Monkey: Journey to the West
In Monkey: Journey to the West a classic Chinese tale gets a Cirque du Soleil-style makeover with music from the creators of Gorillaz, a popular rock band. In the story, a ragtag band of characters go on an adventure, encountering various obstacles in their search for the holy scriptures in India. The show includes acrobatics, animation, high-energy dance numbers, and martial artists.
Performed in Mandarin with English subtitles.
LOCATION
David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center
105 W 62nd St, NYC
RUNNING TIME
Advertised as 1 hour, 40 minutes but it was 2 hours, 10 minutes the day Maxamoo attended.
TICKETS
$25 – $250 (click for tickets)
DATES
July 6th – 28th
NEWS & REVIEWS
NEWS
New York Times
A Western Detour for a Chinese Tale
Wall Street Journal
A 16th-Century Chinese Fable Fuses Chinese Opera, Japanese Anime and 1970s TV
REVIEWS
Variety
Gorillaz founders’ mash-up of Chinese myth and Western electro-pop is a visual feast
Newsday
‘Monkey: Journey to the West’ review: A strenuous bore lost in translation
NY Daily News
Striking visuals and dynamic performers are undermined by ragged storytelling in Lincoln Center Festival’s centerpiece
New York Post
Gorillaz bandmates make ‘Monkey: Journey to the West’ a barrel of fun
New York Times
An Imp Makes Detours on the Road to Enlightenment
The Record
The often-stunning “Monkey: Journey to the West” sometimes seems an effort to get every art form known to man into one theatrical production of less than two hours.
Curtain Up
There are many enticing offerings to choose from at the Lincoln Center Festival, but if you are into experiencing a contemporary Chinese opera created in a gently westernized vein then Monkey: Journey to the West may be just the ticket.
CAST & CREW
(partial list)
Concept, text, and direction Chen Shi-Zheng
Composer Damon Albarn
Visual concept, animation, and costumes Jamie Hewlett
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
http://monkeyjourneytothewest.com/
#musical