‘Ride the Musical’ Premieres at the Overtime
Ride the Musical, a new piece by Rachel Roth and Dan Timoskevich, co-author of last year’s ATAC award-winning musical, Nightingale, is making its debut at the Overtime Theater this Friday, May 31.
Ride is the story of a taxi driver named Stockton who’s underwater on his taxi medallion due to competition from rideshare companies. He and his daughter, Jess, are struggling to make ends meet. She wants to go to acting school and he’s trying to keep them from being evicted. After separate chance encounters with a limo driver, they both decide to test their limits as to what they’re willing to do to stay afloat.
Nicole Erwin, the Overtime’s Managing Director (who also helmed the show) said, “Audiences can expect catchy musical tunes and dance numbers as well important messages for new and older generations. We explore complicated relationships that arise from loss. The theme of the show reflects a cultural shift regarding body positivity, female empowerment, self-actualization, and the challenge of letting go of pie-in-the-sky idealism.”
Ride is directed by Erwin. Local favorite Robert Moritz and newcomer Amie Rose will play the father-and-daughter duo, along with many Nightingale cast mates, including Venny Mortimer, Caitlin Palmer and Dorianna James.
“It’s a bit of a Nightingale reunion and it’s great to have several members from the Nightingale cast in the show”, said Timoskevich.
Erwin added, “We’ve had an amazing cast and creative team. Doing a musical requires a significant time sacrifice, especially since these are original tunes that have never been performed before. We don’t have the luxury of listening to a soundtrack to see how the songs been performed before. But even beyond the performers, the dedication of the entire creative team has really elevated this show.
“We’re so happy to have a dedicated design team with Josh Dominguez doing our lighting design and Serenity Autumn doing sound design and board op. When everybody contributes their time towards a singular cause, the final product is usually something pretty special.”
Regarding the score, Timovich said, “The music in Ride definitely has a pop vibe. Since the show is set in an urban setting, I felt it was important to include a variety of contemporary song styles to reflect the diversity in the characters. You’ll find dance grooves, ballads, rock, show tunes, and even a little blues. I tend to listen to so many types of music, so it’s natural they would all find their way into my writing. I love tinkering with song styles and playing the same melody with different beats and instrumentation. It creates a whole new layer of dialogue.”
Ride plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. May 31-June 22. There are two Sunday performances: June 9 at 3:00 p.m. and a Special Father’s Day performance on June 16 at 7:00 p.m. Reservations can be made online.
The show is rated MA for mature themes and adult situations.The Overtime is located at 5409 Bandera Road,. Suite. 205.
Cast
Robert Moritz: Stockton
Amie Rose: Jess
Venny Mortimer: Morlan
Dorianna James: Toni
Caitlyn Palmer: Melanie
Christopher Steinmetz: John/Waylon
Tim Ahmed: Landlord/Cop/Bouncer/Ensemble
Ali Gomez: Ensemble
Sharon Beales: Ensemble
Meaghan Setterbo: The Street Poet/Ensemble
Bethany R. Schwartz: Ticket Scalper/Ensemble
Creative Team
Director: Nicole Erwin
Music Director: Dan Timoskevich
Choreographer: Allie Gomez
Scenic Design and Propmaster: Jonathan Schell
Stage Manager: Jonathan Schell
Board Operator: Serenity Autumn
Cover photo: Amie Rose (Jess) and Robert Moritz (Stockton). Photo Credit: Dan Timoskevich.
