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Within a throbbing dance club atmosphere, David Byrne and Fatboy Slim deconstruct the astonishing journey of Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos and her meteoric rise and subsequent descent into infamy. Here Lies Love is neither a period piece nor a biography, neither a play or a musical but a wholly immersive spectacle combining disco beats, adrenaline-fueled choreography, and a remarkable 360-degree scenic and video environment to go beyond Imelda's near-mythic obsession with shoes and explore true questions of power and responsibility. Here Lies Love is an 80-minute, fully immersive, 360-degree theatrical experience. Set within a dance club atmosphere, audiences will stand and move with the actors. Comfortable shoes and clothing are recommended. Dancing is encouraged. Pictured above: Imelda Marcos, photo by Slim Aarons. Reviewed by Hollywood Reporter.
Directed by Timothy Douglas In a depressed Cleveland neighborhood amidst a fierce winter storm, an Indian American brother and sister, long estranged, are reunited by the sudden death of their father. Enter their late father¹s African American confidante and gambling bookie, and a slew of family secrets get unearthed. The Lake Effect sets in motion a complicated web of relationships and conflicts that challenge our perceptions of race, gender, and success. East West Players (Los Angeles, CA) CHESS: From the lyricist of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and the composers of MAMMA MIA! the story involves a romantic triangle between two top chess players - an American and a Russian - and the woman who manages one and falls in love with the other. All of this takes place within the context of the Cold War, as both countries vie for international chess victories for propaganda purposes. Music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus; Lyrics by Tim Rice; Directed by Tim Dang; Musical Direction by Marc Macalintal. CHESS runs May 9-June 9, 2013. Generous support for this production is provided by the S. Mark Taper Foundation Endowment for East West Players. See News story. Impact Theatre (San Francisco, CA) After two critically acclaimed shows at Impact Theatre, Jukebox Stories returns to the Bay Area for the first time in five years?with all-new stories and songs about Prince and Brandon's real-life adventures in ghost-hunting, kickboxing, and general rabblerousing. This year, the theatre has been transformed into the seediest fortunetelling den this side of Chinatown, where tarot cards will be picked, minds will be read, futures will be told, and lives may very well be ruined. As always, the set list will be decided randomly by the audience, fabulous prizes will be awarded to lucky winners, and every single performance will be different than the last! Thursdays & Fridays & Saturdays @ 8PM Impact Theatre Black Lab Theatre and Asia Society Texas Center (Houston, TX) See News story.
New York, NY La MaMa, in association with Crossing Jamaica Avenue, is proud to present the New York Premiere of the acclaimed Deadly She-Wolf Assassin at Armageddon!, featuring original music and a concept by Fred Ho, co-written by Fred Ho and Ruth Margraff, directed by Sonoko Kawahara, with martial arts choreography by Emmanuel Brown (Broadway¹s Spiderman) and Japanese sword fighting choreography by Yoshi Amao. The show runs from May 16 - June 2, 2013 at La MaMa¹s Ellen Stewart Theatre, located at 66 East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue & the Bowery. Previews begin May 16 for a May 18 opening at 7:30pm. Performances are Thursdays Saturdays at 7:30pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30pm Tickets are $30 / $25 (students and seniors), Appropriate for ages 10 and up. Available online at http://LaMaMa.org, by phone 212-475-7710 and at box office Running time is 90 minutes including intermission La MaMa is accessible from the F train to 2nd Ave. or the #6 train to Bleecker St. Follow the show on Twitter at @DEADLYSHEW0LF or Raised as a weapon by a brutal conspirator, a young female assassin discovers that her target has spun the empire of Japan into crisis and ruin. Torn between loyalty to her mission, her nation and her soul, she must face the unimaginable at the twilight of an imperial epoch in a cathartic story of desperation, revenge and intrigue. A daring and imaginative homage to the 1970s Japanese raging cult manga, comic book, film and TV hit, Lone Wolf and Cub, Deadly She-Wolf Assassin at Armageddon! is a martial arts-samurai-sword-fighting-music/theater-fantasy-action-adventure-blockbuster. Deadly She-Wolf explodes with a ferocious stylistic mix of Japanese Noh theater and modern-day anime and manga influences, incorporating unique multi-martial arts and sword fighting choreography along with a glorious score fusing traditional Japanese music and soul-jazz. Featuring the Afro Asian Music Ensemble led by Masaru Koga. The cast includes Yoshi Amao, Ai Ikeda, Marina Celander, Rick Ebihara, Bradley Fong, Jerry Fred Ho (Composer, Co-writer) is a noted Asian American, musical composer, saxophonist, cancer survivor, radical activist and public intellectual. He leads the Afro Asian Music Ensemble, Green Monster Big Band and Monkey Orchestra. Ho won the 2011 John P. Simon Guggenheim Fellowship for Music Composition, received the 2010 American Music Center¹s Letter of Distinction and he¹s the 2009 Harvard Arts Medalist. He has won two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, three New York Foundation for the Arts fellowships and six awards from the Rockefeller Foundation. Ho has over 25 recordings as a band leader, has published eight books, and composed a dozen operas. His martial arts ballet-opera, Voice Of The Dragon, toured 33 cities in the U.S. Madame Ho In NYC: In Omaha: Seattle Public Theatre (Seattle, WA) Pan Asian Repertory Theatre (New York, NY) Tue-Sat at 7:30, Sun at 2:30 ETERNAL LOVE, DESTINY and power of TRANSFORMATION. From Pan Asian veteran artists comes a visually stunning reimagining of a classic tale that spans Japan 929 AD to the Anime and Harajuku worlds. Tickets: $50 - call Telecharge at 212-239-6200, visit www.telecharge.com or the Theatre Row Box Office Discounts available at www.broadwayoffers.com | 212/947-8844 **Performances (excluding Opening Night 5/23) through 5/31 have 25 tickets available at $25 use code TR25425 All other performances: Contact Pan Asian Rep: 212/868-4030 or info@panasianrep.org to purchase tickets for: Opening Night ($100): May 23 at 7:30 w/ Party School Matinees ($12 per middle or high school student, free for teachers): May 21 or 22; 29 or 30, June 4 or 5 at 11am Or to arrange a talk-back for your group PAN ASIAN REP continues its long association with DOJOJI choreographer Sachiyo Ito, who will also portray the dancing Spirit of Kiyohime, and the cast stars Kiyo Takami, Toshiji Takeshima, and John Baray, Don Castro, Dinh Q. Doan, and David Shih. Production Stage Manager: Elis C. Arroyo Sets: Kaori Akazawa Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (Vancouver, BC) Writer, actor, and Studio 58 grad, Minh Ly, tackles the taboo subject of homosexuality in cultural communities with his new play Ga Ting. Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre will present a free staged reading of this emerging writer¹s work-in-progress on Thursday May 24 at 7:30pm at the Richmond Cultural Centre Performance Hall as part of its new play development series. This heartbreaking story of two parents struggling to come to terms with their sons' sexuality in the wake of his death will be brought to life by a talented local cast - Linda Leong Sum (The Forbidden Phoenix, Red Letters), former city councillor and veteran actor BC Lee, and Jessie Award winner Brian Sutton. The production is directed by Leo Award winning actor Rick Tae (Godiva¹s) and dramaturged by C. E. Gatchalian (The Frank Theatre Company, formerly Screaming Weenie). This is the second staged reading of Minh Ly¹s first play, Ga Ting. Minh is a Toronto-based performer who is currently touring Axis Theatre's theatre for young adults show, 'Raven Meets the Monkey King' across BC and Saskatchewan, and will star in the upcoming production of Proof by David Auburn at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, May 30th - June 9th. Read more about Minh here: http://www.minhly.ca VACT aims to to provide support and mentorship to emerging and established Asian-Canadian writers with its new play development series. The next work in this series is Governor General Award nominee JJ Lee¹s The Measure of A Man - A Play in June (date TBA). Ga Ting by Minh Ly - a staged reading TICKETS MORE INFORMATION: www.vact.ca Theatre Esprit Asia (Denver, CO) A drama about a Japanese-American youth named Seiji who's interred during World War II, begins the season on May 30, with a 7 p.m. start. Performances will be at 8 p.m. Thursdays, 4:30 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Sundays and 1:30 p.m. for the final performance on June 23. The play is triple cast with Dale Li, Peter Trinh and Zachary Drake as Seiji. Warren Sherrill is directing "Dust Storm." Spirit & Sworded Treks also will run from May 30-June 23. Cheng and Xiong are co-directors. The play is double cast, with Cheng and Michelle Hurtubise in the role of Woman. As TEA describes the play: "Cheng weaves tai-ji forms, storytelling, stir-fry cooking and stand-up comedy in a tour de force performance work addressing the struggles of following a spiritual path by a Chinese American woman." The performance dates are 8 p.m. Fridays and Sundays, 1:30 p.m. Saturdays and 4:30 p.m. on its closing day, June 23. Lifeline Theatre (Chicago, IL) The children of Ku-fu have fallen victim to a deadly plague, and their fate rests in the hands of a stalwart young man named Number Ten Ox. Together with the irascible Master Li, an ancient scholar with "a slight flaw in his character," this simple peasant must set out on an unforgettable quest to secure the Great Root of Power, the only hope for his dying village. Explore a legendary land of magic and mystery with an unlikely pair of heroes, and do battle with ghosts, monsters, mercenaries, an evil Ancestress, and a very wicked Duke. A rousing adventure with humor and heart, in a world premiere adaptation. Based on the 1984 novel by Barry Hughart, winner of the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel.
Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (Vancouver, BC) Due to an unforeseen circumstances, this year¹s Etch-YOUR-SketchOFF!#$%!! 5 will now be on Wednesday, May 29th and Thursday, May 30th @ the Roundhouse Performance Centre. Banana Drama, The Yangtzers, and SFUU MAN CHU have already registered to return all are previous winners! it will be a very funny & competitive show as the teams vie for the coveted Vancouver Rice Bowl judged by celebrities on Wednesday night and for the People¹s Choys Award judged by audience applause on Thursday evening. Same Show both nights just judged differently. Teams have a chance to win up to $500! Funny Man and Poster Icon Tom Chin also returns as Host for this year. The Flea Theatre (New York, NY) A play of impossible choices – set in a world of magical characters. First generation Chinese-Americans growing up in New York City, Vivienne and Luke confront a confused tangle of family, a diverse array of friends, and their rampant sexuality. In our digital age, how can they navigate the traditional expectations of their mother with their American culture of individuality? "In a time when very few Latino playwrights seem to grace the stages of New York Theater, identity politics are often severely over-simplified. After a year of shocking and offensive yellow-facing on some of the worlds most prominent stages, I couldn't be more thrilled to be having the world premiere of a cautionary tail happen at The Flea with diverse cast of actors who represent not only New York, but what America looks like to me," says christopher oscar peña. a cautionary tail was commissioned by NYU's Tisch School of the Arts' Graduate Acting Program (Mark Wing-Davey, Artistic Director). Talkbacks Ralph B. Peña (Artistic Director of MaYi Theater Company), Angel Desai and Kenneth Lee (Steering committee members of AAPAC – Asian American Performers Action Coalition), are special guests in this post-show conversation about the disproportionate representation of Asian-Americans in New York theater.
Photos by Orrin Nakanelua Kumu Kahua (Honolulu, HI) This house...my loneliness is etched into its walls. Yangtze Repertory Theatre (New York, NY)
Mo`olelo Performing Arts Company Presents Performances at Extraordinary Chambers is the story of an American couple who travel to Cambodia for an innocent business trip, but become personally entangled with Khmer Rouge victims and survivors. The genocide, complicity, survival, and greed collide in this play that shines a light on the Cambodian experience and asks how far are we willing to go to survive? Preview Performances $12 - $20 For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://moolelo.net/extraordinary-chambers/ Mo'olelo offers group discounts for groups of 10 or more. Email Samantha at samantha@moolelo.net or call 619-342-7395 for more information. Crowded Fire Theater (San Franciso, CA) Thick House Crowded Fire Theater (CFT) presents the World Premiere of Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig’s 410[GONE], opening Monday June 10 with a press night at the Thick House in San Francisco, (Previews June 6-8) running through June 29. In 410[GONE] Cowhig creates a buoyant underworld landscape run by punk operatic Chinese gods and goddesses soaring with energy, humor, tricks, and avatars Winner of the Yale Drama Series Award, Cowhig has established herself as a fearless, fiercely intellectual writer. In 410[GONE] a brother and sister are suspended in the interstitial spaces between their American culture and Chinese heritage as they wrestle within the lines of life and death. Where do we go when we die? In Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig's dark and dazzling play 410[Gone], that all depends on how you play the game - the stakes are high. Under Taishan, a sacred mountain in China, the powerful Goddess of Mercy, Guan Yin, patiently awaits the arrival of the souls of the dead, freeing them from the pain of memory and releasing them into their next life. Told in richly poetic language, 410[GONE] looks at the bonds of love between siblings when a sister Evren Odcikin directs this World Premiere of Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig’s 410[GONE], featuring Cindy Im as Twenty-One, Chris Cortez as Seventeen, Charisse Loriaux as the Goddess of Mercy, Alexander Lydon as the Monkey King, and Michael Uy Kelly as the Ox Headed God. Lead video designer, Wesley Cabral, creates the landscape of the underworld in 410[Gone], he has worked with CFT on The Hundred Flowers Project, Invasion, and Wreckage.
Asiansploitation (Toronto, Canada) WHERE: George Ignatieff Theatre Asiansploitation: The Text Generation explores the virtues and tragedies of our digital age. Leave Captain Kirk and his crew at the edge of the universe and join the troupe behind the Toronto Fringe hit Asiansploitation Spanks the Tiger as they bring their unique "slant" on sketch comedy back to the George Ignatieff Theatre. Asiansploitation: The Text Generation features all-new material that will take you on a comedic voyage of cosmic proportions. The crew will "engage" your funny bone as they tackle a broad range of issues from the beautiful drudgery of a morning commute to our culture's dependency on technology and the deliciousness of Asian sauces. You¹ll see the Cookie Monster reveal a life-changing secret, George Takei meet his son and you¹ll see what every Trekkie would die to see Data falling in love. If our flight path holds true, you might even spot the elusive Space Shark. Step into Asiansploitation¹s world as our capable crew entertains with new scenes, audience-influenced scenes, and several new signature song parodies. Set your phasers to funny as you assimilate into Asiansploitation: The Text Generation! fu-GEN (Toronto, Canada) The beloved Potluck Festival returns for our 10th Season featuring 5 exciting emerging Asian Canadian playwrights: JENNY ALEXANDER, QASIM KHAN, GARY MOK, LIAM MORRIS, VIVIAN OR. After a bit of a false start on venue, we will be returning to our home at St. Luke's United Church this year. The date is June 15th. Doors open at 7:30pm. Show at 8pm. Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can but you can secure your tickets in advance by purchasing them online starting June 1st at fu-gen.org As always, the evening will conclude with a Potluck Feast courtesy of the Playwright¹s Kitchen, fu-GEN staff, board and volunteers. Mu Performing Arts (Minneapolis, MN) See News story.
Grove Theatre Center (Los Angeles, CA) Based on true events, this is a dramatization of the life and death of an Oscar-winner who survived the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in war-torn Cambodia, only to be fatally gunned down in the streets of Los Angeles.
In the alternative world of New Providence (similar to our Victorian era but with several significant technological differences), Professor Pemberton is a humble inventor, a quiet man of science. But, as political unrest sweeps over the great city of New Providence, buried secrets from his past threaten to destroy everything that he holds dear, and perhaps even the Crown itself! From romance to royal airships to roving inter-dimensional portals, come join The Clockwork Professor on this action-packed adventure of fantastical science fiction with a steampunk twist! See this new steampunk play from the theatrical spinoff of the Pork Filled Players! For more info, go to the Pork Filled Players/Production website! To buy tickets, head to The Clockwork Professor page at Brown Paper Tickets! Kumu Kahua Theatre (Honolulu, HI)
Two haunting dramas about dark attractions Silk Road Rising (Chicago, IL) Directed by Anna Bahow SHUNYA THEATRE (Houston, TX) Kumu Kahua Theatre (Honolulu, HI) Audition dates: noon Saturday, June 8 & 6pm Sunday, June 9 The fictional Charlie Chan and the real-life detective he was modeled after join forces to fight crime in Honolulu. East West Players (Los Angeles, CA) Steel Magnolias is the classic comedy-drama play that later became a popular film about the bond among a group of Southern women. The action centers on Truvy's beauty parlour and the women who regularly gather there Pratidhwani (Seattle, WA) Mu Performing Arts (Minneapolis, MN) directed by Randy Reyes Take a ride into a post-apocalyptic world where zombies have taken over and cannibals hide in the mountains. Developed through the Mu/Jerome Foundation New Performance Program, Vongsay's new play features martial arts battles and a hip hop score, spun by a live DJ. Based on the five Buddhist tenets, follow two women as they struggle to maintain their personal moral code in a world gone wrong. Theatre Esprit Asia (Denver, CO) Christy Montour-Larson is directing the play about a 29-year-old Korean-American named Eunice who is pregnant and unmarried and must mend her relationship with her Korean mother. "99 Histories" will be performed 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 7 p.m. Sundays. Kumu Kahua Theatre (Honolulu, HI) Ten vignette playlets capture the essence of family relationships. East West Players (Los Angeles, CA) The Nisei Widows Club: How Tomi Got Her Groove Back is the third installment of a comic trilogy following the lives of a group of widowed Nisei women who only have each other in the face of loss and the search for love in their golden years. Tomi loses her only son to a heart attack at the early age of 45 and the other widows gather around her during this time of grief. Hilarity ensues when they embark on an unforgettable trip to Hawaii unleashing the cougar in all of them at a hula retreat. Runs November 7 – December 8, 2013. Silk Road Rising (Chicago, IL) Directed by Jimmy McDermott Mu Performing Arts (Minneapolis, MN) Jasmine and her friends are moving to The Southern Theater for a bigger, crazier dysfunctional holiday celebration. Join Jasmine as she cavorts with friends old and new, including her newest gem, Mu Daiko! Playmakers Repertory Theatre (Chapel Hill, NC) Kumu Kahua Theatre (Honolulu, HI) Audition dates: 6pm Saturday, October 19 & 6pm Sunday, October 20 Stories about Umi, the "peasant prince" who was born a commoner and became a wise and famous ruler. Mu Performing Arts (Minneapolis, MN) Be a part of the development of new scripts! Join us for readings of the newest scripts in the Asian American theater canon. Theatre J (Washington, DC) (regional premiere) Portland Center Stage (Portland, OR) See News story. Signature Theatre (New York, NY) A young martial artist comes to American from Hong Kong in the 1960's with dreams of becoming the biggest movie star in the world, and struggles to overcome the West's view of Asian men as less than truly masculine. A world premiere production of a new play by David Henry Hwang. East West Players A Nice Indian Boy is the second place winner of EWP’s Face of the Future Playwriting Competition. As gay marriage is being debated by the Supreme Court, this play is timely in continuing the discussion. Naveen Gavaskar meets Keshav Kurundkar, and they share all things Indian - from the Hindi language to the difficulty of being gay in Hindi culture. They agree to meet in person to find that one is South Asian and the other (Keshav) is a Caucasian, adopted by Hindi parents and speaks fluent Hindi. A Nice Indian Boy will be presented with generous support from the S. Mark Taper Foundation Endowment for East West Players Mu Performing Arts (Minneapolis, MN) Iris Shiraishi, Mu Daiko Artistic Director Mu Daiko explores the limitless possibilities of rhythm in motion, dancing with Japanese drums large and small with beauty and precision. The taiko drumming ensemble promises to touch your heart and shake you in your seats with brand-new work that pushes the boundaries of taiko as well as audience favorites! Full show: Age 7+ Kumu Kahua Theatre (Honolulu, HI) Expect the unexpected when ordinary life turns extraordinary. Mu Performing Arts (Minneapolis, MN) directed by Rick Shiomi & Sandy Boren Barrett The moon is missing from the remote village of Clear Sky, but only a young boy named Rendi seems to notice! Join in the adventure as Mu collaborates with Stages Theatre Company to bring this Chinese tale to life.
Silk Road Rising (Chicago, IL) East West Players (Los Angeles, CA) Beijing Spring is a sung-through musical commemorating the events of the Tiananmen Square Uprising in Beijing, 1989. For weeks, the world’s eyes were on China as the youth fought for democracy against the hardliners of the Chinese Communist Party. This will mark the 25th Anniversary of the uprising. Beijing Spring is a compelling reminder that the battle for freedom and human rights has yet to be won for many. Beijing Spring will be presented with generous support from the S. Mark Taper Foundation Endowment for East West Players. Kumu Kahua Theatre (Honolulu, HI) An ailing man can no longer live alone. But the alternative doesn't make him happy. Mu Performing Arts (Minneapolis, MN) Park Square Theatre Hailed by many as Sondheim's best musical, join Mu for an Asian American casting of this classic piece about love and dysfunctional relationships. Interested in what's just happened in Asian American theatre? Home | News | Calendar | Directory | Bookstore/Storefront | Plays | Timeline Copyright 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 Roger W. Tang (you better damn well not steal this) |
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