Jonathan Mann, the musician who created the Mario Opera nearly a decade ago, has put the rock opera's first act on YouTube.
The work is a tribute to Donkey Kong/Super Mario Bros. creator Shigeru Miyamoto, whom Mann calls a creative role model and personal inspiration. Mann performed the musical another 30 times over the next 18 months before ending the show, citing burnout and concerns over licensing.
The Mario Opera returned for a single night in August 2013. The video is of that performance. Until now, there hasn't been a way to see more than just excerpts from the show online. The opening number, "The Welcome Song," is above. The remainder of the first act, including his ode to Miyamoto, can be viewed at this playlist.
"I'm really proud of the Mario Opera," Mann writes. "I think it's a great show that anyone who grew up playing Mario will appreciate and enjoy, and there are moments that will give you genuine feels." While bringing the show back for one night in 2013 was an "amazing" experience, he felt that to attempt to fund ongoing production of the show with a Kickstarter would force a confrontation with Nintendo.
The Mario Opera is not Mann's only noteworthy venture; he has been writing and performing a song a day on YouTube, doing so continually since January 2009. (He's currently on song number 2,051). His work has earned him about 26,000 subscribers and nearly 14 million views, has been featured in major mainstream media and even was recognized by Apple with an appearance in an iPhone advertisement.