The Musical Paul Gauguin

Restaurant, 2230 Shelter Island Dr.
Saturday 11/19- 7:30 pm
Healii's Polynesian R***e, 7499 Convoy Court
Sunday 11/20- 6:00 pm
Bali Hai Restaurant, 2230 Shelter Island Dr.
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Friday 11/25- 8:00 pm
Maritime Museum, 1492 North Harbor Drive
Saturday 11/26- 8:00 pm
Maritime Museum, 1492 North Harbor Drive
Saturday 11/27- 6:00 pm
Maritime Museum, 1492 North Harbor Drive
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Tickets: $15 - $35, available online at www.asianstorytheater.org/
Prices vary by venue, additional dining packages available at Bali Hai
performances. Performances at SD Maritime Museum includes admission
to museum exhibit, "Cook, Melville, Gauguin: Three Voyages to Paradise"
Contact - 619-527-2816
Box office (Day of performance) - 619-559-4277


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Coming to San Diego, November 2011

The life story of the world-traveling artist Paul Gauguin is a modern tale of multiculturalism and the social cost of creative freedom. Gauguin himself grew up among the ancient and pre-Columbian artistic traditions of Peru, then pioneered the artist colonies of Celtic-descended Brittany in northwest France. Creatively freed while living among the freed slaves and West African rhythms of Martinique in the Caribbean, Gauguin ultimately rejected Europe to live and paint on the opposite side of the world, the Pacific paradise of Tahiti. Gauguin was himself an amateur musician, who lugged his mandolin, guitars, a French horn and a full-sized harmonium with him to Tahiti, and he often used musical metaphors to illuminate his artistic work and theories. This is a multimedia project incorporating text from Gauguin and other contemporaries to recount the artist's life, mixed with some of the most stunning and revolutionary artwork ever created. The spectacular world-music score is as dynamic and diverse as Gauguin's own work, and developed in collaboration with professional recording artists from Peruvian, Polynesian, Breton, and Caribbean musical traditions. The book and lyrics are written by Kent Lee Brisby, working from the prolific writings of Gauguin himself. Brisby has authored more than a dozen produced plays and musicals, including the musical THE WEAVERS SONG, about blacklisted musical superstars of America in the 1940’s and 50’s. He previously served as Artistic Director for the National Theater for Children and Pacific Asian Actors' Ensemble, and has directed stage productions for San Diego's Old Globe Theatre and the San Diego Zoo. The lead composer is Stu Shames, currently the Director of the Philadelphia Songwriters' Project and a former collaborator with Brisby on the musical A FEW HOURS IN HELL. To help bring Gauguin's diverse experiences to the stage, the creative team includes talent with a diverse flair. The Artivist Mario Torero has helped bring Gauguin's Peruvian roots into the story. Opetaia Foai of the Pacific fusion group Te Vaka has worked with Brisby to contribute an original ballad in English and Tahitian, while Francisco Astudillo of the Latin Folk Music group TINKU has assisted with the Peruvian music, and Joaquin Mcwhinney and Rhys Green with the Caribbean and Martinique segments. Hawaiian music producer Quintinn Holi has assisted with the Polynesian music, working alongside Kumu Kathy Gore Stanley of Heali'i's Polynesian R***e for choreography. Cheryl Lindley of Lindley-Lopez Circus is designing costumes, with interactive video programming designed by Albert Songyee Park. The creative team is rounded out by the support of Teatro Mascara Magica and the San Diego Black Ensemble Theatre. The Asian Story Theater production of THE MUSICAL PAUL GAUGUIN is sponsored in part by the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, and the City of Chula Vista. November performances are co-presented with the Maritime Museum of San Diego, Centro Cultural de la Raza, and Bali Hai Restaurant.