The Ithaca Saga

The Ithaca Saga is the ninth chapter of EPIC: The Musical and serves as the final saga in Act II. This saga marks the conclusion of the musical's pre-release phase. It features a collection of 5 songs that continue the story from The Vengeance Saga, detailing the final arc of Odysseus' journey and his return to Ithaca. The saga was released on December 25th, 2024, wrapping up the complex narrative threads set in motion throughout the musical. Like its predecessors, the saga was produced by Jorge Rivera-Herrans under the Winion Entertainment LLC label, with a total length of 22:32.

SONGS

THE CHALLENGE

The Challenge is the first song of The Ithaca Saga in Act 2 of EPIC: The Musical. In this song, Penelope comes up with a plan to distract the Suitors who are pressuring her to choose a new husband. Even though many years have passed, she still hopes that Odysseus will return home. The song is performed by Anna Lea and the cast of EPIC: The Musical, with Anna Lea voicing Penelope and the rest of the cast voicing the Suitors.

This song is written in E♭ Major with a 4/4 time signature.
Jorge created two earlier drafts of the music before choosing the final version.
The full draft of the song was shared during the EPIC seminar on March 19th, 2022.
The Suitors’ chant is a nod to a cut song from the show called Man of the House.
The storm Penelope mentions in the song refers to the storm caused by Odysseus with the wind bag in Six Hundred Strike.

LYRICS

[PENELOPE]
I'm supposed to choose a suitor to wear the crown
I said I would choose as soon as I weave this shroud
They don't know
That every night
I unthread all the work I've done
Cause I'd rather lie
Than allow them to think they've won
Though I never thought I would resort to this
Just know I'll be here

But I don't know how much longer I'll last
Since we saw that storm
And though it was so close to our kingdom
It was far from the norm
Unless
Oh, could it be some kind of sign
That my world is all about to change?
Is it finally time for the challenge I arranged?
Though I never thought that it would come to this
Just know I'll be here buying you time

[THE SUITORS]
Time is fleeting, it's running out
Time to be the man of the house

[PENELOPE]
Oh! Buying you time

[THE SUITORS]
Time is fleeting, it's running out
Time to be the man of the house

[PENELOPE]
Whoever can string my husband's old bow
And shoot through twelve axes cleanly
Will be the new king, sit down at the throne
And rule with me as his queen

Let the arrow fly
Once you know that your aim is true
Cause I'd rather die than grow old without the best of you
Though I never thought that these would be the lengths we'd go for love
I would not have it any other way

And though I never thought that it would end like this
Just know, I'll be here
Waiting, waiting

[SUITORS]
Penelope

[PENELOPE]
Waiting, waiting

[SUITORS]
Penelope

[PENELOPE]
Waiting, waiting
Oh!

2. HOLD THEM DOWN

Hold Them Down is the second song in The Ithaca Saga. In this song, Antinous decides that he and the other Suitors have waited long enough for Penelope to choose a husband. He’s tired of being patient and plans to take control of the situation. The song shows how the Suitors are growing more aggressive and are ready to act. It is sung by Ayron Alexander as Antinous, along with the Cast of EPIC: The Musical as the Suitors.

At the start of the song, a cello plays a broken version of the melody from “Whoever can string my husband’s old bow” in The Challenge, symbolizing that none of the suitors can match Odysseus’ strength.
When Antinous talks about what he plans to do to Penelope, a faint viola can be heard in the background, referencing her character through her signature instrument.
In March 2023, David Ing released a parody of this song where instead of plotting to kill Telemachus, Antinous is planning a surprise birthday party.
The parody became an inside joke among fans and was animated by gigi, who later worked directly with Jorge on more projects.
On January 16th, 2025, Ayron Alexander posted a TikTok singing the parody lyrics, adding to the song's popularity in the fandom.

LYRICS

[SUITORS]

Whoever can string the old king's bow

And shoot through twelve axes cleanly

Will be the new king, sit down at the throne

Penelope as his queen

Where is he?

Where is the man who can string this bow? Woah...

[ANTINOUS]

Screw this competition, we've been here for hours

None of us can string this, we don't have the power

Screw this damn challenge, no more delays

Can't you guys see we're being played?

This is how they

[ANTINOUS, SUITORS]

Hold us down while the throne gets colder

Hold us down while we slowly age

Hold us down while the boy gets bolder

Where in the hell is our pride and our rage?

Here and now, there's a chance for action

Here and now, we can take control

Here and now, burn it down to ashes

Channel the fire inside your soul

[ANTINOUS]

Haven't you noticed who's missing?

Don't you know the prince is not around

I heard he's on a diplomatic mission

And I heard today he comes back to town, so

I say we gather near the beaches

I say we wait 'til he arrives

Then, when he docks his ship, we can breach it

Let us leave now, today we can strike and

[ANTINOUS, SUITORS, ALL]

Hold him down 'til the boy stops shaking

Hold him down while I slit his throat

Hold him down while I slowly break his pride, his trust, his faith, and his bones

Cut him down into tiny pieces

Throw him down in the great below

When the crown wonders where the prince is

Only the ocean and I will know

[ANTINOUS]

And when the deed is done

The queen will have no one to

Stop us from breaking her bedroom door

Stop us from taking her love and more

[ANTINOUS, SUITORS, ALL]

And then we'll

Hold her down while her gate is open

Hold her down while I get a taste

Hold her down while I share her spoils

I will not let any part go to waste

Here and now, there's a chance for action (Chance for action!)

Here and now, we can take control (Take control!)

Here and now, burn it down to ashes

Channel the fire inside your soul and

Hold them down, hold them down (Hold them down! Oh!)

Hold them down, hold them down

Hold them down, hold them down (Hold them down!)

Channel the fire inside your soul, and-! (Hold them down, hold them down)

[ANTINOUS is shot by ODYSSEUS]

3. ODYSSEUS

"Odysseus" is the third song in The Ithaca Saga from EPIC: The Musical, where Odysseus finally returns home and sees his palace taken over by the Suitors. He is angry and ready to fight them to take back what’s his. With his son Telemachus by his side, Odysseus prepares to face the men who have disrespected his home and family. The song shows Odysseus's strength, determination, and the beginning of the final battle. It is sung by Jorge Rivera-Herrans as Odysseus, along with Dennis Diaz, Tristan Caldwell, Jamie Wiltshire, and Miguel Veloso as the Suitors, Eurymachus, Amphinomus, Melanthius, and Telemachus.

The first few seconds of the song use the opening score from Monster and The Horse and the Infant.
The background guitar in the first verse plays the tune of the chorus from The Underworld.
Odysseus’s name is sung using the "Danger is Nearby" motif.
A verse where a Suitor frantically looks for Odysseus references Legendary, which comes from the cut song Man of the House.
Odysseus aiming at torches while shooting his bow may be a nod to Scylla, where she snatched six crew members holding torches.
The instrumental following Telemachus stabbing Amphinomus contains the melody of Legendary.
Melanthius rallying the Suitors has a similar melodic pattern to Odysseus rallying his crew in Storm.
Melanthius calls the Suitors his brothers, mirroring how Odysseus calls his soldiers brothers.
During Telemachus' fight, Athena’s quick-thought sound effect is heard briefly throughout the verses.
Clanging weapons in Telemachus’ fight include hidden motifs from Little Wolf, Legendary, and Odysseus’s own theme.
The line “My mercy has long since drowned” references Get in the Water, where Poseidon tries to drown Odysseus.
The end of the song recalls the ending of No Longer You, showing Odysseus’s transformation from a man into a monster.
The original title of the song was King but was later changed to Odysseus, possibly echoing songs named after monsters like Polyphemus, Scylla, and Charybdis.

LYRICS

[ODYSSEUS]
For twenty years I've suffered every punishment and pain
From the wrath of gods and monsters
To the screams of comrades slain
I come back and find my palace desecrated, sacked like Troy
Worst of all, I hear you dare to touch my wife and hurt my boy!

[ODYSSEUS, spoken]
I... have had.... enough...

[ENSEMBLE (slowly)]
Odysseus
Odysseus
Odysseus
Ody-

[SUITOR #1]
In the heat of battle at the edge of the unknown...

[SUITOR #2]
Somewhere in the shadows lurks an agile, deadly foe...

[SUITOR #3]
We have the advantage. We've the numbers and the might.

[SUITOR #4]
No... You don't understand it;
this man plans for every fight!

[An arrow strikes the last SUITOR, killing him.]

[ENSEMBLE]
Ody-sseus
Ody-sseus
Ody-sseus
Ody-sseus

[SUITOR #5]
Where is he?
WHERE IS HE?!

[SUITOR #6]
Keep your head down!
He's aiming for the torches!

[SUITOR #7]
Our weapons... they're missing!

[SUITOR #8]
He's using the darkness to hide his approaches!

[SUITOR #9]
We're empty-handed
Up against an archer
Our only chance is to strike him in the darkness.

[SUITOR #10]
We know these halls!
The odds can be tilted!

[ODYSSEUS]
You don't think I know my own palace?
I BUILT IT!

[ODYSSEUS slaughters all six SUITORS]

[ENSEMBLE]
Ody-sseus
Ody-sseus
Ody-sseus
Ody-sseus

[EURYMACHUS]
Old king, our leader is dead
You've destroyed the serpent's head
Now the rest of us are no longer a threat
Old king, forgive us instead
So that no more blood is shed
Let's have open arms instea-

[ODYSSEUS shoots EURYMACHUS]

[ODYSSEUS, spoken]
No...

[ENSEMBLE]
Ody-sseus
Ody-sseus
Ody-sseus
Ody-sseus

[AMPHINOMUS]
Damn, he's more cunning than I assumed
While we were busy plotting, he hid our weapons inside this room

[MELANTHIUS]
I find it hard to believe that the sharpest of kings
Left his armory unlocked

[AMPHINOMUS]
So what?
Now that we have armed ourselves
Let's make the bastard rot

[MELANTHIUS, spoken]
Behind you!

[TELEMACHUS stabs AMPHINOMUS]

[Instrumental break]

[TELEMACHUS]
Throw down those weapons
And I'll ensure you'll be spared

[MELANTHIUS]
After seeing what the king will do to us
We wouldn't dare

[TELEMACHUS]
I don't want to hurt you
But trust me, I've come prepared

[MELANTHIUS]
Ha! Your very presence has doomed the king, young prince
We don't fight fair

[TELEMACHUS, spoken]
Stop!

[MELANTHIUS]
Brothers, we have company, and he's made a grave mistake
Left the weapons room unlocked, and now they're ours to take
Brothers, come and arm yourselves
There's a chance for us to win
We can still defeat the king if we all attack the prince!

[SUITORS]
Where is he? Where is he?

[MELANTHIUS]
Capture him, he's our greatest chance!

[TELEMACHUS]
Get off me! Get off me!

[MELANTHIUS]
Fight 'til the prince can barely stand!

[SUITORS]
Hold him down! Hold him down!

[MELANTHIUS]
Make the king obey our command

[SUITORS]
Hold him down! Hold him down!

[MELANTHIUS]
'Cause if he won't, I'll break the kid's hands

[MELANTHIUS, spoken]
Got him!

[ODYSSEUS stabs MELANTHIUS]

[MELANTHIUS, spoken]
Mer...mer...

[ODYSSEUS]
Mercy? MERCY?!
My mercy has long since drowned
It died to bring me home
And as long as you're around
My family's fate is left unknown
You plotted to kill my son...
You planned to RAPE MY WIFE!
ALL OF YOU ARE GOING TO DIE!!

[ENSEMBLE]
Odysseus

[ODYSSEUS]
You filled my heart with hate
All of you who've done me wrong
THIS WILL BE YOUR FATE!

[ODYSSEUS beheads MELANTHIUS' corpse.]

[ENSEMBLE, (slowly)]
O-dy-sse-us

[The remaining SUITORS scream in terror as ODYSSEUS kills them all]

[ENSEMBLE, (slowly)]
O-dy-sse-us

4. I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER

I Can't Help but Wonder is the fourth song in The Ithaca Saga from EPIC: The Musical, where Odysseus and Telemachus finally reunite after twenty years apart. This emotional song shows a tender moment between father and son as they try to reconnect, express their regrets, and begin to rebuild their bond. Athena, who has guided both of them throughout their journeys, also sings in this number, helping to bridge the gap between the two. The song features vocals from Miguel Veloso as Telemachus, Jorge Rivera-Herrans as Odysseus, and Teagan Earley as Athena.

In some way, the first moments of this song mirror Odysseus' reunion with his mother in The Underworld.
Odysseus asking Athena to reveal herself is a direct reference to their first meeting during Warrior of the Mind.
Odysseus says that he would catch the wind and sky and make storm clouds cry for Telemachus, which may be a reference to The Ocean Saga.
Before The Ithaca Saga was released, Teagan Earley told everyone that Athena would not return to EPIC: The Musical after The Wisdom Saga.

LYRICS

[TELEMACHUS, spoken]

Father?

[ODYSSEUS, spoken]

...Son!

[TELEMACHUS]

All my life, I'd have died to meet you

Thought about your name so much it hurts

For twenty years, I'd dreamt of how I'd greet you

Oh, and now you're here

I can't find the words

All my life I'd have died to know you

Days and nights I wish that I could show you

For twenty years I never could outgrow you

Oh, and now you're here

I can't help but wonder

What your world must be

If we're like each other

If I have your strength in me

All this time I've wondered

If you'd embrace me as your own

Twenty years I've wandered

For so long I've felt alone

[ODYSSEUS]

Oh my son, look how much you've grown

Oh my boy, the sweetest joy I've known

Twenty years ago I held you in my arms

How time has flown, oh

Used to say I'd make the storm clouds cry for you

Used to say I'd capture wind and sky for you

Held you in my arms prepared to die for you, oh

How time has flown

I can only wonder

What your world has been

Things you've had to suffer

And the strength you hold within

All I've ever wanted

Was to reunite with my own

Twenty years we've wandered

But today you're not alone

My son, I'm finally home!

[TELEMACHUS]

Father, how I've longed to see you!

[ODYSSEUS, TELEMACHUS]

Telemachus, I'm home (Home)

[ODYSSEUS]

Go, tell your mother I'm home

I'll be there in a moment

[TELEMACHUS, spoken]

Of course

[ODYSSEUS]

Show yourself

I know you're watching me

Show yourself

You were never one for hellos

[ATHENA]

I can't help but wonder

What this world could be

If we all held each other with a bit more empathy

I can't help but feel like

I led you astray

What if there's a world where we don't have to live this way?

[ODYSSEUS]

If that world exists

It's far away from here

It's one I'll have to miss

For it's far beyond my years

You might live forever

So you can make it be

But I've got one endeavor

There's a girl I have to see

[ATHENA, spoken]

Very well...

[TELEMACHUS, spoken]

Father? She's waiting for you

5. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH ME AGAIN

Would You Fall in Love with Me Again is the fifth and final song of The Ithaca Saga, and it serves as the finale of EPIC: The Musical. In this emotional moment, Odysseus finally reunites with his wife, Penelope, after being away for so many years. He knows that his journey home was filled with pain, loss, and dark choices, and he fears that he has changed too much. As they stand together again, he asks her a simple but powerful question—if she met him now, after all that has happened, would she still fall in love with him? The song is sung by Jorge Rivera-Herrans as Odysseus and Anna Lea as Penelope.

This is the longest song in Act 2 and the entire musical.
The soft electric guitar present throughout the song, also heard in Monster, represents Odysseus speaking to Penelope and questioning whether she could still love him despite all he has done.
In the second half of the song, there are musical callbacks to Ruthlessness, Thunder Bringer, and Not Sorry for Loving You, representing figures who made Odysseus believe he had become too cruel to be loved.
- Poseidon mocked Odysseus for showing mercy, imposed his brutal beliefs on him, and called him an even worse monster.
- Zeus forced Odysseus to kill an infant and sacrifice his men while accusing him of being dishonorable.
- Calypso partly blamed Odysseus for not loving her and showed little regret for keeping him captive for seven years
When Odysseus briefly snaps at Penelope, the instrumental changes from nylon-string guitar to electric, reflecting his rising anger.
After Penelope responds, her scattered breaths can be heard as Odysseus takes in her words—Jorge had to personally ask Anna to record these breaths, which he said was one of the strangest requests he made for EPIC.
When Penelope says she's been waiting, the piano in triplets behind her reflects the deep, unwavering nature of her love.
The rhythm of the word "for" in Penelope's line "for you" matches the chorus rhythm in Different Beast.
The final instrumental reprises Just a Man with Poseidon's triplet rhythm and Athena's piano, symbolizing Odysseus finding a balance between mercy and ruthlessness.
The ending of the song references Olive Tree, which was originally intended to be the musical’s finale.

LYRICS

[ODYSSEUS]

Penelope...

[Instrumental]

[ODYSSEUS opens the bedroom door]

[PENELOPE]

Is it you? Have my prayers been answered?

Is it really you standing there?

Or am I dreaming once more?

You look different

Your eyes look tired

Your frame is lighter

Your smile, torn

Is it really you, my love?

[ODYSSEUS]

I am not the man you fell in love with

I am not the man you once adored

I am not your kind and gentle husband

And I am not the love you knew before

Would you fall in love with me again

If you knew all I've done?

The things I cannot change

Would you love me all the same?

I know that you've been waiting

Waiting, for love

[PENELOPE]

What kinds of things did you do?

[ODYSSEUS]

Left a trail of red on every island

As I traded friends like objects I could use

Hurt more lives than I can count on my hands

But all of that was to bring me back to you

So tell me

Would you fall in love with me again

If you knew all I've done?

The things I can't undo

I am not the man you knew

I know that you've been waiting, waiting-

[PENELOPE]

If that's true, could you do me a favor?

Just a moment of labor, that could bring me some peace?

See that wedding bed?

Could you carry it over?

Lift it high on your shoulders

And take it far away from here?

[ODYSSEUS]

How could you say this?

I had built that wedding bed with my blood and sweat

Carved it into the olive tree where we first met

A symbol of my love everlasting

Do you realize what you have asked me?

The only way to move it is to it cut from its roots!

[PENELOPE]

Only my husband knew that

So I guess that makes him you!

[ODYSSEUS]

Penelope...

[PENELOPE]

I will fall in love with you

Over and over again

I don’t care how, where, or when

No matter how long it’s been

You’re mine

Don’t tell me you’re not the same person

You’re always my husband

And I’ve been waiting, waiting

[ODYSSEUS]

Penelope!

[PENELOPE, ODYSSEUS]

Waiting, waiting (Penelope)

Waiting, waiting

Waiting, oh!

For you...

[Instrumental]

[PENELOPE]

How long has it been?

[ODYSSEUS]

Twenty years

[PENELOPE & ODYSSEUS]

I love you...

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The Ithaca Saga

THE CHALLENGE

LYRICS

2. HOLD THEM DOWN

LYRICS

3. ODYSSEUS

LYRICS

4. I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER

LYRICS

5. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH ME AGAIN

LYRICS