'Ride the Cyclone' musical debuts in East Peoria this weekend
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A dark comedy about death and amusement parks is heading to East Peoria this weekend.
Eastlight Theatre is performing the regional premiere of the musical 'Ride the Cyclone.' One of the show's stars, Joshua Regan, joined director Kevin Paul Wickart on WMBD This Morning.
The musical focuses on a group of teens who die on a malfunctioning rollercoaster. In the afterlife, they're offered a chance at resurrection by a magical fortune teller machine.
It's not just the premise that's bizarre. Regan says his character, Ricky, was rendered mute due to witnessing the death of his father and retreats into a fantasy world of cat people in outer space.
Despite the strangeness, Regan says the role has a lot of heart in it and delivers an inspiring message.
'It's such a good role to explore everyone's need to be seen and everyone's need to fit in,' he says.
The Penguin Project presents 'Something Rotten Jr.'
With such an odd premise and characters, it should come as no surprise that the show's music is similarly eclectic.
'I have a Bon Jovi-esque, 70s or 80s rock number,' Regan explained. 'And other people have a 1930s, like, accordion, stuff like that. So I think it's a great opportunity to explore the different music and have that reflect in the characters.'
Wickart says, while the subject matter isn't exactly appropriate for young children, teens and families shouldn't be discouraged from checking out the show.
'We hope that the music and the lighter bits will carry [the audience] through,' Wickart told us.
'Ride the Cyclone' runs from June 13-15 and 18-21 at the Byron Moore Auditorium at East Peoria High School. Sunday, June 15 is a matinee performance; all other shows are in the evening. For tickets, visit eastlighttheatre.com.
Love WMBD This Morning? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our Daily Newsletter.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
6 days ago
- Business Insider
Farewell to the 'Mad Men' era: Advertising's biggest bash of the year will showcase the industry's seismic changes
The ad industry is making its annual jaunt to France this week for the Cannes Lions ad festival. Big topics of discussion include agency consolidation and the departure of high-profile execs. This article is part of " CMO Insider," a series on marketing leadership and innovation. Advertising executives descending on the French Riviera this week for the annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity will raise their glasses of rosé to toast the twilight of Madison Avenue's glory days. Tom Denford, CEO of the agency search consultancy ID Comms, told me this year's Cannes Lions would be "like a requiem" for the traditional agency business. But that doesn't mean there won't be action. What began as an awards event in the 1950s to celebrate the best ads of the year — affectionately known as "The Work" — has morphed into a sprawling showcase of tech, entertainment, influencers, and every intermediary you can imagine. In recent years, Cannes has featured huge beach takeovers and custom-made event structures from the likes of Amazon, Google, and Meta. The agencies and marketers in attendance are grappling with multiple tectonic shifts all happening at once — from the rise of artificial intelligence to the decline of linear TV, and seemingly never-ending economic uncertainty that makes marketers nervous about long-term budget planning. WPP Media recently cut its 2025 global ad spending growth forecast to 6% from 7.7%, citing "disruptions to global trade and continued deglobalization." While Agencyland's creative class may be nostalgic for the era of showstopping Don Draper-esque pitches, and when cinematic ads won the biggest awards, the industry has shifted its offerings to service clients' changing needs. Retail media isn't the sexy pursuit many executive creative directors dreamed about breaking into the industry for, but it's having a moment. According to the World Advertising Research Center, spending on commerce websites, apps, and in-store displays is projected to overtake linear TV ad spending by 2026. Cannes Lions has introduced a dedicated subcategory for retail media in both its Media and Creative Commerce Lions awards this year. Albertsons is among the companies making its festival debut this week. The supermarket chain is bringing a grocery store activation to the beach and a team of seven people from its Media Collection retail media division. Jen Saenz, Albertsons' EVP and chief commercial officer, said the aim is to showcase what's unique about the grocer's offering for advertisers: "Not just transactions, but brand stories." The traditional agency business is at a crossroads There have been multiple changes of the guard at the largest ad agency holding companies. Omnicom and IPG are awaiting the closing of their gigantic merger that would create the world's largest advertising agency company by revenue, usurping Publicis, which had only recently toppled WPP's crown. Two of the industry's most high-profile execs — Mark Read, CEO of WPP, and famed ad man David Droga, from Accenture Song — have announced their coming departures. Layoffs have been a sad constant for the rank and file as agencies consolidate. When I asked one ad agency veteran how they envisaged the scene at Cannes this year, they responded: "Type into ChatGPT: Agency exec sitting on corner of the Croisette with cardboard sign around neck saying: Will do creative or plan media for food.'" New independent agencies and big consulting firms are gaining on the traditional holding companies. Industry analyst Brian Wieser recently estimated that the "big six" agency holding companies now have a 30% share of the total US ad agency industry, down from a peak of around 40% in 2015. It's a trend that will be on full display at Cannes Lions next week. Stagwell, the agency group led by former Microsoft strategist and advisor to the Clintons, Mark Penn, is back again with its huge "Sports Beach" activation. It will feature sessions from famed athletes like former world tennis No. 1 Billie Jean King and former NBA legend Carmelo Anthony, as well as activities like a swim club and pickleball tournaments. Accenture Song has a catamaran docked in the harbor to host meetings and has execs speaking onstage at the Palais, where the main conference takes place. The agency world is adapting to its new data-driven, AI reality Brian Morrissey, the former editor in chief of marketing and media trade publication Digiday, who now writes the media newsletter The Rebooting, has invented a new parlor game for Cannes. He's going to ask everyone he meets to name their favorite ad campaign of the past 12 months. His guess is that most attendees will struggle to instantly conjure one up, despite the fact that advertising is their profession. Morrissey said it's a reflection of the fading relevance in culture of mass media and the 30-second ad spot, as consumer media habits evolve and marketing budgets shift to precision-targeting and performance-marketing. "All the action has moved to the data side of advertising," Morrissey said. (Disclosure: I previously worked for Morrissey at Digiday.) Cannes will remain a decadent affair in 2025, much to the chagrin of the many colleagues back at home who didn't get a golden ticket. (The most expensive pass stretches to more than $12,000 this year — and that's before factoring in travel and accommodation.) Set on the iconic Croisette promenade with its opulent hotels and stunning sea views, some lucky VIPs will be treated to yacht excursions and performances from musical acts including Cardi B, Ludacris, Lola Young, and Diplo. The real A-Listers at Cannes Lions, though, are the chief marketing officers with budgets to spend. Cannes Lions CEO Simon Cook said that more than 350 brands attended last year, and that's expected to rise this year. David Jones, CEO of the Brandtech Group, has some handy advice for marketers who will undoubtedly receive numerous AI sales pitches this coming week. "When someone shows you something great, ask for a login; ask if you can make content and produce it and publish it now to TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube," Jones said. "If you can, they have a platform, and if you can't, they have a demo."
Hypebeast
13-06-2025
- Hypebeast
Mel Brooks Slated to Reprise Role in 'Spaceballs 2'
Summary Nearly four decades afterSpaceballswarped into cult classic status, the long-rumored sequel is officially a go, and to the immense delight of fans, comedy legend Mel Brooks is confirmed to reprise his iconic role as Yogurt. The announcement, made just this week, has sent shockwaves of excitement through the entertainment world, promising a return to the satirical brilliance only Brooks can deliver. Set for a theatrical release in 2027 withAmazon MGM Studios,Spaceballs 2will see the 98-year-old maestro not only back in front of the camera as the wise, merchandising-obsessed Yogurt (a parody of Yoda), but also serving as a producer. Brooks himself unveiled the news with a characteristically humorous social media teaser, featuring aStar Wars-esque opening crawl that brilliantly skewers Hollywood's current obsession with endless sequels and reboots. His direct message at the end, 'After 40 years we asked what do the fans want… but instead, we're making this movie,' perfectly encapsulates the irreverent spirit of the original. The excitement doesn't stop with Brooks' return. In a move that has further electrified fans, Rick Moranis is also reportedly set to come out of a lengthy retirement to reprise his role as the hilariously villainous Dark Helmet. Moranis's absence from live-action films for almost three decades has made his potential return one of the most anticipated in recent memory. Adding to the returning cast, Bill Pullman will be back as Lone Starr, the charming rogue equivalent of Han Solo. New talent is also joining the ranks, with Josh Gad confirmed to lead the cast, co-write the screenplay (alongside Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez), and co-produce. Keke Palmer is also slated for an as-yet-unspecified role, bringing fresh energy to the ensemble. Josh Greenbaum (known for Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) is set to direct. The originalSpaceballs(1987) perfectly lampooned theStar Warssaga and other sci-fi tropes, building a devoted following over the years. With the landscape of cinematic franchises having exploded since its debut,Spaceballs 2is perfectly poised to deliver a fresh wave of satirical commentary on the blockbuster era. For those who believe the Schwartz is still strong, this sequel promises to be a comedic force to be reckoned with.
New York Post
12-06-2025
- New York Post
Gen Z is swapping their smartphones for this retro alternative: ‘Need a social media detox'
Young folks are desperately trying to reconnect with the world around them. The method many have chosen? 'Dumbphones' — otherwise known as the millennial-era Blackberry. Ironically, Gen-Z is taking to social media — which isn't even supported on a dumbphones — to spread the word. For months now, users ranging in age from mid-20s to late teens have been demonstrating interest in 'retro' technology like Walkmans, iPods and digital cameras. 3 This content creator simply admires the retro aesthetic, rather than the clunky tech. TikTok/@vicvicvicvicvicc But the latest Y2K craze has older generations positively baffled. A quick TikTok search under the keyword 'Blackberry' will display thousands upon thousands of videos of Gen-Zers purchasing shelved Blackberry phones off of eBay or digging them out of their parents' closets, decorating them with rhinestones and keychains, and flaunting clicky ASMR-worthy keyboards. For many, the Blackberry craze is a continuation of 2000s nostalgia-core, a time when aesthetics like Britney Spears-esque McBling, cyberfuturism and Frutiger Aero ruled the trends. 'We've come full circle,' declare dozens of comments under posts by TikTok content creators like @notchonnie, who uses her platform to show off her massive retro tech collection 'I'm so sick of Apple, I would give up just about everything for a BlackBerry!' one user wrote. Commenters also shared how they scoured sites like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Back Market in search of Blackberry phones to supplant their modern smartphones. For just a few hundred dollars, these tech-tired Gen-Zers purchase peace of mind — and plenty of questions from older generations who no doubt remember the spotty service, super-small keyboards, and less-than-intuitive user interfaces. 3 Pew Research Center reports that as of 2024, up to 95% of Gen-Z have daily access to smartphones. Carlo – Compared to the price of a new iPhone, which these days can cost upwards of a thousand dollars, and unlimited data plans that run users up to $70 a month, younger generations see the Blackberry as a no-brainer. For many, the growing anti-smartphone movement is also a way to genuinely embrace the offline world and be more mindful about content consumption. 'The smartphone is not a source of enjoyment anymore,' Pascal Forget, a tech columnist in Montreal, told CBC News. 'It used to be fun, but now [people are] addicted to it, so they want to go back to simpler times using a simpler device.' 'These are supposed to be the best moments of our life, but you look around and people are scrolling,' Sammy Palazzolo, a TikTok content creator who uses a flip phone part-time, told USA Today. Though they've grown up in the digital age, Gen Zers, and even older members of Gen Alpha, are starting to catch on — no matter where you look these days, everyone is glued to their phone. According to a 2024 Pew Research Center study on the subject, nearly half of teenagers today say they're online 'almost constantly,' compared to ten years ago, when 24% of teens answered the same. Some have even reported feeling the phantom buzz of a smartphone notification, and others have said that tapping the 'on' button is now nothing less than a reflex. 'It just basically created this pattern where I was anxious, and so I'd open my smartphone, and then I would hate myself for opening my smartphone, which made me more anxious,' Charlie Fisher, a 20-year-old college student, told USA Today. 3 This TikTok user was also fed up with her online life, so she bought a BlackBerry to try to jumpstart a change. TikTok/@ In facilitating his digital detox, Fisher ditched his iPhone for a flip phone, and according to him, he hasn't looked back since. 'I've been seeing things more like when I was a kid,' Fisher continued, elaborating on his newly-found phone-free lifestyle. 'You really see things for how they are in the physical world, and your emotions are really attached to that.' Flip-phones and 2000s-era tech like the BlackBerry aren't just cheaper. According to Gen-Z, they promote spending more quality time with family and friends, exploring other hobbies outside of doomscrolling and binge-watching, and finding a healthier work-life balance, which begs the question: are the kids actually onto something?
