Percy Jackson fans will find plenty of familiar storylines when musical version of hit series stops in Durham

The musical is based on the New York Times bestselling book by Rick Riordan that tells the story of Percy Jackson, a boy whose mother is a mortal and whose father is the Greek god Poseidon. For those who haven't read the books, a lot of adventures ensue as he comes to terms with who he is and more.

Shows run 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 9, and 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., April 10. Tickets start at $29.50. The show is getting rave reviews as it travels around the country.

I checked in with Jalynn Steele, the actress who portrays Percy's mom and a host of other characters throughout the show, to learn more.

Steele wasn't familiar with the books when she first auditioned for the show, but once she got the gig, she decided to pick them up and got hooked.

"I read all five of them during rehearsals," she said. "I breezed through the first one so fast and I had to know the ending. What happens to these kids?"

Here's a Q&A.

The show covers the first book, and if you're read it, you'll recognize a lot, Steele said.

"It's very true to everything that Rick Riordan wrote. We made sure to do that," she said. "They know the books have a lot of fans."

As fans of the series know, Percy is having plenty of trouble when we first meet him. Among his many issues, he keeps getting kicked out of school.

"She can see that her son is troubled and going through all this different stuff," she said. "The song that she sings, "Strong," is so important to him. She's the only one who can calm him down. ... She wants to tell him why all this crazy stuff keeps happening to him. And she's been keeping it secret from him for so long. ... Right before she's able to reveal the secret, she's taken away."

While Steele appears as his mother in just the beginning, the character plays an important storyline throughout the show.

"Throughout this story, it's his determination to find his mother again and keep that hope alive that she is still going to be able to join him," Steele said.

One popular moment is when Percy's friend Annabeth sings "My Grand Plan."

"It's just her kind of singing out about how she's always been a smart girl, but she never gets to take the quest, but she knows she is capable of all of these things," Steele said. "It's a song about knowing you can do it, but waiting for society to see that you can do it."

And, she said, there's always a big gasp at the end during a battle scene, complete with sword fighting, where a secret is revealed.

While a two-year-old sat mesmerized in the front row of a recent show, Steele said the audiences feature a range of all ages—from older adults with season tickets at the theater where the show is playing to Percy Jackson fans who have never seen a musical before.

"It's incredible," Steele said. "The fans are all ages, which is really, really fun. It's not just for adults and not just for kids, but for every single person. Everyone finds a character or a storyline to connect with in the show."