are several different music styles as some are more traditional musical style, while others have more influences in modern musicals like Hamilton and Hadestown, and some more action-oriented have a video game/anime-esque sound to them. This is one of many reasons why the music of EPIC has appealed to so many people throughout the world.
The last thing I would like to talk about is the cast, because they definitely elevate this whole project. They offer a unique range of voices that I’ve never really seen before in musicals. Some of my favorites in the show include Rivera-Herrans’ portrayal of Odysseus, Teagan Earley’s stern yet kind take on the Greek goddess Athena, Talya Sindel’s portrayal of the cunning Circe, Miguel Veloso’s spirted performance as Telemachus, and Luke Holt’s boastful performance as the infamous Zeus. Honestly, not a single cast member is wasted.
EPIC: The Musical has a new and unique spin on a familiar story, and there’s so much more I’d want to say about this fantastic concept. But I’d risk spoiling the experience, so I recommend checking it out for yourself! One more thing, be sure to check it out via an animation compilation on YouTube. The fan community that makes these animations are extremely passionate about their work and have delivered some of my favorite YouTube animations. So go full speed ahead and check out EPIC!
