Written by orange• October 12, 2026• 2:26 am• Musical, Review, The Phantom Projects Theatre, Uncategorized

The Kids are Back in Town! : Ride the Cyclone @ Phantom Theatre Projects – Review

photo credit: Phantom Theatre Projects.

Written by Patrick Chavis

Ride the Cyclone at Phantom Theatre Projects in La Habra, October 9 – 25, 2026.

Story:

The kids from Uranium, Saskatchewan, are back in town, this time in La Habra!

While performance quality varies, the overall concept, some exceptional moments, and the fun, dark comedic slant on life and humanity stayed consistent, and that’s what has made Ride the Cyclone (“RTC“) such a hit in recent years. This production is no exception.

RTC is a musical about six teenagers from a small town in Canada who leave this world way too early because of a tragic roller coaster accident. Each character has a song that represents part of who they were before the accident, and by the end, Karnak, the magic fortune teller, brings only one person back to life before Virgil the Rat eats his chord. In this universe, even the magical Karnak, played quite elegantly by Billy Mann, isn’t immune to fate.

Before I do anything, I have to say what a fantastic Virgil the Rat costume they have for this production. For such a small role, Virgil has a really cool costume and makes a fun appearance.

No intermission — this musical runs through all twelve tunes in one go, so make a trip to the bathroom beforehand because you won’t be getting out. Karnak will make sure of that.

One distinctive feature of this production is a revolving stage used in multiple sequences to move the characters in circular motion.

Acting:

The acting, and the way the ensemble captured these characters’ personalities, shone through. Overall, I found the ensemble’s acting very good.

Derek Freeman plays the manly but sensitive Mischa Bachinsky, the rapping teenager from Ukraine, and he does an excellent job capturing his attitude. In the song “This Song Is Awesome,” the rapping has a rhythmic issue in one of the more difficult musical parts, but he still holds it down really well. Freeman shines way more in the more somber, emotional “Talia.”

Minor sound issues occurred with the mics, but they were not incredibly distracting.

Adam Leiva is incredible as Noel Gruber, the only gay kid in Uranium.

Bring in the fire department – that performance was on fire. His charisma, the singing, the whole package.

Makeup Designer Andy Conde creates a ghostly apparition of a Jane Doe for this production, but makeup only goes so far. Georgia Kate is vocally superb throughout the show. Tackling some of the harder vocals, she sings them clearly, making it look effortless and creepy at the same time.

Highlights: “Noel’s Lament,” “The Ballad of Jane Doe,” and a strong finish with “It’s Not a Game/It’s Just a Ride.”