Review: RIDE THE CYCLONE at NextStop Theater

Ride the Cyclone, a NextStop Theater Company production, is a quirky and catchy musical in which six Canadian teenagers, whose lives have just been cut short by a freak roller coaster accident, are given the chance by a mechanical fortune teller to prove their worthiness to return to life.  This performance, written by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell and directed by Megan Bunn, brings to the stage a cast of young, burgeoning performers whose exceptional talent warrants acclaim.  

While the production doesn't leave much room for character development, the novel and whimsical nature of the plot coupled with the unique talent of each performer is sure to keep you entertained.  

• Rachel Cahoon (who plays Jane Doe) possesses an angelic voice that echoes throughout the performance and compliments the ethereal nature of her character.  
• Sydney “Sunday” Coleman (who plays Constance) demonstrates the ability to master an incredibly wide vocal range within short spurts of time. When her character takes center stage, she DOMINATES.  
• Carter Crosby (who plays Mischa) delivers a compelling performance, showing he can sing and dance to a range of musical genres including hip-hop, all while adapting to a foreign accent.
• Bobby Libby (who plays Karnak) captivates the audience every time he re-enters a scene with his witty humor and an ominous, well-choreographed- machine-like persona.
• Cam Powell (who plays Ricky) masters the art of establishing scene juxtaposition. He amazes the audience during his character’s main scene, in which he advances from a docile side-plot character into a vivacious musical personality who leads the stage.
• Nadja Tomaszewski (who plays Ocean) carries the show with her vivacious stage presence that gives her role a main-character-like feel. Her voice has a power that can be likened to the best of our contemporary vocalists. 
• Jack Wimsatt (who plays Noel) delivers a fantastic performance that possesses both adolescent charm and burlesque-act qualities. Jack doesn’t just sing; dance lives within their bones!   

Of course, none of this would be possible without the show’s foundation: The catchy music (directed by Marika Countouris) makes you want to jump onto the stage and dance with the cast; and the choreography (by David Singleton) captures each moment, including the notably fatal roller coaster ride!   

When the show concluded and the music and dancing stopped, sound erupted from the audience with a well-deserved standing ovation.