SHOW STUDY GUIDE
RIDE THE CYCLONE
A dark comedy you won’t forget.
BOOK, MUSIC & LYRICS BY JACOB RICHMOND & BROOKE MAXWELL
DIRECTED &
CHOREOGRAPHED BY KARI HAYTER
MUSIC DIRECTION BY RYAN O’CONNELL
SYNOPSIS
Ride the Cyclone is a musical about six Canadian high school chamber choir members who die in a roller coaster accident and are transported to the afterlife. In limbo, a mechanical fortune teller named “The Amazing Karnak” invites each teen to tell a story to win a prize that gives them the chance to return to life. The stories are based on the characters' birthdays and full names, and Karnak can predict the time, place, and cause of death, but not in the human world. The musical is part comedy, part tragedy, and ultimately reveals the resilience of the human spirit. The musical is set in a dilapidated warehouse at an abandoned amusement park and features a score of showstoppers. It's subversive in its unwillingness to traffic in sentiment, and features characters that are instantly familiar and vivid the Washington Post calls it “ingeniously dark and funny.”
JACOBRICHMOND
Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Jacob Richmond majored in history and performance at Concordia University (Montreal) and is co-founder of Atomic Vaudeville, a popular cabaret theater series in Victoria, BC. Jacob Richmond studied acting and playwritingat Concordia University and then at the University of Victoria. His plays include The Qualities of Zero, Small Returns, Legoland, and the viral TikTok sensation Ride the Cyclone. Legoland has won numerous awards across Canada, including: The Contra Guys Award for Best New Play at Toronto's SummerWorks Festival; Pick of the Fringe at the Vancouver Fringe Festival; Critic's Choice Award for Best Fringe Production in Victoria; and Festival Favorite Award at the New York Frigid Festival. Richmond received the Montreal English Critic's Circle Award and was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award. He has also written pieces for CBC Radio as well as for film and television. Having worked as a writer and performer at numerous cabarets in Montreal, he was inspired to collaborate with director Britt Small to create Atomic Vaudeville, a monthly award-winning cabaret in Victoria, British Columbia, where he now resides.
BROOKEMAXWELL
Brooke Maxwell is a freelance musician, composer and educator based in Victoria, BC, Canada. In addition to Ride the Cyclone, he has underscored and sound designed several local and national works: Gruff (Puente Theatre), And Slowly Beauty (Belfry Theatre, National Arts Centre Tarragon Theatre),
A Tender Thing (Belfry Theatre) The Glass Menagerie, Long Day’s Journey into Night (Bluebridge Theatre), Joan (Theatre SKAM), Busted Up (Open Pit Theatre).
“It was super fun to create...” Brooke Maxwell speaking with Playbill about the writing process. “It's never been the most straightforward elevator pitch for Ride the Cyclone. Basically, it's the old theatre trope of six kids dying on a roller coaster and being brought back to a limbo existence by the fortune-telling machine in an abandoned warehouse, to sing for their lives in a Muppet Show meets Survivor–type scenario. And there's a rat that plays the bass. And it's a comedy. Sounds dark, but it's pretty much a celebration of life.”
Jacob Richmond, Rachel Rockwell and Brooke Maxwell
Opening night MCC Theater (Monica Simoes)
PRODUCTIONHISTORY
"Ride the Cyclone" is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell. The show originally started as a collective creation by Atomic Vaudeville, a performance company based in Victoria, British Columbia, before it was further developed and refined by Richmond and Maxwell.
Jacob Richmond is a Canadian playwright and director, and a founding member of Atomic Vaudeville. He has been involved in a variety of theatrical productions and has a background that includes both playwriting and directing. His works often feature quirky humor, eclectic characters, and imaginative settings.
Brooke Maxwell is a composer, arranger, and musician also from Canada. His work on "Ride the Cyclone" showcases his versatile musical talents, blending different musical styles to match the show's eccentric and darkly comic tone.
This musical is noted for its unique blend of humor, poignant moments, and an eclectic mix of musical styles, all contributing to its growing popularity among theater audiences. Since its initial smaller productions, it has seen various performances across Canada and the United States, including an OffBroadway run.
CHARACTERS
The Amazing Karnak
Non-singing role; the narrator; a mechanical fortune-telling machine.
Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg
The leader of the group, relentlessly competitive, sometimes cruel, though she sees herself as a virtuous person.
Misha Bachinski
Adopted from the Ukraine as a teenager; he is obsessed by Gansgsta Rap (an enormous fan of the auto-tune phenomena); there is a hidden, soulful romantic side
Noel Gruber
The only gay kid in Uranium; never had a relationship; obsessed by French New Wave cinema, he has fantasies of dying a tragic death.
Ricky Potts
Begins the play wordless and on crutches; suffers from a degenerative disease that has left him speechless and mostly immobile. He discovers at the beginning of the play that in this strange purgatory, he has regained all of these abilities.
Constance Blackwood
Overweight, and outwardly okay with it, but there is a very deep self-loathing. Will do anything for Ocean's friendship and allows herself to be used as a doormat. Dubbed "the nicest girl in town," a title she secretly despises.
Jane Doe
She was decapitated in the accident and no one claimed her body. She isn't headless in the piece (but often carries around a headless doll). She reacts in a literal way and largely without emotion, almost robot-like; the other contestants are totally freaked out by her.
ROLLER COASTER FACTS
Wooden vs. Steel: Roller coasters are typically classified as either wooden or steel. Wooden coasters provide a classic, rickety ride experience, while steel coasters allow for smoother and more complex designs due to their flexibility and strength.
G-Forces: Roller coasters subject riders to various G-forces, which can range from positive (pushing you into your seat) to negative (pulling you out of your seat). Some coasters can exert forces exceeding 5 Gs!
Design Innovations: Roller coaster design has come a long way since the early days. Modern coasters incorporate innovative elements such as inversions, launches, and unique track configurations to provide thrilling experiences for riders.
Theme Parks: Roller coasters are often the main attractions at theme parks around the world. Parks like Cedar Point in Ohio, USA, and Europa-Park in Germany are known for their extensive coaster collections.
Roller Coaster Enthusiasts: There is a dedicated community of roller coaster enthusiasts who travel the world to ride and rank coasters. Some even participate in events like "coaster marathons," where they ride the same coaster repeatedly for hours on end!
OldestRoller
Coaster
The oldest roller coaster still in operation is the Leapthe-Dips roller coaster in Lakemont Park, Pennsylvani a, USA. It was built in 1902 and is a sidefriction roller coaster, meaning it doesn't use the undercarria ge wheels found in modern coasters.
FastestRoller
Coaster
As of my last update, the fastest roller coaster in the world is the Formula Rossa at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It accelerates from 0 to 149 mph (240 km/h) in just 4.9 seconds!
TallestRoller
Coaster
LongestRoller Coaster
The tallest roller coaster is Kingda Ka, located at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, USA. It stands at a staggering height of 456 feet (139 meters). The Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spa Land in Japan holds the record for being the longest roller coaster, measuring approximate ly 8,133 feet (2,479 meters).
Most Inversions
The record for the most inversions on a roller coaster is held by The Smiler at Alton Towers in the UK, with a total of 14 inversions.
FORTUNE TELLER FACTS
Fortune-telling machines have been popular for centuries, and the first ones may have been made in the 1890s. The first electric coin-operated machines were made around 1910, and some say that the Zoltan machine was introduced in 1965.
The Zoltar fortune teller is a coin-operated machine that first appeared in the 1930s and became popular after being featured in the 1988 film Big.
In the movie, a child uses a Zoltar machine that turns him into an adult, and the publicity from the film led to copies being made in the 1960s and 1970s. The Zoltar name wasn't trademarked for fortune machines until nearly 20 years after the movie.
DIRECTOR
Kari Hayter
Kari Hayter is a professional director and educator based in Southern California. She has directed for South Coast Repertory, McCoy/Rigby Entertainment, 3D Theatricals, CCAE Theatricals, Musical Theatre West, The Chance Theatre, International City Theatre, and the Valley Performing Arts Center.
As an educator she has taught and/or directed at USC, Chapman University, AMDA/Los Angeles, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge, Cal State Long Beach, Citrus College, Saddleback College and Riverside Community College. Kari was nominated for the 28th Annual LA Stage Alliance Ovation Award Best Direction of a Musical for both Parade at the Chance Theatre and Urinetown, The Musical for Coeurage Theatre Company. She was also nominated for the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for theatrical excellence in 2016 for Direction of Urinetown the Musical. Kari most recently directed Grease (McCoy Rigby Entertainment), A Light in the Piazza (The California Center for the Arts, San Diego Critics Circle Best Director Nomination), Marry Me a Little and Tick Tick Boom (ICT) and Striking 12 (Chance Theatre/Best Direction Nomination, OC Theatre Guild).
MUSICDIRECTOR
Ryan O’Connell
Ryan O’Connell is a music director, orchestrator, arranger, composer, and performer. He recently music directed and orchestrated the off-Broadway run of Ernest Shackleton Loves Me at Second Stage NYC (streaming on Broadway HD). He also contributed music to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and the Walt Disney World Resort. Favorite music directing credits: Mary Poppins, Oliver (Musical Theatre West), In The Heights, Into the Woods, CATS (Broadway at the Gardens), Bonnie & Clyde, Bright Star (Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theater), 42nd Street (Palos Verdes), Loch Ness, Claudio Quest (Chance Theater), Pipe Dream, On the 20th Century, Pal Joey (MTW Reading Series), Grammy Experience (Norwegian Cruise Line), Nightline: JFK Special (NBC). As orchestrator: Loch Ness, Claudio Quest, Sinatra 100 (CBS), Michael Bublé’s Christmas in Hollywood (NBC). As composer/arranger: Dragons (Dreamworks), I Am Big Bird (Copperpot Pictures), Calgary Stampede, choral arrangements for Shawnee Press/Alfred. Catch him performing weekly at the Golden Horseshoe in Disneyland.
