Ride the Cyclone
“Bealko, being a true artist, recognizes greatness when she sees it and gives all the praise back to her cast of hardworking students. Without them, the show is not the same.” - The O’Colly
To say this show was fun to work on would be a massive understatement. From the staging and choreography to the world building, Ride the Cyclone was one of my favorite shows I’ve worked on in years.
Unlike the original, I did not see the show set in a storage unit but in an abandoned and forgotten amusement park, similar to the upside down from Stranger Things. Grays, blues, blacks, and whites dominated the stage, sprinkled with faded colors of yesteryears. My scenic designer ran with this concept and designed a truly creepy fun house.
I imagined Karnak using his supernatural powers to create this world as the roller coaster is crashing. He stops time, suspending the children and flipping the world upside down in hopes of saving them, but if your familiar with the plot, only one can be saved. At the end of the show, we return to the opening song because the children are still “sailing through space.” As the song ends, you hear the sound of roller coaster hitting the ground. I represented this idea through my blocking of the first and last scene. They were almost identical, with the actors moving as if they were on a roller coaster in slow-motion. The main difference was that as the show ends and the kids ride the coaster, Jane Doe walks past her friends, and into the world of the living.
When I was imagining the layout for this show, a deep thrust stage came to mind. This allowed for the audience to be completely immersed in the world. Karnak was placed across from the stage, where he could face the children while still being seen by the entire audience. As the house opened, Karnak sat ready to read the fortunes of any audience members that approached. This was a fun way to immerse the audience in our limbo theme park the second they stepped into the theater.
Choreographing this show was a fun challenge. I wanted the dances to be as vibrant as the characters. Each dance reflected the genre each character sings in, ranging from campy show choir and pom routines to Fosse inspired chair dances, hip hop, and musical theatre. Many numbers made you feel like you were sitting front row at a rock concert, a Broadway musical, or an opera. I love weaving a common theme through my choreography, so each number had roller coaster movements, a slow-motion section, freezes, or body rolls. By weaving in these small moments, I created a strong through line through movement.
Oklahoma State University
Fall 2023
You can view the entire album of this production’s photos by clicking here.
Media Coverage
Credits
Director and Choreographer – Liz Bealko
Music Director – Eric Frei
Scenic Designer – Lee Brasuell
Costume Designer – Jason Estala
Lighting Designer – Clara Wiebe
Sound Designer – Harley Roche
Production Manager – Marley Giggey
Photography – John Beier
