Interview: Director Leigh Scarritt Invites You to RIDE THE CYCLONE at Trinity Theatre Company

The musical RIDE THE CYCLONE may have premiered in 2008, but it has a growing passionate young theatre following, becoming a bit of a hit cult musical in the last few years. Director Leigh Scarritt took a moment from rehearsals to talk about directing her two casts that help tell this story about a high school choir trip to an amusement park that goes off the rails, literally.  Running July 21st-August 12th Trinity Theatre Company invites you to RIDE THE CYCLONE, if you dare.

RIDE THE CYCLONE may be best described as a teen, scream-inspired musical as we follow the high school chamber choir from Uranium City who visited an amusement park and perish on the roller coaster called The Cyclone.  That’s not a spoiler, this musical starts immediately after the crash as the students find themselves in a sort of limbo, and try to win a chance to go back to the land of the living from a mechanical fortune teller.

The musical has found a new life, if you pardon the pun, online when in 2022 Gen Z  and Tik Tok helped the musical current a passionate fanbase.  The combination of a quirky musical and a strong audience is what intrigued Director Leigh Scarritt about working on this show with Trinity Theatre.

“The interest in the up-and-coming artists in our community created interest in RIDE THE CYCLONE. Their excitement about it inspired my desire to explore this wild and wacky story."

 Scarritt is no stranger to performing on screen or stage, having performed in San Diego for years as well as being a voice and acting teacher.  Her experience onstage and off means has given her a directing philosophy to help the performers create the best performance for their characters and the story as a whole.

“My ardent belief is focusing on each individual storyteller and their arch forms the structure of the piece.  If they are each elevated then the story becomes elevated. I find this philosophy creates confident bold storytellers.”

This show will also have two separate casts, a decision that is not just creativity interesting but also a practical decision in this post-pandemic life.  The casts include Peter Armado, Esme Birndorf, Diego Castro, Ethan Cruz, Mia Dawson, Will Doyle, Fred Harlow, Julia Isber, Andres Lagang, Sophia LaRosh, Tiffany Polite, James Ragen, and Kiara Speek.

“Both casts are wondrous, but Covid taught us that the business of theatre necessitates coverage. I'm fortunate to have two very talented casts. They tell the story differently as my intention is to honor individual skill set and essence, but each cast delivers a thought-provoking, inspiring night of theatre.”

Debuting the weekend of San Diego Comic-Con, this show is not only perfect for the pop culture convention but also for anyone looking for a unique theatrical experience. Not just for teenagers or pop culture lovers, this show is for anyone who over the years feels like they were dealt a hard hand and want to fight to find hope in a moment of injustice.  Miss Leigh Scarritt hopes audiences leave the show feeling inspired for their future.

“I hope they leave embracing the magnitude of each day of life. As they say 'Tomorrow is never promised'. I hope they are driven to live in their total authenticity without judgment. And finally to see the gift of what is rather than to grieve what was.”

How To Get Tickets

RIDE THE CYCLONE runs from July 21st - August 12th. Trinity Theatre Company will perform at the Tenth Avenue Arts Center. 930 Tenth Ave, San Diego 92101. To learn more or purchase tickets https://trinityttc.org/current-productions/ 

Photo Credit:  The casts of RIDE THE CYCLONE - Trinity Theatre Company

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