You can’t accuse Theatreworks USA of lacking ambition in its shows for young audiences. Its 26th season’s production, “The Lightning Thief,” is an action-packed musical filled with heroic battles and mythological beasties. All this on a small budget with just six actors. And it’s free, too.
It seems a little Grinch-y to quibble, but maybe tackling the first book in Rick Riordan’s megapopular “Percy Jackson & the Olympians” series was a bit of a stretch. Adapter Joe Tracz was forced to streamline a lot of plot while leaving some room for Rob Rokicki’s pop-rock songs.
As a result, the show barrels breathlessly, moving from adventure to adventure at such a breakneck pace that it struggles to make an impression — songs like “The Day I Got Expelled” and “In the Same Boat” are very catchy, though.
The shaggy-haired Eric Meyers (an adult, like all the cast members) is goofily appealing as Percy, who one day discovers he’s not an average sixth-grader but the “half-blood” offspring of a human mother and a mysterious deadbeat dad who happens to be a Greek god.
Until then Percy had felt like an outcast, struggling with ADHD and dyslexia. Now, he can bond with other half-bloods, like the satyr Grover (a very funny Jordan Stanley) and Annabeth (Kristin Stokes), Athena’s daughter. Their interactions make for the most entertaining parts of the show: They’re regular goofy kids, except their parents are deities.
Much of the action is provided by Percy and his friends’ quest to retrieve Zeus’ missing lightning bolt, but the story’s point is one of self-acceptance: “Normal is a myth,” Percy’s mom (Zakiya Young) sings. “Everyone has issues they’re dealing with.”
Of course, it helps when your issues involve magic powers and a badass sword.