It’s baaaaack. And it’s bigger and more demigodly than ever. The Lightning Thief Musical arrives Off-Broadway beginning March 23.
According to Rick Riordan, best-selling author of the Percy Jackson series, his titular hero will make his return to the public-eye, this time, as a new exciting, extended, extraordinary musical!
Yep, it’s true! What is more, it turns out that Percy is no stranger to the stage for quite some time. The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical was introduced to NYC by Theatreworks USA back in 2014, as part of its free theatre series. Back then, the musical was one hour long, with a smaller cast. Now, however, we are talking about a BRAND-NEW PRODUCTION! this new adaptation comes complete with a new score, an updated, expanded script including a second act, a larger cast and will feature a live band.
According to Barbara Pasternack of Theatreworks NYC:
“Our initial production of The Lightning Thief, was a huge critical and audience success, and continues to gather fans around the country. But, honestly condensing the novel into an hour was challenging; the dream was always to make this production bigger and better, to flesh out characters, deepen relationships and include more of the quest – and that’s just what we’ve done. We could not be more thrilled by this updated version, with some great new songs, a second act and a larger cast. And to top it all off, we could not be more excited to have Chris McCarrell as our Percy, he has that perfect combination of charm and talent to make this show exciting and entertaining for all ages.”
Synopsis
Percy Jackson has newly discovered powers he can’t control, monsters on his trail, and he is on a quest to find Zeus’s lightning bolt and prevent a war between the Greek gods. Normal is a myth when you’re a demigod. Based on the best- selling Disney-Hyperion novel by Rick Riordan, featuring live music, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is an action-packed theatrical adventure that will rock your world.
The Percy Jackson Musical comes at a time when another play about another children’s fantasy hero is also getting rave reviews (although its plot is the subject of much indignation) – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. So, is this where things are headed? Is a theatre show the new status symbol of successful literary franchises?
Then again, considering that the Percy Jackson movies seem to be going nowhere, perhaps a stage-musical will do the trick. We certainly don’t mind seeing more of Riordan’s work come to life. But is the musical any good? Well, seems like there’d be no point asking Riordan about it, seeing as he admits:
I haven’t seen the play myself, but that is just my own personal quirk. I get weirded-out seeing or hearing adaptations of my written work. I can’t listen to my audiobooks. And the movies . . . well, as you may know, I never saw them, thank the gods. I haven’t seen the play either, but I can heartily endorse it based on feedback from the people I care about most — my readers.
And that’s probably what you should do, too. Listen to your friends, or check it out for yourself. But if you do, better heed the author’s warning, to “beware of gorgons and random bolts of lightning, and be on the lookout for incognito gods in the audience. They love seeing plays about themselves.”
For tickets and Additional Information
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical
Written by Joe Tracz and Rob Rokicki, Directed by Stephen Brackett
Choreographed by Patrick McCollum, Musical Direction by Wiley DeWeese, Fight Direction by Rod Kinter
Orchestrations by Wiley Deweese & Rob Rokicki
Begins performances on March 23 – May 6, 2017. Opening night is Tuesday. April 4.
