2 of 3
In !Hero, in contrast to the earlier rock operas about Jesus, there is indeed a resurrection at the end, though the listener doesn't actually hear Hero's return on this concept album. In fact, the CD's ending is underwhelming, relying on the testimonies of Agent Hunter and Maggie. Word is that the stage version will feature a more definitive resurrection.
The comic books are the work of Ross Lawhead, once a Forefront Records intern, and his father, best-selling Christian fiction author Stephen R. Lawhead. A four-part series, the comics are also bundled together (in a shrewd marketing plan) as a graphic novel with a fifth chapter not sold separately. It is a handsomely rendered work that falls between outlandish Japanimation and traditional comic book art. And as is expected from this medium, it also puts the "graphic" in graphic novel, not shying away from the harsh reality of suffering and evil and the high cost of Hero's sacrifice. (Both the graphic novel and the promotional video feature a stark image of Hero crucified on a street sign.)
After the comics were well under way, the senior Lawhead approached DeGarmo with the idea of novelizing the story. With the first of the trilogy, City of Dreams, Lawhead adds detail and texture to the world established in the rock opera and the comics, developing the political tension that is the backdrop to the story of Jesus. (The novel opens with a massacre reminiscent of the Masada siege in A.D. 73.)
The !Hero blitz begins with the September 2 release of the CD, the first novel, and the comics, followed by the 21-city tour beginning in November.1 !Hero is certainly one of the loudest rock operas to be developed, even eclipsing the heavy vibe of the late Jonathan Larson's 1996 musical smash, Rent. It's Evanescence meets Eminem, blending electronica and modern rock with hip-hop and pop.
DeGarmo has consulted a number of theater experts for advice on bringing the musical to the stage, including the great producer Cameron Mackintosh (Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Cats). Yet according to DeGarmo, Broadway is not necessarily the goal. "If the Lord's willing and !Hero goes to Broadway, that's great. But I'm not really trying to compete with Broadway. I just know rock 'n' roll and I understand drama, so I've combined the two to create rock theatre. I really felt like I was supposed to do this. And if it fails, I'll still say I was supposed to do this."
George Grant, enlisted by the production team as a consultant to ensure that their modernized take on the gospel was handled with care, has given !Hero his stamp of approval, calling it a "tool of evangelism," which is exactly what DeGarmo envisioned it to be. "My hope for !Hero," DeGarmo says, "is that it will serve to engage kids and to get them talking about the gospel. I'm not even trying to direct the outcome of the conversation necessarily. I just want to get them talking about Jesus."
While !Hero isn't ground breaking in the same way that Jesus Christ Superstar and Tommy were for their time, it is unquestionably intriguing in its vision and ambitious in its goals. Will kids flock to see it because it's fresh and features some of their favorite artists, or will they avoid it because they perceive it as another trite musical? Will adults rush to see a quality Christian musical in the idiom of their teenage children? Will non-Christians go out of their way to see an openly evangelical rock opera? Will telling the story in multiple media help it to penetrate the imagination of an already oversaturated audience to become one of those works that mysteriously manage to leave a mark on their culture?
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