The musical Ride the Cyclone explores a form of afterlife where six kids discuss why they or someone else deserves to gain a second chance at life after a sentient and magical fortune-telling machine pities the way they passed on: flying off a rollercoaster that the fortune-telling machine told them to go on as part of his fortune for them. The six kids were all from the same high school; five of them were part of their school’s choir but there is virtually no knowledge about the sixth one, a girl who lost her head in the accident. Originally believing it was some competition to see who deserves to “win” a second chance, the game changes when the machine tells the kids that actually they must all agree on who amongst them is going to receive another go at life. The kids argue a lot, sharing their pain and what they left behind or never got a chance to experience. They try to repair broken relationships amongst themselves while also growing and forming new ones with those they were not as close with during their lives. Ultimately, when one of them gets chosen to return, the rest accept that they did what they could and enjoyed the lives they lived, even if it was cut short, because now they have this afterlife to spend together with each other and their newfound love and respect for one another.

This musical is important now because, while the plot is fantastical, the lessons and relationships between the characters are very real and current. Having shared the experience of the pandemic over the last two years, we all understand how it affected many people, especially those who have lost loved ones way before their time. This show actually comes to us after one of the playwrights lost their sister, but they wished for more of a celebration of life rather than grieving of loss. The music and potential for spectacle gets the job done well, succeeding in creating a feel-good and comedic musical that has its serious moments to keep the audience engaged and invested in the stories of the kids. This is why I love and want to do this show: to help overcome this fear of passing on and what happens next, especially for those of us that have lost or fear losing someone. 

The concept for the show is to follow an abandoned and rundown carnival or amusement park. The show itself showcases a lot of diversity in terms of music genres, dance styles, and even extreme personalities amongst the kids and their backgrounds, so I would like to make sure the cast features diversity as well. The main point of this production, however, is to be a feel-good spectacle to allow the celebration and enjoyment of life, even after the passing on. With lights, set, music, and choreography, the show is in constant motion, even when it may seem slow like a merry-go-round, because life goes on no matter what.

This production of the show is intended for everyone, but especially to those who have lost loved ones so soon and recently. Also, similar to my work with Tiny Beautiful Things, I hope to invite more minority groups, specifically communities of color, as these were groups disproportionately affected by the pandemic, leading to the greatest number of losses happening within minority communities. In order to help promote and give accessibility to these communities, I would be working with The Concept Theater Company in Los Angeles, a theatre production company led by a fellow UCI student. Their mission is to create a space for emerging artists from all backgrounds, with an emphasis in  BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and feminist communities, works, and stories. The Concept Theater Company would help with obtaining a performance space and promoting ticket sales. For tickets, I hope to keep the cost fairly low, going for a ticket price of $5. I also plan on using the idea of “paying it forward” that was popular on social media a while ago. This could help give accessibility to people that cannot afford the tickets by allowing others to pre-purchase and donate tickets. I think this also gives an interesting marketing tactic with social media that we could use to promote the show, and we could  even open the “paying it forward” to online so others who cannot attend (because they are outside of the local communities and/or cannot travel)  can still participate in helping others attend, helping to spread kindness and love to people who might need a good pick-me-up and to remember that life is good. 

This production of the musical Ride the Cyclone will be showing in season with a production of the play Tiny Beautiful Things, as both shows handle themes of the importance of personal and shared experiences and also appreciating and enjoying life with those around you.