Monkey King, journey to where East meets West
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E-mail China Daily, December 27, 2013
It takes an outsider to inject something fresh into a tale as old and venerated as that of the Monkey King. If I were told that an African-American would play the lead role, I'd probably laugh it off as a gimmick. Most Chinese may not even be able to accept it as a gimmick.
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Apollo Levine plays a wonderfully energetic Monkey King. [Photo/China Daily] |
But this audacious casting choice turns out to be the best thing about this new musical version based on the ancient novel, Journey to the West, conceived in Beijing by a team of Broadway veterans. Not only is Apollo Levine, the American actor playing the part, wonderful and wonderfully energetic in the role, but, simply by being different from the other cast members in height and skin color, the point is hit home that it's about being different and how one reconciles with that kind or any kind of difference-about being able to fit in and stand out. Levine does not even attempt to imitate the existing Monkey King performers. About five minutes into the show, I totally embraced his portrayal, which exudes optimism and ebullience, with a casual touch of mischievousness.
When I first read of Shakespeare's Puck and Ariel, I was reminded of China's own Monkey King. I conjured up very specific images of the characters, but, as I watch more and more actors in the roles, I realized anyone could be Puck or Ariel depending on what aspect the director wants to emphasize. The same is true of the Monkey King. This new version is certainly not definitive, but it tickles my imagination.
Produced by Tony Stimac, a Broadway master who has been residing in China for many years and is now immersed in the Chinese tradition of performing arts, this Monkey King is truly East meets West.
The story is from the first few chapters of Journey to the West, not yet reaching the part about the beloved quartet of pilgrims like Piggy and Sandy, but the look and feel is pure Broadway. The creators, including playwright and lyricist James Racheff and songwriter Louis St. Louis, have brought out the side of the characters and the story most relevant to a modern audience, namely, a young man's search for his own identity, his determination to challenge the establishment and his will to excel against all odds-and to win over that girl, of course.
As Stimac made clear, his version is "not to replace those versions but to add one more to them". The 600-year-old Chinese classic is a treasure trove of superhero fantasy and it is a test of the interpreter's vision and skill to make it click with a modern and global audience. But from where I sit, I have a feeling it may resonate with Western theatergoers more easily than with the Chinese.
No, it's not the language. The English and Chinese, with the occasional Korean words thrown in, roll into seamless conversations, and even the subtitles conform to a stylistic consistency. It is the absence of large-scale pageantry that may leave many in a Chinese house, spoiled by decades of over-the-top variety shows on the tube, with a slight disappointment. People here equate Broadway with Phantom of the Opera and similar F/X-rich spectacles. They probably expected the Monkey to be literally birthed from a giant rock. A treatment in the spirit of Beauty and the Beast may have an easier time conquering the Chinese market.
But those with more discerning taste will find much satisfaction in the song-and-dance numbers, which are in a variety of styles that fit the dramatic situations. They will know which ones are great and which need more tinkering. Over here people are blase about live singing and dancing unless the performers are big stars whose romantic and sexual rendezvous are constantly in headlines.
The Monkey King has just finished a trial run in Beijing and an overseas tour is planned.
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