Photo courtesy of J. Stubbs Photography (https://jstubbsphotographyvb.com/)

We live out in the Ocean View area of Norfolk, a part of town that grew up on the back of a (no longer standing) trolley company amusement park.  So we were intrigued walking into the Little Theatre of Norfolk with a sold out crowd to see a veritable graveyard of amusement park ride pieces and signs on stage, with multiple levels and layers, providing depth to the set – a really nice design by Shawn Crawford and lead carpenter/set builder Sophia Kaminaris.  It’s a very spooky vibe, only enhanced as the lights go down and we are introduced to Karnak, one of those fortune-tellers-in-a-box situations you’d see in arcades or amusement parks back in the day. 

And so our story begins with an ending – a crash on the roller coaster “The Cyclone” has killed six high schoolers.  Karnak explains that he has the power to bring one of the six back to life – and the one will be selected through unanimous vote of the six.  Unspoken, though quickly understood by the audience, is that each of the victims will have a song through which they will tell their story – and to try to convince the others that they are the one worthy of a second chance.

This plot does sound in some ways like it could be a bummer – but never fear!  From top to bottom of this show, the songs are energetic and fun, different from each other stylistically while also having some musical themes connecting them.  They are also filled with funny little one-liners and observations the cast makes about each other and themselves.  Seeing the show is a total blast.

And it helps that this is among the most talented casts we have seen together on a community theater stage.  When you have six characters all leading their own songs – that means you need six actors with the singing chops (as well as the charisma) to take the spotlight – and director Trey DelPo absolutely nailed it with the casting of this group.  Individually they are great, but as a group and in their interactions with each other is where they really shine.  Ava Stevenson as Ocean impresses as her fake humility melts away and she explains that she has the most to offer the world in “What the World Needs”.  Scott Briggs’ Ricky Potts comes out of his shell with a bang (…well, quite a bit of banging) in the surprising driving beat of “Space Age Bachelor Man” – an over-the-top teenage boy (and cat?) fantasy that Briggs sells completely.  Doria Martingayle is wonderful as Constance Blackwood, who realizes the joy that there is in everyday life in her song “Jawbreaker/Sugar Cloud”, with Martingayle capturing that tender moment of realization perfectly. 

There is Elijah Tubbs as Mischa Bachinski, the Ukrainian adoptee who has a hilarious and entertaining rap number that turns into a touching Ukrainian dance number when he remembers his fiancée that he is leaving behind (Tubbs is undeniably laugh-out-loud funny throughout).  We can’t forget Andre Magalhaes, who absolutely brings the house down (seriously, this is probably the loudest I’ve ever heard the crowd at LTN, and well deserved) with his French woman-of-the-night fever dream in “Noel’s Lament”.  And making her LTN debut – Annie O’Shea as Jane Doe is incredible.  She blows us away with both her belt and her soprano, and is appropriately weird and creepy in the role – she lost her head in the Cyclone accident and has no memory of her life before dying – and then is somehow able to turn that dark backstory into the touching and memorable performance of “The Ballad of Jane Doe”.  Even the canonically unfeeling machine Karnak has charisma brought to the role by Rilian Dell’omo.  Karnak is a part that feels like it could really veer into a “feels like you are just reading your script” role, but Dell’omo brings the perfect vibes to it, somehow able to feel like he is in control of the entire show while being trapped in his box at the very corner of the stage. 

I worry I am not able to convey just how good this cast is – each of the cast members deserve a whole paragraph about them – as they really are magnificent.  This cast can really sing – the sound created by such a small cast was very impressive, and the mix by sound designer Mike Hallberg with the live band led by music director Cristina Loyola and some pre-recorded effects is phenomenal.  This cast can dance – and choreographer Tré Porchia kills it.  Each song has a different feel, and each song was executed wonderfully.  The movement on stage is smooth and inspired – nothing ever feels put on or forced.  We love the use of props in dance numbers – look for the umbrellas to come out, and know you are about to be in for a treat.  And this cast completely buys into their roles, leaving it all on-stage – another credit to Trey DelPo’s direction. 

The lighting also greatly enhances the show – with Emily Lutz putting together a really cool and complex package, using fog as well as color to create the spooky effect.  Lutz creates a different feel for each of the songs, and effectively uses spotlights both to track the leads of the songs and to create very dramatic moments.  And the lighting interacts with the set to bring out different colors and emphasize different pieces of the set throughout.  Well done.  Finally, we would be remiss to not bring up Meg Murray’s costumes, which fit the show perfectly, and were simple enough to allow for both on- and off-stage quick changes, essential for a show which requires basically the entire cast to be on-stage the vast majority of the time.

Life can sneak up on you sometimes.  One day, you are trying to convince your parents to ride that roller coaster with you one more time, and the next, you are the adult who needs convincing.  It is easy to get caught up in the stress of everyday life and forget to slow down and value what you have today – because you might not be here tomorrow.  Beyond the amazing performances of this particular production which make it a must-see in our local community theater scene – this show is a wonderful reminder to, as Karnak (with no time to spare) advises us, “be sure to ride the Cyclone”.  Bravo!