COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — In the spacious Butler Middle School auditorium, Cottonwood Heights Arts Council mounted an ambitious and high-energy production of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. Based on the best-selling book series by Rick Riordan, the musical features music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki and a book by Joe Tracz. The story follows teenage misfit Percy Jackson, who has been expelled from one school after another and is haunted by questions about the father he’s never known. When Percy discovers he’s a demigod — the son of a Greek god — he’s thrust into a quest not only to retrieve a stolen lightning bolt and prevent an all-out war on Mount Olympus, but also to win the kind of parental acceptance that many of his peers at “Camp Half-Blood” so desperately crave.
The musical kicks off with Percy belting a rock-infused ballad about his misfit status and the moment he accidentally vaporizes a substitute teacher, Mrs. Dodds — who turns out to be a winged Fury. The show leans into its pop-rock identity with headbanging intensity yet it at times gets bogged down in being exposition heavy. While that approach could risk slowing the momentum, this production kept the energy high and connected effectively with audiences of all ages thanks to its charismatic cast and spirited delivery.
The show is musically demanding, with dense lyrics, intricate rhythms, and relentless pacing — but the lead actors from CHAC proved more than capable. Garrett Stephenson, as Percy Jackson, delivered an impressively athletic vocal performance, navigating the show’s punishing musical load with confidence and clarity. He brought a believable teenage vulnerability to the role, capturing the perfect mix of angst, sarcasm, and emerging heroism. His physicality, facial expressions, and timing grounded the show’s wild mythology in relatable emotion…