Thunder Bay ON — If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to discover you’re the son of a Greek god, the upcoming Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief musical offers an answer.
Directed by Denise Krawczuk of Applauze Productions and starring 15-year-old Addison Peckford in the title role of Percy, this production is a labour of love for a cast and crew who’ve been dreaming about it for over a year.
The musical is based on The Lightning Thief, one of a series of books written by Rick Riordan.
Peckford, a longtime fan of the books, describes the story as, “like Harry Potter, but better. It follows Percy as he finds out he’s a half-blood—half god, half mortal—and goes on a quest to retrieve Zeus’s lost bolt,” she explains. “Along the way, he makes friends and learns about himself. It’s very cool.”
Krawczuk admits she wasn’t familiar with the books initially. However, when her students started to request the musical, she listened. “I knew there was a following and a lot of kids loved it. It’s resonating well. I really like this because it is a true team musical. It’s all about their own journeys.”
She notes that the excitement for the show was palpable long before rehearsals began last October. “The cast even launched their own TikTok campaign to drum up interest. “The kids were so enthusiastic.” she says. “Percy’s journey has real heart.”
“Landing the role of Percy was a dream come true,” says Peckford. “We’ve all been begging Krawczuk to do this show since last year,” she explained. Though she’s only been acting since seventh grade, Peckford brings experience from her roles in The Lion King, Mary Poppins, and Newsies. Still, she jokes, “I’m kind of a newbie compared to some cast members who’ve been acting for ten years.”
Krawczuk says she’s been touched by how the kids have come together and how the show has developed. “It's about children that were born half human, half greek gods, and one of them is Percy, who has no idea he is a half blood and he's wondering why all these strange occurrences are happening, why these monsters are coming after him, and he discovers that he is the son of Poseidon. He finally finds a place where he belongs, and has closure with his parents towards the end of the show. It’s a very relevant and relatable show—for teens especially.”
Krawczuk praises the show’s balance of humour and depth with, “moments that shine.” The production’s camaraderie extends beyond the script. “They have friendships growing from it, which shows in their performances and is wonderful to see,” says Krawczuk.
Peckford describes the rehearsal environment as, “super friendly,” with cast members helping each other with props, costumes, and more. Krawczuk echoes this, noting the tight-knit bond among the cast: “They’ve gone through all the seasons and holidays together, and it shows. They’re very close.”
“It's very family friendly. The special effects, the humour, the music and soundtrack are really beautiful,” Krawczuk notes. “I’ve done musicals before. This one really resonates as a good musical all around. I always like musicals that have an arc to them, with choices, and a resolution at the end. I think people are really going to be impressed with the talent and the commitment these kids have shown.”
A live band led by music director Danny Johnson and accompanied by Jordan Gray, and Mark Soderlind, brings the score to life. “We wanted the show to feel complete, top to bottom,” Krawczuk said. Her husband Russell Crawczuk handles lights and sound as the production manager, while
choreographer Deedee Cook and fight trainer-assistant director Andrea Jacobson round out the
creative team.
With performances running April 4–6 at 7 PM, and a 2 PM matinee on April 6th, Krawczuk said she hopes audiences will respond to the cast’s dedication. “These kids deserve a full house. The story’s relatable, the music is beautiful, and it’s hilarious—Grover alone is worth the price!” Peckford adds, “The show’s amazing. Come get tickets!”
Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite or the production’s website at applauzeproductions.com