Quirky Cult-Favorite Musical RIDE THE CYCLONE Now Playing Through March 5 At Arena Stage

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announced today a two-week extension of Ride the Cyclone, now playing through through March 5, 2023, to meet audience demand.

This D.C. premiere of Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell's quirky, edgy musical has been delighting packed houses, with fans from more than 40 states descending on D.C.-many cosplaying as their favorite character-to catch the cult favorite. Join the "enthralled cult" of Cyclone devotees-including the 10,000 who have already caught this production-and purchase your tickets today at arenastage.org/cyclone.

"Ride the Cyclone is exactly what both theaters and theatergoers need now," commented Arena Stage Executive Producer Edgar Dobie. "At its core, the show is a celebration of being alive that resonates with today's audiences, as we've seen from both enthusiastic fan response as well as box office receipts. As the non-profit theater industry continues to recover from the pandemic, we are buoyed by the success of this little show with a big message."

"It's been a joy to watch Ride the Cyclone rock our audiences, both young and older," said Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith. "We were thrilled to have the show's co-creator Jacob Richmond-along with dynamic director Sarah Rasmussen-in the rehearsal hall here at Arena fine-tuning and changing the original material with this remarkable company of artists both on stage and behind the scenes. Every once in a while a theater piece hits the zeitgeist of the moment and D.C. audiences are answering the Cyclone call with a roar!" Read more about Ride the Cyclone's fascinating 15-year history on Arena's blog, The B-Side, here.

The production has been celebrated both by passionate fans who follow the show closely on TikTok and pack the front rows decked out in their best costumes (the character Jane Doe has been a particularly popular source of cosplay inspiration!), as well as by those who are encountering Cyclone for the very first time.

"I'd never heard of this show-apparently the only one in the audience! But it was amazing. Incredibly inventive, terrific performances. A light at the end of the tunnel of tragedy. Couldn't ask for more! Thanks for introducing me to this show," raved an audience member named Cheryl.

With now 32 performances to go, and many affordable ways to snag a ticket, there is no better time to climb aboard The Cyclone rollercoaster for the ride of your life:

• Theatergoers 30 and under can take advantage of Arena Stage's Pay Your Age program, where, just like the name says, your age determines the price;
• Full-time students are invited to purchase tickets at 35% off;
• U.S. military community members, active first responders, and educators save 20%; and
• Starting 90 minutes before the performance, a limited number of half-price tickets will be available for sale in person at the Arena Sales Office, subject to availability.

Learn more about Arena's ticket savings programs at arenastage.org/savings-programs.

Buy Ride the Cyclone tickets here.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Producer Edgar Dobie, is a national center dedicated to American voices and artists. Arena Stage produces plays of all that is passionate, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit, and presents diverse and ground-breaking work from some of the best artists around the country. Arena Stage is committed to commissioning and developing new plays and impacting the lives of over 10,000 students annually through its work in community engagement. Now in its eighth decade, Arena Stage serves a diverse annual audience of more than 300,000. arenastage.org