Live from Mount Olympus * A Refreshing Take on Greek Mythology with Witty Narration
Combining the talent of contemporary theater with the power of Greek myths, this podcast is an audio adventure for audiences of all ages. When young Perseus makes a rash promise to save his mother from the clutches of an evil king, he has to strike out on a dangerous quest. Hermes, god of luck and thieves (Hadestown’s André De Shields), is the host for this tale of terrifying monsters, powerful gods, and a brave girl who will change our hero’s life forever. This is a production of the Onassis Foundation.
KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Eshaan M. comments, “Live from Mount Olympus is a fresh take on effervescent Greek mythology with witty narration and amazing production quality that is sure to hook any and all listeners and spark an interest in these ancient stories.” Alma K. adds, “The Live from Mount Olympus podcast is great. It’s really engaging and it follows one of my favorite topics — Greek mythology.” Kyla C. says, “Many traditional stories include mythical elements and Live From Mount Olympus uses plenty of these, including sea serpents, gorgons, gods, royalty and so much more. Along with these elements, realistic sound effects are used to pull you in so that you can’t stop hitting the next play button!” Avalon N. concludes with, “The message is to be careful what you promise to do and take things seriously when you are considering doing something.” See their full reviews and talent interview below.
Live from Mount Olympus
By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15
Live from Mount Olympus is a fresh take on effervescent Greek mythology with witty narration and amazing production quality that is sure to hook any and all listeners and spark an interest in these ancient stories.
This TRAX podcast, backed by the Onassis Foundation, centers around Perseus (Divine Garland), our young hero who you may know from the Medusa myth. Perseus makes a rash promise to save his mother from an evil king and embarks upon several crazy adventures along the way. The show is narrated by Perseus’ sibling, another son of Zeus, Hermes (André De Shields), god of luck and thieves. The podcast has everything mythology fans will love: terrifying monsters, rich plot lines, powerful gods, the quintessential Greek theatrical elements of family, love and discovering oneself and your capabilities.
Live from Mount Olympus is produced by the Onassis Foundation. Many of the individuals on the podcast’s team are Tony award-winners or Peabody-award winners, and their prowess shows. The brilliantly-designed audio blends rich, mellifluous background music with spry, enthralling and engaging narration. Perseus’ and Hermes’ witty repartee also invites even those who loathe mythology (who could?) to listen to the podcast. Even though it’s a podcast, I could visualize all the characters right in front of me, especially the Gorgons and other monsters. Overall, the voice acting and production quality combine to make this podcast an even more fun and enriching experience!
Live from Mount Olympus promotes messages of perseverance, courage and exploration – three key elements to any Greek hero. It’s a great podcast for young kids to listen to in their free time for entertainment purposes; they’ll surely pick up some positive qualities from the podcast.
I give Live from Mount Olympus 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 9 to 18. Adults will enjoy this podcast as well. You can listen to Live from Mount Olympus on TRAX at https://www.trax.fm/live-from-mount-olympus
Live from Mount Olympus
By Alma K., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11
The Live from Mount Olympus podcast is great. It’s really engaging and it follows one of my favorite topics — Greek mythology. The introduction introduces Perseus and it’s amazing how they bring this story to life! — even in the introduction.
The storyline follows Perseus, son of Zeus and princess Danae. Baby Perseus, due to a prophecy of him killing his grandfather, is locked in a wooden crate along with his mother and pushed out to sea. The crate lands on Seriphus, where Perseus grows up, oblivious to his destiny. When King Polydectes tries to force Danae to marry him, Perseus makes a crazy vow to save his mother from the evil king and it leads him on all sorts of quests. Medusa? Sea monsters? The titan Atlas? Bring it on!
I’ve read a lot of mythology and know that when a God has a child with a mortal, that child is considered a demigod. Demi means half, which means that person is half-god. The most famous demigods in Greek Mythology are Heracles and Perseus. This is a great introduction to the myth of Perseus. When I read about Perseus, his story is barely mentioned, because there was so much else to talk about. This podcast is a really nice presentation of Perseus’ story. It’s super engaging.
I love how writers Alexie Basil and Nathan Yungerberg wrote it so it is very lifelike and you feel as if you are actually there watching it all. I also like the accent of Andromeda; when I heard that, I sort of perked up. It makes you pay attention. Tony Award-winner Andre De Shields voices Hermes, messenger of the gods and narrator of the show. He just makes you want to keep listening! The only issue I have is that sometimes the tone of the voiceovers doesn’t match the words they are saying. The entire podcast is super engaging. I don’t think I could imagine a better adaptation of the myth of Perseus.
The podcast teaches multiple lessons – think before you speak; listen to your parents; don’t make rash promises are a few.
I really like Live from Mount Olympus and rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars. It’s engaging; it’s amazing. I recommend it for ages 4 to 18, plus adults. If a person enjoys Greek mythology, this podcast is a must. Even my five-year-old brother was hooked! You can listen to Live from Mount Olympus on TRAX at https://www.trax.fm/live-from-mount-olympus
Live From Mount Olympus
By Kyla C, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 11
Live From Mount Olympus is an interesting podcast retelling the Greek myth of Perseus with a few flaws, but plenty of mythical elements, characterized voice acting, and nice sound effects. This is a great podcast for kids and young teens who love myths!
This podcast follows Perseus (Divine Garland) as he braves the quest of collecting the gorgon Medusa’s head. In addition to this mission, the episodes reveal some interesting relationships as Perseus journeys home. If you always wanted to know what happened from the time Perseus gets Medusa’s head to when he returns to his island, this podcast is for you.
Many traditional stories include mythical elements and Live From Mount Olympus uses plenty of these, including sea serpents, gorgons, gods, royalty and so much more. Along with these elements, realistic sound effects are used to pull you in so that you can’t stop hitting the next play button! Sound effects are vital because there is nothing on the screen to guide you. Natural sounds like birds, rushing water and wind are often in the background, making it more realistic. Sometimes podcasts only have background noises when it is important to the plot, but that is Live from Mount Olympus makes full use of them throughout each episode.
Voice acting is the key aspect when creating podcasts and the actors have to use the tone of their voices to help the audience understand what’s going on. Most of these episodes have plenty of characterized acting, but in some action scenes it is hard to understand exactly what is happening. Sometimes the suspense level is low because I was not sure what was going on. For example, in Medusa’s cave, it is supposed to be a very breathtaking moment. I found that, because I was unsure where everyone is or what they’re doing, it lost some excitement. The characters are noticeably different in this podcast than in the original stories. This could be disappointing if you’re hoping for more character connections to those stories. Perseus does not have as much pride as his character originally had, and has other personality differences.
The message of this podcast is “do not let your pride get in the way. Showing how bravery is rewarded is another component. “
I give Live From Mount Olympus 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 7 to 13. Listen to Live From Mount Olympus on Trax at https://www.trax.fm/live-from-mount-olympus
Live From Mount Olympus
Avalon N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12
The podcast Live From Mount Olympus tells an intriguing tale filled with action and adventure, that is sure to leave you itching to hear the next episode.
The podcast is based on Greek mythology, narrated by Andre De Shields as the voice of Hermes, the ancient God of thieves, luck and much more. Divine Garland plays the role of a boy named Perseus, who is the son of Zeus, God of the sky and leader of the Olympians and Jullian Walker plays Danea. Perseus makes a rash promise to an evil king to save his mom and ends up embarking on a dangerous journey.
This podcast is about characters from Greek mythology that go on a new quest which is not from the original Greek myths. The voice actors all make this feel like a story that is taking place. We hear a range of emotions in their voices from fear to annoyance, and more. They make this new story something that makes history believable. The sound effects are excellent and really enhance the story. This is a podcast where sometimes things get really fast and intense, but you can easily figure out what is happening – especially if you are into Greek mythology. It is an amazing podcast which I hope will have a sequel.
The message is to be careful what you promise to do and take things seriously when you are considering doing something. In this story, Perseus makes a rash promise without knowing what he has to do to save his mom. He ends up getting a task that some people think is impossible. If he had thought more about what he said, he might not have been stuck with the situation that he was.
I give Live From Mount Olympus 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 9 to18, plus adults. I also recommend you review the original story of Perseus before you listen to this. This is an adventure you will not want to miss. You can listen to Live From Mount Olympus on TRAX at https://www.trax.fm/live-from-mount-olympus.
