Tweed & Co Announces the Cast of RIDE THE CYCLONE

Are you ready for the ride of a lifetime? This July Tweed & Company Theatre presents the highly-anticipated, regional premiere of the Canadian off-Broadway cult musical, Ride the Cyclone (book, music and lyrics by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell) in both Tweed and Bancroft! In this hilarious and outlandish story, the lives of six teenagers from a Canadian chamber choir are cut short in a freak accident aboard a roller coaster.

When they awake in limbo, a mechanical fortune teller invites each to tell their story to win a prize like no other - the chance to return to life. A funny and moving look at what makes a life well-lived, Tweed & Co is thrilled to announce the cast that will be bringing this piece to life!

Playing the role of Karnak, the fortune teller who holds each of the teenagers' fates in his hands, will be the inimitable Chris Tsujiuchi. Audiences will remember Chris from Tweed & Co's most recent holiday shows, as well as the Dark Night Cabaret mini-series in 2021. Chris has worked as an accompanist and teacher at Sheridan College, Ryerson University, Randolph Academy and George Brown College. He has toured extensively with Sharron Matthews, the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, and can also be seen performing in Asian Riffing Trio (aka ART) and his own, highly popular, "Chris-terical" series of Cabarets. He will also be musically directing the production.

Six exciting emerging talents will make their Tweed & Company debuts in the roles of the teens who are forced to fight for a second chance at life. Maya Lacey, a recent Theatre Sheridan graduate who began her performance career at a young age with Drayton Entertainment and the Grand Theatre High-School Project, will play the role of Ocean; Joel Cumber, named one of the Toronto Fringe Festival's Artists to Watch in 2019 will play the role of Noel; Noah Beemer, who has previously performed with Talk is Free Theatre, the Stratford Festival and Young People's Theatre and recently co-founded Beyond Melodies to bring connection to people living in isolation through music, will play the role of Ricky; Dean Deffett, a theatre creator whose work has been seen by audiences across Canada, Europe and the United Kingdom, will make a return to Canadian theatre as Mischa; Julia Pulo, who, while still completing her training at Sheridan College, has already sung back-up vocals for various Canadian artists, and recently filmed a TV show as a series lead, will be playing the role of Constance; and Margaret Thompson, who has performed with numerous companies including Outside the March/Talk is Free Theatre, The Grand, Drayton Entertainment and Neptune Theatre, will take on the role of Jane Doe.

Playing the featured role of Talia will be Tweed & Co favourite, Cassie-Hope Aubin. Cassie-Hope is a multidisciplinary Deaf/disabled artist and a recent graduate of the St. Lawrence College Musical Theatre Performance program. Through her role in this show Cassie-Hope will be incorporating ASL choreography and interpretation into the production. Tweed & Co audiences will remember Cassie-Hope from the latest production of Aleck Bell.

Thanks to the support of the Ontario Arts Council, the company was also able to cast two swings for this show, who will be ready to step into any of the roles in the show in case of illness or injury: Rachel Savlov and Powell Nobert - both current St. Lawrence College students in the Musical Theatre Performance program!

"We are so incredibly excited about this cast and this production," said Artistic Director Tim Porter. "It has been one of my favourite shows for years, but the rights have been on hold. We are thrilled to be the first regional production of this show with an unbelievable cast. We were absolutely blown away by the young talent in the province during our casting process, which involved local auditions, college auditions, and Toronto auditions. You are not going to want to miss the performances that this group is cooking up."

Porter will direct the piece, joined by choreographer Sierra Holder, whose past credits include The Wizard of Oz (Ross Petty Panto), Pinnochio (YPT), A Belly Full, Freaky Friday (Theatre Aquarius), and Pal Joey (Talk is Free Theatre). Sierra will be assisted by Tyler Pearse, a multi-disciplinary artist and creator with an extensive career as a performer.

Ride the Cyclone will be presented at the Marble Arts Centre in Tweed from July 19th-23rd, and the Village Playhouse in Bancroft from July 27th-31st.

Tickets are on sale now! To buy yours today call the box office (613-478-6060) or visit https://www.tweedandcompany.com/,select your venue and then click the "2022 Shows" button on the venue's home page. Tickets are only $35 for adults and $27.50 for students and seniors. If you require wheelchair or fully accessible seating please call the box office at 613-478-6060.

CONTENT WARNING: This show features mature content and adult themes and may not be suitable for young audiences. 12+.

Please note: at this time, masks are recommended in our venues but not mandatory.

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