Ride the Cyclone is a darkly whimsical musical by Brooke Maxwell and Jacob Richmond, centering on a group of six teenagers from a Canadian choir who die tragically in a roller coaster accident. Told with a blend of existential humor, genre-bending musical numbers, and emotional poignancy, the show explores what it means to live, to be seen, and to matter. It’s an offbeat, genre-defying piece that combines campy comedy with moments of raw vulnerability, earning it a cult following among musical theater fans.
Each character in Ride the Cyclone is distinct and richly drawn, representing different archetypes and emotional journeys
Karnak – A mechanical fortune-telling machine who narrates the story and sets the stakes. He controls the post-death limbo and offers one of the teens a chance to return to life.
Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg – The overachieving, self-righteous leader of the choir. She craves recognition and success, often masking insecurity with arrogance.
Noël Gruber – The only openly gay teen in his small Catholic town. He’s theatrical, melodramatic, and yearns for a life like that of a tragic European ingénue.
Mischa Bachinski – A Ukrainian immigrant with a tough exterior and soft heart. He’s engaged to a girl back home and hides his sensitivity behind bravado.
Ricky Potts – A boy who was mute and used a wheelchair in life. In this limbo, he is free to express himself fully, revealing a rich inner fantasy world.
Constance Blackwood – Ocean’s loyal best friend, known as the “nicest girl in town.” Her true emotional depth and strength emerge as the story progresses.
Jane Doe – A mysterious, decapitated girl whose identity was never recovered. She represents the unknown and forgotten, and her journey is the most haunting.
The show begins with the teenagers’ deaths and their sudden arrival in limbo. Karnak, the omniscient machine, informs them that only one can return to life, chosen based on who makes the most compelling case. One by one, each teen performs a musical number that reveals their inner world, desires, regrets, and dreams. The musical becomes a character-driven showcase, with each number diving deep into the psyche of a different teen. It blends comedy, tragedy, and surrealism, culminating in a moving finale where the group learns to appreciate each other’s stories—and humanity—regardless of who gets a second chance.
“Karnak’s Dream of Life” – An eerie, synth-heavy introduction that sets the tone and explains the rules. Karnak introduces himself and the tragedy that brought the teens to him.
“The Uranium Suite” – A darkly comedic number sung by the choir in honor of their hometown, Uranium, Saskatchewan. It’s cheerfully morbid and sets up the show’s offbeat tone.
“What the World Needs” – Ocean’s solo. It’s brash, ambitious, and self-congratulatory. It reveals her intense need to be validated and her belief that she’s the obvious choice to live.
“Noël’s Lament” – Noël imagines himself as a tragic French courtesan in a twisted cabaret-style performance. It’s deeply theatrical, hilarious, and surprisingly touching, showing his longing to be seen and desired.“This Song is Awesome” – Mischa’s high-energy rap/techno/pop fusion. At first comically aggressive, it gives way to a tender interlude where he sings about his fiancée, revealing a surprising vulnerability.
“Space Age Bachelor Man” – Ricky’s moment to shine. He imagines himself as a glam space explorer in a retro-futuristic world. It’s a fun, stylized escape that masks his isolation in real life. “Talia” – A hauntingly beautiful love song sung by Mischa, reprised as a more sincere moment than his earlier song. It’s emotional, grounding the show’s absurdity in real feelings.
“The Ballad of Jane Doe” – A showstopper. Jane Doe’s operatic, chilling aria about identity and being forgotten. It’s both gorgeous and unsettling, highlighting the show’s emotional depth.
“Sugarcloud” – Constance’s surprisingly powerful solo. Starting upbeat and sweet, it transforms into an emotional revelation about her pain, insecurity, and yearning to be seen beyond her niceness.
“It’s Just a Ride” – The finale. A bittersweet, philosophical song about the randomness and beauty of life. The group comes to terms with their fate, and the choice is made with grace and acceptance.
Ride the Cyclone is a masterclass in character-driven storytelling. It fuses absurdity with heartfelt emotion, mixing camp, comedy, and catharsis in a tight 90-minute runtime. With an eclectic score that gives every character a distinct voice and a narrative that challenges what it means to be remembered, Ride the Cyclone is more than just a quirky musical—it’s a deeply human meditation on life, death, and the stories we leave behind. If you’re a fan of musicals that take risks, make you laugh and cry in equal measure, and leave you thinking long after the curtain falls, this ride is absolutely worth taking.
