LIGHTNING THIEF Reviews

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

magictodo123 said: "As much as I don't want this to happen, does anyone think it's likely that this will mean an early closure for the show?"

Tough to say, but January 5 is a LONG time from now for a show that appears to have lost money in its first 3 weeks of previews. Unless the producers have a huge reserve or someone's willing to put up more money, I doubt the Thanksgiving/Christmas bump is going to be enough to make it worthwhile.

[Jordan Catalano]

I believe the show has had quite a few performances with less than 300 people in the audience, so these reviews surely aren’t going to help get that number up.

[Kad]

Bad reviews, bad word of mouth and an abysmal box office. I really don't see how they can tough out more than two months.

[SouthernCakes]

Just oof. I mean, on one hand, I think how stupid the producers are for charging Broadway prices for a glorified children’s show. They should have upped the production value at least.

[Lavieboheme3090]

Yeah they are averaging about 400 tickets a performance. Unless they have a really solid advance for the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas I don't see how they can keep going much longer.

[Jordan Catalano]

I wonder if they’ll be the first show in 11 years to have had their last show opening night.

[Fredrich Yeager]

With reviews and reactions like these, I am called to mind the ill-fated fictional show referenced in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hurt Locker: The Musical.

"The musical opened last night and closed at intermission."

[Lot666]

msmp said: "My quibble is more with the condescension than the criticism."

That's always my quibble with critics, particularly with the NY Times.

[perfectliar]

msmp said: "THR is out and it's a total pan, minus faint praise for the acting."

I understand that most here had negative reactions to the show, so this reviewer's pan isn't out of left field, but he admits in the beginning that he basically is giving the show a bad review because he thinks it shouldn't be on Broadway, despite giving the material and off-Broadway production a rave review in 2017: "The show's producers apparently took my review, and many other favorable notices, too much to heart. Arriving on Broadway following a national tour for a limited run (timed to the upcoming holiday season, natch), The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical has lost all of its charms while gaining a dramatic uptick in ticket prices."

In his off-Broadway review, he called the plot "complicated," while in his Broadway review, it was "nonsensical." Off-Broadway he had this to say about a moment in the show: "what this show does with simple rolls of toilet paper and leaf blowers proves far more fun." On Broadway? "At one point in the performance, rolls of toilet paper are shot out into the audience via leaf blowers, which also serves as a handy visual metaphor for the show."

These are things that did not change from one iteration to the next. What did? The location. Scheck has a grudge against this show being on Broadway, as if there is some unwritten rule about what belongs there and what doesn't. (He calls it a trend of infantilization.)

And for what it's worth, there are tickets to this production that are cheaper than when it was off-Broadway.

[perfectliar]

They got a lot of bad reviews (Hollywood Reporter, NYT, The Daily Beast, Slant), but it didn't get totally eviscerated.

Deadline is positive: https://deadline.com/2019/10/the-lightning-thief-broadway-review-percy-jackson-musical-1202761359/

Variety is mixed-to-positve: https://variety.com/2019/legit/reviews/the-lightning-thief-review-musical-1203370223/

Vulture is mixed/mixed-to-positive: https://www.vulture.com/2019/10/review-the-lightning-thief-the-percy-jackson-musical.html

The Wrap is mixed-to-positive, plus at least one quote I would expect to see making the rounds soon ("No moment in Disney's 'Aladdin' or 'Frozen' matches the magic...": https://www.thewrap.com/lightning-thief-broadway-review-percy-jackson-musical-rick-riordan/

[singer234]

https://broadwaynews.com/2019/10/16/review-the-lightning-thief-inventively-reveals-the-demigods-among-us/

Isherwood liked.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

In terms of ticket sales, the NYTimes is the only publication that really matters –– especially in trying to reach an "older" audience of ticketbuyers. 

It's not unheard of for a critic to change their tone between Off-Broadway and Broadway, especially when the Off-B production was 2.5 years prior. And it IS appropriate for a critic to take into account the nature of the venue and the stakes of the playing situation. The venue can completely impact a show. Sometimes a small show transfers beautifully to a larger space (Fun Home, Band's Visit, Slave Play); other times, it does not. (Some critics even had complaints about Hedwig losing its gritty downtown aesthetic when it played the Belasco.)

[Fosse76]

I know it's a favorite pastime here to trash a show and hope it the worst, but some of you are acting like Percy Jackson raped your kitten. Seriously, get a hold of yourselves.

This is a limited run, simply to fill the theater until the next tenant loads in. It has a small operating budget, so I expect it to complete its run. If this were in an off-Broadway theater (where it should have gone), no one would be mentioning poor ticket sales, and I'll bet the reviews would more closely align with the tour reviews.

[perfectliar]

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "In terms of ticket sales, the NYTimes is the only publication that really matters –– especially in trying to reach an "older" audience of ticketbuyers.

It's not unheard of for a critic to change their tone between Off-Broadway and Broadway, especially when the Off-B production was 2.5 years prior. And it IS appropriate for a critic to take into account the nature of the venue and the stakes of the playing situation. The venue can completely impact a show. Sometimesa small show transfers beautifully to a larger space (Fun Home, Band's Visit, Slave Play); other times, it does not. (Some critics even had complaints aboutHedwiglosing its gritty downtown aesthetic when it played the Belasco.)"

The points the reviewer made were not about how the show filled the space or felt different, nor was it about changes that were made from one production to the next. He specifically changed the adjectives for the plot from one that was conciliatory but not nasty to one that was nasty. The same moment with the toilet paper was praised off-Broadway but basically called sh*t in this production. These have nothing to do with the stakes or the venue.

[Fosse76]

perfectliar said: "The points the reviewer made were not about how the show filled the space or felt different,nor was it about changes that were made from one production to the next. He specifically changed the adjectives for the plot from one that was conciliatory but not nasty to one that was nasty. The same moment with the toilet paper was praised off-Broadway but basically called sh*t in this production. These have nothing to do with the stakes or the venue."

It should also be pointed out that the show played in the same venues across the country that Phantom, Hamilton, Les Miz, Wicked, Dear Evan Hansen, etc. have all played. So why should the venue now matter all of a sudden? 

[WithoutATrace]

If I were the type of person to leave a show at intermission, I certainly would have done so at The Lightning Thief. Excruciating from start to finish. The (mostly) negative reviews are spot on.

[JBroadway]

Fosse76 said: "It should also be pointed out thatthe show played in the same venues across the country thatPhantom, Hamilton, Les Miz, Wicked, Dear Evan Hansen, etc. have all played. So why should the venue now matter all of a sudden?"

 

Probably because most of the people who are making that complaint didn’t see the show in any of those venues around the country, so it wasn’t relevant to them. I saw it at the Beacon and thought the show didn’t work there either. 

 

[Kad]

Wasn't the show also half its current length when playing those touring venues? 

[haterobics]

magictodo123 said: "As much as I don't want this to happen, does anyone think it's likely that this will mean an early closure for the show?"

Reviews never close shows. Lack of ticket sales do.

[JBroadway]

Kad said: "Wasn't the show also half its current length when playing those touring venues?"

 

I believe the added length was implemented either before the tour, or it began with the tour. From what people have said on here, it sounds like almost nothing has changed between the tour and Broadway. And I can tell you the show was around 2 hours with an intermission when I saw it at the Beacon back in March. 

[Fosse76]

JBroadway said: "Fosse76 said: "It should also be pointed out thatthe show played in the same venues across the country thatPhantom, Hamilton, Les Miz, Wicked, Dear Evan Hansen, etc. have all played. So why should the venue now matter all of a sudden?"



Probably because most ofthe people who are making that complaint didn’t see the showin any of those venues around the country, so it wasn’t relevant to them. I saw it at the Beacon and thought the show didn’t work there either."

The point is the show received, in general, decent reviews on the road. Broadway theaters are significantly smaller, in general, than most road houses. Why does it matter now? 

[CurtainPullDowner]

You gotta wonder who is putting (throwing away) their money on this show.

Will it help the show that much to say "direct from Broadway"?

 

[Lavieboheme3090]

Oh this show absolutely can be the next Seussical and make back all its money in school productions, esp since there is a 90 min version.

[SouthernCakes]

Well, it started out as a cafe-torium touring show and not much has except the length. It’s designed for tweens not a typical Broadway audience.

[msmp]

Kad said: "Wasn't the show also half its current length when playing those touring venues?"

No. The full two hour version has existed since the off-Broadway eun at the Lortel. The Theatreworks version was pre-2017.