Ride The Cyclone
Musical
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Overview
Synopsis
In a dilapidated warehouse at an abandoned amusement park, an aging mechanical fortune-teller called The Amazing Karnak comes to life, and brings with him a ghostly choir of five deceased high-schoolers - all members of the Saint Cassian Chamber Choir, who were tragically killed on the park’s Cyclone roller coaster. Now, Karnak has the power to return one of these youths to life - but they must all decide among themselves who is the most worthy of a second chance to “ride the cyclone” that is life.
This fanciful one-act musical features a diverse cast of uniquely Canadian characters and has charmed audiences across North America. With songs in vocal styles ranging from ballads to rap, Ride The Cyclone has been called 'probably the most uproarious and outrageous piece of musical theatre Canada has ever produced.'
Show Information
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Mature Audiences (M)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 2008
- Genres
- Dark Comedy
- Settings
- Contemporary
- Time & Place
- An abandoned amusement park, the present
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Small
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- Broadway Licensing
- Ideal For
- College/University, Diverse Cast, Ensemble Cast, Mature Audiences, Professional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Ride The Cyclone is an original one-act musical created by the Atomic Vaudeville theatre company of British Columbia, Canada. It was first performed in Victoria, BC, before touring across Canada and the US, with a successful off-Broadway run in 2016.
Those familiar with Richmond and Maxwell’s work suggest that Ride The Cyclone is a sequel to one of their earlier vaudeville-style musicals, Legoland, as the script suggests that the true identity of Jane Doe is Penny Lamb, Legoland’s
to read the context for Ride The Cyclone and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
In a warehouse at a dilapidated, closed amusement park, we are introduced to The Amazing Karnak, a mechanical fortune telling amusement that was designed to predict the future - specifically, the exact time and place of a person’s death. Karnak knows the time of their own demise as well: exactly one hour later, due to a rat named Virgil who will chew through his power cord.
Karnak introduces us to the Saint Cassian High School Chamber Choir from Uranium city, Saskatchewan, who appear from
to read the plot for Ride The Cyclone and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Non-singer |
Songs
- "Dream of Life" – Jane Doe
- "Uranium" – Ensemble
- "Sailing Through Space" – Ensemble
- "What the World Needs" – Ocean and Ensemble
- "Noel's Lament/That Fucked Up Girl" – Noel and Ensemble
- “Every Story Has a Lesson” - Ocean and Ensemble
- "This Song is Awesome" – Mischa and Ensemble
- "Talia" – Mischa and Ensemble
- "Space Aged Bachelor Man" – Ricky and Ensemble
- "The Ballad of Jane Doe" – Jane Doe and Ensemble
- "The New Birthday Song" – Ensemble
- "Sugarcloud"– Constance and Ensemble
- "Sailing Through Space (Reprise)" – Ensemble
- "It’s Just a Ride" – Ensemble
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A song that uses short stanzas to tell a story about love.
A style of R & B music named after the Motown record company, located in Detroit.
Quick lyric delivery in hip-hop music, often accompanied by a beat or musical track. Rap is stylized through its flow and delivery.
Videos
Quizzes
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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