Sunfish (musical)

Last updated

Sunfish is a musical with book and lyrics by Michael Cooper and book and music by Hyeyoung Kim, based upon the Korean folktale Sim-Chung. The musical received its world premiere production at the Stoneham Theater in Boston, Massachusetts from February 10 to February 27, 2011 and went on to international acclaim, opening at the Daegu International Music Theater Festival in South Korea on June 17 to June 23, 2013 where it was awarded Top Jury Honor. [1]

Contents

Synopsis

“Sunfish” is a musical retelling of the Sim-Chung Korean folk tale which follows the journey of a devoted daughter trying to help her blind father regain his eyesight - and the valiant sacrifices she is willing to make for love.

Production history

  1. May 4, 2004: First public reading, NYU Black Box Theatre, Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. “Sunfish” was originally developed and workshopped under the title, “The Story of Aheh.”[ citation needed ]
  2. January 2005: Cooper and Kim win the 2005 Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award. [2]
  3. February 2005: World Premiere Student Production, Yale University Off- Broadway Theatre. [3]
  4. March 2005: Recipient of the Daryl Roth Award, featured as part of the NYU Fresh Look Series. Directed by Nick Corley, Musical Direction by Joshua Salzman.[ citation needed ]
  5. May 2005: Selected for a two-week workshop at New York University's Tisch Graduate Acting Department, as part of the Write Act Festival of New Work. Directed by Lonny Price, Musical Direction by John DiPinto.[ citation needed ]
  6. November 2005: Received the Daniel Marshall Multicultural Award for Non-Traditional Musical Theatre; selected for TRU Voices New Musical Reading Series.[ citation needed ]
  7. December 2005: Staged Reading, Blue Heron Theatre (TRU New Voices Musical Reading Series). Produced by Eva Price, Directed by Ben Rimalower, Musical Direction by Jasper Grant. [4]
  8. April 2006: Staged Reading, Alliance Theatre, GA. Directed by Kent Gash. Kendeda Playwriting Competition Finalist. [5]
  9. October 2006: Showcased at the National Alliance For Musical Theatre's 18th Annual Festival of New Musicals, New World Stages, NYC. Directed by Stafford Arima, Musical Staging by Patricia Wilcox, Musical Direction by Jesse Vargas. [6] [7]
  10. January 2007: Roundtable Reading at the Lark Play Development Center, NYC. Directed by Daniella Tool.[ citation needed ]
  11. June 2007: 2-week developmental student workshop at SUNY Cortland University, Cortland NY. Directed by Darren Katz.[ citation needed ]
  12. April 2010: ASCAP Workshop presentation, moderated by Stephen Schwartz. Directed by Thomas Caruso, Musical Direction by Dan Feyer. [8]
  13. August 2010: Prospect Theatre/Goodwill Theatre 2-week workshop, Binghamton, NY. Directed by Cara Reichel, Musical Direction by Or Matias.[ citation needed ]
  14. February 2011: World Premiere Regional Theatre Production, Stoneham Theatre, Stoneham, MA. Directed by Caitlin Lowans, Musical Direction by John Howrey. [9] [10]
  15. January 2012: Winner of BWW Boston Awards for “Best Musical – Medium Theater” category.[ citation needed ]
  16. May 2013: “One Night Only: Songs From Sunfish” presented at Lincoln Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium, directed and produced by John Zndarsic. [11]
  17. June 2013: Selected to open DIMF (Daegu International Musical Theatre Festival) in Daegu, South Korea. Directed by Will Pomerantz, Musical Direction by Yan Li. [12] [13]

Synopsis & Musical Numbers

ACT ONE (PROLOGUE: ONCE (UPON A WHILE AGO) In a village by the sea ruled by a powerful King, Father and daughter live a hardscrabble life on the streets. By night, he attempts to calm his starving child by recounting the dream he had on the day she was born (LULLABY). By day, Father and Aheh beg door to door, struggling to remain optimistic in the face of adversity (HOW YOU LOOK AT IT). Elsewhere in the village, we meet Madame Bang Duk Omi - the ugly, conniving town wench (MADAME OMI). Madame Omi is a devious swindler of blind men, seducing her unlucky victims and stealing their rice (the equivalent of money in this faraway land). As the days go by, Aheh takes it upon herself to support her Father and sets off to find work (HOW YOU LOOK AT IT (Reprise). Early the next morning, in the Village, Aheh learns the story of the Magic Buddhist Monk who can grant miracles. When Father awakens to find Aheh gone, he goes off in search of her and meets Madame Omi. At first, Omi attempts to woo him, but soon realizes that he has nothing she needs, so she abandons him on the side of the road. Disoriented, Father stumbles into a nearby swamp and is rescued by the Magic Monk himself, who promises to restore Father's eyesight for only three hundred bags of rice (if paid by the next full moon) – conjuring several miraculous examples to prove it (MADAME OMI (Reprise)/THE DEAL/HOW YOU LOOK AT IT (Reprise 2). Secretly, Aheh becomes determined to save up enough rice so that her Father will be able to pay the Monk's fee. Toiling ever harder, Aheh labors many long hours for several employers at a multitude of demanding jobs, all the while dreaming of the day her Father will have his eyesight (HOUSEKEEPING). Opportunity unexpectedly presents itself in the form of a group of superstitious Sailors who arrive in the village, willing to pay three hundred bags of rice in exchange for a virgin to sacrifice to the God of the Sea (YO, HO, HO!). Aheh sees this as her only chance and strikes a deal with them: her life, for the rice. Madame Omi overhears their exchange and plots to steal the rice for herself (MADAME OMI (Reprise 2). That night, unable to say goodbye (THE WAY I’LL SAY GOODBYE), Aheh prepares to leave her Father behind, withholding the truth from him until the final moment when the Sailors return to take her away. They set sail at sunrise, sacrificing Aheh to the God of the Sea by throwing her overboard. Father is left alone and devastated with his three hundred bags of rice - and only the conniving Madame Omi to “comfort” him (ANY MINUTE NOW).

ACT TWO Aheh drowns to the bottom of the ocean (DOWN). There, the God of the Sea is so incredibly moved by her sacrifice that he breathes life back into her and offers her a second chance, foretelling her destiny to meet the King. Colorful Sea Creatures prepare Aheh for her journey home (THE MAKEOVER) and send her back to the surface in a lotus blossom (HOME TO YOU). Servants discover the lotus blossom floating on the ocean and bring it to the attention of the King. When he touches the blossom, its petals open to reveal Aheh inside, and he falls in love with her at first sight (AWKWARD). In the Hall of Ancestors, the King leads Aheh on a tour of his and lineage, while Aheh helps him to realize his own greatness HOW YOU LOOK AT IT (Reprise 3). Back in the village, Madame Omi forces opium on Father to help his pain.” In his mind, a chorus of Spurned Blind Men portends disaster, warning Father to beware of Madame Omi - who proceeds to steal his rice and vanish off into the night (MADAME OMI (Reprise 3). On the eve of the full moon, Madame Omi goes to the Monk's temple on the mountain, paying him with Father's stolen rice to transform her from hideous wench into a beautiful Princess (WHO’S AS LUCKY AS ME?). Meanwhile, betrayed and alone, Father searches the Village for Madame Omi, haunted by regret (LOST). Although grateful for her brand new life, Aheh misses her Father. The King proclaims that he will hold a feast for all the blind men in the land, in the hopes that he can somehow reunite them (NO MATTER WHAT). Word of the feast spreads quickly, as blind men from all around make their way to the palace (FEAST). On the final day of the celebration, Father arrives and Aheh rushes into his arms. Their joyous reunion results in a true miracle: Father magically regains his sight. Simultaneously, Madame Omi is punished with blindness, cursed to never admire her beautiful new exterior (FINALE). At long last, Father finally sees his Sunfish. Anything is possible (EPILOGUE: ONCE (UPON A WHILE AGO) (Reprise).

Related Research Articles

<i>Cabaret</i> (musical) Stage musical by John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Joe Masteroff

Cabaret is an American musical with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Joe Masteroff. It is based on the 1951 play I Am a Camera by John Van Druten, which in turn was based on the 1939 novel Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood.

<i>Aida</i> (musical) Musical by Elton John and Tim Rice

Aida is a musical based on the opera of the same name written by Antonio Ghislanzoni with music by Giuseppe Verdi. It has music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang, and was originally produced by Hyperion Theatricals.

<i>Beauty and the Beast</i> (musical) Stage musical, based on the 1991 animated the Disney film

Beauty and the Beast is a Disney stage musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and a book by Linda Woolverton. Adapted from Walt Disney Pictures' animated film Beauty and the Beast – which in turn had been based on the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" by French author Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont – Beauty and the Beast tells the story of an unkind prince who has been magically transformed into an unsightly creature as punishment for his selfish ways. To revert into his true human form, the Beast must learn to love a bright, beautiful young lady who he has imprisoned in his enchanted castle and earn her love in return before it is too late.

Celia Keenan-Bolger is an American actress and singer. She won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for portraying Scout Finch in the play To Kill a Mockingbird (2018). She has also been Tony-nominated for her roles in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2005), Peter and the Starcatcher (2012), The Glass Menagerie (2014), and Mother Play (2024).

<i>Next to Normal</i> Broadway musical

Next to Normal is a 2008 American rock musical with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. The story centers on a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effects that managing her illness has on her family. The musical addresses grief, depression, suicide, drug abuse, ethics in modern psychiatry, and the underbelly of suburban life.

<i>Spring Awakening</i> (musical) Rock musical

Spring Awakening is a coming-of-age rock musical with music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. It is based on the 1891 German play Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind. Set in late 19th-century Germany, the musical tells the story of teenagers discovering the inner and outer tumult of adolescent sexuality. In the musical, alternative rock is employed as part of the folk-infused rock score.

Jack O'Brien is an American director, producer, writer and lyricist. He served as the Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California from 1981 through the end of 2007.

The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) was an annual event held each summer from 2004 to 2019 in New York City's midtown theater district. It mounted more than 30 new musicals each year, more than half selected through an open-submission, double-blind evaluation process involving prominent theater artists and producers. The festival's artist staff invited the remaining shows. NYMF premiered some 447 musicals, engaging more than 8,000 artists and attracting over 300,000 attendees.

<i>Gutenberg! The Musical!</i> 2005 musical by Scott Brown and Anthony King

Gutenberg! The Musical! is a musical written and composed by Scott Brown and Anthony King. Brown and King developed the show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City, where versions of it played over the course of more than a year. The show was part of the 2005 New York Musical Theatre Festival and, in more final form, the 2006 Festival, and ran at the Jermyn Street Theatre in London in January 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hayden Tee</span> Australian actor-musician

Hayden Tee is a New Zealand actor, singer, and makeup artist. He has played varied roles in musical theatre, concert, and cabaret. He has performed in New Zealand, the UK, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, and the United States.

<i>Young Frankenstein</i> (musical) Musical

Young Frankenstein is a musical with a book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, and music and lyrics by Brooks. It is based on the 1974 comedy film of the same name written by Gene Wilder and Brooks who also directed and has described it as his best film. It is a parody of the horror film genre, especially the 1931 Universal Pictures adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and its 1935 and 1939 sequels, Bride of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein.

<i>The Whos Tommy</i> Rock musical

The Who's Tommy is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Pete Townshend and a book by Townshend and Des McAnuff. It is based on the 1969 rock opera Tommy by The Who.

<i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> (musical) Musical by Jill Santoriello

A Tale of Two Cities is a musical with book, music and lyrics by Jill Santoriello based on the 1859 novel of the same name by Charles Dickens.

Peter Kellogg is a musical theater book writer and lyricist. He wrote the lyrics and the book for the 1992 production of the Broadway musical Anna Karenina, for which he received two 1993 Tony Award nominations, one for Best Book of a musical and one for the Best Original Score. He also wrote the lyrics and book for the musicals Chasing Nicolette, Desperate Measures, Lincoln In Love, Stunt Girl, Money Talks, and The Rivals which have been read and produced regionally. Kellogg also received the New York Musical Theatre Festival 2006 award for Excellence in Musical Theatre Writing (Book) for Desperate Measures. On June 3, 2018, Kellogg won the 2018 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics for Desperate Measures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Greif</span> American stage director (born 1959)

Michael Greif is an American stage director. He has won three Obie Awards and received five Tony Award nominations, for Rent, Grey Gardens, next to normal (sic), Dear Evan Hansen, and Hell's Kitchen.

The Last Smoker in America is a four-character, one-act musical comedy featuring book and lyrics by Bill Russell and music by Peter Melnick. The Last Smoker in America opened Off-Broadway at the Westside Theatre in 2012, after developmental readings in 2005 at the Rubicon Theatre Company, a workshop production at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2009, and having its world premiere at Contemporary American Theatre Company (CATCO), Columbus, Ohio in 2010.

<i>Ragtime</i> (musical) Musical based on E.L. Doctorows Ragtime

Ragtime is a musical with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Terrence McNally. It is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by E.L. Doctorow.

<i>Once</i> (musical) 2011 musical

Once is a musical based on the 2007 film of the same name by John Carney. Like the film, music and lyrics were by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, including the Academy Award-winning "Falling Slowly". The book for the musical was written by Enda Walsh. The musical premiered at the New York Theatre Workshop in 2011, before transferring to Broadway in 2012. The production received eleven 2012 Tony Award nominations, and won eight including Best Musical, Best Actor and Best Book. The musical also won the 2012 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical and the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. It has since spawned a London production, with a North American Tour which started on 1 October 2013. In the musical, the cast also serves as the orchestra. A minimalist set is used, including a bar in center stage with chairs lining stage left and right. Exiting cast members simply step to the side of the stage and sit down. They serve as the orchestra from these chairs. The bar is used before the show and at intermission as a working bar for theater patrons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Chavkin</span> American theatre director

Rachel Chavkin is an American stage director best known for directing the musicals Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812 and Hadestown, receiving nominations for a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for both and winning for Hadestown in 2019.

Sam Gold is an American theater director and actor. Having studied at Cornell University and Juilliard School he became known for directing both musicals and plays, on Broadway and Off-Broadway. He has received the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical, a Tony nomination for Best Director of a Play, and nominations for four Drama Desk Awards.

References

  1. ↑ Purcell, Casey (July 10, 2015). "Sunfish, New Musical Featuring Larger-Than-Life Puppets, Takes Top Jury Honor at Daegu International Musical Festival". Playbill.com.
  2. ↑ Simonson, Robert (February 10, 2005). "Winners of Jonathan Larson Foundation Awards Announced". Playbill.com.
  3. ↑ "'Sunfish' swims, but lacks polish". Yale Daily News. February 18, 2005.
  4. ↑ Gans, Andrew (December 19, 2005). "Free Reading of Jonathan Larson Award Winner Sunfish Presented Dec. 19". Playbill.com.
  5. ↑ "Sunfish". Theatermania.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-19.
  6. ↑ Cox, Gordon (September 27, 2006). "Stage vets set for legit showcase". Variety.
  7. ↑ "Broadway Stars Sign on for Festival of New Musicals 10/8-10/9". Broadway.com. September 20, 2006.
  8. ↑ "Six New Musicals Selected For Presentation At The ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop With Stephen Schwartz In New York". ASCAP.com. March 26, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-11-04.
  9. ↑ Byrne, Terry (February 16, 2011). "Unfocused storytelling sinks 'Sunfish'". The Boston Globe.
  10. ↑ Rossi, Carl A. (2011). ""What Happened in Boston, Willie"". The Theatre Mirror Review. Archived from the original on 2011-08-07.
  11. ↑ Gans, Andrew (May 20, 2013). "Emma Hunton, Gavin Gregory, Bonita J. Hamilton, Alice Lee and Jonathan Shew Sing in Free Broadway's Future Songbook Concert May 20". Playbill.com.
  12. ↑ Peterson, Tyler (June 13, 2013). "SUNFISH to Open Daegu Musical Theatre Festival, 6/17-23". Broadwayworld.com.
  13. ↑ Kwon Mee-yoo (June 23, 2013). "Simcheong, Broadway Style". The Korea Times.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.