The Lightning Thief (musical)

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The Lightning Thief
The Percy Jackson Musical
The Lightning Thief The Percy Jackson Musical poster.jpg
Off-Broadway promotional poster
Music Rob Rokicki
LyricsRob Rokicki
Book Joe Tracz
Basis The Lightning Thief
by Rick Riordan
PremiereJuly 21, 2014: Lucille Lortel Theatre, New York City
Productions2014 Off-Broadway
2015 First US tour
2017 Off-Broadway revival
2019 Second US tour
2019 Broadway

The Lightning Thief is a musical with music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki and a book by Joe Tracz, based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Rick Riordan. The musical follows Percy Jackson, a 12-year-old boy who newly discovers that he is a demigod and goes on a quest to find Zeus' missing lightning bolt and prevent a war between the Greek gods.

Contents

Background

The musical was initially introduced in New York City Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre by Theatreworks USA in 2014 as a one-hour musical, part of its free theatre series, and went on to a national tour. [1] A new version, with a new score and an updated, expanded script was produced with previews from March 23, 2017, and an official opening on April 4 and a last performance on May 6 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. [2] This production had a new cast, except for Kristin Stokes as Annabeth Chase. The show began a national tour in Chicago in 2019. [3]

The Lightning Thief then played a 16-week limited run on Broadway, beginning previews September 20 and opened on October 16 at the Longacre Theatre, [4] with the national tour cast reprising their roles. [5] The musical closed on Broadway on January 5, 2020, and a national tour was scheduled to begin in late 2020. [6]

The musical premiered in the UK on March 16, 2022 in a production by a theatre group at the University of Leeds. [7]

It has also been adapted to a Japanese version, premiering in Tokyo on September 19, 2022. [8]

Synopsis

Act 1

Percy Jackson, a 12-year-old boy with ADHD and dyslexia, is on a field trip to the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. While there, his substitute pre-algebra teacher, Mrs. Dodds, asks to speak with him. Once alone, Mrs. Dodds transforms into a Fury, a mythological Greek demon of Hades. Thanks to a pen that transforms into a sword named Riptide, thrown to Percy by his Latin teacher, Mr. Brunner, Percy manages to fend off and vaporize Mrs. Dodds. After this incident, Percy is expelled from his school due to him failing to stay with the group, and him already being on probation. When Percy tries to explain what happened, he is shocked to find that neither Mr. Brunner, his best friend Grover Underwood, nor anyone else remembers Mrs. Dodds ("Prologue/The Day I Got Expelled"). Percy says goodbye to them and heads home for summer vacation.

Back at his apartment, his mother, Sally Jackson, seems to understand and even forgive Percy's expulsion, while her husband, Gabe Ugliano, does not. “Smelly” Gabe abuses Percy, and Sally confesses she needs to tell him about his father, who left before Percy was born. Percy, extremely bitter about his father and upset with himself for being expelled yet again, laments on his actions, being increasingly hard upon himself. Sally assures Percy the quirks and abnormalities of someone is what makes them special ("Strong"). Sally takes Percy to the beach where she met Percy's father, and the two run into Grover. Shockingly for Percy, Grover turns out to actually be a satyr, a Greek goat-like protector.

Suddenly, a Minotaur (half-bull, half-man) attacks the trio. Sally sacrifices herself so that Percy and Grover can make it to a place she calls "camp". The Minotaur kills Sally right before Percy's eyes who, in vengeance of his mother, finishes him off. Percy is kicked in the head and falls unconscious, where he dreams of a man in a Hawaiian shirt, who gives him a seashell, claiming, "What belongs to the sea can always return to the sea" ("The Minotaur/The Weirdest Dream").

When Percy awakes, he finds himself in a place called Camp Half-Blood. The shell the strange man in his dream gifted him remains in his pocket. The camp director, Mr. D (who is actually Dionysus, god of wine and madness), reluctantly explains to Percy that he is a demigod, the son of a human and a Greek god ("Another Terrible Day"). Mr. Brunner (who is really Chiron, an immortal centaur), is also at the camp and explains to Percy that the gods will send a sign to claim him. However, Percy is still skeptical and angry that his father has shown no sign of care for him all these years. Luke Castellan, a nineteen-year-old son of Hermes, sympathizes with Percy, telling him that many half-bloods never know their godly parents, as they are not claimed ("Their Sign").

Percy settles in and meets several other campers such as Silena Beauregard (a daughter of Aphrodite), Katie Gardner (a daughter of Demeter), Clarisse La Rue (a daughter of Ares who takes an immediate disliking to Percy), and Annabeth Chase (a daughter of Athena who took care of Percy while he was unconscious). Annabeth quickly takes the helm of the leader during a game of capture the flag, instructing Percy to sit and wait in the boys' bathroom to assure he won't "mess things up". Clarisse singles him out and tries to "pulverize" him, but the toilets unexpectedly burst to life, dousing her ("Put You in Your Place"). After things settle down, the campers, bar Clarisse, join around the campfire and vent about their unsteady, and in some cases harmful, relationships with both their godly and mortal parents ("Campfire Song").

Percy is claimed as the son of Poseidon, god of the sea, and it is at once rumored that Zeus' lightning bolt has been stolen and Percy is the number one suspect. Percy is told he and two others must go on a quest to retrieve the bolt, to prevent a war between the gods. He is also sent to receive a prophecy from the Oracle of Delphi ("The Oracle"). After the Oracle's prophecy, Percy is upset that he has to leave Camp Half-Blood for a quest that will be unsuccessful, and in turn, externalizes his grievances ("Good Kid"). Percy however, only accepts the quest because Luke hints that his mom will be in the Underworld, the target location of the search since Hades is the rumored real thief. Annabeth and Grover force themselves into the quest, and after a pair of winged shoes is given to them by Luke, the three are pushed into the woods with little care and protection ("Killer Quest!").

Act 2

The three questers have just escaped a bus, attacked by the three Furies. Just after blowing it up, they become hopelessly lost ("Lost!"). In a frantic decision, Percy suggests they should enter Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium. The strange Auntie Em requests to take pictures of the three, but is revealed to actually be Medusa. Percy cuts off her head with his pen/sword, Riptide, and, as a joke, sends the head to the gods over the mail. Annabeth seems particularly upset with this run-in, so while Grover scouts out their surroundings, Percy confronts her about this. She confesses that for her whole life she has been ignored by everyone around her, and is desperate for a chance to prove herself to Athena, her mother, and make the history books ("My Grand Plan").

Grover returns with train tickets to St. Louis and they set off, encountering many dangers such as a Chimera, nasty storms, some dam snacks, and the Lotus Hotel and Casino. They also meet up with Ares, who gives them a lift to Nevada ("Drive"). While on a bus ride to Los Angeles, Percy has a dream of a man speaking with someone whom the man refers to as "my lord". The powerful voice mentions sacrifices and brings up a name, Thalia ("The Weirdest Dream Reprise"). Percy wakes with a jolt and asks Grover if he has ever heard of someone named Thalia. Grover confides that a few years back he was sent to escort Luke, Annabeth and Thalia Grace, Zeus's daughter, to camp. However, the team was attacked, and Grover failed to save Thalia, who ended up sacrificing herself, and being turned into the tree that protects the borders of Camp Half-Blood. He holds himself responsible and thinks Percy will be ashamed of him ("The Tree on the Hill"). Percy assures Grover that no matter who he is or what he does, Percy will always want him as a friend.

The trio arrive in the Underworld, where they are given a tour of the horror by Charon and several long-dead musicians ("DOA"). Percy realizes that the lightning bolt is hidden in his backpack, and the three work out the possibilities of how it could have gotten there. An incident where Percy is nearly dragged into Tartarus by the shoes Luke gave him occurs and the group is discovered. After a brief conversation with an innocent Hades, Percy withdraws the shell from his pocket and blows it, realizing it was from Poseidon, and it opens a portal out of the Underworld. Vowing to return to save his mom, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover escape. Percy hypothesizes that Ares is the one who planted the bolt in his bag and comes to terms with both himself and Poseidon, declaring himself a son of Poseidon, and uses his gift with water and the help of Annabeth and Grover to best Ares ("Son of Poseidon").

The trio return to camp heroes, but Percy couldn't be more troubled. He confides in Luke that he feels just as confused as before, and Luke agrees, stating he felt similar after his own quest. Luke inadvertently tells Percy that he is the true lightning thief and that he has teamed up with Kronos to get back at the gods, who he feels have done him wrong ("The Last Day of Summer"). Luke attacks Percy and escapes. Percy declares that there will be a war no matter how they try to stall it, but he and his friends will be prepared and do whatever it takes to fight it ("Bring on the Monsters").

Principal roles and original cast

Character(s) Off-Broadway
(2014)		First US tour
(2015) [9] 		Off-Broadway revival
(2017)		Second US tour and Broadway
(2019)
Percy Jackson Eric MeyersTroy Iwata Chris McCarrell
Annabeth Chase Kristin StokesRebecca DuckworthKristin Stokes
Grover Underwood Jordan StanleyJon Friestedt George Salazar Jorrel Javier
Mr. D (Dionysus) Parker DrownMatt Hill
Luke Castellan, Ares, & GabeJames Hayden Rodriguez
Charon Carrie CompereJalynn Steele
Silena Beauregard—
Sally Jackson & Oracle Zakiya YoungAllison Hunt
Mrs. Dodds & Clarisse La RueSarah Beth Pfeifer
Katie Gardner—
Mr. Brunner/Chiron, Poseidon, Hades, & Medusa Graham StevensDean LinnardJonathan Raviv Ryan Knowles
Kronos —

In the album the following people played the following extra characters: James Hayden Rodriguez (Conductor, James Brown, Mozart, and Vienna Boy), Jonathan Raviv/Ryan Knowles (Tractor Guy, Kurt Cobain, and Vienna Boy), Sarah Beth Pfeifer (Reporter, Bianca Di Angelo, Janis Joplin, and Vienna Boy), and Carrie Compere/Jalynn Steele (Echidna).

Musical numbers

Original Off-Broadway / First US Tour
Off-Broadway revival / Second US Tour / Original Broadway

Recording

The Off-Broadway revival cast album was released on July 7, 2017. For a limited-time, Broadway Records offered a special package that included an official Lightning Thief T-shirt in addition to a physical copy of the cast album. [10]

A deluxe version of the Off-Broadway revival cast album was released on December 6, 2019. The album contains 5 cut songs sung by members of the Broadway cast.

A karaoke album was also released on December 6, containing the songs "Good Kid", "Killer Quest!", "My Grand Plan", "The Tree On The Hill", and "Bring On The Monsters". [11]

Critical response

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical received positive reviews from critics off-Broadway. Fern Siegel, for The Huffington Post , praised the musical for its dialogue, story and cast, calling it "a reminder that Off-Broadway is an important venue for musicals", [12] while Raven Snook, for Time Out , describe it as "worthy of the gods". [13]

Frank Scheck, in reviewing the production for The Hollywood Reporter , wrote that the musical "proves far more enjoyable than the misbegotten 2010 film version or its 2013 sequel" and "also provides an excellent if irreverent introduction to Greek mythology that just might persuade some kids to dig deeper." [14]

The national tour received mostly positive reviews. Chris Jones, of The Chicago Tribune , wrote "the lively pop score has a distinct forward drive, a nice amount of musical diversity and a few terrific balladic showcases for the two top-drawer actor-singers in the show". [15]

The show opened on Broadway to widely negative reviews. Jesse Green, the co-chief theater critic for The New York Times , wrote, "it is both overblown and underproduced, filled with sentiments it can't support and effects it can't pull off". He criticized the show as having "all the charm of a tension headache". [16]

In its limited run at the University of Leeds the musical garnered positive reviews. Particular praise was given to the leads and strong direction and choreography. [17] [18]

Rick Riordan has admitted that he has not seen the production himself, but was supportive of it based on fan feedback. [19]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResult
2015Lucille Lortel AwardOutstanding MusicalNominated
Off Broadway AllianceBest Family ShowNominated
2017 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Musical Nominated
Outstanding Book of a Musical Joe TraczNominated
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical George Salazar Nominated

Related Research Articles

<i>The Lightning Thief</i> American childrens novel, 2005, first in the Percy Jackson series

The Lightning Thief is a 2005 American fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first children's novel by Rick Riordan. The opening installment in the series Percy Jackson & the Olympians, the book was recognized among the year's best for children. Riordan followed the novel with various books and spin-off series, spawning the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles media franchise.

<i>Percy Jackson & the Olympians</i> Childrens fantasy adventure series

Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a series of fantasy novels written by American author Rick Riordan. The first book series in his Camp Half-Blood Chronicles, the novels are set in a world with the Greek gods in the 21st century. The series follows the protagonist Percy Jackson, a young demigod, who must prevent the Titans, led by Kronos, from destroying the world.

<i>The Titans Curse</i> 2007 book by Rick Riordan

The Titan's Curse is an American fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan. It was released on May 1, 2007, and is the third novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Sea of Monsters. It is about the adventures of the 14-year-old demigod Percy Jackson as he and his friends go on a dangerous quest to rescue his 14-year-old demigod friend Annabeth Chase and the Greek goddess Artemis, who have both been kidnapped by the titans.

<i>The Sea of Monsters</i> 2006 American novel, second in the Percy Jackson series

The Sea of Monsters is an American fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan and published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief. This book chronicles the adventures of thirteen-year-old demigod Percy Jackson as he and his friends rescue his satyr friend Grover from the Cyclops Polyphemus and save Camp Half-Blood from a Titan's attack by bringing the Golden Fleece to cure Thalia's poisoned pine tree.

Camp Half-Blood Chronicles is a media franchise created by author Rick Riordan, encompassing three five-part novel series, two short-story collections, two myth anthology books, a stand-alone short story, three crossover short stories, an essay collection, multiple guides, seven graphic novels, two films, a video game, a musical, and other media. Set in the modern world, it focuses on groups of demigod teenagers, and features many characters from Greek and Roman mythology. The first series, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, follows the adventures of a boy named Percy Jackson at a summer camp for Greek demigods. The second series, The Heroes of Olympus, introduces several more lead characters and a second camp for Roman demigods named Camp Jupiter. The third series, The Trials of Apollo, follows the now-mortal god Apollo, with appearances by many characters from the first and second series.

<i>The Battle of the Labyrinth</i> 2008 novel by Rick Riordan

The Battle of the Labyrinth is an American fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan. It is the fourth novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. The novel was first published in the United States on 6 May 2008 by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide. It has been published in hardcover, audiobook, ebook, and large-print editions. To date, The Battle of the Labyrinth has been translated into 29 languages from its original English.

<i>The Last Olympian</i> 2009 fantasy novel by Rick Riordan

The Last Olympian is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology by Rick Riordan, published on May 5, 2009. It is the fifth novel of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and serves as the direct sequel to The Battle of the Labyrinth. The Last Olympian revolves around the demigod Percy Jackson as he leads his friends in a last stand to protect Mount Olympus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Percy Jackson</span> Fictional character in books by Rick Riordan

Perseus "Percy" Jackson is a fictional character, the title character and narrator of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He is also one of seven main protagonists of the sequel series The Heroes of Olympus, appearing in every book except The Lost Hero, and appears in the Trials of Apollo series, making him one of the few characters to appear in all three series of the Camp Half-Blood chronicles. He has also been a narrator and protagonist in Riordan's Greco-Roman/Egyptian crossover stories, part of the Demigods and Magicians collection. The character serves as the narrator in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods and Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes, also by Rick Riordan.

<i>The Demigod Files</i> 2009 story collection by Rick Riordan

The Demigod Files is a collection of short stories by Rick Riordan published on February 10, 2009. It is a supplementary book to series Percy Jackson & the Olympians. It mainly contains three short stories, titled "Percy Jackson and the Stolen Chariot", "Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon", and "Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades". It is set between the fourth and fifth novels, The Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian.

<i>Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief</i> 2010 film by Chris Columbus

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a 2010 action fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and written by Craig Titley, based on the 2005 novel The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. The film is the first installment in the Percy Jackson film series. It stars Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson alongside an ensemble cast that includes Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson, Catherine Keener, Kevin McKidd, Joe Pantoliano, and Uma Thurman.

<i>The Heroes of Olympus</i> Fantasy adventure series by Riordan about the Percy Jackson universe

The Heroes of Olympus is a pentalogy of fantasy-adventure novels written by American author Rick Riordan. The novels detail a conflict between Greek demigods, Roman demigods, and Gaea. In the fourth book of the series, there is also a fight against Tartarus, which, in Greek mythology, was the darkest and deepest point of the Underworld.

<i>The Demigod Diaries</i> 2012 novel by Rick Riordan and Haley Riordan

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<i>Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters</i> 2013 film by Thor Freudenthal

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is a 2013 fantasy adventure film directed by Thor Freudenthal from a screenplay by Marc Guggenheim, based on the 2006 novel The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan. The sequel to Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010), it is the second and final installment in the Percy Jackson film series.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a two-film series based on the novel series of the same name by the author Rick Riordan. The series was distributed by 20th Century Fox, produced by 1492 Pictures and consists of two installments. The first film, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010), was directed by Chris Columbus and was released on February 12, 2010. The second installment, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, was originally intended to be released in March 2013 but was instead pushed back to August 7, 2013, and was directed by Thor Freudenthal. While the film series was intended to match the five novel book series, and the second film laid the foundation for a third film, further films were never produced. The shortened series in total grossed nearly $430 million at the worldwide box office. A reboot television series premiered on Disney+ in December 2023.

<i>The Blood of Olympus</i> 2014 novel by Rick Riordan

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Salazar</span> American actor, singer, and musician (born 1986)

George Ernest Salazar is an American actor, singer, and musician known for his work on and off-Broadway. He made his Broadway debut in the 2011 revival of Stephen Schwartz's Godspell. Salazar originated in the role of Michael Mell in the 2015 musical Be More Chill and performed in the musical's 2018 Off-Broadway and Broadway in 2019 at the Lyceum Theater in New York City. He originated the role of Grover in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical and starred in Pasadena Playhouse's production of Little Shop of Horrors as Seymour Krelborn.

Chris McCarrell is an American theater and television actor and singer. He is best known for portraying Marius Pontmercy in the Broadway revival of Les Misérables, and for originating the titular character in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical in its Off-Broadway premiere, 2019 tour, and Broadway production.

<i>Percy Jackson and the Olympians</i> (TV series) 2023 American television series

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is an American fantasy television series created by Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg for Disney+, based on the book series of the same name by Riordan. Walker Scobell stars as Percy Jackson, alongside Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri.

<i>The Chalice of the Gods</i> 2023 Rick Riordan book

The Chalice of the Gods is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology by Rick Riordan. It was released on September 26, 2023 by Disney Hyperion. It is the sixth novel of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, and serves as a follow-up to the original five books, taking place after the events of the series The Heroes of Olympus but before the series The Trials of Apollo.

References

  1. ↑ "The Lightning Thief".
  2. ↑ "New Version of Lightning Thief Musical to Play Off-Broadway". Playbill. January 10, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  3. ↑ Franklin, Marc (January 11, 2019). "A First Look at The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical National Tour". Playbill.com. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  4. ↑ Gans, Andrew (August 12, 2019). "The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical Is Heading to Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  5. ↑ Clement, Olivia (August 12, 2019). "Broadway's Lightning Thief Finds Its Cast". Playbill. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  6. ↑ Clement, Olivia (December 17, 2019). "The Lightning Thief to Head on Tour Post-Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  7. ↑ "LAMMPS Lightning Thief Uplifts & Entertains". The Gryphon. March 18, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  8. ↑ シーエイティプロデュース. "「盗まれた雷撃 パーシー・ジャクソン ミュージカル」公式サイト". 盗まれた雷撃パーシー・ジャクソンミュージカル 公式サイト (in Japanese). Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.theatreworksusa.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 9, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ↑ "The Lightning Thief Original Cast Recording". Broadway Records. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  11. ↑ "The Lightning Thief (Deluxe Edition)". Broadway Records. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Stage Door: The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, In & Of Itself". The Huffington Post . April 13, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  13. ↑ "The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical". Time Out . Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  14. ↑ "'The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical': Theater Review". The Hollywood Reporter . April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  15. ↑ Jones, Chris (January 10, 2019). "'The Lightning Thief' musical tour launches in Chicago — and right now is best for young Percy Jackson fans". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  16. ↑ Green, Jesse (October 16, 2019). "Review: 'The Lightning Thief,' a Far Cry From Olympus". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  17. ↑ "LAMMPS Lightning Thief Uplifts & Entertains". The Gryphon . March 18, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  18. ↑ "The Lightning Thief Review: The Long Awaited LAMMPS Return". The Scribe . March 18, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  19. ↑ Rirodan, Rick (January 10, 2017). "The Lightning Thief Musical Arrives Off-Broadway!". Rick Riordan.com. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
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