Musicals have continued to iterate themselves for as long as the genre has been around. From “Hamilton” to “West Side Story,” the medium continues to evolve, but now it’s going digital.
On Jan. 16, 2021, Jorge Rivera-Herrans posted a TikTok promoting his idea of a musical based around Odysseus’ journey home to Ithaca.
While the story is already well-known, this musical delivers a twist. The musical first came to Rivera-Herrans when he was in college, as it was part of his thesis. He wanted to create a musical incorporating video games and anime aspects.
Since his initial TikTok, Rivera-Herrans has gained 1.2 million followers on the platform, building a strong audience around the musical. This is also where he conducted open auditions.
When he was still looking for actors, anyone was allowed to duet a video of his and test out their skills. This created an opportunity for people who would not normally be able to participate in things like this to try their best.
After several takes and interviews, Rivera-Herrans finally assembled his cast of people who were willing to give their everything to the musical’s future.
After gathering enough people, the first album “EPIC: The Troy Saga” was released on Christmas in 2022. Shortly after, the second album “EPIC: The Cyclops Saga” dropped.
Now, the third album of his musical has arrived. With so much time between releases, Rivera-Herrans created his own label so all the albums could be rereleased under the same brand.
This installment is titled “EPIC: The Vengeance Saga” and explores the story of Poseidon’s revenge against Odysseus.
The album contains five songs, similar to most of the others, but feels much shorter. Similar to many songs in “Hamilton,” the final three songs blend into one another. This allows the action of the prior songs to continue seamlessly and makes the listeners want to continue paying attention.
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The first song immerses the audience back into Odysseus’ story after taking a step away from the prior album, “EPIC: The Wisdom Saga.” The song has a similar sound to the first time Calypso was ever introduced. This is one of the many ways Rivera-Herrans creates characters through just the music.
Each character that gets introduced has a specific theme or melody associated with them. Rivera-Herrans addresses this several times on his TikTok, especially when he is asked about some of the technical stuff by audiences in the comments. He is very open about the different things that go into the behind-the-scenes of the musical, which helps build a sense of trust with his fans.
After Odysseus leaves Calypso’s island, the next song reintroduces Hermes. This song stands out specifically because it begins with an acoustic guitar and repeats lines from songs on the first album.
Rivera-Herrans places this song perfectly to portray the grief that Odysseus was feeling at this point in his journey. The following song, “Charybdis,” shows off his ability to outsmart a sea monster from Greek mythology.
“Six Hundred Strike” is the last song on the epic and details the epic conclusion to Odysseus’s battle with the sea monster. It’s a triumphant way to end the album, as it is the final obstacle Odysseus must face to return to his wife.
Rivera-Herrans continues to innovate with this installment of “EPIC,” despite the condensed feeling of this segment of the story. The success of his work thus far has initiated a wave of ingenuity among TikTok creators and goes to show just how innovative the platform can truly be.