On Tuesday, Jan. 10, fans of Rick Riordan’s beloved Percy Jackson and the Olympians series were given shocking news. Rick announced on his website that the first book in the series was being turned into an Off-Broadway musical. The show is called The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, and it is scheduled to open in early spring.
The Lightning Thief centers around a troublesome boy named Percy Jackson who soon discovers he is a demigod and the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Percy soon arrives at a demigod camp called Camp Half-Blood, where he meets fellow demigods and learns to control his godlike abilities.
In order to prevent a war between the gods, Percy must find Zeus’ lightning bolt with the help of Annabeth, a daughter of Athena, and a satyr named Grover. On their quest they encounter monsters as well as other Greek gods.
So far only the actor playing the title character has been announced. Chris McCarrell, who previously played Marius in Les Misérables, will be starring as Percy Jackson. Rob Rokicki and Joe Tracz wrote the script. Rob Rokicki is also working with Wiley DeWeese, the music director, on orchestrations. The director of the show is Stephen Brackett, and the choreographer is Patrick McCollum. Along with singing and dancing, the show features fight scenes with direction by Rod Kinter.
A shorter version of the musical premiered in 2014 and has previously toured the country. The current version, however, has an extended script, larger cast, and a new score. The show will take stage at the Lucille Lortel Theatre on March 23 and officially open on April 4. The show will have a short run and end on May 6.
It may be hard for Percy Jackson fans to imagine the sarcastic demigod singing and dancing, but fans who have seen previous productions have raved over the new adaptation. This is a good sign for the musical since the movie franchise based on the books received less than stellar reviews. The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical doesn’t currently have tickets on sale, but fans will definitely love the chance to see their favorite book characters come to life onstage.
To listen to “Good Kid,” a song from the musical, click here.
