New Musical HALF THE SKY To Be Produced As Musical Radio Play In 5th Avenue 20/21 Digital Season

/people/Jamen-Nanthakumar/The 5th Avenue Theatre has announced that Half the Sky, a new contemporary American musical with music by Tidtaya Sinutoke and book and lyrics by Isabella Dawis, will be the first of three Musical Radio Plays produced in its 2020/21 digital season.

Released as a vivid, multi-episode podcast series that will be available for streaming in January of 2021, Half the Sky was originally commissioned by The 5th Avenue Theatre in the inaugural First Draft: Raise Your Voice Story Summit in 2018. Half the Sky is only available as a part of an Essential 5th Digital Collection subscription and is included in the Essential 5th Originals ($99 and available to purchase starting in early December), Essential 5th PLUS ($600), and the Essential 5th Premium ($1250) digital subscription packages.

Complete package details available at www.5thavenue.org/subscribe.

Half the Sky is directed by Seattle-based and Princess Grace Award winning director Desdemona Chiang. The cast features Shannon Tyo (Off-Broadway: The Chinese Lady, Kentucky) as Aurelie, 5th Avenue Theatre regular Diana Huey (The 5th: Disney's The Little Mermaid, Rock of Ages) as Eve, Kendyl Ito (Off-Broadway: Soft Power, Wild Goose Dreams) as Dawa, Klea Blackhurst (Off-Broadway: Party Face, Bingo) as Liz, Broadway's Christine Toy Johnson (Come From Away) as Mae, Jamen Nanthakumar (La Jolla Playhouse: Diana) as Rod, and James Seol (Broadway: A Naked Girl on the Appian Way) as Jerry.

"It's always exciting to watch a new musical take another step in its development," said The 5th Avenue Theatre's Producing Artistic Director Bill Berry. "Though creating Half the Sky as a radio play isn't something Tidtaya, Isabella, and the rest of the creative team probably imagined would be part of that journey, working under the guise of a pandemic has presented an unique opportunity for them to more deeply focus on the story and music. The power of imagination has become even more vital as the way we engage with storytelling has shifted in the last eight months-we're excited for audiences to experience a new musical in this historically beloved format."

A year after her sister's death, Aurelie sets out to fulfill her childhood dream of climbing Mount Everest. She joins an international group of mountaineers, led by a teenage Sherpa. As Aurelie embarks on her path to the top of the world, memories of her Thai American past and the unresolved rift between herself and her sister begin to surface. Borders between countries and cultures, past and present, and waking and dreaming blur in this epic journey of ambition, survival and reconciliation. A contemporary American musical on a global scale, Half the Sky is infused with the sounds of traditional Thai and Himalayan folk music.

For more information about The 5th Avenue Theatre, its season and its programs, please visit www.5thavenue.org.

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