When discussing YA novels that have made a huge splash in literature, it’s almost impossible to not mention the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. The pentalogy was on the New York Times Bestseller List for 223 weeks, and has been adapted into two films, a graphic novel series, has five supplementary books, and has been adapted into a video game for the Nintendo DS by Activision. Its success is undeniable. Now, a rather shocking development is in store for Percy Jackson: a musical.
Wait. What?
Source: Amazon
The Lightning Thief is being adapted to Off-Broadway, after mixed criticism with the two films that have been released. Considering The Lightning Thief follows a 12-year-old demigod with all the magic Greek mythology has to offer, this seems a bit hard to swallow. But the musical world is excited for the challenge. Chris McCarrell, who has played Marius in Les Miserables and Nibs in Peter Pan Live!, is now cast as the title character in Percy Jackson, and addresses these challenges with enthusiasm.
“It’s really going to push the envelope of (the) magic of theater,” he says. “The world is so epic and it is so grand and it doesn’t seem like you could portray that on stage, but that’s where the magic of theater comes in.”
Source: Broadway
The musical technically began in 2014, but on a very small scale. It didn’t extend to two acts, had a small cast, and was confined to New York City. It didn’t last very long, and for a while there, it looked like that was all she wrote. Now, it’s getting a much better start, and expects national attention.
The idea of magic in theater isn’t unheard of, of course. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is well underway to becoming a sensation in Broadway, and The Lightning Thief will surely follow in its footsteps. Written by Netflix’s Series of Unfortunate Events writer Joe Tracz and the writer of the musical Strange Tails Rob Rokicki, the musical, so far, is definitely well recommended.
Previews of the musical will start on March 23rd, 2017.
YouTube Channel: The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical
Featured image via New York City Theatre
h/t Pilot Online
