Andrew Hamlin
Northwest Asia Weekly
Bringing a character to life in front of a live audience is challenging enough for most actors. But alternating between two very different languages each night, as any cast member on the new show “Eastbound,” adds another challenge to the job.
“One of the big challenges I faced along the way was directing my character’s speech,” said Jonny Lee Jr., who played a character named Cloud. “Not only did I speak Mandarin at half-time, but I spoke with an accent. Practicing Yun’s speech really made me dig deeper into the character.”
“Eastbound”, written by Cheeyang Ng and Khiyon Hursey, composed by Ng and lyrics by Hursey, is currently performing at the First Stage Theatre at Issaquah Country Theatre. Director Desdemona Chiang received her MFA from the University of Washington, and she has been working in local live theaters ever since.
The show features both English and Mandarin, so don’t worry if you don’t speak Mandarin. All Mandarin dialogue and lyrics are translated into subtitles visible above the stage.
Yun (Jonny Lee Jr.) experiences gay nightclubs in New York City. (Photo by John McClellan)
The action follows the two brothers globally moving in opposite directions.
Diagnosed with serious health problems, Calvin, desperate to try to reconnect with his birthplace, travels to China. Yun set out from the east and moved to the United States, trying to escape the shackles of his hometown.
Kennedy Kanagawa, who played Calvin, said he was attracted to the show’s idiosyncratic nature.
“The number of contemporary musicals centered around the AAPI experience is negligible. Eastbound is a powerful story with a gorgeous soundtrack, and I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it.”
He readily admits that, as a Japanese-American, he can’t follow the Mandarin portion of the show, although he does enjoy picking out kanji that overlap with Japanese characters.
“In many ways, I identify with Calvin,” Kanagawa admitted. “The clash of cultures and the desire to find a place where you ‘belong’ is something I’ve struggled with my whole life. That said, there’s another layer to Calvin’s illness that multiplies his stakes. One of the highlights of the process One is exploring narrative arcs with the rest of the cast and creative team.”
Jonny Lee Jr., thinking about his character Yun, found that “the most interesting thing about my character is the inner struggles he faces in life and trying to find a balance between two cultures while dealing with conflict. to try to be his true self.
“In the second act, I sang a song called ‘Tradition.’ I sang the importance of cultural traditions and how they can be the shackles that keep you from living your authentic self.”
Other local talents on display include Cristin J. Hubbard as Caroline, Shuyan Yang as Tian, Zhang Yahan as Qing and Derek J. Derek Hoyden plays Alec.
Behind the scenes, in addition to Jiang, choreographer Kathryn Van Meet, music director/conductor RJ Tancioco, set designer Timothy Maccabi, lighting designer Robert J. Agliard, costume designer Johanna Pan, sound designer Natalie Kinsall, stage manager Rachel Miller and assistant stage manager Zhang Lila.
The musical is still in development, and audiences are encouraged to provide feedback through post-show chats with authors or online surveys.In the words of Country Theatre’s associate artistic director Brandon Ivie, “‘Eastbound’ is the perfect example of this step in the process. [of developing shows] is so important.
“Audiences will see that ‘Eastbound’ doesn’t exist on the page, it exists under its feet and in the space. Those audiences will have a lot of input on how best to tell this story. I think the show is going to gain from that process Some huge progress.”
“Eastbound” runs through June 12 at the Village Theatre’s First Stage Theater at 120 North Front Street, Issaquah.For showtimes, prices, COVID-19 policies and other information, visit villagetheatre.org/new-works/beta-productions/eastbound.
Andrew is available at info@nwasianweekly.com.
