Interview: Tyler Miranda of THE LIGHTENING THIEF at The Growing Stage

The Growing Stage, The Children's Theatre of New Jersey, located in the Historic Palace Theatre in Netcong will present THE LIGHTNING THIEF: The Percy Jackson Musical from March 10th to the 26th with performances on Saturdays at 4:00 pm, Sundays at 2:00 pm and a special Opening Night Performance on Friday, March 10th at 7:30 pm.

THE LIGHTNING THIEF: The Percy Jackson Musical is adapted from the book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan with a book by Joe Tracz with music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki. This production is under the direction of Stephen L. Fredericks, TGS's Executive Director with musical direction by Laura Petrie and choreography by Jillian Petrie.

Broadwayworld had the pleasure of interviewing Tyler Miranda who plays Percy Jackson in the show. He told us about his career and the upcoming show at The Growing Stage.

Tell us about the very first time you performed in front of an audience.

When I was a freshman in high school, my mother and sister signed me up for drama club to my annoyance, as I did not want anything to do with theatre. Eventually that changed when I realized that theatre is one of the most fun things that I could do. After a couple of months during springtime, I was able to get a part in the school musical, The Pirates of Penzance. I was in the pirate ensemble and it was an absolute blast. When the curtains opened in front of a live audience, I felt a mixture of nervousness, exhilaration, happiness and bliss. To be able to perform alongside equally excited castmates in front of a supportive audience is one of the best feelings I have ever felt. It was at that moment I decided that I wanted theatre to be what I pursued in life, no matter what.

Have you had any particular mentors?

One mentor and friend I have had throughout my foray into community and professional theatre is a wonderful woman named Amy Griffin. She has supplied me with so much knowledge on the world of performing arts, has gotten me meetings with broadway-level personnel, helped me through tougher times, and is always thinking of me when she comes across a casting call that she believes I am right for. In fact, she is the reason I knew about The Growing Stage, and more specifically, The Lightning Thief auditions! Amy, if you see this, thank you for everything you have done for me!

Tell us a little bit about your association with the Society of American Fight Directors.

In the Spring of 2017, I was cast in West Side Story at Rockland Community College. During the rumble scene, my director who is a certified teacher with the SAFD, created fights for each pairing of Sharks and Jets that were so visceral and captivating, that I immediately sought out more stage combat knowledge when the run of the show was over. That fall, I enrolled in my first two stage combat classes, and I instantly fell in love with it. Every semester's end, we had the option to be adjudicated by SAFD Fight Master J. David Brimmer. He would watch the choreography we in the class had spent all semester learning and honing, and would either no-pass, basic pass, or Recommend (think of Recommend like the A+ on a test) each pair of fighters. I strove to be Recommended for each weapon I took and with the help of my amazing fight partners, I was! After my time had ended at school, I continued my fight training and performing at The New York Renaissance Faire with a lot of SAFD certified actors and partook in one of the SAFD's many workshops around the country!

How do you like working at The Growing Stage?

Working at The Growing Stage is such an incredible experience. All of the production team members are extremely nice, helpful and supportive. I look forward to every single rehearsal, because I know it is going to be fruitful and fun. The venue itself is also very awesome, since it's a historical theatre founded in 1919! That adds several cool points in my book.

What have been some of the challenges of your role as Percy Jackson in The Lightening Thief?

I have been thinking about this question for a couple of days now, and I believe I have answers for it! My first challenge is the genre of the music! I almost never do shows that are pop rock/rock operas. The last time I did a show like that was in 2015. I mostly stick with more classical sounding shows like Les Miserables or West Side Story. BUT, it has been a great time quasi-retraining my voice to give the proper sound needed for this show! The second challenge is definitely wanting to do justice to this beloved character and story. I love the books so much and they mean a lot to me, so being able to be Percy is a dream come true. I just want to make sure that when I am on that stage, audience members truly believe that I am the Son of Poseidon.

We'd love to know a little about the cast and creative team for The Lightning Thief.

Like I said before, the creative team is wondrous and an absolute pleasure to work with. They are there to help you be the best you can be and I very much anticipate interacting with them! As for my cast, I truly believe that they are perfect for this show. All of the talent and spunk was poured upon them and now I get to perform alongside such a fantastic group of actors. I am constantly impressed and in awe of them all at rehearsal, and I cannot wait to see them shine in front of an audience. I implore you all to see this show and experience how funny, talented and inspiring my castmates are!

What would you like audiences to know about the show?

Be prepared for a zany crash-course in Greek mythology coupled with tremendously great and catchy music, a story about true friendship and family, and a "talking" squirrel.

Can you share with our readers any of your future plans?

My future plans include continuing to pursue my dream of performing as a career, while I work to support myself as I do so. There are many auditions on the horizon, and I await the next stage I will hopefully step foot on!

Anything else, absolutely anything you'd like to add.

To the audience and my family: Your support means everything to me. Being able to perform for you all is such a blessing, and I hope this show leaves a mark on your hearts and minds after you leave the theatre. Thank you, truly.

Ticket prices are $28 for adults, $22 for seniors and $18 for children. To purchase tickets, please visit www.growingstage.com or call (973) 347-4946. Group rates and season packages are available.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Growing Stage and Tyler Miranda

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