Cambodian Rock Band at Arena Stage
Dates: (7/19/2023 - 8/27/2023 )
Arena Stage |
1101 Sixth Street SW
Washington, DC, 20024
Phone: 202-488-3300
SUBMIT UPDATES
It’s 2008 and a father-daughter duo are heading to Phnom Penh; she to prosecute a notorious Cambodian war criminal, he 30 years after escaping then-Communist rule. In a psychedelic theatrical extravaganza set to some of the country’s most popular rock music, including from Dengue Fever, Cambodian Rock Band shines a light on the country’s vibrant ’70s rock scene and how an entire generation of musicians was purged by the Khmer Rouge, as it brings long-buried family secrets back to life.
- Dengue Fever
- Lauren Yee
Authors
Cast and Creative team for Cambodian Rock Band at Arena Stage
Cast
Kelsey Angel Baehrens
u/s Neary/Sothea, Pou/S21 Guard
Kelsey Angel Baehrens is a hapa Filipina-American currently based out of her hometown, Honolulu, Hawaii. Regional credits: Cambodian Rock Band (HI), Lizzie, the Rock Musical (Playhouse Square, OH), Henry IV, p1 (Hawaii Shakes Fest). Directing creds: Kate Hamill’s Pride & Prejudice (KOA Theater, HI); associate to director Erin Ortman on Jeannette, a new musical about the right to vote; associate to director Jess McLeod on the NYCLU’s “Sing Out for Freedom”; assistant to Alex Gemignani at the O'Neill Center's NMTC 2022. Graduate of Baldwin Wallace University and MidPacific School of the Arts. Her deep gratitude to the raddest tour family ever, to Kaimake, the Tarantulas, Kana'ina, and bong. kelseyangelbaehrens.com Instagram: @kelseyangelb
Brooke Ishibashi
Neary/Sothea
Brooke Ishibashi recently appeared as Florinda in the celebrated production of Into the Woods at The Kennedy Center. She made her Broadway debut in the same production and originated the role at City Center Encores! Off-Broadway. After originating and developing the roles of Neary and Sothea (South Coast Repertory, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, La Jolla Playhouse), Brooke is proud to be returning to her bandmates, The Cyclos. She is a former Actors’ Equity Association national councilor, Fair Wage Onstage core member, NYCLU ambassador, and Be An #ArtsHero/ Arts Workers United cofounder. Arts & culture contributes $919 billion+ to the U.S. economy, employing 5.2 million+ arts workers. There is no American economic recovery without a robust arts & culture recovery. Our fates are intrinsically tied together. she/her/hers BeAnArtsHero.com
Francis Jue
Duch
Francis Jue is thrilled to make his Arena Stage debut. Francis was last seen in DC in You for Me for You at Woolly Mammoth. In the season before the pandemic, Francis received a Lucille Lortel Award for Cambodian Rock Band, an Outer Critics Circle Award for Soft Power, and a Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award for The Language Archive. He has appeared on Broadway in Pacific Overtures, Thoroughly Modern Millie,and M. Butterfly. Recent Off-Broadway credits include Good Enemy, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, and Wild Goose Dreams (Obie Award). Recent regional credits include Today is My Birthday, King of the Yees (Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award), and Tiger Style!. TV/Film credits include Madam Secretary, Hightown, Law & Order: SVU, Joyful Noise, White Noise, and Our Son.
Abraham Kim
Rom/Journalist
Regional: Originated the role of Rom in Cambodian Rock Band (Signature Theatre Company, Pacific Playwrights Festival, South Coast Repertory, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, La Jolla Playhouse); Son in LA Riots (Cafe/Club Fais Do-Do). Music: National and International tours with Run River North, DANakaDAN, and Magnetic North & Taiyo Na. Drummer on Magnetic North & Taiyo Na’s album, Home:Word. Music band affiliations: IXS, Monroe Street, The Blazing Rays of the Sun, Former Faces, Fyke, Ruth + the Library, Priska, Surrija. Music Producer: Priska (State Change), SGLA (Be Thou My Vision). TV/ Film: Good Sessions (CBS pilot), Jasyn’s Theme (YouTube). Education: Craig Kupka, Daniel Yoo, Angelica Thompson. Instagram: @0abrahamkim0
Tim Liu
Ted/Cadre/Leng
Tim Liu was born and raised in NJ. He most recently performed Off-Broadway in the world premiere of Good Enemy directed by Chay Yew for Audible Theater. Additional theater credits include Off-Broadway performances with the Pearl Theatre Company (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, dir. Eric Tucker), Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, HERE Arts Center, and other NYC theaters. Regionally he has worked with Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, B Street Theatre, Capital Repertory Theatre, The Shakespeare Theatre of NJ, and Centenary Stage Company. Recent TV and Film credits include Pam & Tommy (Hulu), The Endgame (NBC), New Amsterdam (NBC), Girls on the Bus (HBO), A Father’s Son (w/ Ronny Chieng and Tzi Ma), and Knock at the Cabin (M. Night Shyamalan).
Jane Lui
Pou/S21 Guard
Jane Lui is a songwriter, vocalist, producer, keyboardist, and percussionist. Recent credits include “Opera Evelyn” vocal contributions to the soundtrack of Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24), Arranger/Pou in Cambodian Rock Band (Off-Broadway Signature Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, South Coast Repertory), Huong in Vietgone (East West Players), original compositions in All’s Well That Ends Well (OSF), and composer and music director in Secret in the Wings (Coeurage Theatre Co). Her music project, SURRIJA, explores glitch and warm electronic design in song form. The album earned a nomination for Best Pop Album at San Diego Music Awards 2021. The music video “Southern Winds” earned Best Music Video at Dublin Web Fest 2017. She has worked with Matt Chamberlain, Son Lux, Felicia Day, CDZA, and toured internationally. Surrija.com Instagram: @surrija
Alex Lydon
u/s Ted/Cadre/Leng, Rom/Journalist; Fight Captain
Alex Lydon is thrilled to be joining the Cyclos for their national tour! Previous credits include As You Like It (Quest Players), Such Things as Vampires (People’s Light), It Can’t Happen Here (Berkeley Rep), Sisters Matsumoto (CenterREP), and the Ground Floor workshop of Cambodian Rock Band. Many thanks to Lauren Yee, Chay Yew, and the rest of the Cyclos.
Joe Ngo
Chum
Joe Ngo’s credits include Cambodian Rock Band (South Coast Repertory, La Jolla Playhouse, Alley Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Repertory, and Signature Theatre NYC; Drama League nomination, Obie Award winner). Other regional credits include Vietgone (Studio Theatre), King of the Yees (Baltimore Center Stage and ACT Contemporary Theatre), White Snake (Baltimore Center Stage), Mlima’s Tale (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis). Joe’s TV/Film credits include Crashing (HBO) and Funan (GKids). www.joe-ngo.com Instagram: @joengoinsta
Vi Tran
u/s Chum, Duch
Vi Tran is pleased to be making his Arena Stage debut. Born in the shadow of Sai Gon, Vietnam and raised in the cattle country of southwestern Kansas, Vi is equal parts sea salt and wheat fields. His autobiographical refugee folk musical The Butcher’s Son chronicles his family’s escape from Vietnam, their capture by the Khmer Rouge, and their resettlement in the meatpacking country of America. It was nominated for eight awards at the 2018 Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, winning Most Promising Musical and Best Leading Performer (Tran). Regional credits include Cambodian Rock Band (Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Alley Theatre), Vietgone (Unicorn Theatre, American Stage), Miss Saigon (Paramount, Western Playhouse). Watch and listen at youtube.com/vitranmusic. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @vitranmusic
Creative Team
Lauren Yee
Playwright
Cambodian Rock Band premiered at South Coast Repertory, subsequent productions at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, City Theatre, Merrimack Rep, Signature Theatre, Victory Gardens, and Jungle Theater/Theater Mu. Her play The Great Leap has been produced at the Denver Center, Steppenwolf, Seattle Repertory, Atlantic Theater, Guthrie Theater, American Conservatory Theater, Arts Club, InterAct Theatre, Portland Center Stage, and Asolo Rep. Honors include the Doris Duke Artists Award, Whiting Award, Steinberg/ATCA Award, American Academy of Arts and Letters Literature Award, Horton Foote Prize, Kesselring Prize, Primus Prize, a Hodder Fellowship at Princeton, and the #1 and #2 plays on the 2017 Kilroys List. She’s a Residency 5 playwright at Signature Theatre, New Dramatists member, Ma-Yi Writers Lab member, and Playwrights Realm alumni playwright. Current commissions include Arena Stage/Second Stage, Geffen Playhouse, South Coast Repertory. TV credits: Pachinko (Apple), Soundtrack (Netflix), Interior Chinatown (Hulu), Billions (Showtime), The Sterling Affairs (FX). She is currently developing pilots for Netflix and Apple. BA: Yale. MFA: UCSD. laurenyee.com
Chay Yew
Director
Chay Yew’s New York credits include the Public Theater, Playwrights Horizon, New York Theatre Workshop, Signature Theatre, New York City Center's Encores!, Playwrights Realm, Audible Theater, Rattlestick, Ensemble Studio Theatre, National Asian American Theatre, and Ma-Yi. Regionally, he directed for the Humana Festival, Goodman Theatre, Kennedy Center, American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Rep, Hartford Stage, La Jolla Playhouse, South Coast Repertory, Huntington Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Rep, Woolly Mammoth, Long Wharf, Alley Theatre, Denver Theatre Center, Portland Center Stage, Round House Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Singapore Repertory Theatre, amongst others. His opera credits include the world premieres of Osvaldo Golijov’s and David Henry Hwang’s Ainadamar (co-production with Tanglewood Music Center, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and Los Angeles Philharmonic) and Rob Zuidam’s Rage D’Amors (Tanglewood). He is a recipient of the Obie Award for Direction. chayyew.com
Takeshi Kata
Set Designer
Takeshi Kata has designed over 200 theatrical productions including plays, musicals, opera, and dance. Broadway: Clyde’s, Derren Brown: Secret. Off-Broadway: Office Hour (Public); Man from Nebraska (Second Stage); The Great Leap, Through a Glass Darkly, The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow (Atlantic); Until the Flood (Rattlestick). Regional: Alley Theatre, American Players Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Central City Opera, Dallas Theater Center, Denver Theatre for the Performing Arts, Ford’s Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, Goodman, Hartford Stage, Huntington Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Long Wharf, Mark Taper Forum, Nashville Opera, Old Globe, Portland Center Stage, Steppenwolf, Williamstown, and Yale Rep. Kata has been the recipient of Michael Merrit, Drama Desk, Obie, and Jeff Awards and has been nominated for Ovation, San Francisco Critics Circle, Elliot Norton, TBA, and Barrymore Awards. Kata is an Associate Professor at University of Southern California, School of Dramatic Arts.
Linda Cho
Costume Designer
Arena: A Thousand Splendid Suns; Dear Jack, Dear Louise; Sovereignty; Book Club Play; Light in the Piazza; Legacy of Light; Noises Off; Awake and Sing!; Good People; Passion Play; Anna Christie; Piano Lesson; Orpheus Descending. DC: Way of the World at Folger; Measure for Measure, Macbeth, Dog in the Manger all at Shakespeare Theatre. Broadway: Summer, 1976; Take Me Out; Grand Horizons; Anastasia (Tony nomination); The Great Society; A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder (Tony Award, Henry Hewes Award); The Lifespan of a Fact; Velocity of Autumn. Numerous Off-Broadway, regional, and opera productions. Advisory Committee of the American Theatre Wing. MFA, Yale School of Drama. lindacho.com
David Weiner
Lighting Designer
David Weiner is thrilled to continue bringing Chay Yew’s production of Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band to audiences since its world premiere at South Coast Repertory in 2018. Previously at Arena, David remounted his design for the Tony Award-winning revival of The Normal Heart. His work has been seen in over 100+ productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in regional theaters across the country over the last 30 years. David also has a thriving architectural lighting design practice. His recent clients include award-winning restaurants Tatiana by Chef Kwame Onwuachi, Al Coro, Saga, Crown Shy, Cote (NY, Miami, Singapore) and Naminori. www.DavidWeinerDesign.com
Mikhail Fiksel
Co-Sound Designer
Mikhail Fiksel is a Tony Award-winning designer, composer, audio producer, and DJ working in theater, dance, film, and audio-forward media. Besides numerous productions of Cambodian Rock Band, other projects include collaborations with Playwrights Horizons, The Public, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare, La La Jolla Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Victory Gardens, Albany Park Theater Project, Audible Originals, and Make-Believe Association (where he serves as the director of audio production and with whom he just released a new audio drama series “Lake Song” featured at Tribeca Audio Premieres). Film credits include original scores for Glitch, The Wise Kids, and In Memoriam. Other awards include three Lucille Lortel Awards, multiple Jeff Awards, and 2020 Obie Award for Sound Design. Fiksel is on the faculty at Columbia College Chicago and is a proud member of USA and TSDCA.
Megumi Katayama
Co-Sound Designer
Megumi Katayama is a NY-based sound designer. Her Arena Stage credits include My Body No Choice. Off-Broadway/NY: The Light in the Piazza (Encores!), Regretfully, So the Birds Are (Playwrights Horizons), The Nosebleed (LCT3), for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf (Public Theater), The Life (co-design, Encores!), The Gett (Rattlestick), NAATCO, Signature Theatre, Ping Chong + Company. Regional: Studio Theatre, Woolly Mammoth, Everyman Theatre, Alley Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, Long Wharf, Yale Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Kansas City Rep, Denver Center, Berkeley Rep, Two River Theater, and more. MFA Yale School of Drama.
Five OHM Productions
Projection Designer
Five OHM Productions is a New York City-based production company specializing in theatrical and experiential audio and video applications. Five OHM has employed hundreds of design and technical artists and has an ever-expanding roster of technicians and venues in New York City and beyond. Notable design credits include video design with Tal Yarden for the Apollo’s original production of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me performed at the Apollo and Kennedy Center and the eventual subject of an HBO documentary of the same name. Other notable credits include New York Times’ DealBook Conference with Jazz at Lincoln Center, original animations and design for Fahrenheit 451 at the Hippodrome, and video design for Cambodian Rock Band with Luke Norby at Signature Theatre.
Tom Watson
Wig Designer
Tom Watson, originally from N. Ireland, has headed the wig/ makeup department at the Metropolitan Opera for 17 years. He has designed more than 100 Broadway productions, including Wicked, Rock of Ages, The King and I, Fiddler on the Roof, Oslo, Falsettos, The Little Foxes, Junk, My Fair Lady, King Kong, All My Sons, Great Society, and Plaza Suite.
Jane Lui
Music Supervisor & Co-Music Director
Jane Lui is a songwriter, vocalist, producer, keyboardist, and percussionist. Recent credits include “Opera Evelyn” vocal contributions to the soundtrack of Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24), Arranger/Pou in Cambodian Rock Band (Off-Broadway Signature Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, South Coast Repertory), Huong in Vietgone (East West Players), original compositions in All’s Well That Ends Well (OSF), and composer and music director in Secret in the Wings (Coeurage Theatre Co). Her music project, SURRIJA, explores glitch and warm electronic design in song form. The album earned a nomination for Best Pop Album at San Diego Music Awards 2021. The music video “Southern Winds” earned Best Music Video at Dublin Web Fest 2017. She has worked with Matt Chamberlain, Son Lux, Felicia Day, CDZA, and toured internationally. Surrija.com Instagram: @surrija
Matt MacNelly
Music Supervisor & Co-Music Director
Matt MacNelly is a musician and actor living in Los Angeles. He co-arranged Cambodian Rock Band and, prior to the current tour, worked as Music Director for most of the previous productions including Signature Theater (NYC), the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, South Coast Rep, and Victory Gardens, among others. He’s been playing guitar and singing for over 20 years. Matt is thrilled to be back in DC, where he started his career at Studio Theatre, Folger Shakespeare Library, Rorschach Theatre, and Synetic Theater. Matt has a BA in Theater and Performance Studies from Georgetown University, and an MFA in Acting from the University of California, San Diego.
Graham Schmidt
Associate Director
Graham Schmidt is a theater director based in New York. Graham has directed and developed work at the Orchard Project, Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Lark Theater, the Wild Project, the National Winter Playwrights Retreat, Salvage Vanguard Theater, Aye Defy, the Blue Theater, the Off Center, NYU Grad Acting, Fordham University, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and UT-Austin. Graham teaches acting in BFA programs at Pace University. Find out more at www.grahamschmidt.com.
Merrick A.B. Williams
Stage Manager
Broadway: The Book of Mormon, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. NY City Center: Call Me Madam (Encores!). Off-Broadway: Sanctuary City, Othello, Dreaming Zenzile, An Ordinary Muslim (NYTW); Good Enemy (Minetta Lane); Somebody’s Daughter, The Layover, Invisible Thread, The Other Thing (Second Stage); Gently Down the Stream, Sweat Mobile National Tour, Measure for Measure Mobile (The Public); Daphne’s Dive (Signature). Regional: Cambodian Rock Band (Alley Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Arena Stage); Seder (Hartford Stage); 10x10 2016 (Barrington Stage); On the Town (Boston Pops).
Caroline Duffin
Assistant Stage Manager
Caroline Duffin is so excited to be a part of Cambodian Rock Band again! Broadway: Clyde’s. Off-Broadway: Good Enemy; HEART (Minetta Lane); ¡Americano! (New World Stages); My Mother’s Severed Head (Theatre Row); Whisper House (59E59). Regional: Cambodian Rock Band (Alley Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Arena Stage). Concerts: SuperYou Musical Concert (Carnegie Hall), Bridesmaids: A Dance Narrative (Symphony Space).
Taryn Friend
Rehearsal Assistant Stage Manager
Christi B. Spann
Performance Assistant Stage Manager
Christi B. Spann has been working as a stage manager in DC since 2011. Favorite Arena Stage productions include A Raisin in the Sun and Junk. She previously spent 12 seasons on the stage management staff at the Denver Center Theatre Company and has also worked with The Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, MN and Virginia Repertory Theatre in Richmond, VA.
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