Welly Yang's autobiographical musical theatre showcase was a royal treat for the Royce Hall patronage. Well, almost everyone...
Sitting in my balcony seat in Royce hall on a Saturday night, I anticipated a great musical to begin. While it didn't turn out quite the way I expected, Welly Yang: Finding Home was at the very least, a musical performance of professional caliber, flaunting Broadway-esque song and dance at every turn. My dissatisfaction did not stem from being morally opposed to autobiographically based performances, but that the true story of a performer's life, in trying to simultaneously serve as a cultural presentation, wasn't exactly successful in its fusion.
The July 9th performance was a one-night special engagement sponsored by the Taiwanese United Fund, an organization founded in 1986 dedicated to promoting Taiwanese American culture. The show had its high points in the immaculate display of theatrical talent, even if the songs performed were not original compositions, such as the ever popular classic, “Sometimes When We Touch.” But that, combined with an occasional fudging of lines, gave the performance an overly casual atmosphere, and at times, it felt like it was put together for the sole purpose of political promotion -- albeit of the implicit variety -- which resulted in some discomfort.
From a strictly musical-theatre standpoint and as an informal showcase, it was more than satisfactory. After all, it boasted a cast with a wealth of Broadway experience -- Yang himself having played the lead role of “Thuy” in the original Broadway production of Miss Saigon. His real-life wife, Dina Morishita, who stars opposite him, has toured with the Broadway National Touring Companies of Les Miserables and Miss Saigon as “Eponine” and “Kim,” respectively.
The story itself may be similar to many other Asian immigrant sagas, but trying to use it to display a sense of Taiwanese pride and culture felt a bit forced. The show begins with the story of Yang's parents -- how they met, married, and started their family together in America. They teach their children to never forget their motherland. Then Welly Yang extends into Taiwanese politics and the struggle for the nation's independence -- whether the audience was supposed to feel some kind of Taiwanese pride, or be interested in Yang's personal family story was a muddled message, since absorbing both seemed too much to ask for in a two-hour performance.
The fact that the show was conceived and executed in a mere four months may be a contributing factor to the night's awkward moments. After all, Yang has been able to beautifully narrate the Asian American story in the past, giving a great performance in his rock musical Making Tracks, which may come back in a national tour next year.
However, given the overwhelmingly cheery audience response that night, it seemed like the show served its purpose to inspire and instill unity. Even if Yang did occasionally get a bit tongue-tied, like the professional actor he is, he covered it well, and his occasional joking with the audience was well-received. If you were part of the community, it would have undoubtedly been an enjoyable night, but if you were not, the ensuing awkwardness is only understandable. As one member of the audience so pointedly said, "I just felt out of place."
So perhaps the show had not failed, but to someone expecting strictly a “Night of Musical Theatre,” it was not a raging success either. Maybe part of the story needed to be compromised to really promote Taiwanese cultural understanding, or the depth of the political message should have been compromised to produce a more cohesive and balanced show that didn't lack focus.
Nonetheless, it's always nice to catch some musical theatre outside of New York City and London -- especially at a reasonable price -- and did I mention Morishita's clear and lilting voice?
No wonder she's Princess Jasmine at California Adventure's Hyperion Theatre.
For more information on Welly Yang and the upcoming performances of his New York-based company, Second Generation, visit his Web site at www.welly.com (http: //www.welly.com) or Second Generation's at www.2g.org (http: //www.2g.org)