Ride The Cyclone

A tornado of musical theatre talent hits Toronto

Presented by Theatre Passe Muraille in collaboration with Acting Up Stage Company
Produced by Atomic Vaudeville
Written by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell
Directed by Britt Small and Jacob Richmond

Photo of the company by Fairen Berchard.

Imagine this: you’re nearing the top of a roller coaster, about to go over the edge. That feeling in the pit of your stomach is Ride The Cyclone — a suspenseful, emotional, perilous whirlwind of excitement (with a killer soundtrack).

Produced by Victoria-based theatre company Atomic Vaudeville, Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell’s Ride The Cyclone was a big success at the 2010 SummerWorks Festival and is currently enjoying a second Toronto run at Theatre Passe Muraille. The story revolves around six teenage choir members from Uranium City, Saskatchewan who died in a roller accident at a travelling fair.

Narrated by The Amazing Karnak, a dry-humoured fortune-telling machine, the musical temporarily brings the chamber choir back to life and each member is given the opportunity to express themselves after the crash.

They are a diverse group: Noel Gruber (Kholby Wardell), the only gay kid in town, died before his first kiss and dreams of becoming a French prostitute; Ocean Rosenburg (Rielle Braid), a politically ambitious brat caught between her Jewish father and Irish mother; Mischa Bachinsky (Matthew Coulson), the Ukrainian bad boy rapper with a sensitive side; Ricky Potts (Elliott Loran), a socially awkward space cadet with a fetish for alien cat women; and Constance Blackwood (Kelly Hudson), a nice girl who is teased for loving her crumbling, middle-of-nowhere town.

Finally, there’s Jane Doe (Sarah Pelzer), a sad and scary girl who’s headless body could not identified after the accident. Her chilling performance and haunting operatic voice will stay with you long after the curtain call.

Accompanied by Virgil, a base playing rat with glowing red eyes, the powerhouse cast brings the house down with their soaring harmonies. Musically, the show incorporates a strange and potent mix of styles — everything from gospel to glam rock. This soon-to-be cult classic will spin you like a merry-go-round and leave you wanting more.

Ride The Cyclone is runs until December 3, 2011. Visit passemuraille.on.ca for more information and to buy tickets.

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