The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, based on the popular fantasy book, comes to the Magik Theatre this Saturday, bringing its rock and roll take on Greek mythology to San Antonio.
The musical is adapted from the book written by San Antonio native Rick Riordan, who taught middle school English and history for 15 years before turning to writing full time. He started writing adult mystery books while he was a teacher but didn’t delve into children’s fiction until he came up with the idea for The Lightning Thief as a bedtime story for his eldest son, Haley. Like Haley, the story’s protagonist, Percy Jackson, has dyslexia and ADHD, which Riordan wrote as assets to the character.
Although The Lightning Thief was published nearly 20 years ago, the message of finding strength in one’s weaknesses is timeless.
“You may have these things that generally may seem like they’re holding you back,” said Anthony Runfola, the Magik Theatre’s artistic director. “But really, if you can flip that script a little bit and come at it from a different direction, they can be real strengths.”
James Cazares, who plays Percy Jackson in the musical, gets strength from connecting with the audience. He played the same role in Taft High School’s production of The Lightning Thief when he was a senior there in 2021.
After the opening night performance of the musical, Angel Moline, a Taft High School alumna, approached Cazares and shared her praise for the production. Her grandmother, who had died four years prior, had gifted Moline the Percy Jackson books, and though she loved them, Moline said she had trouble bringing herself to enjoy them after losing her grandmother. She thanked Cazares for giving her the strength to revisit the stories and rediscover her love for the Percy Jackson books.
“There are no words to describe all the feelings this show brought up,” Moline later wrote on social media. “I want to thank the cast, [and] the crew … for bringing this to life and for making me feel closer to my grandma again as well as bringing joy back into this series for me.”
For Cazares, it feels “surreal” to be able to play a role that means so much to him all over again. Now a rising sophomore studying theater at Texas State University, Cazares went back through his old script notes to try to remember acting choices and character work. However, with a new director and a much smaller cast, Cazares said it has been a challenge to relearn the role to fit the new production.
Still, he said the cast and crew have welcomed him and allowed him to feel “free to make mistakes” in their rehearsals.
“It can feel really difficult to fit in, in a lot of areas, and that’s what Percy Jackson’s story is about,” Cazares said. “It’s [about] connecting with people, finding your own way, and making a space for yourself.”
Catch Cazares and the rest of The Lightning Thief cast onstage at the Magik Theatre from July 1 to August 6. The theater will offer a “pay what you wish” performance July 20 at 2 p.m., a sensory-friendly performance July 26 at 2 p.m. and an ASL-interpreted performance July 29 at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online or at the theater’s box office.
