‘The Lightning Thief’ brings family entertainment to the RiverCenter
“The Lightning Thief,” a musical adapted from the book of the same name by Rick Riordan, is coming to the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts on Friday.
The play is written by Joe Tracz and features music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki. It centers around Percy Jackson, who is about to be kicked out of boarding school. But that’s the least of his troubles.
Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life.
And worse, he’s angered a few of them.
The master lightning bolt that belongs to Zeus has been stolen and Percy is the prime suspect. Now Percy has 10 days to find and return the stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus.
But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.
Norm Easterbrook, RiverCenter executive director, said he is excited about the show.
“The Lightning Thief is a delightful adventure that will be enjoyed by the entire family,” he said in a news release. “Theatreworks USA is America’s largest and most prolific not-for-profit theatre for young and family audiences and we’re thrilled to bring their performance of The Lightning Thief to Columbus.”
The mission of Theatreworks USA is to create, produce and provide access to professional theater for young and family audiences nationwide, including disadvantaged youth and underserved communities. Since its founding in 1961, it has presented more than 90 million children and their families with opportunities to enjoy theatrical productions in 49 states and Canada.
Among its goals are encouraging young people to tap into their reservoirs of creativity and talent, stimulate reading and discussion on the cultural, historical and/or social issues and themes represented in each show, present role models and encourage positive values through the shows’ content, and develop a lifelong appreciation for the arts.
“Things are fast and funny in this adaptation of Rick Riordan’s book,” a theater review in the New York Daily News said.
The reviewer said the show “packs a few good laughs and the songs are catchy.”
Larry Gierer: 706-571-8581, @lagierer
If you go
What: “The Lightning Thief”
Where: RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, 900 Broadway
When: Friday at 7 p.m.
Admission: Tickets are $19. They may be purchased at RiverCenter’s Box Office from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., by phone at 706-256-3612 or online at rivercenter.org.
This story was originally published January 10, 2017 at 10:36 AM with the headline "‘The Lightning Thief’ brings family entertainment to the RiverCenter."