Greek myth, comedy and songs make a great combination in this inventive show for kids

A blinding flash and a loud bolt of pop-rock gets the kids’ musical The Lightning Thief off to a rollicking start. For the next hour, things are fast and funny in this adaptation of Rick Riordan’s book. The Lightning Thief resets Greek mythology in the modern world. Our present-day protagonist, Percy Jackson (Eric Meyers), considers himself a garden-variety 12-year-old. He’s a good kid who’s dealing with ADHD and dyslexia. Unfortunately, he can’t sidestep trouble. He has just been expelled — again. The tween and teen years are prime times for trials and odysseys. Even more so when your absentee dad is Poseidon — as in the deity who reigns supreme in the sea. Percy discovers that he’s a demigod just as his mortal mom, Sally, is taken hostage in the underworld. Accompanied by best buds Annabeth (Kristen Stokes), a dauntless demigod, and true-blue Grover (Jordan Stanley), a satyr, Percy goes on a quest to rescue his mom and to prevent a war of Olympian proportions. Battles brew because Zeus’ lightning bolt has been pinched. A lot of plot? Sort of. The show is recommended for kids 7 and up.