The highly entertaining Push International Performing Arts Festival runs from January 15-February 3, 2013 and offers of a plethora of live performing arts around Vancouver.  Playing at the Arts Club’s Granville Island stage until February 16 is Ride the Cyclone, an absolute must see.  The musical begins with the eerie voice of the Amazing Karnack, a mechanized fortune-teller, who announces a group have teens have had their lives cut short in a roller-coaster accident.  Set in Uranium, Saskatchewan the teens were part of the school choir and have a variety of eclectic personalities.   There’s a child of the town’s coffee shop owner, an adopted boy from the Ukraine, and one other is the school’s academic; each with their own unique stories.  Karnack brings the kids back for one last time and promises only one a complete return to life.  They must sing their way to redemption in an incredible series of over the top performances ranging from rap to cabaret.  Their talent is endless and energy infectious as they each take the stage to perform their histories and voice their desires for their future. Don’t miss this laugh-out loud funny comedy that warms the heart and provides a much needed escape from the winter doldrums. I’d see it again in a heartbeat.