A musical adaptation of new setting and time period for BioShock 4, Rapture continues to be the franchise's most iconic and beloved locale.
Established as an objectivist utopia by business tycoon Andrew Ryan, Rapture is in an apocalyptic state when players visit in BioShock. The underwater metropolis was built to allow artists, industrialists and scientists to live outside of government control, leading to great technological and cultural strides. However, the population of Rapture became reliant on gene splicing technology, and civil unrest led to a bloody civil war which broke out on New Year's Eve of 1959. BioShock and BioShock 2 let players explore the water-logged ruins of this once beautiful society, and fan projects like a BioShock mod for Half-Life: Alyx demonstrate ongoing nostalgia for the submerged setting.
The Powerhouse choir from Burbank, California's John Burroughs High School recently swept the Hart Encore 2022 competition with a show based on BioShock. According to Showchoir, Powerhouse's performance won first place for Musicianship, Showmanship and Best Soloist, sweeping all three Mixed Division categories. A video of the performance, posted to YouTube by Rob Arroyo, shows exactly why Powerhouse was so well-received. The stage design and wardrobe perfectly capture BioShock's 1950s aesthetic, and the music is inspired heavily by that same period. For example, Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary" is performed with the words "rolling on the river" replaced by "rolling underwater" to fit Rapture. The choir even inhabits iconic characters like Andrew Ryan and Sander Cohen, artfully adapting Rapture's downfall.
BioShock 4's setting is still a mystery, and many fans are more interested in simply returning to Rapture. A possible next-gen remake of BioShock has been rumored by fans, and the ability for modern technology to replicate water physics makes the idea very appealing. BioShock established many modern first-person shooter trends, like swapping between superpowers in one hand and guns in another, so gameplay itself would need very little fixing. Instead, a BioShock remake could mainly focus on recapturing the iconic architecture, dazzling technology and violent denizens of Rapture.
John Burroughs High School Powerhouse choir's musical adaptation of BioShock manages to perfectly capture the glitz, glamour and grotesque aspects of Rapture. The wardrobe and set dressing perfectly recreate the sunken setting, and the music reflects the retro vibe of Andrew Ryan's dystopian metropolis. By sweeping the Hart Encore 2022 completion, the Powerhouse choir has proven that BioShock never goes out of style.
Source: Showchoir, Rob Arroyo/YouTube
