The Red Poppy Ladies to Return to NYC with MULAN THE MUSICAL, 6/25-9/13

China's world-renowned female percussion group, The Red Poppy Ladies, today announced its return to New York City for a three-month long run of its audience favorite production of MULAN THE MUSICAL.

An inspiring journey for the entire family, MULAN recounts the same 1,600 year-old Chinese folk tale made famous by the 1998 Academy Award-winning Disney animated film. By artfully combining dynamic drumming, colorful projections, traditional Kung Fu, and dance, the timeless story of one young girl's bravery is brilliantly reinterpreted into a rich, visual and unique theatrical experience.

Back by popular demand, MULAN returns with a revamped and much improved storyline, choreography, stage design, etc. "After a year of preparation, we're thrilled to be bringing MULAN THE MUSICAL back to life and back to New York City!" exclaims the Director of MULAN, Zhou Li. MULAN made its U.S. debut last December 2012 at Manhattan's Peter J. Sharp Theatre with great acclaim.

Mulan is the classic story of a Chinese peasant girl who disguises herself as a man so that she can take her ailing father's place as a soldier in the emperor's war against the Huns. After years of successfully concealing her true identity, Mulan's secret is ultimately revealed and she is worshipped for her courage and loyalty. "Even though the legendary story is ancient, it remains relevant today," says Li. "Its message of bravery, leadership, loyalty and the importance of family is universal."

MULAN THE MUSICAL stages the classic story of Mulan in 14 scenes using a dazzling display of synchronized drumming and choreography, pantomime, dance and plot summaries (in English) displayed on large projection screens. Similar to Stomp, it takes percussion out of its normal realm. The 12-member Red Poppy Ladies troupe (including Du Qianqian who plays the lead character, Mulan) playfully and furiously thumps on large tub drums, tables and the floor with bare hands and sticks. By mixing high-tempo, drumming prowess with genuine acting ability, they effectively narrate the story without saying a word.

About Red Poppy Ladies: A spearheading force in percussion music, Beijing's Red Poppy Ladies percussion group was founded in 2000 and has participated in over 2,500 performances around the world since then. Red Poppy first attracted its audience in 2001 in the CCTV Spring Festival Show, hosted by China's largest broadcasting station. Red Poppy has also performed percussion concerts in over 30 countries at venues worldwide including the Sydney Opera House, Cairo Opera House, Kennedy Art Centre and Vienna Golden Hall, etc. In 2004, World Culture Open (WCO) in South Korea honored Red Poppy with the "World Peace Award". Red Poppy's proudest moment was its performances in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening and Closing ceremonies. For more information, visit redpoppy.com.cn.

MULAN THE MUSICAL

Director: Zhou Li

Choreographers: Zhou Li, Lin Shujing, Ma Lin, Ying Li, Chen Zhenghe

Performers: Du Qianqian (Mulan) and Red Poppy Ladies

Composers: Dong Gang, Ma Lin, Liu Oian, Zhang Junpeng, Wang Han

Lighting + Costume Designers: Red Poppy Ladies

For more information, visit: MulanTheMusical.com.

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