Oedipus

[Soxy]

Linkage

 

Oedipus goes 'gangsta' in hip-hop musical

 

By Claudia Parsons Mon Feb 27, 2:49 PM ET

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oedipus, the legendary Greek king who killed his father and married his mother, was "the original gangsta" and a "mack daddy" who looked like

James Brown. At least that's how the story goes in a new hip-hop musical.

 

"The Seven" is an updated version of Aeschylus's tragedy "Seven Against Thebes," the story of the two sons of Oedipus who take up arms against each other after he curses them.

 

The program for the play includes a glossary explaining that "mack daddy" is slang for "a pimp; or a man who is popular with the ladies," and that Homer was the author of epic poems "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" before he became a cartoon character on "The Simpsons."

 

Will Power, the rapper and playwright responsible for "The Seven," said he was drawn to Greek tragedy by the mythology, which reminded him of the larger-than-life figures in the poor black San Francisco neighborhood where he grew up.

 

"There's so much mythology within my own world," Power said. "A lot of the stories that I have are real-life people but they became larger than life."

 

Power not only saw connections in the issues and characters of the myths but he also found parallels in the form of Greek verse and rap, both with staccato lyrics and rhythms.

 

"Supposedly back in the day they were performing it in rhythm, in chanting and dance," said Power, who began performing as a rapper as a teenager before training at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

 

Power retains the chorus from the Greek form but makes the chorus members play a number of roles in the play, which tells the story of brothers Eteocles and Polynices, who agree to take turns at ruling the city of Thebes, with each being king for a year at a time.

 

Jealousy and the curse of Oedipus undermine their best intentions, leading Polynices to raise an army led by seven chieftains to march against Thebes and Eteocles.

 

NEW RIFF ON CLASSIC STORY

 

Narrated by a DJ and with flashbacks to the legend of Oedipus for the benefit of those not familiar with Greek mythology, the play has won good reviews since opening this month at a 188-seat off-Broadway theater.

 

"The wild ride of luckless ol' Oedipus -- accidentally offing dad, marrying mom, being dissed by the kids -- is pimped to the nines in 'The Seven,' a frisky and funny new riff on the classic story," The New York Times said in its review.

 

The musical numbers feature hop-hop, 1970s funk, R&B, gospel and blues and Oedipus has a distinct air of James Brown.

 

The fast-paced script mixes gags about Trojans (ancient people and condoms) and Apollo (a Greek deity and a Harlem concert hall) with serious moments such as when the fearful people of Thebes lament the war about to engulf their city.

 

An oily lackey to King Eteocles pumps up the people before the battle, leading them in a chorus of "I'm ready for war" in a scene with clear allusions to current U.S. conflicts.

 

Power said "The Seven" was about links between past and present, a theme central to his 2003 one-man show "Flow" that was a pioneering work in hip-hop theater, a form still working its way into the mainstream.

 

About half the members of Power's cast are black and the others are Latino, Asian and white but the audience at a recent performance was largely white and middle-aged. Power would like to see a younger, more diverse crowd.

 

"Some nights it's all old white folks," he said. "Those old folks are invited, they're welcome ... they often come away really digging it but it's ultimately not for them."

[bmags]

Linkage

 

Oedipus goes 'gangsta' in hip-hop musical

 

By Claudia Parsons Mon Feb 27, 2:49 PM ET

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oedipus, the legendary Greek king who killed his father and married his mother, was "the original gangsta" and a "mack daddy" who looked like

James Brown. At least that's how the story goes in a new hip-hop musical.

 

"The Seven" is an updated version of Aeschylus's tragedy "Seven Against Thebes," the story of the two sons of Oedipus who take up arms against each other after he curses them.

 

The program for the play includes a glossary explaining that "mack daddy" is slang for "a pimp; or a man who is popular with the ladies," and that Homer was the author of epic poems "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" before he became a cartoon character on "The Simpsons."

 

Will Power, the rapper and playwright responsible for "The Seven," said he was drawn to Greek tragedy by the mythology, which reminded him of the larger-than-life figures in the poor black San Francisco neighborhood where he grew up.

 

"There's so much mythology within my own world," Power said. "A lot of the stories that I have are real-life people but they became larger than life."

 

Power not only saw connections in the issues and characters of the myths but he also found parallels in the form of Greek verse and rap, both with staccato lyrics and rhythms.

 

"Supposedly back in the day they were performing it in rhythm, in chanting and dance," said Power, who began performing as a rapper as a teenager before training at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

 

Power retains the chorus from the Greek form but makes the chorus members play a number of roles in the play, which tells the story of brothers Eteocles and Polynices, who agree to take turns at ruling the city of Thebes, with each being king for a year at a time.

 

Jealousy and the curse of Oedipus undermine their best intentions, leading Polynices to raise an army led by seven chieftains to march against Thebes and Eteocles.

 

NEW RIFF ON CLASSIC STORY

 

Narrated by a DJ and with flashbacks to the legend of Oedipus for the benefit of those not familiar with Greek mythology, the play has won good reviews since opening this month at a 188-seat off-Broadway theater.

 

"The wild ride of luckless ol' Oedipus -- accidentally offing dad, marrying mom, being dissed by the kids -- is pimped to the nines in 'The Seven,' a frisky and funny new riff on the classic story," The New York Times said in its review.

 

The musical numbers feature hop-hop, 1970s funk, R&B, gospel and blues and Oedipus has a distinct air of James Brown.

 

The fast-paced script mixes gags about Trojans (ancient people and condoms) and Apollo (a Greek deity and a Harlem concert hall) with serious moments such as when the fearful people of Thebes lament the war about to engulf their city.

 

An oily lackey to King Eteocles pumps up the people before the battle, leading them in a chorus of "I'm ready for war" in a scene with clear allusions to current U.S. conflicts.

 

Power said "The Seven" was about links between past and present, a theme central to his 2003 one-man show "Flow" that was a pioneering work in hip-hop theater, a form still working its way into the mainstream.

 

About half the members of Power's cast are black and the others are Latino, Asian and white but the audience at a recent performance was largely white and middle-aged. Power would like to see a younger, more diverse crowd.

 

"Some nights it's all old white folks," he said. "Those old folks are invited, they're welcome ... they often come away really digging it but it's ultimately not for them."

 

yuck.