(ORADELL, NJ) -- Bergen County Players (BCP), one of America's longest-running little theater companies, presents The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (Theatre for Young Audiences Edition), an "electrifying" (Newsday) musical adaption of the New York Times best-selling novel written by Rick Riordan, with a limited holiday run at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell from December 7-22, 2024.
The family musical features a book by Joe Tracz and a thrilling original rock score with music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki. The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is an action-packed theatrical adventure that has been celebrated by audiences and critics alike.
The entire creative team of BCP’s last year’s hit A Christmas Carol: The Musical will return with direction by Larry Landsman, musical direction by Steven Bell, and choreography by Elisabeth Julia and Paige Marian. Performance times are Fridays at 7:30pm, and Saturdays and Sundays at 1:00pm & 4:00pm. Tickets, priced at $19, can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during regular box office hours. The show is recommended for ages seven and above, runs approximately 80 minutes and will be performed without intermission. A Meet-and-Greet, photo and autograph session with the cast will occur after every performance in BCP's downstairs lounge.
As the half-blood son of a Greek god, Percy Jackson has newly discovered powers he can’t control, a destiny he doesn’t want, and a mythology textbook’s worth of monsters on his trail. When Zeus’s master lightning bolt is stolen and Percy becomes the prime suspect, he must find and return the bolt to prove his innocence and prevent a war between the gods. But to succeed in his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the thief. He must travel to the Underworld and back; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and come to terms with the father who abandoned him.
“The Lightning Thief” was first published in July 2005 and is the first book of the "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" pentalogy. The novel has spent over 500 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list and even spawned a Hollywood film adaptation back in 2010, as well as a hit television series now running on Disney+. This musical adaptation first premiered off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in the spring of 2017, where it enjoyed a sold-out, six-week run and ultimately earned three Drama Desk Award nominations, including "Outstanding Musical." A North American National Tour of the production was launched in January 2019 and played a total of 32 cities. It opened on Broadway in October 2019 at the Longacre Theatre.
Landsman’s directorial credits range from the musicals Ragtime: The Musical, Alan Menken’s A Christmas Carol: The Musical, The Music Man, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Into the Woods, Little Shop of Horrors, The 1940’s Radio Hour, A Year With Frog and Toad, and The Full Monty, to plays such as A Few Good Men, Lost in Yonkers, Thumbs, and Accomplice, as well as four of BCP’s live radio broadcasts. “Bringing these beloved characters to the stage while creating the mythology and the magic between this world and that of the gods required an enormous amount of creativity,” says director Larry Landsman of Wyckoff. “We felt that having only seven actors play dozens of characters added to the theatricality of the show." Landsman continues, "The Percy Jackson audiences will meet in this show is extraordinary. Struggling with ADHD and dyslexia, school is not his favorite thing. He feels different, and he is. I can say that many kids can relate to his story — not fitting in, trying to find a place where they belong.”
The talented cast includes Nathan Kossoy of Fair Lawn as Percy Jackson. Nathan is a sophomore at Fair Lawn High School appearing at BCP for the first time. His prior acting experience includes Young Frankenstein, Something’s Rotten!, She Kills Monsters, The Addams Family and Into the Woods. Nathan was a Perry Award nominee for Outstanding Youth Actor in a Play in 2020, 2022, and 2024. Also starring is Maraida Gonzales of Hopatcong as Annabeth. Maraida is also making her BCP debut. Previously she appeared at NiCori Studios and Productions in Into the Woods, Avenue Q and Pippin. At Roundtable Theatre Company she starred in Rent. Gunnar S. Holmberg of Paramus stars as Grover and Mr. D. Gunnar also is making his BCP debut in this production. His work on other stages includes The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Twelfth Night, Disaster, She Kills Monsters, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Radium Girls.
Another newcomer to BCP is Ren Bailey of Basking Ridge who stars as Clarisse and others. They come to BCP having performed on other area stages in Urinetown, She Kills Monsters, Macbeth, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Ride the Cyclone. Recently, Ren was awarded the Perry Award for Outstanding Youth Actor in a Play. Zachary Boyd of Cresskill, who stars as Luke and others, made his BCP debut in this season’s opening production, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. At the University of Virginia, Zach appeared in Alice by Heart, as well as performed as part of the Broadway a cappella group Hoos in the Stairwell. Angelina Aragona of Township of Washington stars as Sally Jackson and others. She has appeared at BCP in Pride and Prejudice, Ragtime: The Musical, and The Play That Goes Wrong for which she received a Perry Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play. She recently appeared on other local stages in Big Fish and Rocky. Brian Peter of New York City stars as Chiron and others. Brian is returning to the BCP stage after a long absence, having appeared in Lost in Yonkers and in the title role in Aladdin. Other regional credits include Rent, Camelot, Fun Home, The Full Monty, Altar Boyz, South Pacific, and Monty Python’s Spamalot, to name a few.
The production team is comprised of Kathleen Ruland (Co-Producer), Michele Roth (Co-Producer), Steve Bell (Musical Director), Alyson Cohn (Production Stage Manager), Elisabeth Julia (Co-Choreographer), Paige Marian (Co-Choreographer), Dan Seitz (Set Design/Construction), Allan Seward (Lighting Design), Lauren Zenreich (Décor), Rob DeScherer (Sound Design), Michael Serpe (Fight Choreographer), Brian Peter (Fight Captain), Aura Caicedo (Lighting Operation), Barry Reed (Microphones), Kelly Gebman (Sound Operation), Scout Schiro (Costume Designer), Olga Garey, Karen Markle (Costumes), Rich Ciero, Jeff Kraft (Specialty Props), Alan Zenreich, Barbara Mintz (Photography), Carey Gsell (Hair/Make-up), Karen Markle (Hair), Greg Guido (Crew Chief), Gloria Bumbaco, Jim Resnik, Jennifer Bancks (Stage Crew), Jill Hendrickson, Scout Schiro, Sandra Conklin (Dressers), Staci Beth Block (Teambuilding Coach), Jennifer Cottone (Publicity), Janica Carpenter (Dramaturg), James Lugo (Member-at-Large), Marci K. Weinstein (Program Bios), and Sharla Herbert (Headshot Board).
TICKET AND SCHEDULE INFORMATION
* All performances take place at The Little Firehouse Theatre at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell, home to the Bergen County Players since 1949. Performance times are Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 1:00pm & 4:00pm.
* All tickets are $19. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during regular box office hours. Visa, Master Card, and American Express are accepted.
* Those interested in Group Sales or benefit theater parties can call (201) 261-4200 (option #6)
* BCP offers seating to accommodate patrons who are mobility impaired and can transfer from a wheelchair. These seats can be purchased by calling the box office at 201-261-4200 and will be released for public sale two weeks prior to performance.
* There are numerous legal parking spots in the area, including municipal lots and side streets, all of which are free and within a five minute walk of the Little Firehouse Theatre. For detailed parking information please visit https://bcplayers.org/about-us/directions-parking/
The Bergen County Players, Inc. is a non-Equity, non-profit community theater company dedicated to presenting quality productions for the enrichment of the community.
PHOTOS BY Alan Zenreich/Bergen County Players
