by Chris Peterson
Atchison High School’s production of Ride the Cyclone will go forward after Atchison Public Schools reversed its cancellation roughly a day after announcing it. The Kansas district has released new performance dates and a parental advisory addressing the musical’s mature content.
In its initial announcement on October 30, the district said the production had been canceled effective immediately following “concerns shared regarding the production’s content.”
The notice said prepaid tickets would be fully refunded and acknowledged the work students and staff had put into the production. It did not identify who raised the concerns or specify which material prompted the decision.
But a subsequent announcement this morning restored the production, listing performances for November 4 and 5.
The updated announcement includes an “About the Show & Parent Advisory” explaining that the musical contains profanity, sexual references and innuendo, references to drugs and alcohol, and themes of death and grief. It cautions that some material may be unsuitable for younger children and encourages parents and guardians to consider those themes when deciding whether their families should attend.
Written by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, Ride the Cyclone follows six teenage choir members who die in a roller coaster accident. A mechanical fortune teller offers them an opportunity to compete for a return to life, with each sharing their story through song. The musical combines dark comedy with questions about identity, mortality and lives cut short.
The district’s updated post does not explain what led officials to reverse the cancellation or indicate whether the production itself will be altered. Neither announcement identifies particular scenes, songs or characters as the source of the objections.
I don’t want to imagine what the last 48 hours have been like for these students after being told their show was canceled, then finding out they would get to perform after all. I’m glad they’ll have that opportunity.