On March 8 and 9 in the Arts Center, Germantown Academy’s theater program, Belfry, will be performing “Ride the Cyclone”, a 2008 musical by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell.
“Ride the Cyclone” is about a high school choir of Uranium City, a small town in Saskatchewan, Canada where six members have perished on a roller coaster called The Cyclone. While their spirits are in a purgatory state, a fortune teller tells them that he can only resurrect one of them.
The members must reach a unanimous decision, so they sing about why they deserve to be revived. In the process, they learn about each other and themselves.
“Even though it feels like it might be a very heavy and dark show, it’s actually very funny and very relatable,” Maddie Quinter ‘24, senior actor, said. “The characters are facing problems that you wouldn’t think of and that a lot of people can relate to.”
Because of the small leading cast, Belfry experiences something different from many of their previous productions: having an understudy ensemble. These understudy actors can replace a lead role if they’re unavailable while also participating in a large supporting ensemble for each act.
“Even though “Ride the Cyclone” was originally written as a seven-character show, it’s so easy to adapt it to a big ensemble piece,” McKenna Miller ‘25, who plays an understudy role for two of the lead characters, said. “We usually don’t have enough people to do understudies, so this is a good way to learn about being an understudy and what it’s like having them.”
“What’s great about this show is that the ensemble is in practically every number: they dance, they come on, and they play a really big role,” actor Emma Moyer ‘24 said.
Belfry’s close collaboration with each other strengthens their community, amplifying the process of preparing for this unique show.
“I think it’s one of the strongest communities here on campus,” Quinter said. “They are very caring in everything that they do, so being in an environment like that every day after school for long periods of time is very rewarding because it makes the process of building up a show and working on things that much more fun.”
While Belfry practices for “Ride the Cyclone” with Drama Teacher and Belfry Director Ms. K. Richardson, the cast will bid goodbye soon as this is her last musical before she retires from GA after 22 years of directing and teaching.
“This is my final lap around the sun doing this,” Ms. Richardson said. “I love this work. Teens in general are just such dynamic, exciting people. I think that as young artists, you have such passion and you feel things so strongly and you care desperately about the world, and those are the kids I got to work with over and over again.”
Ms. Richardson’s son, senior actor Liam Richardson-Harris ‘24, reflects on his mother’s departure.
“No one will ever do this program the way that she did it,” Richardson-Harris said. “She built this and it will not be the same.”
However, he remains optimistic about the future of Belfry.
“Whoever comes in will be able to create a really fantastic program,” Richardson-Harris said.
Belfry Assistant Director Ms. Emma Hearn ‘14 reflects on her relationship with Ms. Richardson, working alongside her for GA’s theatrical productions since she was in high school.
“She was a huge reason why I came back because of my connection with her and her mentorship. She’s just an integral part of the history of the Belfry program here,” Ms. Hearn said. “I’m grateful that she’s been a mentor of mine for so long and I know that will continue beyond her time at GA. I don’t feel like I’m losing her.”
When it comes to the future of Belfry’s leadership, Ms. Richardson believes that the students can overcome this adverse moment.
“We’ve been through a really hard chapter, particularly for performing arts, and this is going to be a challenge that the upcoming leadership among the students is going to have to solve,” Ms. Richardson said. “I won’t be around to see what the next chapter really is, but I am so confident that it’s there.”
As Ms. Richardson reaches her final stretch in directing, she explains that choosing “Ride the Cyclone” is resonant with her retirement.
“It is, in part, a show about moving onto the next step,” she said.
Lastly, she says that the musical’s ultimate message is that “life’s not a game; it’s a ride.”
With Ms. Richardson’s departure adding a layer of significance to “Ride the Cyclone”, Miller encourages the GA community to view the performance this spring.
“Even though you’ve never heard of it, I think a lot of people will enjoy it,” Miller said. “It might seem kind of odd or weird at first, but I think you’ll get a lot of good laughs out of it. It’s going to be K’s last show, so definitely show her some support.”
Look out for future information on “Ride the Cyclone”, presenting on March 8 and 9 at 7:00 PM in the Arts Center Auditorium. This is a chance to see Ms. Richardson’s final production at GA. Many students want to honor her legacy as an important mark on the history of GA’s Belfry, and on the lives of many students, faculty, and alumni with her last show.