Jorge Rivera-Herrans’s musical retelling of the Odyssey, “Epic”, has been a massive success since its Christmas release last year, pushing Taylor Swift off the top of the US iTunes album charts. The 40-track concept album features Rivera-Herrans singing as Odysseus on his 10-year voyage home to Ithaca, with each step released on TikTok.
Rivera-Herrans’s project feeds two obsessions of teenagers: Greek mythology and fan participation. He has shared creative secrets, including song motifs and orchestration choices, and has even held auditions on TikTok, where fans have submitted over 1,000 video submissions. Fans have also created their own animations to bring the songs to life, with Rivera-Herrans relishing their interactions.
Rivera-Herrans’s project is part of a growing trend in fan participation in musical theatre, which has seen composers sharing work on platforms like YouTube since around 2015. Examples include Be More Chill and The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, both of which gained popularity online before being staged on Broadway.
The final instalment of “Epic” is set to be released on Christmas Day, when Odysseus finally arrives in Ithaca. Rivera-Herrans and his team are in talks with companies to create an animated movie, a live action stage show, and three video games, all of which will involve fan participation.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/21/were-figuring-out-cool-ways-of-storytelling-how-tiktok-is-changing-the-way-we-watch-musicals