Epic: The Musical (2022– ): The must-listen, bite-sized Odyssey

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Ancient Greek literature is modernized in a unique and digestible way through Epic: The Musical (2022—).

Have you, like myself, ever wanted to get into classical literature staples like the 13th-century Dante Alligheri’s The Divine Comedy, the 16th-century classics of Shakespeare, or the 8th-century classic of Homer’s—The Iliad and The Odyssey? 

Look no further because these classics have been rediscovered and reoriented in a new light! Whether through adaptations of Alligheri’s Inferno in Mad God (2021), Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet (1996), or anything else, an earnest attempt has been made to acquaint the general public with these timeless stories while reworking them to fit modern themes and understanding. One of the most recent attempts of this is Jorge Herran-Riveras’ Epic: The Musical (2022– ). This currently releasing musical aims to reorient Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey to a modern audience through the most unforeseen inclusions: A musical that releases snippet by snippet on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. 

For those unacquainted, Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus. He is the king of Ithaca, as he leads his army through the Trojan War, then a 20-year journey back to his native land. His journey then becomes a trial, filled with bold, vicious, unwavering, and treacherous hurdles the man must overcome to return to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus. In this story, the man crosses paths with infamous figures like Hermes, Circe, Siren, Cyclops, and even Charybodis, a Lovecraftian-esque sea monster similar to the Kraken. 

Throughout the last four years, Jorge has been meticulously writing, rerecording, casting, and crafting this beautiful ode to such a beloved classic in a way many would not anticipate: crowdsourcing on TikTok. This was achieved by the man releasing snippets of finished songs—regardless of where they appeared within the narrative—using them as the auditions for all key actors, like Zeus, Calypso, Posedian, and Penelope. The cherry on top is that Jorge voices the man himself, Odysseus, and absolutely steals the show! 

This has led to Jorge releasing these finished songs in segments—albums—labeled and segmented by Saga for the last nearly two years. What this musical means by “Saga” is the overall tale chopped into smaller story arcs, each focusing on a key plot point within The Iliad and The Odyssey. For example, in The Troy Saga (2022), we see the final key acts of the Trojan War and Odysseus’s introduction to Athena. The following Saga released was The Cyclops Saga (2023), which follows the man and his 600 soldiers encountering the titular Cyclops in their battle with the creature. 

Each Saga contains so much emotion, but to truly do them justice, you must sit down and listen for yourself; immerse yourself in the rhythmic narrative storytelling! The best part is that seven Sagas (albums) have been released, and two more are slated for release soon! 

Now, I know for those less musically oriented readers, this may be an immediate stop to listening to this, but please stay with me; this musical is a treat for more than just musical and literature lovers! What initially drew me in was unattached to any of these elements: The animations created for select songs or scenes. 

Through TikTok, Jorge has been reaching out to dozens of animators to animate specific key moments he wishes to encapsulate in the musical. He has been drawing on inspirations like Attack on Titan (2013-2023) and various other anime to add spectacle to the jam-packed classic! These beautifully constructed videos allow you to visualize the entire scope this adaptation wishes to achieve. 

Jorge Herran-Rivera’s Epic: The Musical (2022– ) is a must-listen—and watch—for me, especially because it simplifies this bulky classic into something digestible and returns without the burden of forgetting; unlike the classic itself. Through all of this, Jorge has been able to rework this classic epic into something that demands your attention, so give it a try! 

Stream Epic: The Musical (2022– ) on any platform you choose, and follow Jorge Herran-Rivera to keep up with this encapsulating project!