Stage review: Stage Left’s take on zany musical ‘Ride the Cyclone’ takes viewers on a ride
The 2008 musical “Ride the Cyclone” by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell has cemented itself as a Gen Z cult-classic. The story follows six teenagers from a tiny Saskatchewan town pleading with a mechanical fortune teller, Karnak, for the ability to come back to life following a freak roller coaster accident. Stage Left’s production opened Feb. 28 and runs until March 23.
The form of “Ride the Cyclone” is reminiscent of vaudeville as each of the six main characters sings a song about why they should be given the chance to continue with their lives.
From 1970s prog rock to an upbeat pop song arguing for social Darwinism, each song emphasizes the character traits and backgrounds of each teen with masterful performances.
The heart of the musical exists in the charm and chemistry of these six teenagers, which Stage Left’s cast masters. Every moment of the show, the cast is fully engaged in their characters and their relationships with each other, even when an AMBER alert disrupted their Thursday night performance.
In particular, the not-so-genuine best friendship between perfectionist Ocean O’Connel Rosenburg, played by Lacey Olson, and “nicest girl in town” Constance Blackwood, played by Tori Diana, is appropriately funny and heart-wrenching when it needs to be.
Rhead Shirley as Mischa Bachinski, an alcoholic Ukrainian adoptee dubbed “the angriest boy in town,” stuck out as one of the most well-balanced between the comedic and heartfelt beats of his character’s internal struggle. His character leads two musical numbers, the heavily autotuned rap “This Song is Awesome,” and the beautiful Ukrainian love ballad “Talia,” both of which Shirley nails with immense charisma and vocal skill.
Olson’s portrayal of Ocean was hilarious. When it came to her solo, “What the World Needs,” Olson had some difficulties matching her voice with the key of the song, despite clear vocal talent. It was made up for in the stand-out quality of Olson’s acting throughout the show.
Opera-trained Kailyn Wilder as Jane Doe had the most difficult task ahead of her: the hauntingly beautiful and difficult “Ballad of Jane Doe.” Despite initial shakiness in opening songs, Wilder’s performance cemented itself by the end as an incredible display of vocal ability and acting.
Additionally, Wilder’s costume as Jane Doe was effective as communicating the creepiness of the character as a decapitated girl wearing the head of a broken doll. Other costumes designed by Patty DeWitt-Garegnani include ’70s space-rock tight pants and cat ears for Declan Sheehan in “Space Age Bachelor Man,” and lingerie and heels for Owen Henderson in “Noel’s Lament.”
The set was similarly well-crafted, although small in the Stage Left Theater space. The few set pieces were fun and used effectively, especially the moving roller-coaster cart and ministage which used projected images impressively. Set designer James Landsiedel clearly understood how to make the most of the small stage space.
The musical did not feature a live pit or microphones, making actors dependent on a backing track and meaning it was often difficult to hear the words being sung. This was especially noticeable in numbers where the majority of the cast would provide backing for the lead, and for those who struggle with their hearing it may be a good idea to look up lyrics ahead of time.
Even with these difficulties, “Ride the Cyclone” at Stage Left is an incredibly fun ride that brings smiles and tears to theater-goers. For anyone interested in an out-of-the-box, emotionally moving musical theater experience, it’s surely worth the time.