He has no will of his own, but he thinks he does
The Mario Opera is an incomplete three-act Super Mario Bros. fan Rock Opera written by Jonathan Mann. Originally produced in 2005, it toured around Los Angeles before closing. It additionally had a one-night-only revival in 2013, with a slightly altered scenario and lyrics.
The story is a comedic, deconstructive take on the plot of the original Super Mario Bros.. After arriving in the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario falls in love with the beautiful Princess Peach, and the two are quickly set to be married. But when the evil King Bowser kidnaps her, Mario learns just how far he'll go to save her, and how far he's already gone. Because everyone except Mario knows the truth of his existence: He's nothing more than a video game character who's lived and died millions of times...
A website with general information about the 2005 version of the show, including a synopsis of the first act, can be found here,
and the 2013 version's first act can be found here. Act 2 and 3 demos can be found here.
This opera contains examples of:
- And Then What?: As Act 2 opens, Bowser has no idea what to do after Mario is killed.
- Back from the Dead: After dying, Mario meets Shigeru Miyamoto in Heaven and decides to stay in the game and save Peach, coming back to life shortly after.
- Cliffhanger: Act 1 ends with Mario dying at the hands of a Magikoopa.
- Composite Character: Ludwig von Koopa has elements of himself and Bowser Jr., being the only heir to Bowser's throne and a schemer in his own right.
- Dramatic Irony: Everyone except Mario knows the truth of his situation, creating much angst for him and general doubt and confusion.
- Fighting from the Inside: Luigi fights Ludwig's control and is eventually able to break free completely.
- Fourth-Date Marriage: Mario and Peach are set to be wed only a month after Mario's arrival in the Mushroom Kingdom.
- He's Back!: After meeting Miyamoto and learning the truth, Mario chooses to come back to life to set the story straight, teaming up with Luigi soon after returning from the dead.
- I Just Want to Be Special: According to the backstory, Mario lived his whole life with the niggling sense he was destined for something greater.
- It Gets Easier: Mario's doubt and anger at killing a Goomba soon fades as he realizes how right it felt, and before long he's slinging fireballs and jumping on Koopas with abandon.
- Lighter and Softer: The 2013 version gave Peach more heartwarming lines about her love for Mario instead of shallower lines about Mario loving her letters and dress, and changed the Goomba's taunts about what Bowser is doing to Peach in captivity to much softer lines.
- Love at First Sight: Mario and Peach fell in love immediately, and the story starts at their wedding.
- Lyrical Dissonance: The "Freakout!" song is about Mario lamenting what he's become and how easy killing feels. It's set to a happy, upbeat tune that segues into the Super Mario Bros. theme.
- No Ending: The Act 2 and 3 demos end as Mario and Luigi finally journey together to stop Ludwig and Bowser, before the plot is resolved.
- Noticing the Fourth Wall: After dying, Mario meets Shigeru Miyamoto at the end of Act 2 and learns the truth of his existence as a game character.
- Off the Rails: Everything goes haywire when a Magikoopa successfully kills Mario, sending the story off-rails and leaving the characters in a state of confusion. Peach decides to marry Bowser to unite the kingdoms, Bowser has no idea what to do next, and Ludwig summons Luigi and brainwashes him to do what Mario couldn't so he can take over instead.
- Rage Breaking Point: Mario tries to contain his anger when confronting the Goomba, only to succumb to it after one too many taunts and kill him.
- Save the Princess: Despite his doubts, Mario heads off to save Peach from Bowser.
- The Starscream: Ludwig plans to betray his father and take over both kingdoms by brainwashing Luigi.
- Starter Villain: The infamous first Goomba is the first challenge Mario faces, and jumping on it changes the power dynamics almost instantly.
- These Hands Have Killed: Mario is initially devastated over killing the Goomba, as while it was evil, it was alive and sentient.
- Trigger Phrase: Luigi is brainwashed into being a killing machine, but when he hears "Your Princess is in another castle" he'll become docile.
- Tyke-Bomb: Ludwig summons and brainwashes Luigi into being a Koopa-killing machine.
- Wedding Smashers: Bowser and his troops interrupt Mario's wedding and abduct Peach.
- With Lyrics: Many of the songs are taken from the games and given lyrics.
