Interview: Jocelyn A. Brown of RIDE THE CYCLONE at Chance Theatre

Sometimes a carnival can change your life, and sometimes it can give you the opportunity to have on again. The musical with a devoted fan base RIDE THE CYCLONE is now playing at Chance Theatre in Anaheim through February 26th. Director Jocelyn A. Brown took a moment away from the roller coaster ride that is directing this musical to talk about the show, the cast, and what it's like tackling a show with a devoted fan base.

RIDE THE CYCLONE is a musical that premiered in Canada in 2008 and then in Chicago in 2015 for a very limited run. Since then the show has been down around the US, including landing off-Broadway, and thanks to its quirky premise has earned itself a passionate fan base. It tells the story of a high school choir who went to the carnival to have the time of their life and ride the roller coaster 'The Cyclone", but it ends up costing them their lives instead. Now, through the narrator Karnak, the mechanical fortune teller (obviously) the audience learns about each teen as they compete to return to the land of the living.

Director Jocelyn A. Brown and other members of the Chance Theatre saw the show in New York and said that from that moment on was a show they wanted to do.

"The script and the score are delightfully surprising: the script is quirky, inventive, and possesses a charmingly twisted sense of humor while the score weaves extremely catchy songs with distinct musical styles throughout the show, indicative of each of the teenager's unique selves. Back in 2016, a group of Chance artists and donors saw the Off-Broadway production of "Ride The Cyclone" and it's been on our shortlist ever since. It's perfect for our intimate space."

The cast of characters ranges from the fortune-telling narrator to a variety of choir kids who talk about the memories of their lives. This meant the cast not only had to be musically talented but also high energy and open to telling this fantastical story.

"This cast possesses a phenomenal amount of talent and had synergy from the get-go. They were each asked for photo samples of themselves as children (as you'll see are needed in the projection design) and it was amazing to see how their own childhood faces, activities, and poses fit their on-stage characters so well! "

How does one bring a crazy carnival to life on stage you may ask? A talented group of designers brings this atmosphere to the stage and feels fully functional and real for both the performers and the audience.

" I am very fortunate to have some of the best designers around. RIDE THE CYCLONE's fantastical setting allowed our team to stretch our creative muscles and have so much fun incorporating exaggeration and distortion in the design elements to create our unsettling carnival-like purgatory. In many plays and musicals, some design elements best serve the story by being purposely subtle, mostly providing an atmosphere. This show, however, calls for various design elements to take center stage in the storytelling. A few examples of this would be how essential Rebecca Kessin's sound effects are in creating the traveling fairground and game show-like dynamics, how integral Nick Santiago's projections propel each fantasy sequence, and how Bradley Allen Lock's costumes evolve during the show revealing the inner life of these teenagers."

RIDE THE CYCLONE has also developed a devoted fan base online, which Brown says has been fun to do a show with fans like this and to see them bring that dedication to the theatre to see the show.

"It has been a lot of fun to be a part of furthering the cult following! We've had super-fans of RIDE THE CYCLONE come to the performances dressed up in their own costume, based on Cosplay-style, and fanart based on our production's version of the characters being shared out on RIDE THE CYCLONE fanart sites. Our cast joined in on the fun and created a few of their own TikToks during our rehearsal process. We're thrilled to be inspiring more passion for this musical and our production."

How To Get tickets

RIDE THE CYCLONE is playing at Chance Theatre through February 26th. For ticket and show time information go to www.chancetheatre.com

Photo Credit: All photos by Doug Catiller, True Image Studio.

"Ride the Cyclone" artwork (besides the official logo) is designed by KC Wilkerson, kcwdigital.com.

Headshot of Jocelyn A. Brown by KC Wilkerson, kcwdigital.com.

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