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Tonight we had the pleasure of attending a performance of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical at Huntington Theatre Company. This was our first time at this theater and we attended as press. Our seats were complimentary. We were provided 5 tickets so that the whole family could attend. Because it was Percy Jackson I asked for an extra ticket for my cousin who is a huge Percy Jackson fan. She is also Eva’s good friend. She has tried to get Eva to get into the Percy Jackson books. Eva tried the first one and didn’t care for it. To be honest she wasn’t that thrilled to go. She is very strong in opinions once she makes up her mind.

Well, if the photo above doesn’t express how Eva had a complete turnaround on the whole Percy Jackson story then I don’t know what will. She waited to meet several of the cast members and get their autographs. The cast was so nice and each signed her program.

Eva was beaming and smiling like crazy once the curtain fell. She loved the play, and so much of that had to do with the character of Annabeth. She saw herself in this character and it just connected for her. Eva even went and bought a “Smart Girls Never Win if They’re Polite” t-shirt after the show. I know that she is going to come to truly love this series once she gives it a second shot. That is all because of this play.

The play is at the Huntington Theatre Company until July 28th. You can get tickets and showtimes by going to huntingtontheatre.org. It was impressive for many reasons. The cast is small and many people perform as several characters. Ryan Knowles was so impressive as Chiron and several other characters. Each one was so distinct and amusing. There are some truly laugh out loud moments with his performances. Along with the cast the set doubled as so many places and in a very minimalist way they made the set work as so much. From an exploding bus to a motorcycle and a large museum the set made use of a couple pieces of staging that when moved and manipulated took on new life. I was so impressed by that.

The one gripe I had was the music being louder than the performers. The musical has a rocking soundtrack and probably some really great songs with important lyrics but some of the performers’ voices got lost in the loud music. I still enjoyed it very much.

For your younger kids there are some scary moments in the play. Andrew got upset by the monsters. Granted he was also overtired and fighting to stay awake because of a full day. He made it through the entire first act and then sat on Allison’s lap and passed out. The designs of the monsters and how they were done was incredible. I loved Medusa and the Minotaur. These, however, were quite scary to Andrew and if you are taking younger kids be ready for loud sounds, lights and some rather scary looking monsters.

I loved how they simulated Percy’s ability to manipulate water. My cousin has ideas on making the devices that they used to do that. Take a look in this photo that was provided by the Huntington.

If you have time in the coming week I’d certainly recommend seeing the play. We loved the theater, it is beautiful and what’s better, it was easy to drive in and park. That is always a key for this guy who abhors driving in Boston. Below is the full press release on the show plus more details of how to get tickets and the showtimes.

HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS THE BOSTON PREMIERE OF THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL AT THE AVENUE OF THE ARTS/ HUNTINGTON AVENUE THEATRE JULY 17 – JULY 28, 2019

BOSTON, MA – May 30, 2019 – Huntington Theatre Company is delighted to bring adventurous programming for the young and young at heart to Boston this summer with The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, an “electrifying” (Newsday) musical adaption of The New York Times best-selling novel written by Rick Riordan. The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical will play at the Avenue of the Arts / Huntington Avenue Theatre (264 Huntington Avenue, Boston). Performances begin July 17 and will run through July 28, 2019. Tickets go on sale to the general public Tuesday, June 4.

With more than 100 million copies of the book series sold worldwide, this global phenomenon has found a new home on the live stage in a “mesmerizing” (TheaterMania) theatrical event that provides “a spectacularly fun adventure that will thrill everyone in the family.” (Chicago Parent). Following a sold-out run in New York City, where it garnered 3 Drama Desk Award nominations, including Best Musical, “this family-friendly show delights with warm musical numbers and entertains both kids and adults with sophisticated humor.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

As a son of Poseidon, Percy Jackson has newly discovered powers he can’t control, monsters on his trail, and is on a quest to find Zeus’ lightning bolt to prevent a war between the Greek gods. Based on the best-selling novel by Rick Riordan and featuring a thrilling original rock score, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is an action-packed theatrical adventure that has been celebrated by audiences and critics alike.

Chris McCarrell and Kristin Stokes will reprise the roles of Percy Jackson and Annabeth, respectively, after bringing the characters to life in the critically acclaimed New York production. In addition, two actors from the New York production will reprise their roles in Boston: Sarah Beth Pfeifer as Clarisse and others, and James Hayden Rodriguez as Luke and others. The cast also features Izzy Figueroa (Understudy for Grover, Mr. Brunner, Assistant Stage Manager), Jorrel Javier (Grover and Mr. D), Ryan Knowles (Chiron and others), Sam Leicht (Understudy for Percy and Luke), Jalynn Steele (Sally and others), and T. Shyvonne Stewart (Understudy for Sally and Clarisse).

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical has a Drama Desk-nominated book by Joe Tracz, music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki, and is directed by Stephen Brackett, with choreography by Patrick McCollum, set design by Lee Savage, costume design by Sydney Maresca, lighting design by David Lander, Obie Award-winning sound design by Ryan Rumery, fight direction by Rod Kinter, and orchestrations by Wiley DeWeese and Rob Rokicki. The production is being presented by special arrangement with Rick Riordan and the Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency.

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is produced by TheaterWorksUSA, Martian Entertainment, Greg Schaffert, Lang Entertainment Group, Lisa Chanel, Jennifer Doyle and Roy Lennox, Glass Half Full Productions, Hummel/Greene, Mary Maggio, Tim Schwider, and Van Dean/Meredith Lucio in partnership with The Road Company.

The full cast album is now available for streaming on Spotify. Check out the album here.

ABOUT THE HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY

The Huntington Theatre Company is Boston’s leading professional theatre and one of the region’s premier cultural assets since its founding in 1982. Recipient of the 2013 Regional Theatre Tony Award, the Huntington brings together superb local and national talent and produces a mix of groundbreaking new works and classics made current to create award-winning productions. The Huntington runs nationally renowned programs in education and new play development and serves the local theatre community through its operation of the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. The Huntington has long been an anchor cultural institution of Huntington Avenue, the Avenue of the Arts, and will remain so on a permanent basis with plans to convert the Huntington Avenue Theatre into a first-rate, modern venue with expanded services to audiences, artists, and the community. Under the direction of Artistic Director Peter DuBois and Managing Director Michael Maso, the Huntington cultivates, celebrates, and champions theatre as an art form. For more information, visit huntingtontheatre.org.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION AND CALENDAR

WHEN

July 17 – July 28, 2019

• Select Evenings: Tues. – Thurs. at 7:30pm; Fri. – Sat. at 8pm; select Sun. at 7pm
• Matinees: Select Wed., Sat., and Sun. at 2pm
• Days and times vary; see complete schedule below.

WHERE

Avenue of the Arts / Huntington Avenue Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston

TICKETS

Single tickets starting at $25 and FlexPasses are on sale to the general public on Tuesday, June 4:

• online at huntingtontheatre.org;
• by phone at 617 266 0800;
• in person at the Huntington Avenue Theatre Ticketing Services, 264 Huntington Ave. and the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA Ticketing Services Office, 527 Tremont St. in Boston’s South End.

Select discounts apply:

• $10 off: subscribers
• $30 “35 Below” tickets for patrons 35 years old and younger (valid ID required)
• $20 student and military tickets (valid ID required)