Rehearsals for this year’s musical “The Lightning Thief” are underway, and the drama department is preparing for their shows on Nov. 14-16 at 7 p.m., with tickets going on sale Nov. 4.
“(Rehearsals) have been going really well,” Director Abbe Lane said. “This is a really fun musical and I think that makes it easier for the students to learn all of their parts because they really like the music and the content of it. It’s fun, it’s funny, it’s mystical, they just really like all of that stuff.”
They rehearse almost every day, either during choir class or after school.
“Rehearsals have been going just lovely, we’ve been doing a lot of hard work. Even with some people having to leave due to sports, we’ve been pulling through,” senior Aidan Pierstorff, who plays the lead role of Percy Jackson, said. “I think everybody’s practicing outside (of rehearsals), which is good, as they should. We’re not wasting time.”
Practicing outside of rehearsals is important so that the actors can learn and perfect their lines.
“I mostly just read them over and over and then put the book down and try to memorize,” senior Andrew Rozek, who plays Grover Underwood, said. “It’s kind of like how you would read notes over and over to study them, I kind of just say them over and over until I get them.”
Another part of acting that the actors are focused on is getting into character.
“This character is very different because this is the first time I’m playing a primary role that isn’t entirely human,” Rozek said. “The reason I wanted to be Grover was because I saw myself in his kindness, and a lot of my younger self in him. I like to call back on my younger experiences, because Grover is a younger character, and it’s not really about being a goat, because he is very human despite being half goat.”
Rozek is not the only one who looks inward to portray their characters.
“I always try to find a way to relate to the characters that I portray,” senior Aleea Lichtenberg, who plays Annabeth Chase, said. “Finding common ground between myself and the character allows me to step into their shoes.”

When picking the musical, Lane had to be sure to find one that can work in the small musical department.
“I was looking for a show where the gender of the characters didn’t matter because, in the musical world, we’re always hurting for guys. So I picked a show where anyone could play anybody,” Lane said.
The musical was also chosen due to its unique music style compared to other musicals done in the past.
“I also loved the music for this, every song is a different genre of music. We’ve got some ballads, we’ve got some jazz, we have some rock, and it’s mostly pop-rock so I like that appeal. I think the kids did too,” Lane said.
Many of the actors say they enjoy the unique style of this musical’s songs.
“It’s a lot different from the ones I’ve done in the past. The songs themselves are also a lot different. It’s a lot more poppy and I appreciate it,” Pierstorff said.
A lot of the actors also say they love the musical choice for nostalgic reasons.
“I am absolutely thrilled about the choice of musical this year. I read the Percy Jackson series in middle school so I know that sixth-grade me is freaking out,” Lichtenberg said.
Last year was Lane’s first time directing a musical by herself and this year things are much easier now that she has a year under her belt.
“I know what I’m doing this time around. Of course, with every show, there are different difficulties. This one, because there are so many mythical creatures, the costumes are really difficult because we’re having to make somebody into a centaur, and somebody has to be a Fury, so we have to make big old bat wings, and somebody gets to be Cerberus, the three-headed dog,” Lane said. “But in general, I feel like it’s way easier than last year because I know a timeline now of when things need to happen.”
Aside from what the musical is and the music within the musical, actors have one main reason for joining the musical: they enjoy performing.
“I love performing for people and using my talents to make people smile and bring them into the musical experience,” Rozek said. “I also just enjoy singing and dancing and acting, fun activities for me.”
The actors also have the opportunity to express themselves.
“Musicals have always been the one place where I can be myself and do the things that I love,” Lichtenberg said.
For Lane, who used to do musicals as well, being a director is a big change. But her time as an actor has helped her.
“I miss being on the stage now that I’m a director, but I find that because I was an actor first, I’m really hands-on with them and showing them exactly the moves I want them to do, but also trusting that sometimes they can make decisions for themselves and I want to see what they are doing without my guidance,” Lane said. “It’s different in that there’s a lot more for me to do. I’m not just thinking about my lines or learning my music. I have to learn all their lines and music, too. But I also have to worry about what the lighting is going to look like, who needs to be miked when, deciding who’s going to sing what parts. It’s hard, just in a different way.”
During any sort of production, there is one thing that truly ties actors together, which is simply working together and helping each other out.
“The cast this year is unlike any cast that I’ve ever been part of. We are all so close to each other. We support and build each other up at every rehearsal,” Lichtenberg said.
Over the months it takes to put on a show, the members of the department become quite close with one another, especially the ones who have been performing together for years.
“I am super close with a large majority of people in the musical, less so with the younger group just because I’ve had less time to be around them, but especially with the seniors and the juniors. I love these people; this is my musical family,” Rozek said.