Sometimes it makes sense to defy tradition.
The classical tale of Mu Lan offers this message, but Honolulu Theatre for Youth retells the “girl-power” story in a new way by mixing traditional Chinese theatrical techniques with contemporary tunes for its musical production, which opens Friday at Tenney Theater.
HTY kicks off its 2017-18 season with an original take on “The Ballad of Mu Lan,” written and choreographed by company member Alvin Chan.
Chan brought to the play his experiences from time spent in Nanjing, China, in 2010, where he learned the art of Jingju, or a traditional type of Chinese theater using speech, song, dance and martial arts. He adapted the form for a Hawaii audience.
Chan also designed the colorful satin costumes.
The production will offer plenty of humor and action, with eight choreographed fight sequences, complete with spears and swords. A circular projection screen with colorful animation inspired by Chinese wood cut prints and puppetry help establish the backdrop settings. The musical is accompanied by Chinese string instruments including the erhu and mandolin, cymbals and gongs.
The cast includes Christina Uyeno, who plays Mu Lan, Junior Tesoro as General Fei and Xi Xia King and Sean-Joseph Choo as Huan Hu and Xiu Qie. Chan plays the Emperor and Jin Yong.
“THE BALLAD OF MU LAN”
>> Run dates: Opens 7 p.m. Friday. Performances continue 4:30 p.m. Saturdays through Sept. 30; Sensory-friendly performance 11 a.m. Sept. 16.
>> Where: Tenney Theatre, The Cathedral of St. Andrew, 229 Queen Emma Square
>> Admission: $10 (ages 3-18), $15 (60+) and $20 (everybody else); all seats general admission
>> Length: 55 minutes
>> Intermission: None
>> Age recommendation: Suitable for 5+
>> What it’s about: Mu Lan dresses up as a boy to take her ailing father’s place in the Chinese army, using her smarts to ward off an invasion and proving her mettle along the way. She proves to herself, as well as others, what she’s capable of.
>> Morals and messages: Believe in yourself and have courage to defy tradition when necessary. If you step up to new challenges, you will find you have the ability to meet them.
>> Parental advisory: Some of the choreographed fight scenes with play spears may be frightening for younger children seated up front.
>> Kid-pleaser scene: In a comedic scene, army members try to find Mu Lan in the dark, only to be fooled into fighting and entrapping one another. The audience can see what’s going on, but the characters on stage act as if they can not.
>> HTY Artistic Director Eric Johnson says: “It’s about friendship and themes about working together as a team and not letting other people define what you can do, but being able to stand up and find your own abilities.”
The musical also offers families a great opportunity to “dive into Chinese culture” without buying a plane ticket.
“It’s a feast for the senses,” he says.
>> For more info: 839-9885 or htyweb.org.
