Chance Theatre presents the California premiere of Ride the Cyclone, directed by Jocelyn A. Brown. Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell.
Six teenagers find themselves in a mythical purgatory after they die riding a roller coaster called Cyclone. The mystic element of the afterlife adds a powerful message to the story. Much like the recent Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, the characters of Ride the Cyclone have to make decisions in the afterlife that will reflect either their selfishness or their selflessness.
At the purgatory, the teenagers meet The Amazing Karnak (Robert Foran), a mechanical fortune-telling machine that will end its life when a rat called Virgil eats up the electrical cable that powers the machine. Karnak will make the kids play a game in which only one of them can win the grand prize: Going back to life.
Ocean (Haley Wolff), Mischa (Jared Machado), Noel (Wyatt Hatfield), Ricky (Jaylen Baham), Constance (Rose Pell), and Jane Doe (Em Flosi) each perform a unique musical number that reveals their personalities.
The exposition of the characters’ traits shows the wide range of emotions typical of the teenage years. Rage, insecurities, sexual awakening, regrets, and dreams are expressed cleverly in each of the musical numbers and dialogue. Noel’s performance is a cabaret-style piece that adds a touch of raw sensuality to the atmosphere, with decadent shades of red light.
Jane Doe, the only unidentified person in the accident, delivers a dark and eerily beautiful number with an operatic voice that blends smoothly with the mystical premise of the play.
The book is an extraordinary work by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell. The characters are well-developed and allow the actors to deliver emotional and meaty performances. Director Jocelyn A. Brown uses the stage efficiently, giving the actors plenty of space to shine and deliver a visually striking exhibition of kinetics. The technical elements are first-class: Lighting Design (Masako Tobaru), Costume Design (Bradley Allen Lock), Scenic Design (Antonio Beach and Bradley Kaye).
Ride the Cyclone is an amusing show with energetic music and moving performances by young and talented thespians, live from the afterlife.
Ride the Cyclone
Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center on the Cripe Stage, 5522 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim, CA 92807
Performances: February 4 – February 26, 2023; Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. & 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.
Tickets: www.chancetheater.com
