See it if you want to see a musical with a bit of a unique feel. RIDE THE CYCLONE was a ton of fun (and a bit morbid).
Don't see it if you don't want to see something that's a bit morbid.
See it if you enjoy something left of center. This show is fresh and quirky with terrific performances and sets, lighting, projection, and costumes.
Don't see it if you prefer something more traditional. Go see Holiday Inn. You'll love it.
See it if you like quirky, offbeat musicals and dark comedies in an intimate space with fun staging and a variety of musical styles.
Don't see it if you want a highly polished, traditional story.
See it if You liked Spelling Bee. It's what would happen if those kids died in an amusement park accident. Great staging and innovative concepts.
Don't see it if You need something with a thick story line. This is a story for the instagram generation. Lots of twist, turns and shiny objects. Fun!
See it if you did choir in high school, enjoy really dark comedic situations
Don't see it if quirky music and storylines aren't your cup of tea
See it if You enjoy how people manage their lives and make their excuses to themselves. Nothing is sure.
Don't see it if You have no interest in what people do to get along with each other in the eyes of fate.
See it if you can imagine Rocky Horror meets A Chorus Line in the afterlife. Six teens die on a roller coaster, sing and dance about life and love
Don't see it if you don't want to be uplifted, laugh, and be amazed by crazy talented kids, or don't like off-Bway, small theater, dark humor Read more
See it if Just see it. It's a well-crafted piece that moves along at a good clip. Everyone in the cast rises to show off a great voice w/ good music
Don't see it if You are just too busy to have a great time, or you have no tolerance for musicals, period.
"In a somewhat formulaic structure, the kids each have an opportunity to make their cases, but Karnak continues to switch up the rules up until the very last chords are played. What makes 'Ride the Cyclone' so wildly entertaining is what happens within each of those moments…Rachel Rockwell’s work here is thoughtful and nuanced as she is somehow able to unpack a treasure chest of quirkiness delivered by the authors."
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“When the show is singing and dancing, and being creatively theatrical (including a revolving stage), it sparkles...It's the book passages, though, especially those that go on too long, that hold the show down. The music, while always enjoyable, is generic but several numbers are nonetheless showstoppers, particularly the surrealistic one performed by Jane, when she flies out over the audience and even does a pinwheel in midair. 'Ride the Cyclone' didn't exactly spin my wheels.”
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"Run, do not walk to get tickets…The newest cult musical that is sure become a sensation...As for the cast, they are, for the most part, all unknowns, fabulously young and talented. I will not single anyone out because they are all spectacular...This is one funny, well-written show with heart, soul and afterlife...The show is directed and choreographed by Rachel Rockwell and she is a find...One of the best shows this season, and definitely the most thought-provoking and interesting.
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"The various confessions are pretty much what you’d expect from a bunch of 17-year-olds, and since the show is structured around these stories, you’ll probably be checking your watch when the second teenager, named Noel, reveals his fascination with Marlene Dietrich in ‘The Blue Angel’ but for some reason impersonates a French chanteuse from post-World War II for his big number, complete with accordion."
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"My expectations were so high that I ended up being slightly disappointed...The performers are all appealing...Why then was I slightly disappointed? In trying to tell us enough to care about each character, the show occasionally loses momentum...Nevertheless, there is much to admire, particularly for a younger audience. If you liked 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,' which I was reminded of, you will probably enjoy this show."
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"A goofy, extravagant, bad-taste musical comedy…If you don’t think about the utter cruelty of the concept and the pasted-on smile-button conclusion, it may be altogether possible, oddly enough, to enjoy the audacious foolishness and admire the gung-ho excellence of the cast and the campy, over-the-top staging. Sometimes I could. More of the time, however, I just couldn't...The frequently poetic lyrics are just as often accompanied by banal, derivative tunes."
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"Quite the musical with a message and a heart...It felt a little like a NYMF show. However, the show was executed so well and so crisply, I could have imagined being in a Broadway theatre…Given the macabre nature of the material, one has to look beyond the obvious and dream a little alongside these youngsters…If you need an exhilarating experience in the theatre, head over to the Lortel and go for a wild ride with 'Cyclone!'"
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"Maxwell, Richmond, and their director-choreographer, Rachel Rockwell, feel no need for the show's elements to be weighed down by coherence or sense…Unhappily, the creative team has been so busy gilding each of these numbers with maximum pizzazz that they forgot to give them either any distinction or any grounding in reality...If the authors had put any effort into making you care, for even a few minutes, about their characters, this might have been a good show."
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