Reviewing “EPIC: The Musical”
By: Evelyn Kowalski & Emmalee Anglemyer
Staff-Writer & Staff-Writer
“EPIC: The Musical” is an online musical adaptation of Homer’s “The Odyssey” created by Jorge Rivera-Herrans, who began the project as his senior thesis at the University of Notre Dame. The final part, The Ithaca Saga, was released on music streaming platforms on Dec. 24, 2024.
So, what is it, exactly? “EPIC” is not a stage play or a musical film. Instead, it is a set of nine concept albums divided into two acts, all featuring music and lyrics written and recorded by Rivera-Herrans. He portrays Odysseus and a few other characters and chose the other singers and actors featured in the recordings through auditions on TikTok.
Rivera-Herrans documented his journey producing “EPIC” on the platform, which gained him 60 million views and 1.4 million followers. Throughout the making of this musical, Jorge brought together musicians and artists to bring Odysseus’ journey to life. He even started his own company in the process, Winion Entertainment LLC, in 2023 following a legal battle between himself and Blair Russell, the original producer of “EPIC”.
The dispute concerned copyright ownership for the first two albums (The Troy Saga and The Cyclops Saga). Under Winion Entertainment, the entire main cast of “EPIC” re-recorded the entire thing from scratch, allowing the musical, including the previously released Troy and Cyclops Sagas, to be released under Jorge’s ownership.
Once the final saga came out and the production of “EPIC” ended, he celebrated his achievement in Ithaca, Greece, where the story started. Rivera-Herrans has said he plans to do more projects but hasn’t made any announcements on what future projects will look like. However, it is certain that there is more to look forward to from him, so keep an eye out for updates from Rivera-Herrans on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and find his music on YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud and Amazon Music.
What do our resident fans have to say about the project?
Evelyn, Staff-Writer
My favorite song was “Ruthlessness,” since it was one of the biggest turning points Odysseus had to face during his journey home. It really brings out Poseidon’s anger and rage towards Odysseus for hurting his son and explicitly shames him for not killing him, promoting ruthlessness in Odysseus’ future actions. My favorite saga is The Wisdom Saga because it tells how Athena tries to find and save Odysseus. In it, we are introduced to the other gods and the songs are lit!
Emmalee, Staff-Writer and Layout Editor
My favorite song was “Six Hundred Strike” from The Vengeance Saga, because it has the same campy energy of an overly dramatic English dubbed anime with the characters exclaiming the names of their moves right before they strike. Plus, the final line in the song slaps: “After everything you’ve done, how will you sleep at night?” “With my wife”. I am not ashamed to say that I was moved. However, my favorite saga overall was The Ithaca Saga. I personally really enjoyed watching the suitors get their dues and Odysseus be reunited with his family after his tumultuous journey. It helps that every song in the saga hits just right.
