Windsor’s KordaZone Theatre continues to deliver ambitious, community-driven productions this June with Ride the Cyclone, a Canadian musical that blends dark comedy, surreal storytelling, and a surprisingly reflective look at life and mortality.
Running June 12–27, the show marks the Windsor premiere of the cult-favorite musical by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell. Ride the Cyclone, originally developed in Canada and later gaining a wider following internationally, the musical has built a reputation for its unusual premise and tonal range as it moves between humor, absurdity, and more grounded emotional moments.
The story centers on six teenagers from a Canadian chamber choir whose lives are cut short in a roller coaster accident. They find themselves in a kind of limbo, where a mechanical fortune teller offers them a chance for only one of them to return to life by competing with each other, telling their stories, and winning through a final vote. What follows is a series of character-driven performances that explore identity, memory, and finding meaning in life, all framed within the show’s offbeat carnival-theatre structure.
At Korda Artistic Productions, the production is directed by Jeremy Burke, a board member who is a regular presence in local theatre. His recent directing credits with the company include The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals (2025), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2025), The Woman in Black (2024), and The Trench (2024), reflecting a range that spans contemporary musicals, original work, and classic adaptations. Musical direction for Ride the Cyclone is handled by Sam Bourque, who also handled musical direction for Korda’s Urinetown: The Musical last year.
The KordaZone Theatre at 2520 Seminole St
Ride the Cyclone fits well within KordaZone’s broader approach to programming. The company has developed a reputation for taking on productions that mix accessibility with a willingness to experiment, as in the recent The Shark is Broken. The play, which tells the behind-the-scenes story of the making of Jaws, is a very different kind of production than Ride the Cyclone, but demonstrates Korda’s intention to deliver engaging, layered, and off-the-beaten path productions.
With Ride the Cyclone, the focus is on character story told through music and non-linear structure. The show is less straightforward than a traditional musical, relying instead on a sequence of individual stories that build into a larger picture. It also leans into theatricality, and its supernatural setting and stylized framing allow for a mix of tones that wouldn’t necessarily work in a more grounded piece.
Performances run across multiple dates in June, with evening shows and additional midweek options. As with many productions at the KordaZone Theatre, the experience is shaped as much by the space and the performers as the material itself: small enough to feel immediate, but large enough to delivert more complex staging and musical work.
Ride the Cyclone continues that pattern: a production that is accessible, a little unconventional, and built around the strengths of a local ensemble.
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Directed by Jeremy Burke with Musical Direction by Sam Borque, Ride the Cyclone runs June 12-27 at the KordaZone Theatre, 2520 Seminole St. in Windsor. Tickets and showtime information available at kordazone.com
