Not often drawn to live orchestral music, Undertale LIVE was an exception. Fifth House Ensemble and AWR Music produced the world premier of this remarkable presentation January 11 at the ornate 700-seat Studebaker Theater. Similar to a movie shown with live orchestra accompanying, Undertale LIVE is a 90-minute performance by the 12-piece ensemble played below a screen on which a playthrough of the game was shown. The performance was flawless.

Released in 2015, Undertale looks for all the world like a primitive,16-bit generic fantasy video game, styled in the design of games released in the 1980s. But that look and the apparent simplicity are deceiving, and its intoxicating emotional depths have won it millions of fans.

Undertale, the game was developed by Toby Fox, who is also a self-taught musician. Its score, which was inspired by classic role-playing games, has won a number of awards, and critics say it is key to the game’s success.

For Undertale LIVE, Fox and Fifth House Ensemble artistic director Dan Visconti elaborated on the original game’s largely digital and technically constrained soundtrack. Adapted for a 12 piece orchestra for this performance, it featured new arrangements with percussion and electronics by music director Eric Roth with Chris Opperman. Featuring piano, bassoon, base, cello, violin, viola, flute, bassoon, drums, french horn, piccolo, and clarinet, along with the more primitive digital sounds of the game, the music stylistically combines thematic moments of caring with a quirky sense of humor. The musicians, wearing the game's signature Red Heart and whose backs were to the screen, played with a fervor that suggested they, too, were lovers of Undertale.

Exploring a secret world of monsters and adventure, Undertale the game is unique among role playing games, since it gives players the option to spare monsters - who have names like Metaton and Asriel - rather than just "kill everything." This gentler affect encourages players to empathize with those most unlike themselves. The game’s story and outcome are based entirely on the player’s choices.

In faithfulness to the game, the Undertale LIVE concert version gives the audience the opportunity to choose as well. Using their cellphones, the audience texts in a vote at eight or more points on whether to “Fight” or offer “Mercy.” A chipper “thanks for voting, human” is returned each time to your phone.

The group experience is one thing that makes Undertale LIVE so winning (though it is most engaging for its gamer fans ). As the various non-player characters from the game appear on the screen, the audience cheered in welcome. But it is the music that works for someone naïve to the game world.

"For me, part of the charm of classic ‘video game music,’ with its simple-sounding instruments and strong melodies, is that it leaves a space for the listener's imagination,” says Fox. “The simplicity becomes a blank canvas from which people can draw out more complicated or colorful arrangements.” Fox say he wanted a "more eclectic combination of instruments than a typical concert, so I believe it will be a really memorable experience in all respects.” Following last weekends two performances, a touring production of the concert is in the works by Fifth House Ensemble. https://undertalelive.com/

In the action in the game and in Undertale LIVE onstage, the player kills monsters to gain EXP and LV in order to progress. As we delve deeper into Undertale's plot we begin to realize that it's an analysis of what gamers take to be basic truths in games, and what anyone might recognize as a basic truth in life. Both become more challenging if we attempt them with the conventional game mindset of “kill or be killed.” (as is expressed by the NPC "Flowey" in the first few minutes of the game). Undertale becomes more rewarding for players who approach it in a more cooperative way.

While the nuance of the Undertale game plot is harder to pick up if you haven't been steeped in the culture of video games, the core message is something anyone can appreciate: regardless of how they may look, the “other” isn't inherently bad, even though our preconceptions may tell us so. If we take the time to try and understand them, they may surprise us and become some of our favorite people. In a fantasy world full of monsters, it is a human message that is perceivable by all. 

On stage in Undertale LIVE, fans get to share their personal experience of the game with newcomers in the wider world. through an interactive show, high quality production, and a beautifully orchestrated score. Underale LIVE is a fantastic show for gamers, for people interested in musical innovation, and for anyone who enjoys an enriching live performance. Learn more at https://undertalelive.com/