A piano riff creates a murmur, mixing with the sounds of ocean waves in the background. Soon afterward, a chant of angry voices sets in and announces the entrance of a god. The perfect build-up for what is to come in the next saga of Epic, Epic: The Musical.
“Epic” is an adaptation of one of the most famous pieces of literature from ancient times, Homer’s “Odyssey”. With a few creative liberties, the tale is more interesting for the modern audience. Jorge Rivera-Herrans, the creator of the “Epic” series, brings together all who enjoy music, theater, and Greek mythology.
The musical revolves around various tales from Greek mythology. It tells the story of Odysseus as he attempts to return home after the Trojan War and all his perilous adventures doing so, including many of the most iconic characters from Greek mythology such as Athena, Circe, and Poseidon.
On Nov. 2, the official cast announced the next set of songs was revealed in an exciting trailer. It will be released on December 25. Referred to as the “Ocean Saga,” it features many songs that were already fan favorites before even being released such as “Storm”, “Luck Runs Out”, “Keep Your Friends Close”, and “Ruthlessness.”
The trailer shows all of the current cast members, and new members that were added as casting is still ongoing through social media, especially Tiktok: an innovative way to showcase the potential of small artists. Two new voices will act as the two main antagonists: Steven Rodriguez who will voice Poseidon4 and Ayron Alexander who will voice Antinous.
With this new addition, the story’s moral will be elaborated on. In most tales, there is always a reason for the actions and the character’s dialogue, and musicals are no exception to this. As told by Herrans in one of his behind-the-scenes videos, the central theme of “Epic ” is that sometimes you have to be ruthless in life to achieve your goals. This message is further elaborated on in one of the new songs, “Ruthlessness,” where the god of the seas, Poseidon, comes to inquire and demoralize Odysseus on his approach to defeating the cyclops, Polyphemus, and how he can call himself a hero if he can’t withstand making sacrifices.
The storm was brewing, representing how the gods wanted to release their rage, as Odysseus’s crew is watching their boats fill up with water and sink, panic sets in for these men. This is the plot of the first song of this new set, “Storm,” and their solution to this issue is “shooting for the island in the sky”, Aeolus’s abode.
The second one features one of the secondary characters and the main character’s second in command, a man named Eurylichous, who is the voice of Odysseus’ crew, represented by a chorus of voices that always accompanies what Armando Julián, the voice of the character, says. This song tells their worries and concerns for what the future will be in the impossible conflicts they are facing.
The third song is the one the audiences currently have the least information about, only having a small snippet of the beginning of the song, but as far as it is known, it represents the conversation between Odysseus and Aeolus as the wind god sets up a challenge for him.
“The Horse and the Infant” is the very first song of the concept album and lives up to these expectations, with a mix of some rap elements and changing tempo that accompanies the pacing of the battle that resolutes the victory of the Trojan War by the greeks and the vision of a god that requires an immediate choice.
“Find that inner strength now
Use that well of pride
Fought through every pain now
Ask yourself
What do you live for?
What do you try for?
What do you wish for?
What do you fight for?”
Marked by magnificent upbeat music after a very dark moment, “Full Speed Ahead” is the song that introduces two important side characters to the story and reveals the supposed next step of Odysseus’s crew’s journey: finally returning home after ten years of war. Its amazing use of a chorus and the grasp of each of the actor’s tones of voice shows a true mastery in musicality and ambient sounds such as the waves in the background while they show the trust between a leader and the people he guides.
“And Ithaca is waiting [Ithaca is waiting]
My kingdom is waiting [the kingdom is waiting]
Penelope’s waiting for me
So full speed ahead, full speed ahead”
Another very upbeat and yet special song, “Open Arms” shows the strong bond between Odysseus and Polites over a conversation about the importance and meaning of kindness and avoidance of ruthlessness, considering how much harm they had done over the time of the war. Polites are represented by the Kalimba and Marimba, reflecting his will to greet the world with open arms and empathy.
“This life is amazing when you greet it with open arms
I see in your face, there is so much guilt inside your heart
So why not replace it and light up the world
Here’s how to start:
Greet the world with open arms
Greet the world with open arms”
“Have you forgotten the lessons I taught you?” are the very words that begin “Warrior of the Mind'', introducing one of the most impactful characters of the story, Athena, and her status as Odyssus’s mentor and guide, where she comes to remind him of her lessons about how taking harsh actions are necessary to be a great warrior. This song is mainly accompanied by the piano, an instrument whose great dexterity needed to play represents the goddess's role as the deity of wisdom and strategy.
“I still intend to make sure you don't fall behind
Don't forget that you're a warrior of a very special kind
You are a warrior of the mind
Don't disappoint me”
“Polyphemus” offers a complete change in tempo to the musical and reveals the first true conflict, the cyclops Polyphemus. There is barely any instrument that is not accompanied by a voice, the silence, and absence of sound well used to represent Odysseus' apprehension when first encountering the great mythological beast and trying to trick him so all his crew could leave his island safely after almost stealing from him.
“Before I’m done
You’ll learn that it’s not so fun to take
You came to my home to steal
But now you’ll become my meal
A trade, you see?
Take from you what you’ve took from me”
The first battle begins, “Survive” starts raising the speed of the song and background music, representing the fast pace of a battle, strategy, and ultimately chaos that leads to loss as Polyphemus strikes. Sounds of battle, unpredictable silence that makes your heart leap out of your chest, and the sounds of despair as the cyclops gains an edge to the battle freeze the heart and leave the desire to see where all these efforts will lead to.
“Six hundred lives at stake
It's just one life to take
And when we kill him then our journey’s over
No dying on me now
Defeat is not allowed
We must live through this day so
Fight, fight, fight”
“Remember them” represents the resolution and sorrow of the crew who had just lost many of their members, the sudden change to lower sounds of the instruments and slower tempo reflecting the grief that led to their success. However, the decision contested by the goddess Athena herself to spare the Cyclops leads into the next song with conflict and unsaid truths.
“Remember them
When the fire begins to fade
For the fallen and the afraid
We are not to let them die in vain
Remember them
We are the ones who carry on
The flames of those who have gone
And out comrades will not die in vain”
There is an avid discussion where both her and Odysseus argue on their personal choices, resulting in the Greek hero losing the goddesses’ protection and guidance, a choice that will change much of his journey as it progresses.
“One day, you’ll hear what I’m saying
One day, you might understand
One day, but not today, after all you are
Just a man”
Oddyseus’s standards and morals are tested, and his first sacrifice has to be decided, will he save a young life and threaten everything he cares for or to make the choice of ending an innocent boy to save all those he ever cared for? “Just a man” shows his inner conflict accompanied by slower-paced music, deep and meaningful lyrics, and an evident strumming of a guitar that represents the hero’s intentions and emotions.
“Will these actions haunt my days
Every man I’ve slain
Is the price I pay endless pain?
Close your eyes
And spare yourself the view
How could I hurt you?”
