Zegen--wait for it--dary!

Photo Credit: Zegend of Lelda

If any of you guys are going to be in the New York area June 8-12 and have an extra $18 lying around, you might want to check out The Zegend of Lelda: A New Musical Presented in 8 Bits. It's from the creators of Oedipus for Kids, which I know nothing about, but I feel the title probably says it all. To me, it sounds like a can't miss.

Zegend is actually a fifteen-minute excerpt from the full musical, and is running as part of the 2011 West Village Musical Theatre Festival. From Broadway World:

Who can forget the first time they grabbed their pixelated sword, clutching a wooden shield while fighting off nightmarish monsters in order to collect some weird triangles and save the princess? Or the blinding glow of that golden video game cartridge as you screamed over the eight-bit soundtrack that you'd be down for dinner in just a minute, which easily turned into four hours? Now, one of the most epic and enduring video game series of all time is presented as it was meant to be: as a musical, on stage, and in a fully non-copyright-infringing manner. Join us for this Zegendary adventure, and all attendees who come in costume will receive a free feeling of satisfaction from dressing up in costume in a public place.


With music and book by Robert J. Saferstein and lyrics and book by Gil Varod, THE ZEGEND OF LELDA is a hysterical journey through the video game world in search of bored fairies, questionable power ups, and a chorus of singing deformed villains. Watch as the hero Zink (Ronen Bay) and his trusted friends Boomy (Zack Moody), Sierra Myst (Zoe Farmingdale), and Old Man (Sean Ward) fight to save Princess Lelda (Susanne Nancy Kobb) and the kingdom of Tall-rule from the evil Dannon (Steve Copps) and his Shmoblins (Steve Walker and Amy Van Deusen). Direction is by Ron Grimshaw. Piano and Musical Direction are by Brenna Sage. Featuring vocal arrangements by Scott Stein and guitar by Natalia Garrido Rosa.

Honestly, if I were going to be back in NY, I'd find the eighteen bucks. This is a great chance to see some up-and-coming talent performing new musicals with a variety of styles and subject matter, from some amazing new playwrites and composers. I checked out the line-up, and there is definitely something for everyone, and worst case scenario, the whole thing will be over in an hour and a half. I'm just going to hold my breath and hope there's a cast recording someday.