Millennial book-lovers might remember the 2000’s as the heyday of “epic-fantasy” bestsellers. Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson & the Olympians” was one such series that successfully implanted Greek gods and mythical creatures into the average teenager’s consciousness. Last Sunday, the fantasyland steeped in Greek mythological elements ignited my imagination once again – this time via musical theater, in a production titled ‘The Lightning Thief – The Percy Jackson Musical’ presented by CTORA Theatre based in Richmond, BC. The musical is adapted from the first book of Rick Riordan’s aforementioned series by Joe Tracz with original score composed by Rob Rokicki. The show originally premiered off-Broadway in 2014 and eventually played on Broadway in 2019. The current production by CTORA theatre features a dynamic cast made up of local Canadian talent. The crew of musicians and technicians almost exclusively consists of folks based in British Columbia.
The two-act musical runs for little over two hours. The first act unfolds at an efficient pace. We follow Percy Jackson’s (Brett Williams) tumultuous journey – he is attacked by monsters, grapples with the absence of his biological father, battles a sense of worthlessness (partly driven by the diagnosis of ADHD and dyslexia), tragically loses his beloved mother Sally (Alexis Hope) to a Minotaur attack and suddenly finds himself at a camp meant for Greek demi-gods or half-bloods. As it turns out, Percy is the son of Poseidon, god of the sea. The camp is populated by fellow half-bloods who are closely monitored by Mr. D (Ted Angelo Ngkaion) and centaur Mr. Brunner (Boris Bilic). We meet fellow demi-gods Annabeth (Jessica Spenst), Luke (Simon Auclair-Troughton), Clarisse (Emily Saint), Silena (Claire Torrance) and satyr Grover (Ted Angelo Ngkaion). They form a riotous bunch – each one dealing with unique issues stemming from a deep sense of parental abandonment. As the son of the sea god, Percy finds himself embroiled in a divine mess – he must recover a lightning bolt from Hades’ Underworld in order to prevent a devastating battle between the gods. Annabeth and Grover resolve to accompany Percy on this quest. The second half of the play follows the trio on a jolting adventure across the United States – from camp half-blood in New Jersey to the Underworld located under a record store in Los Angeles. The journey is punctuated with adventurous pit-stops involving the likes of Medusa and Ares. Percy, Annabeth and Grover grow a deep bond and successfully ward off the horrors of the underground. Despite a successful quest, Percy’s real fight occurs back in camp half-blood. The show ends in an upbeat battle song without necessarily resolving the conflict.
The story-telling is straight-forward – the lyrical delivery is crisp, with healthy doses of humor and melodrama. Williams and Spenst shine in the lead roles of Percy and Annabeth. Despite playing a major role as Grover, Ngkaion’s eccentric portrayal of Mr. D stood out to me. Alexis Hope’s portrayal of Sally Jackson stunningly captures the morose hardships and poised resilience wielded by most single mothers in our society. Another member of the cast worthy of praise is Boris Bilis. He plays the well-meaning but sometimes airheaded Mr. Brunner before smoothly transitioning to play Medusa, Poseidon and Hades. While I appreciated his sassy portrayal of Hades, the portrayal of Medusa comes across as callous and a tad bit transphobic. Ultimately the plot revolves around Percy and his heroism. Annabeth, despite being the smarter and more accomplished demi-god, feels like a vestigial entity. I think the plot would be more relevant to a Canadian audience if camp-half blood is located on a farm in Halifax or Winnipeg. Besides, Vancouver’s Gastown would make a great location for Hades’ Underworld. Perhaps the script’s licensing agreement prevents CTORA Theatre from exercising such creative liberties.
The fantastical elements in the plot lend themselves to glamorous visual spectacles – with life-like portrayals of the Fury, Minotaur and the Oracle of Delphi. Costume designer Brian Ball has delivered to the occasion with simple yet elegant costumes. The attires of the centaur and the satyr, Poseidon and Hades are cheeky, yet charming. At some point during the second act, a clear-faced Luke mentions his facial scar and Grover jokes about his absent goatee. This made me wonder if the make-up department had gone on strike. The lighting crew (led by Darren Hales) does a stellar job, with vivid and immersive recreations of environments such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the deep sea, a dusty attic, the Lotus Hotel and Hades’ tortuous Underworld. Overall, the production is a brilliant effort that mostly succeeds in simulating a fantastical world.
I came out of the theatre with a child-like zeal. The musical took me back to my teenage memories of escaping into Percy Jackson’s world of adventures via the books.
CTORA Theatre is a not-for-profit organization providing job opportunities for local theatre artists in professionally staged productions. The current production by CTORA Theatre is bound to mesmerize young audiences and adults alike. They are playing a few more shows until May 28th at Vancouver’s Norman Rothstein Theatre. Book your tickets here.
– Annapoorna Shruthi