RIDE THE CYCLONE at Abingdon Community Theater

ACT

Abingdon Community Theater

A Little Theater with Big Talent

Emmorton Parks and Recreation Council

2213 Old Emmorton Road

Bel Air, MD 21015

Abingdon Community Theater announces the Maryland premier of Ride the Cyclone for three performances on May 6 and 7, 2023, at Patterson Mill High School, Bel Air, Maryland, in Harford County. Ride the Cyclone premiered in Canada in 2008 and has had various productions across Canada and the United States, including Off-Broadway in 2016, and at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. this past winter.

Ride the Cyclone is an amusing and touching musical that is appropriate for teen and adult audiences. While nothing in the musical is inappropriate for young teenagers, some language is frank, colorful, and sexual. The musical is about how five teenage choir members and an unidentifiable classmate die in a rollercoaster accident and end up in a purgatory where Karnak, a mechanical fortune teller, predicts that one of them will be able to return to life after they tell and sing about themselves.Through the witty and mournful content, the characters exuberantly exam teenage angst to realize that they must seize every moment to make life meaningful. 

Meg Masseron, writing in Playbill.com, claims that Ride the Cyclone appeals to Gen Z, those kids born between 1997 and 2012. “In a world where word of school shootings originates from tweets sent by students hiding under desks, Gen Z is constantly exposed—arguably overexposed—to tragedy and terror. Not to mention that for many of them, their formative years occurred in the midst of a global pandemic, where their only interaction with the outside world was through the Internet.” The Internet has proven to be a valuable tool for spreading the word about the musical, too. Brooke Maxwell, one of the two authors, declares “that he's been blown away by all ofthe artistry that's been inspired by their unlikely hit, saying: ‘That’s my favorite part of it, to see that our weird little show is inspiring people to their own creativity and their own world—whether it’s their own versions of the songs or writing backstories.’” 

The cast of Ride the Cyclone at Abingdon Community Theater consists of Raegan Decker, Linda McFaul, Alphan Njehia, Kyr Badinger, Joseph Staat, Grace Jurgs, and Nick Molene. Archie Kramer is the stage manager and Tyler Rieth is the musical director. Brad Paulsen will design the lights; Josh Olarzewski, the sound; and Jason Rubin, scenery. The co-directors are Marilda Miller and Jason Rubin. The book, music, and lyrics are by Brooke Maxwell and Jacob Richmond.

Tickets may be purchased online at actheater.com or at the performances. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for 18 and younger. Performances are Saturday, May 6, at 1:00pm and 7:00pm, and Sunday, May 7, at 2:00pm. Patterson Mill High School is at 85 Patterson Mill Rd., Bel Air, MD 21015.

Contact: Marilda Miller, 443-655-2790; act@actheater.com

Authors

• Brooke Maxwell
• Jacob Richmond