The Mario Opera returns for one-off show in New York City this weekend
"Song-a-Day" project creator Jonathan Mann and his band The Everymen will perform a one-off edition of his Mario opera in New York City this weekend.
Mann's project has seen him write and post a new song every day to his YouTube channel since January 2009, earning him cult status in the States and beyond. Although the Mario Opera was borne out of a 2005 university thesis, his music project has brought it to the internet's attention.
In an interview with Polygon, Mann said of the project, "My Song A Day thing has gotten pretty big, but the thing that I get recognized the most for on the street randomly is The Mario Opera. People will be like, 'Oh, you're the guy that made The Mario Opera,' and [I'll be] like, 'Yep.' And that's really strange to me, but that's what it is."
Later on he added, "I was getting the sense that somebody was going to [...] come and take these old video games and make them into some kind of stage thing," he said. "I knew that was going to happen, and I really wanted to be one of the first to bring that to life."
He just did that in the form of The Mario Opera, and after a long absence he's performing it again this Saturday, August 17, at Joe's Pub, Manhattan. You can buy tickets here.
Check out the interview above and let us know what you think of the concept.