Averno (universe)

Last updated
Averno
Created byMorgan Smith
OwnerAverno
Years2019-2021
Print publications
Graphic novel(s)Dreamweaver (2019)
Films and television
Short film(s)Into Averno (2020)
Web seriesUnder Averno (2020)
Theatrical presentations
Musical(s)Willow (2020), Dazed (2021), Over and Out (2021), Bittersummer (2021)
Audio
Radio program(s)Live from Averno (2019-2020)
Original musicWelcome to Camp Averno (2020), Come Home EP (2020), Departments EP (2020)
Miscellaneous
Epic poem(s)Arcana
Alternate reality game(s)Find Averno ARG

Averno was a transmedia franchise, described by the New York Times as "a 'Marvel Universe' for musicals". [1] The franchise included multiple musicals, a podcast, a short film, an alternate reality game, and more, all taking place in and around the fictional small town of Averno, Virginia. The Averno universe was created in 2019 by then-20-year-old Morgan Smith and became fully established in 2020. [2] The planning/development/concept art team has since grown to more than 60 members all around the world. [3]

Contents

The Averno universe encouraged fan content, although only concepts approved by the creator, Morgan Smith, are considered canon. [4] Sushi Soucy, a member of the concept team and composer of the musical Over and Out, described the universe as "witchy and magical." [5]

Averno had a three-album partnership with the record label Broadway Records for the musicals Willow (released September 25, 2020), Over and Out (released January 15, 2021), and Bittersummer (released June 4, 2021). [6] [7]

Averno musicals

Averno has released several concept albums of shows that have not yet been produced. [1]

Willow

The album of Willow was released by Broadway Records on September 25, 2020. It reached number 7 on the Billboard cast album chart. [8] The book was written by Morgan Smith, and the music was written by August Greenwood. It stars Emma Freeman, Janeen Garcia, Rachael Chau, August Greenwood, and Madelyn Paterna. It also includes a bonus track sung by Christy Altomare, who originated the titular role in the Broadway premiere of Anastasia. [9]

Willow contains three different storylines: Adelaide and Beatrice, Cassia and Grace, and Meg and her imaginary friend. They all take place in different years, but they're connected by the willow tree under which each pair meets.

Dazed

The album of Dazed was released on January 3, 2021 as a culmination to the Find Averno ARG. The book was written by Morgan Smith, and the music was written by Alicia Selkirk with lyrics by Morgan Smith, Alicia Selkirk, and August Greenwood. Concept design was by Morgan Smith and August Greenwood. Averno also released a full-length video of the musical available on YouTube. The video stars Jamie Frazier, Morgan Smith, Alicia Selkirk, Emma Freeman, and Cayden Larrosa.

In the musical, Will and Quinn from the podcast Live from Averno are investigating the mysterious disappearance of Hugo Selva. But Kennedy Harris, a college student at A New School, finds Hugo's journal first. They convince their best friend to accompany them as they try to find Unverno.

Over and Out

The album of Over and Out was released by Broadway Records on January 15, 2021. [1] It reached number 11 on the Billboard cast album chart. [7] The book was written by Morgan Smith, and the music was written by Sushi Soucy. It stars Sushi Soucy and Janeen Garcia, with additional vocals by Nalah Palmer, Morgan Smith, and August Greenwood. The album also includes a bonus track sung by Mariah Rose Faith, known for the US National Tour of Mean Girls and the online musical Starry. [10]

Over and Out follows Solar and Nova, two freshmen at A New School (the small liberal arts college located just outside Averno). Solar, the main character, scans through channels on their walkie-talkie, trying to find an alien. Instead, they meet a girl, Nova. [5]

Bittersummer

Bittersummer was released by Broadway Records on June 4, 2021. It includes music by Annalise Emerick and the Brother Brothers and a book written by Morgan Smith. The cast includes Janeen Garcia, Jasmine Aurora Thomas, Rachael Chau, Richard Eyler, and Emma Freeman. "It is, at its core, a story about growing up queer in the South," said Smith. [7]

Other Averno media

Live from Averno

Live From Averno is a true crime-style podcast hosted by Quinn (Jamie Frazier) and Will (Morgan Smith), two college students at A New School. [3] The first episode was released on October 27, 2019. The seventh and most recent episode was released on November 27, 2020.

Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver is a graphic novel by Raquel M. Varela and Morgan Smith. The first chapter was released in December 2019, and the rest is not yet available. It tells the story of Scarlett, a young girl who grew up in an abusive home and was rescued by the Shadowmothers to come live in the forest.

The Departments EP

The Departments EP is an album released on October 31, 2020 with instrumental songs based on the seven departments of A New School. It includes music by Fairything, ACONITE, and Thawney. [11]

Arcana

Arcana is an epic poem written by Morgan Smith and based around the Major Arcana tarot cards. [12] The first four chapters have been released as videos on the Averno Instagram.

Find Averno ARG

Find Averno was an alternate reality game (ARG) run by the Averno team in December 2020/January 2021, culminating in the release of the musical Dazed. The plot of the ARG was that a character named Kennedy, an Averno fan, went missing, and ARG participants were trying to find them. It seems they thought Averno was real and were trying to get there. As it turned out, they did make it to Averno, where they then became a character in Dazed. The game included themes around chess, physics, alternate dimensions, vines, water, herbs, Greek mythology, fairy tales, and losing oneself.

Into Averno

Into Averno is a short film written by Morgan Smith and directed by Cayden Larrosa, starring the two of them as ‘the girl’ and ‘the new kid,’ respectively. It was released on YouTube on December 19, 2020.

Under Averno

Under Averno is an online video series written by Sushi Soucy, and August Greenwood. Two episodes have been released so far, the first on October 31, 2020 and the second on December 23, 2020. It follows Rori Svennson (August Greenwood) and Bo Brandywine (Sushi Soucy) as they explore the mysteries of Averno, believing the source of them is the existence and presence of ghosts.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock opera</span> Work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections

A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been adapted as rock musicals. The use of various character roles within the song lyrics is a common storytelling device. The success of the rock opera genre has inspired similar works in other musical styles, such as rap opera.

<i>Godspell</i> Musical

Godspell is a musical composed by Stephen Schwartz with book by John-Michael Tebelak. The show is structured as a series of parables, primarily based on the Gospel of Matthew, interspersed with music mostly set to lyrics from traditional hymns, with the passion of Christ appearing briefly near the end.

Frank Wildhorn is an American composer of both musicals and popular songs. His musical Jekyll & Hyde ran for four years on Broadway. He also wrote the #1 International hit song "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" for Whitney Houston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Weisman</span> American video game designer

Jordan Weisman is an American game designer, author, and serial entrepreneur who has founded five game design companies, each in a different game genre and segment of the industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock 'n' Roll with Me</span> 1974 song by David Bowie

"Rock 'n' Roll with Me" is a power ballad written by David Bowie and Geoff MacCormack and recorded in January 1974 that first appeared on Bowie's Diamond Dogs album, supposedly to address the artist's complex relation with his fans. A version recorded during the Diamond Dogs tour in July 1974 was released on the album David Live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jukebox musical</span> Musical compiled from existing songs

A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known popular music songs, rather than original music.

"Journey to the Past" is a song written by lyricist Lynn Ahrens and composer Stephen Flaherty for the animated musical film Anastasia (1997). Originally recorded for the film by American actress and singer Liz Callaway in her title role as the singing voice of Anastasia – who is going by her nickname "Anya" at the time – the song expresses the character's desire to follow sparse clues about her past in the hopes of learning more about her family and who she is. The third song written and recorded for the film, Ahrens and Flaherty conceived "Journey to the Past" as a means of expressing the different emotions Anya feels while she prepares to venture out on her own for the first time. Accompanying a musical sequence during which Anya travels from her Russian orphanage to St. Petersburg, the song incorporates the film's central themes about home, love and family.

Nox Arcana is the American neoclassical dark wave, dark ambient musical project of Joseph Vargo. It was founded in 2003 as a duo with William Piotrowski, who left in 2008 to pursue a career in film score composing but still acts as its studio engineer whereas Vargo continued on as a solo act under the name. According to the Nox Arcana biography, the name is derived from two Latin words that roughly translate to "mysteries of the night."

David Scott-Morgan, 19 August 1942 is an English songwriter and musician.

<i>Evita</i> (album) 1976 cast recording by Various artists

Evita is a concept album released in 1976 and produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Having successfully launched their previous show, Jesus Christ Superstar, on record in 1970, Lloyd Webber and Rice returned to the format for Evita. The album was recorded at Olympic Studios in London from April to September 1976 and released in the United Kingdom on 19 November 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christy Altomare</span> American actress and singer-songwriter

Christine "Christy" Altomare is an American actress and singer-songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan James</span> American singer, songwriter, and actress (born 1981)

Morgan James is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She has appeared in numerous Broadway shows, including Motown: The Musical, Godspell, and The Addams Family.

<i>Ardipithecus</i> (album) 2015 studio album by Willow

Ardipithecus is the debut studio album by American singer Willow. It was released on December 11, 2015 through Roc Nation and Interscope Records. Willow is credited as sole songwriter on 11 tracks, and sole producer on 10 of them. The album also features contributions from Willow's brother Trey Smith, under the moniker AcE, and frequent collaborator Jabs. The track "F Q-C #8" was released as a single on May 7, 2015, with an accompanying music video. A video to the track "Why Don't You Cry" was also released.

<i>Daddy Long Legs</i> (musical) 2007 musical by Paul Gordon and John Caird

Daddy Long Legs is a stage musical with a book by John Caird, and music and lyrics by Paul Gordon. It is based on the 1912 novel of the same name by Jean Webster. Set in turn-of-the-century New England, the musical tells the story of orphan Jerusha Abbott of the John Grier Home and her mysterious benefactor who agrees to send her to college, who she dubs "Daddy Long Legs" after seeing his elongated shadow. Under the conditions of her benefactor, Jerusha sends him a letter once a month, describing her new-found experiences with life outside the orphanage.

<i>Hadestown</i> 2006 musical by Anaïs Mitchell

Hadestown is a sung-through musical with music, lyrics, and book by Anaïs Mitchell. It tells a version of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Eurydice, a young girl looking for something to eat, goes to work in a hellish industrial version of the Greek underworld to escape poverty and the cold, and her poor singer-songwriter lover Orpheus comes to attempt to rescue her.

"You Will Be Found" is the Act 1 finale of the 2015 musical Dear Evan Hansen, which premiered on Broadway in 2016. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul wrote both the music and lyrics to the song.

<i>Jagged Little Pill</i> (musical) 2018 rock musical

Jagged Little Pill is a jukebox musical with music by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard, lyrics by Morissette, and book by Diablo Cody, with additional music by Michael Farrell and Guy Sigsworth. The musical is inspired by the 1995 album of the same name by Morissette and deals with pain, healing, and empowerment. It premiered at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 5, 2018, directed by Diane Paulus.

<i>Six</i> (musical) British musical comedy

Six is a British musical comedy with music, book, and lyrics by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. It is a modern retelling of the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII, presented in the form of a pop concert. In the show, each of the wives take turns telling their story to determine who suffered the most from their common husband.

Broadway Records is a Grammy-winning record label specializing in releasing Broadway and off-Broadway cast recordings, as well as preserving legacy musical theatre and theatre vocalists repertoire. The president and founder is Van Dean.

"Somebody's Problem" is a song recorded by American country music singer Morgan Wallen. It was released on November 20, 2020 from his second studio album Dangerous: The Double Album. The song was co-written by Wallen, Ernest Keith Smith, Jacob Durrett and Rodney Clawson, and produced by Joey Moi.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Vincentelli, Elisabeth (January 15, 2021). "A 'Marvel Universe' for Musicals? Meet the Makers of Averno". The New York Times.
  2. ↑ "Call Answered: Morgan Smith Interview: Averno Universe, Willow on Broadway Records". Call Me Adam. Archived from the original on 2021-02-03.
  3. 1 2 Frederick, Brittany (January 21, 2021). "Averno Universe creator Morgan Smith on the ultimate world-building". TVBrittanyF.
  4. ↑ Sherman, Howard (February 19, 2021). "Creatives driven online are democratising musical theatre in unexpected ways". The Stage.
  5. 1 2 Williams, Ashley (January 28, 2021). "18-year-old Savannah composer's musical released on Broadway Records". WSAV-TV.
  6. ↑ BWW News Desk. "Broadway Records Announces Three-Album Partnership With the Creators of the Averno Universe". BroadwayWorld.com.
  7. 1 2 3 "New Concept Recording of BITTERSUMMER, Next Album in the AVERNO UNIVERSE, to be Released in June". BroadwayWorld.com. May 12, 2021.
  8. ↑ Harms, Talaura (January 19, 2021). "In the News: Daniella De Jesús Wins New Play Award, 2nd Averno Universe Album Released, More". Playbill.
  9. ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan (September 24, 2020). "Get a 1st Listen to Anastasia Star Christy Altomare Singing From New Musical Willow". Playbill.
  10. ↑ BWW News Desk. "OVER AND OUT, the Next Album in the Averno Universe, Released Today". BroadwayWorld.com.
  11. ↑ "The Departments EP". Averno Township.
  12. ↑ "Arcana". Averno Township.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.