First Stage’s Impressive Musical Fantasy

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Photo by Paul Ruffolo

First Stage ‘The Lightning Thief’

Sanaiah Hibbler and Ben Nowacek in ‘The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical’

Rick Riordan’s contemporary fantasy adventure comes to life onstage as First Stage presents The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. The deeper emotional end of a hero’s journey resonates through the space of the Todd Wehr Theater in a production that is conjured for the stage by director Jeff Frank. A present-day America populated by monsters and kid demigods casts itself capably out of the shadows onstage in an impressively well-crafted bit of storytelling. Scenic Designer Madelyn Yee and Costume Designer Yvonne Miranda fuse contemporary elements with iconography from Ancient Greece in a tale that fuses ancient myth with a contemporary action-adventure story. Metal scaffolding covers white plaster columns reminiscent of ancient Greece. A minotaur charges onstage like a giant linebacker complete with a contemporary football helmet. A magical pair of light-up winged sneakers radiate an aura of power.

Most gods and monsters are played by a central core group of adult actors. Matt Daniels does an amazing job in a somewhat astonishing array of roles including the centaur Chiron, Poseidon and Hades. From the noble warrior instructor of the main character to a wild Charles Manson-inspired portrayal of Hades (and quite a few characters in between) Daniels is dynamic. The kid demigods alternate between a couple of different casts. The “Minotaur Cast” features some remarkable performances including a charismatic Ben Nowacek as Percy Jackson, troubled heroic son of Poseidon. Calleigh Mills provides a great deal of emotional nuance to the daughter of Athena who aids Percy in his quest. Isabella Schmitz makes a notable appearance from the edges of the production as Clarisse, a daughter of Ares who gives Percy some conflict early-on. She’s got heavy metal energy as an aggressive antagonist who adds depth to the surprisingly intricate world rendered by First Stage.

First Stage’s production of The Lightning Thief continues through March 10 at the Marcus Performing Arts Center’s Todd Wehr Theater. For ticket reservations and more, visit firststage.org.