Timing is everything. Whether you’re planning a surprise party for your sister, setting a day for back surgery, meeting an online date for the first time or getting set to launch a new non profit and volunteer-based community theatre, your timing can be critical to the success of the event. What happens when an unforeseen occurrence like the COVID pandemic shakes the world and all your great plans are forced to be put on hold. But have no fear, the Magnolia Theatre Company of Hamden is up and running and ready to take on a whole amusement park for “Ride the Cyclone The Musical” until Sunday, August 11 and you are invited to hold on tight for this adventuresome roller coaster ride.
When Bradley P. Ellis from Oklahoma met Shawn Kelly from Louisiana, they recognized their mutual love of theater and determined to create a community “family” for thespians of all ages, from high schoolers to almost senior citizens, with the hopes of growing organically and building layers of complexity along the way. They started with "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged" and, just when they were ready to open, the pandemic had other ideas.They were put on hold for two and a half years. Thankfully along the way the Joan Lynn Dance Company in Hamden has offered them space for meetings, rehearsals and productions like “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” and their newest, most ambitious endeavor “Ride the Cyclone,” a project Ellis’s daughters Alayna and Everly discovered on Tik Tok of all places. Alayna and Erin Gannon Guerrera are responsible for the energetic choreography while Everly is in the show making sure her vision is realized. Both Bradley and Shawn hope to add summer and Christmas shows to their roster of productions in the near future.
With book, lyrics and music by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, get ready to meet six teenagers from a Canadian chamber choir who are weirdly injured in a roller coaster mishap. They awake in the land of limbo, only to discover that they must win the right to return to earth by convincing a mechanical fortune teller through a compelling personal story. This is not an adventure for children as it contains topics such as underage drinking, sexy cat ladies, lost heads and a few four letter words.
This cult musical takes place in Uranium City in Saskatchewan when the Cyclone roller coaster malfunctions and all six teens tragically perish. Each of the sextet sings their own story hoping to become human again. It has been called outstanding, delightful, weird, engaging and supremely witty.
As the Amazing Karnak serves as the show’s narrator and fortune teller, both Vinnie Santiago and Maya Johnson, are the one who will select the contest’s solo winner of life. The contestants include Chloe Zito as Ocean, Joshua Cruz as Noel, Jaison Haynes as Mischa, Jacob Gannon as Ricky, July Roche as Constance and Gwen Kirkland as the only unknown victim, Jane Doe. Each in turn sings their heart out trying to win, while projections from their lives dominate the stage. Meanwhile Shadow dancers weave in and out of the action: Everley Ellis, Katelyn Higgins, McKenna Doebrick and Salem Jones. The Haze dancers include Viviana Rodriguez, Laura Jeannine Sarrazin and Alexis Dascher, with Jake Murdock as Virgil the rat who has the power to cause unspeakable things to happen.
For tickets ($20 at the door or $23.18 online), go online to magnoliatheatre.org. The performances, tonight at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. , will take place at Whitneyville Cultural Commons Sanctuary, 1253 Whitney Avenue, Hamden.
Whether you love roller coaster rides or fear them like crazy, you will soon be caught up in the drama and frenzy of fun in this highly unusual musical with all the twists and turns of a real roller coaster ride. Hang on tightly.
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