The Lightning Theif OFF-BROADWAY REVIEWS

• NEW YORK TIMES REVIEW OF The Lightning Theif

  

  Sing a Song, End a War: All in a Supernatural Camp Routine ‘The Lightning Thief,’ From Theaterworks, at Lucille Lortel

  Ken Jaworowski

  July 25, 2014: I plan to change the subject when my 11-year-old daughter asks about The Lightning Thief, a new musical at the Lucille Lortel Theater. She was excited to attend, but a last-minute appointment prevented it. To tell her how much fun she missed might be a little cruel. The show, part of the Theatreworks free summer theater program, is adapted from Rick Riordan’s young-adult novel of the same name. In the story, Percy Jackson, a bright sixth grader, grows frustrated after being expelled from the latest school he’s attending. He’s got plenty of other concerns too — dyslexia, hyperactivity and a desire to find the father he never knew. Soon he discovers that Dad is one of the ancient Greek gods, and Percy is sent to a supernatural summer camp where the boy meets others like himself. Before long he and his friends embark on a journey, battling monsters and Medusa in a quest to end a war, rescue his mother and prove his courage. While the show imparts the expected reassuring lessons — “Normal is a myth/Everyone has issues they’re dealing with” — it’s seldom saccharine or didactic. The musical’s book, by Joe Tracz, and music and lyrics, by Rob Rokicki, strike a tone that’s sassy though not snarky, and energetic without being hectic.

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• NEW YORK DAILY NEWS REVIEW OF The Lightning Theif

  

  Greek myth, comedy and songs make a great combination in this inventive show for kids

  Joe Dziemianowicz

  July 24, 2014: A blinding flash and a loud bolt of pop-rock gets the kids’ musical The Lightning Thief off to a rollicking start. For the next hour, things are fast and funny in this adaptation of Rick Riordan’s book. The Lightning Thief resets Greek mythology in the modern world. Our present-day protagonist, Percy Jackson (Eric Meyers), considers himself a garden-variety 12-year-old. He’s a good kid who’s dealing with ADHD and dyslexia. Unfortunately, he can’t sidestep trouble. He has just been expelled — again. The tween and teen years are prime times for trials and odysseys. Even more so when your absentee dad is Poseidon — as in the deity who reigns supreme in the sea. Percy discovers that he’s a demigod just as his mortal mom, Sally, is taken hostage in the underworld. Accompanied by best buds Annabeth (Kristen Stokes), a dauntless demigod, and true-blue Grover (Jordan Stanley), a satyr, Percy goes on a quest to rescue his mom and to prevent a war of Olympian proportions. Battles brew because Zeus’ lightning bolt has been pinched. A lot of plot? Sort of. The show is recommended for kids 7 and up.

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• NEW YORK POST REVIEW OF The Lightning Theif

  

  ‘Lightning Thief’ makes a spirited plea for self-acceptance

  Elisabeth Vincentelli

  July 24, 2014: You can’t accuse Theatreworks USA of lacking ambition in its shows for young audiences. Its 26th season’s production, The Lightning Thief, is an action-packed musical filled with heroic battles and mythological beasties. All this on a small budget with just six actors. And it’s free, too. It seems a little Grinch-y to quibble, but maybe tackling the first book in Rick Riordan’s megapopular Percy Jackson & the Olympians series was a bit of a stretch. Adapter Joe Tracz was forced to streamline a lot of plot while leaving some room for Rob Rokicki’s pop-rock songs. As a result, the show barrels breathlessly, moving from adventure to adventure at such a breakneck pace that it struggles to make an impression — songs like “The Day I Got Expelled” and “In the Same Boat” are very catchy, though.

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