Norse Rock Musical

So here it is; my magnum opus that has taken way too long to make.

Back in 2010, I teamed up with Alex S. Garcia and we went to work to write a rock musical about Norse Mythology. I put the initial project together, and my marching orders was I want to eliminate the "magic" elements and have it be, for lack of a better phrase, contemporary.

Through spring and summer of 2011 we wrote the musical. Alex based the story off of selections from the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. He wrote the lyrics, and I put together the music. We finished July 2011.

I spent the next several years trying ways to make this a reality. I made several demos and shipped them to different theatre companies to no avail (which was to be expected). I tried staging it myself, but it was way too big a project for just myself. In 2013 I started just making a concept album. The music is all done, and the singers are about 75% done. I paused work on it in 2015 due to lack of suitable singers, and then other life events took over. It's been several years, it is nearly complete, it is time to finish this once and for all.

Below is a cast listing of the roles I still need to record. If you are interested, e-mail me at jradford@vainastudios.com with some samples and what part you would like.

Cast List Yet to be Filled

Character Gender Range Description
Heimdall Female Contralto (F3-D5) Heimdall is Odin's youngest daughter, and is often dismissed or ridiculed by her family members, especially her father. She is definitely very capable at anything she does, even defeating the Jotunn Leader in one-on-one combat, and continues to show her courage and toughness throughout. This is reflective in her fiery, aggressive, and powerful rock vocals to represent her repressed aggression at not being recognized. She should be the most powerful female vocalist on the album. (# of Lines: 60)
Thor Male Bass (E2-G3) Perhaps the most famous character in Norse Mythology, Thor is Odin's strongest son, and is often sent to perform tasks by his father that require sure success. Thor has one of the deepest voices, aggressive yet low pitch. (# of lines: 30)
Frey Male Tenor (B2-C#5) Frey is Njord's son, and also the lover of his sister, Freya. Frey contrasts his father and sister by being more suspicious of the unknown, and thus when war breaks out, he is sent to command the Vanir armies in battle. Frey should have a powerful rock vocal. (# of Lines: 55)
The Jotunn Leader Male Bass (E2-C4) The nameless leader of the Jotnar is introduced in the second half when he is asked to rebuild the Aesir's home. The Jotnar are an impoverished society but have a very strong work ethic. The leader is a deep bass like Thor, and despite his people's desperation, should still have confidence. After Loki's betrayal, his anger should be great, and reflective in his vocals and presence.
The Narrator Male Baritone (F2-F#4) The narrator appears throughout the musical to tie in events or to set up a scene for the other players. He is older and more worn down than the other characters. His performance should be of great passion as he speaks of his past, with hints of feeling distraught when the journalist does not listen to his words of warning.