Feature: Long Island Mainstage Premiere of THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL Ignites at 'Saved' Smithtown Performing Arts Center

Long Island audiences are in for an epic adventure this month with the Long Island Mainstage Premiere of "The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical", running September 30 - October 29. With a book by Joe Tracz and music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki, the musical is based on the bestselling fantasy novels by Rick Riordan. The family-friendly productions were celebrated by critics during both its initial Off-Broadway run and eventual limited Broadway engagement.

The musical tells the coming-of-age tale of teenager Percy Jackson who discovers he's a demigod. With plenty of thrills and action-packed sequences, he and his friends embark on an epic journey to find Zeus' missing lightning bolt and prevent a war among the gods.

The source material is often incorporated into the reading curriculum of younger generations, noted Director and Musical Director Robbie Torres.

"The musical is a perfect opportunity for families to come down and enjoy a fantastic and magic-packed night of live theatre," said Mr. Torres. "Smithtown PAC is pulling out all the
stops to bring this new, exciting, and action-packed musical to the stage. Our cast is absolutely top-notch, and the story centers around the powerful messages of self love, determination, friendship, and acceptance."

This production is a step toward breathing life back into the historic Smithtown theater, which was at risk of closing when the 89-year-old building was sold in 2021. This summer, the Smithtown Performing Arts Council announced they purchased the building and are in the early stages of planning a full restoration.

"Now the real work begins, as this building has never been restored and it deserves to be preserved, not only because of the history it represents, but also because of what it does for the community," said Mike Mucciolo, Board President of the SPA Council. "Art is culture and change is made with art, theatre is more important than ever to diversity of thought and culture."

In the meantime, the theater is gradually returning to mounting Mainstage productions in addition to their successful youth theatre programs. In August, the theater staged a production of the small-scale musical "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change!" to the delight of long-time patrons. Now, with the premiere of The Lightning Thief, Mr. Torres said their cast and production team are pushing boundaries as they work as a cohesive unit.

"This cast is doing so [much] with professionalism, grace, humor, and love," he said. "After years of working solely in NYC, I felt it was time to re-establish my roots in the incredibly talented LI Theatre Community. Our community is rich with truly magnificent artists. To cultivate these actors and Smithtown PAC as a theatrical institution, is my privilege and soul mission."

Cast members agree with that sentiment - expressing their excitement about taking on the challenges of bringing the mythical adventure to life live on stage.

Jason Kopp, starring in the production as the titular Percy Jackson, is a first-time performer with the theatre company. He applauded the cast and production team as "the most
hard-working and dedicated group of people that [he has] ever worked with."

"This is a monster (*pun intended*) of a show and it would not be possible if it wasn't for this incredible team," he said. "This entire experience has been one big, rewarding dream come true. I cannot urge people enough to come see this incredible piece of theater."

There is also a nostalgic element for members of the cast, who still have a deep connection with the material after reading the series as children. Lorelai Mucciolo, who portrays Annabeth, described playing an iconic character as "surreal."

"I grew up with these books, and with Annabeth, and to have the opportunity to play
her is so humbling and insane to me," she said. "It's intimidating for sure, but it's also such a cool feeling."

---

Tickets for "The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical" are available for purchase at smithtownpac.org

Smithtown Performing Arts Center
2 East Main St.
Smithtown, NY 11787
Phone: 631.724.3700

---

Director/Music Director: Robbie Torres
Choreographer: Julie Stewart

Percy Jackson: Jason Steven Kopp
Annabeth: Lorelai Mucciolo
Grover/Mr. D: Cyd Rosenberg
Luke/Others: David Reyes
Sally/Others: Ayana Franck
Mr. Brunner/Others: Peter J. Osterman
Clarisse/Others: Mairead Camas
Swings: Keith Jones and Amanda Sidman

Fight Choreography: Heather Legnosky

To post a comment, you must register and login.