THIS MUSICAL IS A GOLDRUSHER
Post Pandemic, New Conservatory Theatre Center is continuing to branch out in its selection of theater offerings. Primarily known for stories about gay men, coming out, and HIV/AIDS-themed shows, the busy company is now offering more diversity in both subject matter and cultures. Hopefully these efforts will appeal to a wider audience. With their latest production, Ride The Cyclone: The Musical, the appeal will be for teens and tweens — in the last few years, the show has developed a strong fan base by going viral on Tik-Tok (#theatre, #cosplaying and #lip-syncing).
Milo Boland, Sage Alberto, Jon Gary Harris, Anne Norland, Matt Skinner
Sage Alberto, Anne Norland
Ride the Cyclone is a fun 2008 pop comedy and horror musical by Canadians Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell. Originally written as a song cycle for the Atomic Vaudeville Theatre Company, it was retooled for its 2015 critically lauded US premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Since then, the show has played Off-Broadway and at major regional theatres such as the Arena Stage in Washington DC and the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. Now, NCTC has scored a major coup by landing the Bay Area premiere. And director Stephanie Temple also succeeded in assembling a talented core of younger triple-threat actors (Temple is also NCTC’s education director who teaches youth theater classes).
Sage Alberto, Milo Boland, Anne-Norland
While riding the Cyclone, a roller coaster ride at a local amusement park, six semi-socially misfit students — teens from the St. Cassian Chamber Choir of a backwater town — tragically die on the roller coaster when it goes off the tracks, transporting the group into limbo. While contemplating their fates, they encounter The Amazing Karnak, a somewhat demonic mechanical fortune teller. She offers their young souls a possible escape from death. One of them can return to the land of the living if they can convince the rest of the group that he or she is the one who deserves to return. What follows is a musical journey where they each plead their case through the agency of a musical number.
Jon Gary Harris
Despite the gruesome subject matter, the show’s script deftly mixes pathos with humor, a la Heathers, the landmark high school film and musical. You may have reminiscences of the movie Big, the Forever Plaid musicals, and Finn and Lapine’s 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee — in which competitors each get a signature song — yet Ride the Cyclone feels wholly original. It may give a nod to other shows in the modern musical and dramatic canon, but that doesn’t lessen its abundant pleasures. This eccentric musical about Socratically examining lives worth living is deep, stimulating and charismatic.
Anne Norland and ensemble
Grace Margaret Craig
The ensemble radiates talent and enthusiasm in every scene. The score by Richmond and Maxwell gives them one opportunity after another to bring the house down as the actors seize the moment with their own mini play/musical number which annotates their life on earth. It’s a great choice to have different styles for the songs, each of which is a clever pastiche. Among them are rap, French chanson, and even a David Bowie/Ziggy Stardust homage.
Kaylyn Dowd and Jon Gary Harris
The unofficial boss of the group is Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg (Anne Norland), a mean, self absorbed rich girl with blond pigtails. Defiant and a bully, she’s entitled and self serving — almost a clone (or should I say Psych Clone) of Nellie Oleson from Little House on the Prairie. Her character is the one you’ll love to hate.
Grace Margaret Craig and ensemble
Noel Gruber (Jon Gary Harris) is the effeminate and openly gay African-American student. He sings and dances like Michael Jackson at his peak. Mischa Bachinski (Matt Skinner) is the European foreign student whose talent and ego are forces to be reckoned with. Ricky Potts (Milo Boland) is the painfully shy bespectacled introvert. Constance Blackwood (Sage Alberto) is the overweight and insecure people pleaser of the group — “I’m sorry” is her catch phrase.
(front) Matt Skinner (back) Sage Alberto, Milo Boland, Anne Norland
However, when the group arrives in this odd purgatory, it’s already occupied by another high school teenager. She’s a pretty blond girl with golden curls who has no recollection of her past identity. Hence she’s referred to as ”Jane Doe” (Grace Margaret Craig). The sinister non-singing Amazing Karnak (Kaylin Dowd) holds everyone’s fate at her disposal.
Sage Alberto and ensemble
Despite being primarily a series of solo numbers, Temple offers seamless transitions and, as choreographer, intricate ensemble dance numbers. Matt Owens’ colorful old carnival set complete with a broken track — coupled with Christian V. Mejia‘s lighting — helps create the atmosphere of a dark, low budget horror movie. The cast members play the chorus while others solo in Jorge R. Hernadez‘s reasoned costumes, from school uniforms to track suits to space alien garb. Ben Price’s musical direction ensures a crisp, clean sound, ensuring that the cast has the excitement and passion reminiscent of an episode of Glee.
Matt Skinner, Grace Margaret Craig
The opening night’s audience was filled with an eclectic crowd. There were as many teenagers in the audience compared to the usual older gay baby boomer audience that most NCTC shows attract. This bodes well for both the show (already extended) and NCTC. While Ride the Cyclone is clearly targeted to a young demographic, musical theatre fans of all ages will be thrilled by this unique ride — a fun show with narrative substance. The show’s creators manage to skillfully blend dark humor, musical comedy tropes, and pathos, taking the audience on an emotional roller coaster ride that ends in pure satisfaction.
The Ensemble
photos by Jenni Chapman
Ride The Cyclone: The Musical
New Conservatory Theatre
New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco
Wed and Thurs at 7:00pm, Fri and Sat at 8pm, Sun at 2
ends on October 20, 2024 EXTENDED to October 27, 2024
for tickets, call 415.861.8972 or visit NCTC
