COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio finishes out its season with "Ride the Cyclone", a musical that has become a cult favorite.
The story follows six high school choir students from Uranium City, Saskatchewan who have tragically died in a roller coaster accident. In limbo, the kids are given a shot at coming back to life through a singing competition brought on by The Amazing Karnak, a mechanical fortune-telling machine.
The kids each take their turn in songs that cover the spectrum of musical genres.
"It is so fun and joyful from the get," explained Becky Keeshin who portrays the character of "Ocean." "It's really about a celebration of life and [asks the question] 'what're you going to do with your one life?'"
As the kids examine their lives through song, they eventually land on nothing short of, for them, the meaning of life.
"Everybody needs to talk about death and everybody needs to talk about needing to be seen," observed Shauna Marie who plays “Constance." "And, when they get the opportunity to experience that conversation, they're excited about it...it's just a part of it, you know, a part of the loop, a part of life, a part of the ride."
The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio's "Ride the Cyclone" runs through May 5 at the Riffe Center in downtown Columbus. For showtimes and ticket information, click here.
And even though this season is coming to a close, The Contemporary is already gearing up for its 2024-25 season with the announcement of five shows:
- Big Fish
- Wife of a Salesman
- A Christmas Carol
- Fat Ham
- The Last Five Years
"We do just such intimate work; none of our theaters have more than 200 seats, so you're always really close to the action," said Leda Hoffmann, artistic director at The Contemporary. "I'm just thrilled to look at the way the directors and the designers working in next season figure out how to share these stories with everybody."
For more information on The Contemporary's 2024-25 season, click here.