Holy shit Becca Hart.
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| Photo by Dan Norman |
Pardon the profanity, but I’m just not sure how else to describe one of #tctheater’s buzziest ingenues without it. Her performance in the Jungle’s season opener Ride the Cyclone – which is a wild ride overall and worth seeing – is a standout that I’m calling early on as one of the best of the year. It’s an audacious claim, I know, but I think it’s warranted.
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| Photo by Dan Norman |
Backing up a bit – Ride the Cyclone is a new musical that tells the story of a quintet of high school musicians, all of whom are killed as they ride a roller coaster called the cyclone. They are invited by a talking carnie machine named Karnak to play a game for the chance for one of the students to return to real life. The rules? They must unanimously vote for who they send back, which is tough with teenage attitudes running high. The wild card? A headless body was found under the cyclone, that of ghostly Jane Doe. No one knows who Jane is (including Jane herself), so she is entered to play with the five classmates for the chance to return and learn who she really was. Each player spins the wheel to make a case for their shot at Life 2.0, giving a solo about their distinct pasts and what we need to know about them. There are a few surprises revealed during these acts – an obsession with Weimar-era French drag; a fantasy about space sex with a race of kittens; an obsessive goody two shoes who couldn’t be more insufferable if she tried; a surprisingly romantic Ukrainian whose tough facade reveals a goey sentimental center; and a lonely but kind girl who struggles to define herself outside of her peer’s expectations. It’s Mean Girls meets Phantom of the Opera (the Love Never Dies version, to be specific) with a sprinkle of Pippin, a truly weird mix of things that somehow works.
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| Photo by Dan Norman |
The plot can get a little loose at times (if you can’t tell in a previous paragraph, there’s a *lot* happening here) and some of the stereotypes presented in the way the characters are written could use refinement, but overall I was surprised how well this show worked. That is high key thanks to the amazing performances, which are executed with a crisp military precision that makes the whole thing sparkle. At the heart of it (pun intended) is Becca Hart as the ghastly Jane Doe. I literally gasped the second she appeared on stage; her performance, but particularly her body work and choreography, is truly extraordinary. Nothing about her looks as if it’s of this earth, and my jaw dropped several times as she floated through the stage. It’s a stunning performance and worth your ticket price alone – do not miss this one, as it’s going to be the talk of the town for months to come.
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| Photo by Dan Norman |
The rest of the cast is excellent too. Jim Lichtscheidl (who also masterminded that crisp choreography) brings a striking physical performance as Karnak; he barely blinks and moves just like a machine. His otherworldly performance ties the loose stories of the students together, and he’s a magnificent anchor for the show. Shinah Brashears lends her clarion voice as Ocean, the perfectionist that could, and her deliciously hateful performance could be in Mean Girls itself. Gabrielle Dominique is lovely as the shy Constance; I wish she had more time to shine. Michael Hanna is riveting as always as the dark Mischa, clearly having the time of his life. Josh Zwick relishes the strip you never saw coming as Noel, and although probably the weakest of the cast vocally, his charismatic performance is a lot of fun to watch. And Jordan Leggett goes all in as the crippled Ricky; he gives a full commitment that has more than a little Prince in it, and it’s a welcomely weird surprise.
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| Photo by Dan Norman |
This production design is one of my favorites in a long time that I’ve seen anywhere. Chelsea Warren’s set design has so many layers, from Karnak’s magical box to the handsome carousel with hidden projections and clues to the contestant’s pasts; it’s hyper-detailed and gorgeous. Trevor Bowen’s costume design is wildly imaginative and it’s so fun watching the crew prance around through various fantasies. Marcus Dilliard’s lighting design and Sean Healey’s sound design is seamlessly detailed, down to the crank activating each round of the game and the twinkling lights on each ride. Kathy Maxwell makes the most creative use of projection I’ve seen in a while, melting into the set design as one cohesive whole. Paul Bigot’s wig and makeup design creates distinct characters for each performer. And the props design by John Novak shows the same care and attention to detail that makes every element of the show stand out.
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| Photo by Dan Norman |
There’s really no way to adequately encapsulate Ride the Cyclone into a textual review; all I can do is encourage readers to go and enter a world that is truly unlike any I’ve seen before. The season blurb online didn’t really engage me – I decided to go because I trust the Jungle and wanted to know what they’d do with something so abstract, and I was more than rewarded. Becca Hart is truly transformative in this role, and I’m calling it as her star-maker performance in a run that’s had several standouts so early on. The rest of this young cast is eager and talented and vivacious too, and you can’t help catching some of the sparkle they release through their performances. It won’t take much of your time – 90 minutes without intermission – but it will definitely leave you feeling changed. I can’t think of a better show to usher in the Halloween season. Make sure to get your tickets before they disappear on October 20; click here for more information or to buy some.