Theater Review: The Lightning Thief on Broadway

Gods and goddesses have found their way to Broadway with The Lightning Thief, and they brought with them monsters, messengers, and…their half-mortal children. The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical takes audiences on a fun romp that will leave little theatergoers enchanted.

Adapted from the bestselling book by Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief is the story of Percy Jackson. It began as a show off-Broadway with a successful touring production a round the country. Keeping much of the same aesthetic, it has made it’s way to Broadway in time for families to see during the holiday season.

Percy (Chris McCarrell) has trouble paying attention in school, is dyslexic, and has been kicked out of numerous schools. After his latest expulsion (involving a harpy, played by Sarah Beth Pfeifer), his single-mother mom (Jalynn Steele) decides to finally tell him the truth: his father was a Greek god. In order to protect him, she sends him to Camp Half-Blood where all the children of gods and mortals go.

Percy discovers that his best friend, Grover (Jorrel Javier) is actually a satyr, and Percy isn’t an outcast like he thought he was. He just needed to find out who he was. He befriends some other kids at the school—Luke (James Hayden Rodriguez) and Annabeth (Kristin Stokes)—and is soon tasked with a quest after finding out which of the gods his father is. Taking Grover and Annabeth with him, Percy sets out to retrieve Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt back from Hades (Ryan Knowles). Needless to say, the quest is not as simple as they initially think it is.

The cast does a great job of portraying a wide range of characters. Many of the company play multiple roles. Of note, Jorrel Javier steps into (the big) shoes originally filled by George Salazar by playing Grover and Dionysus; he does a solid job. Another actor of note is Ryan Knowles as he skillfully plays Chiron, Poseidon, Hades, Medusa, and more.

The set and props still stay true to the original off-Broadway and touring productions of the show. This has bothered some people, but the show’s target audience is, like the book, kids. With that in mind, the show and production itself still succeeds. There is an element of “do-it-yourself”-ness to it which allows the magic of imagination come to the forefront. In songs like “Good Kid” (sung by Percy and Company) kids in the audience will find that they are not alone in feeling certain feelings and having certain experiences. That’s the whole point of theater: not only to show the human condition, but to create shared connections and experiences. And, this is one shared experience that kids will walk away from with huge smiles on their faces, feeling, hopefully, a little less alone.

 

For more information and to buy tickets, click here. This show was previously reviewed off-Broadway.

 

The Lightning Thief production team: Book by Joe Tracz; Music & Lyrics by Rob Rokicki; Scenic Design by Lee Savage; Directed by Stephen Brackett; Lighting Design by David Lander; Sound Design by Ryan Rumery; Costumes by Sydney Maresca

 

Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel