Review: Ride the Cyclone

Atomic Vaudeville "Ride the Cyclone" promo photo 1

Photo Credit: Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell for Atomic Vaudeville

If you knew that you were going to die or had died, but had one last chance to tell the world something, what would that be?

In the case of Atomic Vaudeville’s presentation of Ride the Cyclone, these high school students get a chance to do that thanks to Karnack, an automatic fortune telling machine. A variety of “final words” were shared in song form. Some expressed the deep, dark, and dirty secrets and obsessions of the mind, others tried to justify their lives and actions, and assure that they were being sent to the right gates, and there was also a bit of an identity crisis going on. These youth made up the high school choir that had died on the Cyclone roller-coaster in the town of Uranium, Saskwatchewan.

Basically this comedy-tragedy-musical is the twisted story of young lives in a dead-end town. From beginning to end, the dark humour had the entire audience laughing, and more often than not, cringing. If you love to walk the line of political correctness and laugh in the face of death, this would be the play for you. There was not a dull moment, and every song and dance was performed near perfection. There was a small glitch with some feedback, but the actors powered through it and the rest went flawlessly.

Written by Jacob Richmond (Legoland, Qualities of Zero)—with lyrics and music by Brooke Maxwell and Jacob Richmond—this homegrown Victoria musical won Toronto’s SummerWorks Prize for Best Production and the NOW Magazine Audience Choice Award before staging a sold-out run at Victoria’s Belfry Theatre this summer.

You should check out Ride The Cyclone from September 28—October 15, 2011 at the Revue Stage on Granville Island. To purchase tickets you can check the website for Vancouver Tickets. by Jacob Richmond, with lyrics and music by Brooke Maxwell and Jacob Richmond. Directed by Britt Small and Jacob Richmond. Choreography and Staging by Treena Stubel. Starring Rielle Braid, Matthew Coulson, Kelly Hudson, Elliott Loran, Sarah Jane Pelzer, Kholby Wardell and Hank Pine.

More links:
* Preview of Ride The Cyclone on Hummingbird604.com.
* Dr. Janni Aragon’s review of Ride The Cyclone in Victoria on Hummingbird604.com
* Trailer

Disclosure: Jessica attended and reviewed Ride The Cyclone on media tickets in representation of Hummingbird604.com. A review is neither paid for nor expected, nor a favorable review is guaranteed. At all points Raul maintains editorial control over anything posted on Hummingbird604.com

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