FC Dramatizes “Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief” Musical Previous Weekend

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FC’s musical theatre stole the show these last two weeks with the musical performance Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief. This is their third production of the year, their previous shows being Mamma Mia and Horse Girls.
The theatre presented a musical adaptation of the nostalgic book and film series Percy Jackson. The play told the story of the main character, Percy Jackson, who is also the half-blood son of a Greek god. He falls into a panic when he discovers new problems out of his control, a destiny he does not want, and a storm of obstacles and monsters in his path. This musical has a mix of twists, turns, and shocking moments that will have the audience awaiting the next act.
With it being a musical there were a variety of different songs. The first act started with the song “The Day I Got Expelled”, which Percy himself sings, and then later playing “The Campfire Song” which is another favorite, according to Chalfant. In act two they also performed “D.O.A” and “Son of Poseidon”.
“I’m really excited for ‘Put You In Your Place’, which is her song that she sings,” said junior Silvia Periago who played Clarisse, “And it’s like an entire, like fight sequence because in the books, they’re playing capture the flag, but the camp half-blood version of capture the flag. It’s with swords and knives and just like fun weapons and stuff like that. And we get to do sword fighting and I’m super excited for that.”
The time for this play was roughly two hours, including one 15-minute intermission for the audience to take a break and unpack.
For students like junior Tobin Love, who played Percy Jackson, taking on a big lead role for the first time can be scary, exciting, and nerve-wracking. While it can be exciting to get an important role in a show, the pressure is there.
“When Percy is given his quest, he is pushed into a leadership position that he didn’t want and doesn’t really know what to do with. So I feel quite like him in that I had zero expectations of getting the lead role, and now that I have, it’s sink or swim for me,” said Love.
Some theatre students can compare theatre to band almost because just like in band, it is important to figure out the right tempo and rhythm for a production. Theatre students may not act based on an ⅛ of a note or ½ of a note, but rather on rhythms or patterns they thought of themselves.
“When Percy realizes something, I can’t just say my line like I’ve been waiting to say it, there needs to be beats and phrasing, almost like a song. It’s also important to think about the scenes that came before for context on characterization and motivation,” said Love.
The upperclassmen do their best to give advice to the newer theatre kids. Some students have been performing since middle school, so they may not need as much guidance, but a lot of students are new to theatre and just decided to try it out in high school. The seniors and juniors usually help lead the way for some of them.
“I am friends with a lot of the upperclassmen in the department and they make it such an inviting experience. They know how hard it is to start doing shows as a freshman and as a sophomore, like as an underclassman, because it’s very different than community theater programs or the middle school theater programs, but they make it great,” said sophomore Ella Stroud who played Bianca de Angelo, “I’m so sad that a lot of my senior friends will be graduating.”
Since some students have been in theatre before, some may have had the chance of playing a completely different role than what they have played in the past. Some of these characters have a lot more dramatic scenes than others.
“I’ve never really played a role like her before. I think it’s really fun, like getting to know different aspects of how to play that character and use your physicality embodied character,” said senior Lily Sorrells who played Tisiphone.
For students like Stroud, the spring theatre musical is the most exciting part of the second semester. These students have spent numerous hours practicing their parts until they come off as sharp as a lightning rod.
“We missed a lot of rehearsals due to snow days, so catching up has been a challenger but people have been putting in the work to catch up, so it’ll be fine,” said Stroud.
To get into the perspective of each role before a performance, students use different techniques to enable the feeling of being in-character. Some students may look at videos of other performers and inspire off their roles, and some may just need to get in the mindset of the character they are performing.
“I think about how Annabeth feels before I go on stage. Sometimes she’s super confident, but she also has these moments of vulnerability. I just try to feel what she’s feeling in the scene, so it comes across as real and not just acting,” said sophomore Anna Burnham, who played Annabeth.
For other students, it does not take much to get into character. A warm up to get into character will do just enough.
“I like to listen to music that I feel resonates with all the characters I play to get into that headspace before rehearsals,” said freshman Elizabeth Harper, who played as Oracle Echo and Nico di Angelo in Aphrodite’s cabin.
This year’s performance for the spring musical, Percy Jackson, had not sold out but still received an engaging audience of guests. It takes a village to bring people together, and each student involved, performers or backstage, played a critical role in bringing FC’s musical production to life.
“If you love epic adventures, dynamic music, and incredible student talent, then The Lightning Thief is a must-see. Our cast and crew have put enormous effort into bringing this story to life, and there’s nothing quite like the energy of an opening night. Plus, it’s a fantastic opportunity to support local arts and our talented students,” said director Brooklyn Chalfant.