The Lightning Thief musical will be coming to the Beacon Theatre in New York City on March 28, 29, 30 and 31. “You can expect a homecoming of The Lightning Thief. We started down in the West Village and we launched our big national tour after our run in New York, and now we are coming back. The cast is very excited and we are ready to be back home,” he said.
McCarrell continued, “Percy is from New York City and he goes on a big cross-country quest to Los Angeles to save the world and clear his name. It is fitting that we get back to New York.”
He acknowledged that he wasn’t a big fiction reader growing up since he was a “theater geek.” “After I got cast in the show, I read the first book and it is so much fun to bring the book to the stage,” he admitted.
When asked what motivates him each day as a theater actor, McCarrell responded, “For me, it’s the kids that feel empowered from the show. Percy and his friends aren’t the normal heroes that you see on the stage. They all have clear weaknesses and they actually find out that those weaknesses are the source to their powers later in the show. Percy deals with dyslexia so to see kids in the audience that might struggle in school and then, when they come out on top, that’s what motivates me. I want to empower kids.”
Digital transformation of the entertainment industry
On the impact of technology on the entertainment business, McCarrell said, ” I feel that technology is great, especially in the television world. The programs on Netflix and Hulu can have so much artistic freedom that it is changing the game for the better. It provides a more unique experience once you watch something different.”
McCarrell added, “Also, technology helps the theater world. Broadway is realizing that if you truly create a culture in your show that is unique, you actually create this really specific environment on stage that can have mainstream success.”
Regarding his use of technology in his daily routine as an actor, McCarrell noted that he is constantly on his iPad since he is also a photographer. “That’s my side job outside of the theater,” he said, prior to noting that he can film his own auditions using his phone and iPad.
As an actor, he shared that he uses digital scripts. “If I know the show pretty well, I will use digital versions of scripts,” he said.
McCarrell defined success as “doing something every day that only you can do.”
To learn more about The Lightning Thief musical, check out the venue’s official website.
