The original London cast album of The Lightning Thief drops November 7 on streaming platforms, but we've got a first listen to Morgan Gregory singing "Bring On the Monsters!" Listen below.
The track is actually one of the album's bonus tracks, newly featuring the song's original lyrics. "In the iterative process of lyric writing, I rarely look back on earlier drafts. This song initially had entirely different verses and tone. However, world events and the encouragement of the original creative team, led me to re-examine the song with an urgent call for agency, leading to the show version," explains songwriter Rob Rokicki. "Dusting these lyrics off, I was reminded of camp as a kid and the excitement and fear of starting to find out who you are. I also was looking for something to feature Morgan Gregory, as he was a wonderful Percy in his own right, and this seemed a perfect fit. These lyrics sum up the bittersweet close of the journey, the legacy we share with our friends, and the end of one chapter and the beginning of another."
The new recording, coming from Center Stage Records, will be the most complete recording yet of Rokicki's score, featuring updated orchestrations and arrangements never before recorded. It will also contain cut material that was restored for the London staging, amounting to 15 minutes of music not on previous albums. A physical CD edition is due to drop December 5.
READ: Lightning Thief Musical Holding Online Listening Party for London Cast Album
Everybody's Talking About Jamie star Max Harwood led the company in the title role, with Scott Folan (Be More Chill) as Grover; Jessica Lee (Miss Saigon) as Annabeth; Paisley Billings (Six) as Sally Jackson; Greg Barnett (The Duchess of Malfi) as Mr. Brunner, Poseidon, and Hades; Joe Allen (Charlie & The Chocolate Factory) as Mr. D and Gabe; Samantha Mbolekwa (Dear Evan Hansen) as Clarisse; and Joaquin Pedro Valdes (Heathers The Musical) as Luke and Ares. Featured in the ensemble are Philip Catchpole (The Book of Mormon), Morgan Gregory (Newsies), Charlotte O’Rourke (Cruel Intentions), and Alex Waxman.
Adapted from Rick Riordan's best-selling novel, the rock musical follows teenager Percy Jackson, who discovers he's the half-blood son of Greek god Poseidon. The musical was originally developed by TheatreWorks USA as an hour-long musical for young audiences, with the full-length version debuting Off-Broadway in 2017. Following a U.S. tour, the musical got a brief Broadway run in 2019. The London staging, now touring the U.K., is a new staging that premiered in 2024.
The work has a book by Joe Tracz (Be More Chill) and songs by Rokicki. Bill Kenwright Ltd and Paul Taylor-Mills presented the London bow, directed and choreographed by Lizzi Gee (Groundhod Day). Jeremy Wootton served as musical supervisor, and Ben McQuigg was music director. Orchestrations are by Wiley DeWeese and Rokicki.
Pre-save the digital release here.
