Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater's long-gestating musical The Nightingale is playing two performances at Joe's Pub, both November 12.
The Spring Awakening writers have re-developed the work with director Zi Alikhan and a company of API-identifying actors and creatives. The Joe's Pub performances star Zachary Noah Piser (Dear Evan Hansen), Dorcas Leung (Hamilton), Jaygee Macapugay (Here Lies Love), Kylie Kuioka (The King and I), and John Yi (KPOP). Ted Arthur (Back to the Future) is music directing.
The work is based on the Hans Christian Andersen tale set in ancient China, centering on a young emperor whose opulent life inside the walls of the Forbidden City is upended by the song of a nightingale that lives beyond his reach. The musical has been kicking around since at least 2003, and has previously been developed at New York Stage and Film and Vassar College's Powerhouse Theater and La Jolla Playhouse. Director Moisés Kaufman was previously attached to the project.
The performances are co-produced by Emma Wang with consulting producer David Lai and associate producer Elisabeth Siegel.
Visit PublicTheater.org for tickets.