About this commission
A World Premiere Shed Commission
Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise tells the story of a secret sect in Flushing, Queens, that possesses the magical power to extend human life, and the twin brother and sister caught in the struggle to control it. Directed by Chen Shi-Zheng and written by Kung Fu Panda’s Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise features songs by Sia remixed by Bobby Krlic (a.k.a. The Haxan Cloak) and Arca, movement choreography by Akram Khan, and martial arts choreography by Zhang Jun. Fast-paced kung fu dance sequences unfold in front of, around, and above the audience in this original production designed specifically for the soaring, flexible space of The McCourt.
Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise is an American fable about an underground sect called the House of Dragon. The sect practices an ancient martial art in order to protect a secret treasure. Set in two time periods, in today’s Flushing, Queens, and in the near future, the heart of the story is about Little Lotus who was born and raised in a traditional household. Her journey to find herself led to betrayal, near death, and resurrection. Eighteen years later, her fraternal twins, Little Phoenix and Little Dragon, grow up unknown to one another: one in a humble apartment in Flushing and the other in a penthouse on Fifth Avenue. Taught an identical martial art by their respective parents, the twins lead lives that are a mystery on many levels until the day they meet and discover their joint destiny.
I have been fascinated by martial arts since I was a boy—by their explosive energy, meticulous precision, and flowing movement. My passion was fueled by reading martial arts novels, including many books by one of the great authors of the genre, Jin Yong (Louis Cha). When I was asked to make a new piece for The Shed, I showed my dear friend Alex Poots a video clip of Bruce Lee’s first audition reel for Paramount Studios in 1964. In that clip, Lee attempts to explain the basis of martial arts, a form that was largely unknown in the United States at the time. A half century later there are no fighting sequences in world cinema, superhero movies, television, and theater that are not based on traditional martial arts. After years of fixation, I thought it was time to reimagine the art form in 21st-century America. I wanted to create an allegory for the immigrant experience, transforming iconic Chinese images, movement, and ideas into an American context. Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise is a saga that combines spirituality, animism, and human emotion to explore generational shifts of culture and ideas. Like a ritual, this communal experience is a new kind of musical theater.
Over the past year, I have cast an ensemble of performers who not only have strong physical abilities but are willing to put in hundreds, if not thousands, of hours to give their newly acquired martial arts training the integrity it deserves. My intention was to cast actors regardless of their ethnicity because I believe human experience is not exclusive but rather transcendental in nature. Our “Chinese story” is acted by performers of many backgrounds. Like America at its best, Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise is about shared cultural values and experiences.
Creative Team
Chen Shi-Zheng is a Chinese-born, US-based opera and film director. He has pioneered a cross-cultural and multidisciplinary theatrical form with over 30 productions commissioned by world-class opera houses and festivals such as Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris), The Royal Opera House (London), The English National Opera (London), Festival d‘Automne (Paris), Berlin Festival, Vienna International Festival, Opera Australia, and the Lincoln Center Festival (New York City).
His best-known works include the landmark 20-hour Kunqu opera, Peony Pavilion, which was hailed as one of the most important cultural events of the 20th century, and Monkey: Journey to the West, a circus/theater spectacle collaboration with the celebrated English virtual band, Gorillaz. He also created a modern trilogy in English based on Chinese classics, The Orphan of Zhao, Peach Blossom Fan, and Snow in June.
Chen’s classic opera credits include, Monteverdi’s Orfeo and Vespro della Beata Vergine (1610), Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Verdi’s La Traviata, Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin.
He has also directed a wide range of contemporary operas, including John Adams’s Nixon in China, Toshio Hosukawa’s Matsukaze, and has premiered Judith Weir’s Misfortune, Stewart Wallace’s The Bonesetter’s Daughter, Guo Wenjing’s Night Banquet, Euripides‘s Bacchae, and My Life as a Fairy Tale with music by Stephin Merritt.
In 2007, Chen made his film debut with Dark Matter, starring Meryl Streep and Aiden Quinn, which won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and Best Narrative Feature Film at the Asian American International Film Festival.
Most recently, he directed Turandot on the Sydney Harbor for Opera Australia and a new Beijing opera version of Farewell My Concubine. Currently, he is working on the complete Wagner’s Ring Cycle for Opera Australia to be premiered in fall 2020.
Among his many awards, Chen is the first Asian American theatrical artist decorated with the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government.
Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger are the writing and producing team behind some of the most successful family films of the past decade, including the “Kung Fu Panda” series, Spongebob Squarepants: Sponge out of Water, and Trolls. Their films appeal to audiences of all ages, with a combination of character-based comedy, action, and emotion.
Aibel and Berger are currently writing and producing Skydance Animation’s Luck, which will hit theaters in 2021. Prior to that they wrote and co-produced Dreamworks Animation’s Oscar-nominated musical Trolls, for which they have also written the sequel, which will be released in 2020. They wrote and co-produced Dreamworks’s Oscar-nominated Kung Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 2, and then came back for thirds, writing and co-producing Kung Fu Panda 3. They also wrote the screenplay of Paramount’s The Spongebob Squarepants Movie: Sponge out of Water, as well as its forthcoming sequel.
In addition to their work in film, Aibel and Berger were part of the original staff of the animated Fox hit King of the Hill. They remained at the show for six seasons, and rose to become executive producers, garnering four Emmy nominations and one win.
Akram Khan is one of the most celebrated and respected dance artists today. In just over 17 years he has created a body of work that has contributed significantly to the arts in the UK and abroad. His reputation has been built on the success of imaginative, highly accessible, and relevant productions such as XENOS, Until the Lions, Kaash, iTMOi (in the mind of igor), DESH, Vertical Road, Gnosis, and zero degrees.
An instinctive and natural collaborator, Khan has been a magnet to world-class artists from other cultures and disciplines. His previous collaborators include the English National Ballet (Giselle, Dust), National Ballet of China, actress Juliette Binoche, ballerina Sylvie Guillem, choreographers/dancers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Israel Galván, singers Kylie Minogue and Florence and the Machine, visual artists Anish Kapoor, Antony Gormley, and Tim Yip, writer Hanif Kureishi, and composers Steve Reich, Nitin Sawhney, Jocelyn Pook, and Ben Frost. Akram has also presented documentaries for Channel 4.
Khan’s work is recognized as being profoundly moving, in which his intelligently crafted storytelling is effortlessly intimate and epic. Described by the Financial Times as an artist “who speaks tremendously of tremendous things,” a highlight of his career was the creation of a section of the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony that was received with unanimous acclaim.
As a world-renowned visual artist, art director for stage and film, and fashion designer, Tim Yip continues to explore and communicate his aesthetic concept “New Orientalism,” which is his interpretation of ancient culture as a means to inspire the future. He works widely in contemporary art, clothing, theater, film, literature, and other creative fields. For Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Yip won the Oscar for Best Art Direction and the British Film and Television Academy award for Best Costume Design in 2001.
In the fields of dance, theater, and opera, Yip has collaborated as set designer, costume designer, or both with many world-renowned choreographers, directors, and companies, including Robert Wilson, Franco Dragone, Akram Khan, Zhang Yimou, Stan Lai, Yang Liping, English National Ballet, San Francisco Opera, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, Contemporary Legend Theatre, Han Tang Yue Fu, Swarovski Troupe, U Theatre, and more. His works have been staged in China, Austria, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Japan, and Israel.
As an associate scenic designer, her credits on Broadway include My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, The King and I, The Bridges of Madison County, Golden Boy, That Championship Season, Women on The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Next Fall, and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone; and in the West End: South Pacific and The King and I. US, UK, and international tour credits include The King and I, Fiddler on the Roof, The Bridges of Madison County, The Light in the Piazza, and South Pacific. MacAdams teaches at Rutgers University and received an MFA from Yale School of Drama.
Leigh Sachwitz is an artist as well as the owner and creative director of both the internationally renowned and award-winning StudioLeighSachwitz and flora&faunavisions Studio for Design. Specializing in visual design, stage installations, artistic direction, and multimedia design for live music, theater and opera performances, fashion shows, and corporate events, StudioLeighSachwitz designs for a international clients including Audi, Diesel, Boss, Olympus, and Audemars Piguet. Sachwitz also collaborates with the Berlin Philharmonic, Sydney Opera House, Bregenz Festival, Royal Opera House, ENO, Lithuanian National Opera, San Francisco Opera, Beijing Music Festival, and the Walker Arts Center to name but a few. As the creative director of flora&faunavisions, she has worked with bands and artists all over the world. Since 2015 she is the principal show designer for the internationally famous DJ Solomun. Sachwitz is also the creative director for the current Paul Kalbrenner world tour.
Showcasing her work as an artist, Sachwitz artistically directed the Perspective Playground exhibition, which premiered at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. Her acclaimed installation INSIDEOUT has been shown in many countries throughout the world. Sachwitz and flora&faunavisions have won design awards including Best Exhibition Design for the Photography Playground exhibition. Recent publications of her work include appearances in Frieze Magazine and The Cool Hunter. Sachwitz’s previous collaborations with director Chen Shi-Zheng include Farewell My Concubine (Beijing Music Festival 2018), A Chinese Home (Sydney Festival), La Traviata (Vilnius), L’incoronazione di Poppea (ENO), Kronos Quartet (Tour), The Hegemon King Says Farewell to his Queen (Beijing), The Bonesetter’s Daughter (San Francisco), Miss Fortune (Bregenz/ London), Double It (New York/ China), and Turandot (Sydney Harbour).
Swedish-born, Los Angeles-based lighting designer Tobias G. Rylander began his career on the technical side of the industry for several years as a lighting technician at local lighting companies and at the Swedish Royal Opera. In 2007, he begin to design and tour with European acts such as Lykke Li, Fever Ray, and Miike Snow. Within just a few years, he gained worldwide recognition as a highly innovative, daring, and accomplished lighting and live show conceptual design, working with acts such as The xx, Mark Ronson, Phoenix, and the Strokes.
Rylander has recently branched out into the fashion world, designing runway shows and events for clients like Balenciaga and Calvin Klein. He continues to create stage and lighting designs most recently for acts such as The 1975, Robyn, FKA Twigs, London Grammar, Little Dragon, and Skepta. His most recent work is an multisensory art installation in collaboration with Karen O and Danger Mouse at the Marciano Art Foundation in Los Angeles. Rylander was awarded the prestigious Knights of Illumination 2016 award for his work with The 1975.
Principal Cast (in order of appearance)
PeiJu Chien-Pott 季綾 is an internationally acclaimed contemporary dance artist from Taiwan, celebrated particularly for her work as a principal dancer for the Martha Graham Dance Company. Described as “the most dramatically daring and physically chameleonesque Graham dancer of her generation” (Musical America), she has received many prestigious international recognitions, including a Bessie Award, Positano Premia La Danza for Best Contemporary Dancer, being chosen as the honoree of Women’s History Month by Hudson County, being named one of the Best Performers in 2014 and 2017 by Dance magazine, and the Capri International Award 2018. LingLing was selected as a young influencer in the performing arts by Asia Tatler’s Generation T List in 2018 and 2019.
Photo: Kair Chen.
Dickson Mbi studied at Lewisham College and London Contemporary Dance School. He is a world-renowned dancer in the hip hop dance community, best known for his popping skills, which are integral to his work today. Working with artists like Russell Maliphant and Boy Blue Entertainment, he was featured in the Lucozade Revive advertisement in 2012 and was nominated for Best Achievement in Dance at the UK Theatre Awards. Mbi was also nominated for the Emerging Artist and Outstanding Male Performer (Modern) awards at the National Dance Awards Critics Circle 2017, as well as the Times Breakthrough Artist award at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards 2018.
Photo: Woon-Shik Lee.
David Patrick Kelly’s Broadway credits include Thérèse Raquin, Once, Uncle Vanya (Roundabout), Twelfth Night, The Government Inspector, and Working. Off-Broadway credits include Miss You Like Hell, Everybody, Pearls for Pigs, The Cure, Film Is Evil / Radio Is Good, The Mind King, When I Come to Die, Marlowe, Anadarko, The Glorious Ones, Ghosts, and Lobster Alice. Select film credits include O.G., Chi-Raq, John Wick, Flags of our Fathers, The Longest Yard, K-Pax, Last Man Standing, Crooklyn, The Crow, Malcolm X, Wild at Heart, Dreamscape, Commando, and The Warriors. His television credits include Twin Peaks, Feed the Beast, Succession, The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, Gossip Girl, and Louie. He is the recipient of an Obie Award for Sustained Excellence.
Photo: Zen Lael.
Jasmine Chiu 赵明, a native of Hong Kong, began her training at the Richmond Academy of Dance in Vancouver. She went on to receive her BFA in dance from the Boston Conservatory where she performed the works of Bill T. Jones, Francesca Harper, Gerald Arpino, Trey McIntyre, and Karole Armitage. Since graduating, she has applied her dance training to projects both traditional and experimental—from Elisa Monte Dance and the Chase Brock Experience to Anthea Hamilton’s immersive Tate Britain installation, The Squash. Exploring the discipline of martial arts has allowed her to reconnect with her heritage through the art of dance. She dedicates her performance to her late grandfather Louis Cha.
Photo: Peter Kaskons.
David Torok is a German-born action actor, fight choreographer, and world-class martial artist who has worked with some of the top names in the action movie industry, including Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, and Sammo Hung, as well as performed in Cirque Du Soleil’s blockbuster show KÀ at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. As an admirer of Chinese history and culture, Torok started his training in the Chinese martial arts at an early age, studying a variety of traditional kung fu styles followed by the rigorous training regimen of the Beijing Opera and a successful career as a professional Wushu athlete.
Photo: Milo Sciaky.
Born in China, Ji Tuo 纪托 is a Beijing-based dancer. Starting his dance training at a young age, Ji studied in Beijing Contemporary Music Academy and then came to the US to further his dance education at the Broadway Dance Center in New York. Over the years, he has cultivated a strong personal style by integrating popping, hip hop, and contemporary dance into his movement. He has performed solo dance at the Beijing Concert Hall and Shanghai International Contemporary Dance Showcase, and has appeared in many renowned dance competitions on Chinese national television. Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise marks his American theatrical debut.
Photo: Beijing Lao Zhao.
Chorus
Kacie Boblitt has been dancing and performing in New York City for eight years. Her professional experience includes touring nationally and internationally with Keigwin + Company and Schoen Movement Company, Fiddler on the Roof (2016 Broadway revival), and Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More.
Photo: Emily Schoen.
Conner Chew was born in 1999 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He attended Mid-Pacific Institute and is currently attending the Juilliard School. He has participated in intensives with Tom Weinberger and Shannon Gillen. He has also performed works by choreographers Bryan Arias, José Limón, and Martha Graham.
Photo: Todd Baker.
Erika Choe is a creative strategist who researches, designs, and problem-solves through interdisciplinary approaches. She graduated from the University of Virginia with high distinctions and the Ruth Caplin’s Award for Artistic Excellence. Choe’s performance credits include Yin Yue and Lyric Opera of Chicago, and her commissioned choreography has been featured on various platforms.
Photo: Eddo Photography.
Los Angeles native and New York-based artist Coral Dolphin has been honing her career in the arts for over 15 years. She began her acting / dance training at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. In 2010, she became a member of Ballet Hispanico’s second company. She later joined Ronald K. Brown / Evidence. In 2014, Dolphin began working with Madonna, Janet Jackson, and Beyoncé. Dolphin is now taking on directing and choreographing as she works for Lenny Kravitz, Kali Uchis, and Miguel.
Photo: Jason Weston (Dirty Sugar).
Originally from Japan and trained in the Martha Graham School, Yuriko Hiroura has appeared at numerous venues and international festivals, including Mexico FIDCDMX, Bryant Park, and Battery Dance Festival. Throughout the years, she has worked with artists and companies including Graham 2, Julia Ehrstrand, Cross Move Lab, InTW (Taiwan), LaneCoArts, and others.
Photo: Hoashi Keiichiro.
Abdiel Jacobsen, born in Côte d’Ivoire, is a former principal dancer of the Martha Graham Dance Company performing major roles in Graham’s iconic repertoire as well as new works by Nacho Duato, Robert Wilson, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Sonya Tayeh, Luca Veggetti, Doug Varone, and others. He has been a guest artist with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Buglisi Dance Theater, Cecilia Marta Dance Company, and Gotham Chamber Opera. He is a ballroom and Latin dance champion and a Fulbright Specialist Recipient.
Photo: Mallory Pettee.
Elijah Laurant was born and raised in Southern California and began his training at Zeneith Performing Arts Center in Long Beach under the director Nyiki Swain and Janette McGhee. Laurant danced with Diane Lauridsen in South Bay Ballet as a company member and student and attended the Ailey School on full scholarship (2014 – 16). Laurant has worked with numerous choreographers including Kim Borogra, FDA, Matthew Rushing, Wendi Baity, Tiffany Billings, Christopher Rudd, Roberto Villanueva, Joshua Beamish, Helena Simonaue, jmtw, and Stephen Petronio.
Photo: Sarah Silver.
Carley Marholin trained at Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts before receiving her BFA from LIU Brooklyn. She was a member of Bradley Shelver Contemporary Dance Theater, the Steps Repertory Ensemble, and Graham 2. She performed and apprenticed with Martha Graham Dance Company and is currently a member of Abarukas.
Photo: Brigid Pierce.
Marla Phelan, a Juilliard graduate, danced internationally with Hofesh Shechter and Aszure Barton. She played Lady Macbeth in Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More and debuted on Broadway in Bartlett Sher’s revival of Fiddler on the Roof. Phelan dances in film, on television, and in fashion and is an emerging choreographer. Phelan thanks The Shed and Akram Khan.
Photo: Stephanie Crousillat.
Born in the town of Limbang, Sarawak, in Malaysia in 1991, Raziman Sarbini is Kedayan by ethnicity. He started his dance training in 2010 at the National Academy of Arts, Culture, and Heritage (ASWARA) Malaysia. The multi-faceted training included intensive study for five years in Malay, Chinese, and Indian classical and folk dance, ballet, and contemporary dance.
Photo: Mooreyameen Mohamad.
Jacob Thoman is from Cincinnati and trained and performed with Exhale Dance Tribe and Cincinnati Ballet before joining the Juilliard School’s class of 2019, under the direction of Larry Rhodes and Alicia Graf Mack. Thoman has performed works by Crystal Pite, Alejandro Cerrudo, and Stefanie Batten Bland, among others.
Photo: Gregory Costanzo.
Born and raised in Media, Pennsylvania, Xavier Townsend started his dance training at an early age focusing on ballet and modern dance. He went to Point Park University and later finished his studies at Peridance Capezio Center in New York City. Townsend has worked for many choreographers in New York and on Newsies (Media Theatre).
Photo: Juan Michael-Porter II.
Bret Yamanaka is originally from Carlsbad, California. He graduated with honors in 2015 from UC Irvine. He worked as Donald McKayle’s choreographic assistant and rehearsal director until McKayle’s passing. Yamanaka has trained at programs with Hubbard Street, San Francisco Conservatory, and Springboard Danse Montréal. He has performed works by Crystal Pite, Sharon Eyal, Alejandro Cerrudo, Nacho Duato, and Donald McKayle.
Photo: Jazley Faith.
Lani Yamanaka is a San Diego native. She grew up training and competing in both dance and judo and graduated from UC Irvine with BFAs in dance performance and choreography. Yamanaka has danced professionally with ODC / Dance, Entity Contemporary Dance, and Daniel Ezralow, and is signed with Go 2 Talent Agency.
Photo: Eric B. Photos.
Co-conceived and directed by Chen Shi-Zheng 陈士争
Co-conceived and written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger
Sia, Songwriter
Bobby Krlic, Original Score and Sia Songs (“Lullaby,” “Bird Set Free,” “Out There,” “Courage”)
Arca, Original Club Music and Sia Songs (“The Greatest I and II,” “Chandelier”)
Akram Khan, Movement Choreographer
Zhang Jun 张俊, Martial Arts Choreographer
Tim Yip, Original Production Concept Design
Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams, Set Designer
Montana Levi Blanco, Costume Designer
Leigh Sachwitz / flora&faunavisions, Video Designer
Tobias G. Rylander, Lighting Designer
Jeremy Chernick, Special Effects Designer
Brandon Wolcott, Sound Designer
Cookie Jordan, Hair Designer
Kristen Paladino, Casting Director
Ruthy Inchaustegui, Rehearsal Director
Eli Brueggemann, Music Director
Joy Alpuerto Ritter, Associate Choreographer
Lisa Giobbi, Aerial Movement Coordinator
Rongchao Wang, Gao Yuchi, Longqiang Xu, Junqiang Yan, Wang Yu, Martial Arts Assistants
Ira Mandela Siobhan, Assistant Choreographer
Joo Hyun Kim, Jungah Han, Associate Set Designers
Chen-Wei Liao, Fun Zhang, Assistant Set Designers
Jin Yau, Assistant to Tim Yip
Kate Stack, Props Coordinator
Luke Simcock, Costume Coordinator
Jessica Crawford, Assistant Costume Designer
Lukas Müller, Video Content Editor
Peter Lockwood, LX Programmer
Paul Vershbow, Video Programmer
Chris LaBudde, Fly Automation Operator
Tom Tracey, SFX Assistant
Tyler Kieffer, Assistant Sound Designer
Elias Prince, Hair Assistant
Olivia Belluck, Film
Michelle Xinyi Zhang, Casting Assistant
Stefan Carrillo, Head Carpenter
Colin Roche, Head Rigger
Ann Comanar, Head Wardrobe
Stuart Burgess, Head Electrician
Jim van Bergen, Head Audio
Ian Crawford, Head Video
Hongyu Guo Silver, Company Manager
Haochen Michael Yang, Assistant to the Director
Jonathan Bach, Production Assistant
Scott Leff, Production Intern
Skye Morse-Hodgson, Production Runner
Scenery provided by Proof Productions
Video equipment provided by Sound Associates, Inc.
Additional lighting equipment provided by 4Wall Lighting
Special Effects provided by J&M Special Effects
Flying Effects provided by TAIT Towers
Additional sound equipment provided by Sound Associates, Inc.
Costumes provided by Colin Davis Jones, Studios, Timberlake Studios Inc., Fritz, Masten, Victoria Bek, Faye Richards, Marion Talan, Tomoko Naka, Amber Wright, Amanda Bouza, and Chris Hynds
McKenna Duffy, Tiffany Chen, Assistant Costume Coordinators
Michael Zhang, Physical Therapy
Chris Robertson, Music Clearances
Krystal Roccaro, Stage Manager*
Michelle Scalpone, Stage Manager*
Laura Aswad, Producer
Marc Warren, Director of Production
Isaac Katzanek, Production Manager
Joe DiMartino, Technical Director
Sarah Pier, Production Supervisor
Stephanie Quaye, Associate Producer
Heli Soell, Production Coordinator
Production Team Bios
Location and dates
Saturday at 2 pm and 8 pm
Sunday at 3 pm
Details
- Running time: 100 minutes, with a brief intermission
- This performance includes the use of strobe lights and haze effects
- This performance has reserved seating, including stage seating
- Membership does not guarantee ticket availability, so we encourage you to book early
- All tickets sales are final; times and performers are subject to change
- Wednesday matinee performances are cancelled
Acknowledgments
The Shed thanks Caius Pawson, Hannah Partington, Farooq Chaudhry, Amy Sharkey, Jonathan Daniel, David Russell, Jonathan Dickens, Olivier Sultan, Adriana Alberghetti, Amy Hasselbeck, George Freeman, Yanni Gao, and Nike.
Special thanks to master martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping
Chen Shi-Zheng thanks Ovationz Productions Inc., Beijing A-Z Production Co., Ltd., Audrey Xinyi Li, Joan Pierpoline, Cui Qiao, Zhu Yan, Lei Yan, Li Lin-Xiao, An Tong, Xu Jing Ya, and Xiao Linyue. Special thanks to Forte Prep Academy, KIPP Washington Heights Middle School, NYC Guitar School, and Uptown Stories.
Rehearsed at the New 42nd Street Studios
Thank you to our partners
The creation of new work at The Shed is generously supported by the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Commissioning Fund and the Shed Commissioners.
Major support for live productions at The Shed is provided by the Charina Endowment Fund.