!Hero: A Multimedia Splendor
Reviewed by Barb Huff
Imagine a modern-day New
York City in a world that is still waiting for a Messiah. Anarchy
reigns under a corrupt
police-state
government, known as I.C.O.N., where rival gangs grease the palms
of
government officials to look the other way. Mysticism and occult
practices
run wild, and a dwindling Jewish community still waits for their
Christ to
come.
Out of one of those little
Jewish communities comes Hero (Michael Tait of dcTalk & Tait),
a young man born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to a
virgin woman. He talks of love, forgiveness, and a new world
beyond this
one as he walks tall through the streets of the city, unafraid
of
the beggars and the ruffians about. Among them, he finds Petrov
(Mark Stuart of Audio Adrenaline), a quick-tempered street thug
eager to
follow Hero; Jude (Michael Quinlan), so interested in the fame
and
opportunities for wealth that come to him as part of Hero's posse
that he
betrays him for cash; and Maggie (Rebecca St. James), a tarot
reader and prostitute proud of her reputation as "the best
deal
in town."
John (Paul Wright), an
I.C.O.N. police officer bent on exposing the lies of Hero only
to become his strongest supporter, is our
storyteller,
explaining to us from his prison cell how he found the truth. !Hero
was born from the imagination of Eddie DeGarmo of DeGarmo
and Key, a pioneer in Christian rock in the 80s. He envisioned
spreading
the gospel using the in-your-face approaches of MTV, along with
a
multimedia
array of products. For those who don't like musicals, there are
comic
books. For those who can't make it to the tour, the CD is
available at every
major retailer, and the entire musical is there. (My suggestion
is, if you
must have any one thing, it's the CD.) For those who prefer a
novel, pick up
City of Dreams. A DVD is scheduled to be released once the tour
is
finished. Anyone can find a medium for this material that he's
comfortable with, and that was DeGarmo's plan -- spreading the
story of Christ to as many people as possible.
The story is a familiar
one for Christians. Hero turns water into
wine in a rousing wedding scene and catches the eye of Kai, the
corrupt
religious leader. In one of the most powerful scenes of the show,
he is
confronted by Jairus (T-Bone), a father who puts so much faith
in
the Hero
he's heard about that he goes and finds him instead of a doctor
when his
teenaged daughter is killed during a drive-by shooting. T-Bones'
flows are
so rich and quick that the words are flashed across the screen
behind him
so the viewer can understand his rap. During his glorious return
to New
York's Yankee Stadium, the audience is led in singing "Hosanna,
hosanna!" as Hero makes his way from the back of the stadium,
and
Jude is
making plans with Kai to bring him down. Another scene has the
actors
shooting bread pieces into the crowd to a rousing song called" Manna
from
Heaven" in a scene reminiscent of Christ's feeding the five
thousand.
Finally, Hero is captured and brought before the ailing Governor
Pilate (Bob
Farrell), who hands Hero over to Kai to appease the angry crowd," tired
of
being told how to live their lives by the wandering egomaniac."
With pulsing beats and
heavy guitar riffs, the music of Hero stretches across the
genres of pop music. John narrates to a
West
Coast
flava of smooth, melodic storytelling while Jairus' "Raised
in
Harlem" is
a fast flow of East Coast lyrical rhyme. Petrov wins for the
best
DeGarmo
and Key impersonation with the title song "Hero." Smooth
ballads
are
found in the duet between Mary and Hero, "Lose My Life With
You," and the
love song between John and Maggie, "Stand By You." Only
the
confrontation
between Hero and Kai, "Not In Our House," has elements
of your
typical
show-tune climactic number. The stage set is top-notch, complete
with dual
video screens that flash images and words to help convey the
feelings of the
characters, rolling fogs, and beating light shows.
It's a lofty goal to think
that another musical about the life of
Christ will bring the masses into a church, but whether it
succeeds at that
or not, it's a good affirmation for the Christian masses. And
if
it's used as a good witnessing tool for just one person, then
heaven's
rejoicing because of another lofty vision of a pioneer of the
genre and an
all-star cast. And I can think of much worse ways for Eddie
DeGarmo to have
used his talents.
Barb Huff is the author of the ON TOUR
series for teens (www.ontourfanclub.com). Her next two
books-- THE SECRET and THE
SONGWRITER are due to be released in the fall of '04. To learn more about
Barb, visit www.barbhuff.com.
