Epic: The Musical by Jorge Rivera-Herrans (Act One) Review

Hello Readers,

 
Slightly different post today as this is a music recommendation. Every year I try I challenge myself to read a classic book usually I default and read Dracula but this year with my slight Greek mythology obsession I thought I would read The Odyssey. I did it but I’ll be honest I had to break up the reading by switching between my eBook copy and an audiobook.
 
I somehow found Epic on Spotify, and it did feature a little heavy on my Instagram stories for Greek Mythology March. Sorry not sorry. Well Epic: The Musical is a loose adaptation of Homer's Odyssey by Jorge Rivera-Herrans. Epic is far more enjoyable than reading the first act of The Odyssey.
 
I don’t know if it’s a little mean but there is something about hearing Odysseus thing he’s heading straight home after the battle of Troy like nope… you got 10 years of shit stick coming your way. Head up my miniature review of the underworld saga contains spoilers.

 
The Troy Saga
I have two songs I love in the Troy Saga we have ‘The Horse and the Infant’ as it name drops a fair few mythological Greek heroes like Menelaus, Ajax, and Agamemnon. The song also hypes you up. Also, Warrior of the Mind is one of my favourites and is a duet between Odysseus and Athena. The song ends with Athena threatening Odysseus not to disappoint her.
 
“You are Athena (Athena)
Badass in the arena
Unmatched, witty, and queen of
The best strategies we've seen”
Warrior of the Mind
 
The Cyclops Saga
 
The final minute of Survive is the only bit on the musical I don’t like (slightly harsh it makes me a little uncomfortable) and that’s because I am a rather visual person and being able to hear Polyphemus swing his club and squish make me squirm. I apricate it and the song does it job but yeah if you ever see me slightly flinch with my headphones on Survive is playing.
We also have the return of Athena in My Goodbye and she is “pissed ” Athena is disappointed in Odysseus because he ignores logic and instead lets emotion guide his actions.
 
“This day, you sever your own head
This day, you cut the line
This day, you lost it all”
My Goodbye
 
The Ocean Saga
The ocean saga should be the ear worm saga and I find myself quoting this saga more than the most. Luck Runs Out, Keep Your Friends Close are catchy and you can’t help but sing along. Poseidon's “villain” song Ruthlessness is perfect Odysseus finally has to face the consequences of his actions. Poseidon takes his revenge, and Odysseus is left with only 43 men out of 600 by the end.
 
"Odysseus of Ithaca
Do you know who I am?"
Keep your Friends Close
 
The Circe Saga
Wouldn’t you like is a song from Hermes and I love it without really listening to the lyric you can have a little boogie then you catch the words and then you’re like oh nope shouldn’t have done that. Done For and There are other Ways are both great duets between Odysseus and Circe unlike the Athena duet these songs to me are more of an equally matched tango.
 
“ODYSSEUS: Did you do something to them?
CIRCE: Who, me? All I did was reveal their true forms
ODYSSEUS:  You turned them into pigs
CIRCE: Huh?”
Done For
 
The Underworld Saga
There are only three songs in the underworld saga and I cant pick between them all three of them are great for different reasons. The heart breaking moment in The Underworld when you hear all his men and then Polites is a gut punch. Tiresias prediction in verse in No Longer You just flows brilliantly and you cant but help but hum the melody its haunting and sounds familiar. in Monster  it seems Odysseus is having a identity crisis as he talks through the scenarios we’ve seen in the musical, asking whether those people are the monster for their actions or if he was.
 
"What if the greatest threat we'll find across the sea is me?
What if I'm the monster?
What if I'm in the wrong?
What if I'm the problem that's been hiding all along?"
Monster
 
I cant wait for act 2
 L x

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