I have been lucky enough to see a few original casts of Broadway musicals. I saw Bernadette Peters play the Witch in Into the Woods, Patti Lupone play Evita, and the OCs of Spring Awakening and Come From Away. This is my third time seeing the hit off-Broadway musical Ride the Cyclone, 15 years after its Victoria debut. And although I was happy to see one original cast member returning here, Matt Coulson as Mischa, it is admittedly tough not to see Rielle Braid, Elliott Loran, Sarah-Jane Pelzer, Kelly Hudson and (especially) Kholby Wardell in their now somewhat iconic roles. But time moves on, and I’m happy to report that this remounted production offers a talented cast who are more than capable of tackling this high energy and audience pleasing show.

For those not in the know, Ride the Cyclone was created by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell and tells the tale of six teens who lose their lives in a roller coaster accident in Uranium City, Saskatchewan. Our narrator is Karnak (voiced by Jacob Richmond), a fortune-telling automaton, who fills us in on the accident and then introduces each victim so they can share their stories and sing their songs. The group of young people include over-achieving student Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg (Madeleine Humeny), her best friend, shy Constance Blackwood (Yasmin D’Oshun), Ukrainian adoptee Mischa Bashinski (Matt Coulson), Sci-fi dreamer Ricky Potts (Keith Macmillan), and gay Noel Potts (Carter Gulseth). The plot is driven by a contest to give life back to one person, to be voted on by all of them.

Co-directed ably by husband and wife team Treena Stubel and Jacob Richmond, with effective dance sequences choreographed by Stubel, the set design by Hans Saefkow offers us the appropriate seediness of a small town carnival and music director Jeff Poynter keeps the small band energized throughout. Standouts here include Humeny as Ocean, who ably captures the irritating qualities of someone who believes herself to be superior to all others, and Gulseth as Noel, whose song Noel’s Lament is a highlight of the show. Anna Van Der Hooft also impresses as Jane Doe, the sole unidentified victim, found without her head attached, who has a lovely soprano voice. The only note I have is about the poor acoustics in the Roxy Theatre, which made some lyrics a bit hard to hear. But it was great fun to see the show again, it holds up very well and is due for two more productions in the States next season. Get your tickets, as this is a short run, ending on the 14th. Recommended.