It began as a small production by the rebellious British Columbia-based theater company, Atomic Vaudeville, in 2008 — a quirky little musical about six dead teenagers stuck in limbo after a roller coaster crash, vying for a second chance at life. With its mix of absurdist humor, heartfelt ballads and genre-hopping songs, Ride the Cyclone quickly snowballed into a cult favorite, propelled by viral TikToks and a fiercely devoted fan base.
Now, the show is landing in Aurora with all its weirdness and wonder intact.
"I do love a good regional premiere," says Aurora's Vintage Theatre Artistic Director Bernie Cardell. "And Cyclone is a thrill ride of a show! I went through several choices before landing on this show for the season. I felt it would do two things: speak to a younger generation of theatre-goers and give our loyal patrons something really different than they’ve seen before. It’s one of those shows that will delight and surprise all ages.”
That cross-generational resonance was a key reason Jennifer Schmitz signed on to direct. After hearing the cast album and watching clips online, she quickly fell for the show’s bizarre charm.
“I started Googling and looking at TikTok videos, and I was like, ‘This show is kind of crazy, quirky and fun,’ so I told Bernie 'yes' because I absolutely wanted to do it,” she said. “The more I read the script and listened to the album, the more I got into the craziness and heart of this show.”
The story follows Ocean, Constance, Mischa, Ricky, Noel and the mysterious Jane Doe — all teens who died in a freak roller coaster accident — as they meet an animatronic fortune teller named the Amazing Karnak. He offers one of them the chance to return to life, setting off a darkly funny and surprisingly moving musical journey.
“I think this story is very relatable,” Schmitz says. “Even though it's about dying, the story is really about how you live and what makes a good life."
The cast includes Laila Aniyah as Ocean, Megan Schrader as Constance, Sabrina Patten as Jane Doe, Silas Vazquez as Mischa, Isaac Dechtman as Ricky, Samuel Wersch as Noel and Daevon Robinson as the Amazing Karnak. Zay Cann and Caleb Reasy serve as swings. For Schmitz, diversity and authenticity were key in assembling her cast.
"We had about 120 people audition for a cast of seven with two swings," Schmitz says. "I could have cast this show probably six different times because I had so many people audition, including people from, like, out of state wanting to do the show with us because it’s not done very much. I wanted my cast to be as diverse as possible. That was a big thing for me.”
“I also wanted to make sure the cast looked young,” she added. “Because this show is kind of quirky, I wanted quirky personalities — because I’m kind of a quirky personality.”
One of those personalities is Silas Vazquez, who plays Mischa Bachinski, the brash Ukrainian “bad boy” with a surprisingly big heart. “I always say he is the definition of positive masculinity,” Vazquez, who is gender-fluid, says. “Mischa has this gruff persona, but he’s supportive of his friends and excited for others to succeed. He’s very much a Himbo.”
Vazquez first fell in love with the show during their freshman year of college. “We used to do little movie nights and watched this musical. I got really obsessed with it,” they said. “All the characters were unique, and all the songs are in such different styles. I really connect with its themes of mortality and everything. Plus, I liked how weird it was.”
That weirdness is central to Ride the Cyclone’s appeal. The musical ranges in style from glam rock to doo-wop to operatic ballads, with each character getting their own spotlight number.
“It’s a ninety-minute show, but we’re always onstage,” Vazquez says. “It’s a bit of a marathon.”
Schmitz has embraced the show’s eclecticism in her design choices as well. Though it’s staged in Vintage’s large Nickelson Auditorium, the set has been scaled down to feel intimate and immersive. “It’s like an abandoned warehouse,” she said. “It looks like you are in a warehouse at Lakeside or Elitch Gardens.”
Despite her extensive experience as a Vintage stage manager, this is Schmitz's first time directing for the company.
“I told my cast flat out, ‘I’ve been stage managing for years. I know what not to do, but I’m still figuring out what to do,’” she says. “The biggest thing I wanted from all of these characters is honesty and truth. Because if you don’t play the truth, the show is just cheesy, and it doesn’t really work.”
Schmitz is confident the production will resonate with audiences of all ages, whether they’ve heard of the show or not. “Anybody who goes in with an open mind and no expectations will leave with something,” she says.
Vazquez agreed — with one caveat.
“It’s a weird show,” Vazquez says. “I’m not going to say it’s for everyone. I’ve told my mom there might be a few songs where you have to close your eyes. But once I explain the concept, people are always interested. It’s not a super popular show, especially if you’re over twenty, but it should be. Even though death and mortality are the most important themes, there's a lot of silliness in this quirky musical that I think people are going to enjoy discovering."
Ride the Cyclone runs Friday, May 2, through Sunday, June 8, in Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton Street, Aurora. Tickets are $20 to $39. Learn more and purchase tickets at vintagetheatre.org.
Now, the show is landing in Aurora with all its weirdness and wonder intact.
"I do love a good regional premiere," says Aurora's Vintage Theatre Artistic Director Bernie Cardell. "And Cyclone is a thrill ride of a show! I went through several choices before landing on this show for the season. I felt it would do two things: speak to a younger generation of theatre-goers and give our loyal patrons something really different than they’ve seen before. It’s one of those shows that will delight and surprise all ages.”
That cross-generational resonance was a key reason Jennifer Schmitz signed on to direct. After hearing the cast album and watching clips online, she quickly fell for the show’s bizarre charm.
“I started Googling and looking at TikTok videos, and I was like, ‘This show is kind of crazy, quirky and fun,’ so I told Bernie 'yes' because I absolutely wanted to do it,” she said. “The more I read the script and listened to the album, the more I got into the craziness and heart of this show.”
The story follows Ocean, Constance, Mischa, Ricky, Noel and the mysterious Jane Doe — all teens who died in a freak roller coaster accident — as they meet an animatronic fortune teller named the Amazing Karnak. He offers one of them the chance to return to life, setting off a darkly funny and surprisingly moving musical journey.
“I think this story is very relatable,” Schmitz says. “Even though it's about dying, the story is really about how you live and what makes a good life."
The cast includes Laila Aniyah as Ocean, Megan Schrader as Constance, Sabrina Patten as Jane Doe, Silas Vazquez as Mischa, Isaac Dechtman as Ricky, Samuel Wersch as Noel and Daevon Robinson as the Amazing Karnak. Zay Cann and Caleb Reasy serve as swings. For Schmitz, diversity and authenticity were key in assembling her cast.
"We had about 120 people audition for a cast of seven with two swings," Schmitz says. "I could have cast this show probably six different times because I had so many people audition, including people from, like, out of state wanting to do the show with us because it’s not done very much. I wanted my cast to be as diverse as possible. That was a big thing for me.”
“I also wanted to make sure the cast looked young,” she added. “Because this show is kind of quirky, I wanted quirky personalities — because I’m kind of a quirky personality.”
One of those personalities is Silas Vazquez, who plays Mischa Bachinski, the brash Ukrainian “bad boy” with a surprisingly big heart. “I always say he is the definition of positive masculinity,” Vazquez, who is gender-fluid, says. “Mischa has this gruff persona, but he’s supportive of his friends and excited for others to succeed. He’s very much a Himbo.”
Vazquez first fell in love with the show during their freshman year of college. “We used to do little movie nights and watched this musical. I got really obsessed with it,” they said. “All the characters were unique, and all the songs are in such different styles. I really connect with its themes of mortality and everything. Plus, I liked how weird it was.”
That weirdness is central to Ride the Cyclone’s appeal. The musical ranges in style from glam rock to doo-wop to operatic ballads, with each character getting their own spotlight number.
“It’s a ninety-minute show, but we’re always onstage,” Vazquez says. “It’s a bit of a marathon.”
Schmitz has embraced the show’s eclecticism in her design choices as well. Though it’s staged in Vintage’s large Nickelson Auditorium, the set has been scaled down to feel intimate and immersive. “It’s like an abandoned warehouse,” she said. “It looks like you are in a warehouse at Lakeside or Elitch Gardens.”
Despite her extensive experience as a Vintage stage manager, this is Schmitz's first time directing for the company.
“I told my cast flat out, ‘I’ve been stage managing for years. I know what not to do, but I’m still figuring out what to do,’” she says. “The biggest thing I wanted from all of these characters is honesty and truth. Because if you don’t play the truth, the show is just cheesy, and it doesn’t really work.”
Schmitz is confident the production will resonate with audiences of all ages, whether they’ve heard of the show or not. “Anybody who goes in with an open mind and no expectations will leave with something,” she says.
Vazquez agreed — with one caveat.
“It’s a weird show,” Vazquez says. “I’m not going to say it’s for everyone. I’ve told my mom there might be a few songs where you have to close your eyes. But once I explain the concept, people are always interested. It’s not a super popular show, especially if you’re over twenty, but it should be. Even though death and mortality are the most important themes, there's a lot of silliness in this quirky musical that I think people are going to enjoy discovering."
Ride the Cyclone runs Friday, May 2, through Sunday, June 8, in Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton Street, Aurora. Tickets are $20 to $39. Learn more and purchase tickets at vintagetheatre.org.
