Review: RIDE THE CYCLONE at Open Stage

If you’re in the mood for something unique, interesting, and on the spooky side, check out Ride the Cyclone at Open Stage! This musical, with music, lyrics, and book by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell premiered in British Columbia in 2008, and opened Off-Broadway in 2016. The show tells the story of six high school students from Uranium City, Saskatchewan who are killed when a rollercoaster, The Cyclone, breaks down. Finding themselves in a sort of limbo overseen by The Amazing Karnak, the students are given the opportunity for a second chance at life. Director Stuart Landon brings this show to life at Open Stage through November 2nd with assistant director TJ Creedon, band director Brad Barkdoll, vocal director Kayla Capone Kasper, stage manager Stacy Reck, and assistant stage managers Chris Krahulec and Emma Sweigart.

When audiences first enter the theatre, they feel as though they are entering a forlorn, dismal, forgotten, creepy, derelict amusement park. The work of scenic designer Janos Boon and scenic artists Heather Jannetta and Addison Griffin creates just the right atmosphere. The lighting (designed by Tristan Stasiulis) and projections (designed by Rachel Landon and Sammi Leigh Melville) elevate the emotions elicited in each scene. The effects created by the lighting, set, and props make this production worth seeing. Unfortunately, the sound balance and diction were not the greatest the night this reviewer saw the production, so for those who were not already familiar with the story and the lyrics, it was often difficult to make out the words.

The band, which features Brad Barkdoll (guitar/bass), Adrienne Connaghan (keyboard 1), Ellen Carnahan (keyboard 2), and Dani Fiore (drums), is simply fantastic. When some of the lyrics were difficult to understand, the music from the band still set the tone and helped the audience to understand the mood and emotions of the songs. The choreography by Zsuzsanna Smith was one of this reviewer’s favorite aspects of this production.

Maggie Haynes, Em Kase, Ethan Hommel, Drew Patti, and Jasmine Graham take on the roles of the high school choir members who died on The Cyclone—Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg, Ricky Potts, Noel Gruber, Mischa Bachinski, and Constance Blackwood, respectively. The harmonies are spectacular throughout the performance, as are the ways in which the actors embody their characters and the emotional interactions between the characters. Haynes has great stage presence as the confident, egotistical, self-centered, over-achieving Ocean. Kase is fun to watch as Ricky, and especially shines as the character realizes that they are no longer held back by physical limitations. Hommel’s Noel is delightfully tragic, and the moments shared with Drew Patti’s Mischa as they grow to understand one another more are lovely. Patti’s exploration of Mischa’s anger and passion is well-crafted. Graham’s performance of “Jawbreaker/Sugarcloud” is one of the vocal highlights of the show, and her storytelling prowess is showcased beautifully in her role as Constance.

Emily Reusswig and Josh Dorsheimer round out the cast as Jane Doe (another student who died but has been unidentified) and The Amazing Karnak. Reusswig’s performance is brilliant—from her facial expressions to her body language to her haunting vocals, her Jane Doe is simultaneously creepy, forlorn, and sympathetic. Her soaring and emotional vocals in “The Ballad of Jane Doe” are chill-inducing, captivating the audience completely. Dorsheimer gives an incredible performance as The Amazing Karnak. His ability to maintain robotic movements is mesmerizing, and he keeps the pace steadily moving, tying the whole show together.

Ride the Cyclone is a fascinating exploration of the dichotomy between what we project to the world and who we really are, what makes life worth living, and the importance of memory. It’s the perfect show for spooky season, and the perfect show for Open Stage. Check out more information at openstagehbg.com.