Walking into the Legacy Theatre to take my seat for the regional premier of Ride the Cyclone was a little like stepping into a carnival sideshow. Tinkly background music, a fortuneteller's booth and a slightly askew CYCLONE marquee greeted the audience and set us up for the wild ride we were about to take. Billed as "part comedy, part tragedy and wholly unexpected," this show is indeed a surprising, albeit macabre, delight.
The concept isn't entirely novel and yet this execution of it comes off as completely original. Six teenagers from Uranium City, Saskatchewan, all members of the St. Cassian High School chamber choir (with perfect costumes to match), perish in a freak roller coaster accident. They enter a sort of limbo where The Amazing Karnak, a mechanical fortuneteller and the show's narrator, invites each of them to compete for a chance to return to the land of the living. Karnak, with his uncanny ability to predict exactly how and when someone will die, is aware of his own impending demise at the hands of a rat named Virgil. As a final apology to the world, he will grant redemption to one of the six.
The students, now contestants in a game of life and death, are each introduced by a catchphrase and a chance to tell their story. We meet confident overachiever Ocean O'Connell Rosenberg (Claire Carley), wannabe French prostitute Noel Gruber (Tim Conner), Ukrainian adoptee and budding rapper Mischa Bachinski (Rayden Meyer), cat aficionado and accordion player Ricky Potts (Luke Lauranzana), tragic and decapitated Jane Doe (Brooke Seacrist), and finally "nice girl" Constance Blackwood (Yasmin Martinez-Powell). They all sing, dance and reminisce about their all-too-brief lives in a bid to appeal to Karnak. The show is high-energy fun, and these young performers are all knockouts. Each brings a fully formed character, strong vocals (especially the soaring Brooke Seacrist) and new, fresh faces to the Legacy stage. They plunge into the witty dialogue and dark humor with gusto, while at the same time they bring out the humanity of the piece. Again, they are all superb, but . . . I must single out Yasmin Martinez-Powell as Constance. Her subtle, self-deprecating realness was something special; she reminded us how life is both beautiful and strange and worth living, even if cut short.
As much as I enjoyed the show, there were a couple of tech frustrations. Sometimes the underscoring music would overpower dialogue and I found myself straining to catch all the words. I also wish I could have seen the projections a little better. They're an important part of the story but occasionally hard to discern through a curtain.
Ride the Cyclone – music, lyrics and book by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell – is the second installment in Richmond's Uranium Teen Scream Trilogy, a collection of three theatrical works that take place in the exaggerated Uranium City. It's been around since 2008 but found its audience online and became a viral TikTok sensation in 2022, achieving cultlike status among Gen Z. This may make it seem limited in its appeal but don't be fooled. It's totally worth seeing by people of all ages. Just buckle up for a weird and wild existential roller coaster ride. Huge props to director Allison Means, her entire cast, staff and crew, as well as the Legacy Theatre for taking on this edgy and satisfying show.
About the show
Ride the Cyclone is recommended for audience members ages 13 and up. The production contains "teenage humor," strong language and some scenes that deal with mature themes.
Please note the showtimes: Oct. 19-22, 25-29 Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m. The show runs approximately 100 minutes with no intermission. Tickets can be found at https://www.atthelegacy.com.
Mary Young was born and raised in Springfield has been performing in, producing and directing live theater for decades. She's done film and voice-over work, performs occasionally with local bands and misses making up funny stuff with improv troupe The Portuguese Rodeo Clown Company.
