SASKATOON, Sask. — Get ready to Ride the Cyclone Nov. 12 to 15 at The Broadway Theatre with Saskatoon Summer Players.
It’s been more than a decade since the internationally-acclaimed, cult musical stopped in Saskatoon. Now, the locals are taking it out for a spin.
Co-written by Saskatoon-born artist Jacob Richmond, son of late Corner Gas star Janet Wright, Ride the Cyclone is set in Uranium City, Sask. It’s the story of six teenagers, one deadly ride and a musical competition for a second chance at life. The show became an underground favourite with performances Off-Broadway and around the world.
Director BJ Dyck started thinking about bringing Ride the Cyclone back to the stage when his daughter showed him viral posts of the darkly hilarious musical on TikTok.
“The teens die in a freak rollercoaster accident and find themselves in limbo. A mechanical fortune teller named Karnak offers them a chance to sing for a chance to be brought back to life,” explains Dyck.
“Knowing it’s about small-town Saskatchewan and thinking about what that means to be exposed to the world at large. It's sometimes how we feel, hidden, forgotten. It's fun to uplift that."
For actor Aidan Cousins, who plays the flamboyant Noel Gruber, the production has been a life-changing return to the stage after nearly a decade away from theatre. Joining the SSP for this performance has rekindled a passion he thought he’d lost.
"This show blends the absurd and so many aspects of the human experience into something that is so incredibly human," says Cousins. "It's a celebration of individuality and exploring the depth of the characters through bombastic music and story. Being in this cast has reawakened that missing piece of me."
Castmate Marz Giommi says beneath the show's outrageous musical numbers and offbeat humour lies a story that audiences will find surprisingly relatable.
"The story itself is sing for your life. What song would you sing if you got the chance to be brought back to life?" says Giommi. "I want to see them laughing, enjoying the show, and then the moments of reflection: What would I do in this scenario?"
With its infectious score and larger-than-life characters, Ride the Cyclone promises a theatrical experience unlike any other.
“We follow each character as they come out and expose the truth about who they truly are,” explains Dyck. “The musical's message is simple but powerful: It shouldn't take your own death to really want to live."
