The Theater Group
Percy Jackson is coming to town with all the charm and pacing of a chapter book – onstage at a summer program that keeps kids returning each year and bonding through the arts.
The occasion is a pair of performances this week of Percy Jackson the Musical by Audubon Arts Theater Group. It’s the group’s first show since 2019’s production of the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
The show will be staged on Wednesday and Thursday in the courtyard behind Neighborhood Music School on Audubon Street.
Audubon Arts is the summer program offered by Neighborhood Music School. Over 20 years old, the program caters to participants ages 3 – 18.
Passersby can easily hear cheers and singing when walking by at noon, the start of the daily lunchtime concerts. Many kids come back each summer until they can be a part of the coveted high school-aged Theater Group, which puts on big shows at the end of the six-week sessions each summer.
The stage looks out to the courtyard behind Neighborhood Music School.
Percy Jackson the Musical is a stage adaptation of the first book in the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. It briefly played on Broadway in 2019 after a longer off-Broadway stint, which received generally positive reviews. Fans of the book series are the target audience.
It follows Percy Jackson, a teenager who discovers that he is a demi-god, meets new friends at Camp Half-Blood, then goes on a quest to prevent a war between the Greek gods by finding Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt. Asides are sprinkled in, like “This ain’t no Disney, this is Odyssey.”
Director Stephen Dest has been directing the Theater Group shows for over 20 years. He said that this year’s show differs because in typical years, the Theater Group is bigger and the new members have mentors to help them through the process. Because of Covid-19, all of the past Theater Groupers have graduated. There are no built-in mentors this year.
He also mentioned the difficulty of wearing masks throughout a show’s entire rehearsal process.
“I think what we did here is pretty special,” he said.
The songs are fast-paced and catchy and contain many of the duels and action sequences within them. There’s a showstopping number halfway through Act 2 called “DOA” that pushes up the audience’s energy with sparkles, death, and impressive riffs.
The pit is made up of local musicians who have played with Audubon Arts for years, led by musical director Greg Bell.
Roy adjusting the projection.
Some of the projection cutouts that Roy and the other art department members made for the show.
This screen set up behind the stage, allowing for quick scene changes.
The sets and special effects are replaced with projections and shadow puppets. Dhillon Roy, a veteran NMS participant and current art department assistant, cut out intricate scenes on thick paper with an Exacto knife, including mountain scenes, a Hollywood sign, and the body of a centaur. He is stationed directly behind a wide screen on the stage and flips between the sets by hand.
This method is refreshing, as it allows audience members to take a step back from the over-the-top special effects present in modern action movies and high-budget productions. It recalls the simplicity of reading a chapter book as a child and putting one’s imagination to use.
O'Brien as Grover the satyr.
This sentiment was shared by Dexter O’Brien, a rising junior at ESUMS who has been going to Audubon Arts for four years and is playing Grover, a satyr and trusty sidekick to Percy Jackson.
“It’s a series I grew up with, and it’s great to bring life to characters that have been in my head for so long,” he said.
O’Brien’s comedic stage presence demanded attention, as did his costume.
The 11 cast members, who have been rehearsing for five intense weeks, clearly love spending time together. Almost all have attended the program for a number of years. “In a smaller group, you can really be friends with everyone,” said Maya Katsovich, who plays Annabeth and is in her ninth year at Audubon. She hopes to return as a counselor in future years.
“Audubon Arts is the only thing I associate with summer,” said Zara Baden-Eversman, who plays Percy Jackson.
If you’re interested in seeing the show, email Audubon Arts Director Anne Tubis at atubis@nmsnewhaven.org. Bring a chair and blanket and suggested donation and learn a little about Greek mythology and the fantastic work done in just six weeks at Audubon Arts.