Review: RIDE THE CYCLONE THE MUSICAL at Beck Center For The Arts

Theater, as all of the arts, represents the era from which it comes. We live in a period of confusion, conflict, uncertainty, changing customs and practices. Present day dramas and musicals reflect today’s political, racial, religious, technical, cultural, language, and gender/sexual issues.
 
RIDE THE CYCLONE, with music, lyrics and book by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, which is now being produced, in its regional premiere at the Beck Center, is a case in point.

The show opened Off-Broadway in November, 2016 and ran until December 18 of that year.

CYCLONE centers on the fictional St. Cassian High School chamber choir from Uranium City, Saskatchewan, Canada. While on a trip, which includes a visit to a carnival, the members die on The Cyclone, a roller coaster that malfunctioned.
 
The spirits of five choir members, before they go to the “after life,” are told, by The Amazing Karnak, a mechanical fortune teller, that one of them will get a chance to return to life. The fortunate “winner” will be selected by the unanimous votes of the group after hearing from each as to why they should be allowed to live. 

There is a sixth victim of the malfunction, Jane Doe, who was so named because no family came to claim her body. Her real identity is unknown to herself or anyone else. She is wearing the same school uniform as the others, but none of them remember her.

Karnak reads a prophecy: "Whoever wants to win it the most shall redeem the loser in order to complete the whole."

Each “contestant” tells and sings a song themed around themself. 
 
Presentations vary. One young lady recounts her self-importance and that others fall far short compared to her.

Others follow relating the tale of their lives and the influence of varying things including reality television shows, living a life of tragedy, having feelings of isolation, the role of rap/hip-hop music, posts on YouTube, online dating, existing with a degenerative disease, the effect of fantasy, the function of animals on one’s life, the lose of virginity, and the diminishment of respect for parents.

Rather than singing about her past and her hopes, dreams, and fantasies, Jane Doe sings about her own despair as her spirit has no memory of who she was. 

At last, it is time for the final vote. It is here that the “moral” of the script comes forth-- “that at the end of the day life is not a game to be won, but a ride to be enjoyed through all its ups and downs.”

The show, which is expertly directed by Victoria Bussert, is partially double cast. 

The Raptor Cast, which I saw, was universally excellent. The singing, acting and dancing, as should be expected from students of the highly respected BW Musical Theatre Program, was of the highest quality. 

Matt Koenig, an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Baldwin-Wallace is totally mesmerizing as Karnak. His mechanical movement and voice are amazingly accurate.

Other members of the stellar Raptor Cast are Joë Lewis-McLean, Alexa Lopez, Izzy Baker, Elliot Block, Danny Bó and Benjamin Michael Hall.

The scenic design Trad A Burns’ is outstanding, as are his lighting effects. Carlton Guc’s sound design, Jack-Anthony Ina’s projection designs, Matthew Webb’s musical direction and Lauren Tidmore Marousek’s choreography all add to the over-all positive effect of the production.

Capsule Judgment: The strong directing, performances and production qualities of RIDE THE CYCLONE THE MUSICAL overcome the less than stellar book and music to make this is definitely worthy of a trip to Beck Center where the audience gets to appreciate and wonder at the talents of the students enrolled in the BW Musical Theatre program.

RIDE THE CYCLONE THE MUSICAL runs through February 25 at the Senney Theater in the Beck Center for the Arts complex. For tickets call 216-521-2540 or go to beckcenter.org

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