Longtime Theatre Instructor Directs Final Production at Casper College

Casper College press release written by Lisa Isenogle:

Casper College Theater instructor Richard Burk will present his final production at Casper College with “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.” The show will run April 18-20 and 25-27 on the McMurry Mainstage.

Burk began his teaching and directing career with Casper College at the beginning of the 1991-1992 school year. During that time, he has directed everything from tragedies to comedies, drama to farce, musicals and everything in between.

For his last directorial production, “The Lightning Thief,” Burk cast 10 Casper College students who will be playing 43 different characters. Based on “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” a young adult fiction series by Rick Riordan, the fun and energetic musical deals with the beginning of the saga, in which Zeus’s Lightning Bolt has been stolen and needs to be recovered.

“You won’t want to miss it,” Burk noted. “What do you do when you find out that you are the son of a Greek God? More importantly, what do you do when you realize that Greek mythology is alive and well and living in the 21st century, and someone has stolen Zeus’ Lightning, and you’re catching the blame?” Burk asked.

According to Burk, “The Lightning Thief” will shine light on those questions and more, including “How do I fit into a world that doesn’t seem to know I exist? I don’t want to give away too much because the story is told through song, dance, and acting, and the fun of theater is taking the journey along with the cast,” said Burk.

Thanks to a grant from the Board of Cooperative Educational Services, BOCES, guest choreographer Matthew Dailey was hired to work with the students. Dailey, a 2009 Casper college graduate, has enjoyed a career in New York City as an actor, spending three years starring in the hit Broadway show “Jersey Boys” as Tommy DeVito and two years in Cameron Mackintosh’s “Miss Saigon.”

In 2020, Dailey returned to his hometown of Denver, working as a director and choreographer. His previous direction and choreography credits include “White Christmas,” Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” “Joseph and the Amaziing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” and “Jersey Boys.” “I am very thankful to Richard Burk and the entire Casper College team, who allowed me to share this time with the incredibly talented students,” Dailey said.

“The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” will run April 18-20 and 25-26 at 7:30 p.m. Two matinees will also be held on April 20 and 27 at 2 p.m. The musical is recommended for children 5 years old and up.

Tickets for “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” are now on sale online at caspercollegearts.cc. Tickets can also be purchased by calling 307-268-2500, toll-free at 800-442-2963, ext. 2500, in person at the box office, open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets for each performance are $12 for adults and $10 for students aged 5 to 18.

The Mick and Susie McMurry Main Stage is located in the Gertrude Krampert Center for Theatre and Dance on the Casper College campus.