When your partner has attempted (unsuccessfully) several times to persuade you to partake in reading one of their childhood favourites (I just have too much queer fiction to be getting through!), it’s difficult to pass up the opportunity to see what the fuss is about with such a unique method of delivery. She’s had to endure the disappointment of below-par film adaptations and a slightly better TV series – could a musical be the medium to finally recapture that initial awe of the books?
Well, we do both love musicals, so… check! And it’s certainly intriguing, to me – I’ve been a fan of Greek Myth retellings for a while. And, I have to say… we’ll call this one a mixed bag. A production with a niche, if you will. There are things I liked, things I didn’t like. It has its place, and while that place may not be for me, it certainly will be for some.
Let’s start with what I liked – visually, this was a very good production. Dynamic set design, impressive lighting, engaging choreography… Even the quirky costuming had an endearing charm to it, for characters like Chiron, Medusa, Ares. The cast also had their acting chops on full display, with stellar performances from everyone but especially Vasco Emauz (who played the titular character), Simone Robinson (as Sally Jackson & others), whose voice truly astounded us, & Ellie-Grace Cousins (as Clarisse & others), whose impressive versatility shone brightly. I felt I couldn’t help but imagine Emauz’ voice being very well-suited to the character of JD in Heathers. The cast and crew were clearly so talented, and I expect a lot of great things from these young actors.
Sadly, it has to be said, however, that as a musical, this production just did not deliver. It lacks that certain replayability we’ve become accustomed to with juggernauts like Six, Beetlejuice or The Rocky Horror Show. When a musical has been created to tell a story through the medium of music, as opposed to retelling an existing story in song form, it tends to create that heart that makes it impossible to forget. Timeless classics like Cellblock Tango, Any Dream will Do and Gee, Officer Krupke; they hook you, become eternally memorable, and I’m sorry to report that I cannot name nor recall any song from The Lightning Thief. In this way, the work would’ve been stronger as an outright play with a song or two, than as a dedicated ‘musical’.
And, further to that point, a play would’ve had much longer to deliver this story that captured so many minds. It started strong, getting the full early plot of Mrs Dodds and Mr Bruner in one song, but the format led to a lot of dither, and I came away experiencing more than a few gaps in the narrative that my partner, thankfully, was able to fill. I get it, this is a very full story, an action-packed thrill ride with the rich bank of Greek Mythology for substance, but the drawback of such limited media is that the plot needs to be concise. We didn’t need an entire song about being lost in the woods, or one about travelling where we bypass, I’ve been told, some of the best character-developing moments of the book – what we needed was the story.
queer crossroads 
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