INTERVIEW: Percy Jackson stories fly from page to stage
Fangirls and fanboys have no doubt been enjoying the musical spectacle of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical at the Lucille Lortel Theatre off-Broadway in Greenwich Village, New York City. The show, running through Sunday, May 6, is an adaptation of the uber-popular book series from Rick Riordan. The two-act musical features a book by Joe Tracz and music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki.
For the uninitiated — if there is still anyone left in that category — the Percy Jackson novels follow the title character as he navigates the trials and tribulations of the Greek mythological world. Jackson is the son of Poseidon (talk about a tough dad!), and he’s been given powers that he cannot keep under control. To keep everything and every deity copacetic, Jackson needs to find Zeus’ lightning bolt and save the day.
Recently, Hollywood Soapbox spoke with Rokicki about the musical adaptation. Here’s a sample of what he had to say:
On how he became attached to the project …
“I was brought on after Joe Tracz, our book writer, had written a play version, an adaptation of the story as an one-act. … And that was for Theaterworks USA, and Theaterworks felt like the thing needed to sing. It needed to be bigger, that they could fit more action into it if it was a musical, and Joe agreed. And so they were trying to find someone to write with, and they thought it needed to be a rock musical. So they were looking for composers that wrote in that idiom, and Joe Tracz had written with a gentleman named Joe Iconis, who recommended me. And Joe is one of my dearest friends, and I think he’s one of the best composers around. Joe said you should work with Rob, so I still had to submit. And there were a couple other writing teams that submitted demos. I wrote three songs, which is cool that the same three songs are still in the show, which is great. And I wrote three songs, and they liked it. Joe liked it, and then Rick Riordan’s agents approved.”
On the development of the musical …
“Well, it’s had a long journey. When we did the one hour, it was thrilling, and it has had some tours. But Joe and I had always wanted to expand it to make it a two-act full show. It’s hard to take a 400-page beloved young adult novel and turn it into a one-hour musical. … I still love the one hour. I think it’s actually very streamlined and fun, but to be able to fit in more emotional moments, to have more adventure and more action, it was always our dream to be able to do a two-act version of the show and really make it feel bigger. And so when it finally opened at the Lortel, it was really gratifying. It was really thrilling. I’ve been a writer for 16 years, and I’ve had a lot of shows that I’ve had, that I’ve believed in and loved, that for whatever reason just haven’t had an opportunity. So to have something finally take hold and be embraced the way it has, both in the theatrical community and in the Percy Jackson fandom, that’s been really special.”
On his research for the project …
“I did not know the books as well. I had heard of the property, and my mother was a history professor. So I loved Greek mythology, so it was really intriguing. Joe was the huge fan, Joe Tracz, our book writer. He was the one who actively was like looking for a project like that, and he’s written some incredible plays. … So I had to study up, and we really, really dug deep and read all of Rick’s wonderful stories. And I used them constantly throughout the writing process for inspiration, and I totally became a fan. The sense of humor is so wonderful. It’s its own thing. … It has all this heart, and there’s danger and real things and real consequences and yet also has this funny, subverted sense of humor that I find so refreshing. And Joe captured it so perfectly in the script, and then I kind of took all of that to influence the lyrics.”
On working with the original source material and author …
“Rick had trepidations and understandably. … It’s no secret, but he was not happy with the film adaptation, and I think he was weary. He wanted to know that his property would be safeguarded. … I think we kept the spirit of the books alive in a great way. We tried really hard to make him happy, so though we did consult him, and his team was very much a part of being in on the product, he kind of let us adapt it on our own. It was a system of checks and balances kind of thing.”
On the musical’s impact, especially among children …
“We have tried to make it so fun, so exciting, so theatrical. I think that’s what’s so exciting is the fan response is amazing, and I love that the fans think that we captured the spirit of the book. … I think what Joe said a couple of years ago, he was like, ‘The Percy books are so special because a lot of kids that don’t like to read will find those books and then all of a sudden find a love of reading.’ So we kind of wanted to do the same thing. For kids that don’t think theater is cool or that musicals are cool, we hope that they find that our show is cool or whatever and that they will find a love of storytelling.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical plays through Sunday, May 6 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in Greenwich Village, New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.
