East West Players KRUNK FU BATTLE BATTLE, Previews May 12

East West Players (EWP), the nation's premier Asian American theatre, continues its 45th Anniversary Season, themed Shake It Up, with the world premiere hip hop musical, KRUNK FU BATTLE BATTLE, with book by Qui Nguyen, Lyrics by Beau Sia, Vocal Music by Marc Macalintal, Dance Music provided by Rynan Paguio of JabbaWockeeZ and Jason Tyler Chong, Musical Direction by Marc Macalintal, and Choreography by Jason Tyler Chong. This production will be directed by EWP Producing Artistic Director Tim Dang. The cast of the production includes Joan Almedilla, Cesar Cipriano, Liza B. Domingo, Lawrence Kao of Kaba Modern, Blas Lorenzo*, Evan Moua, Leng Phe, Megumi Tatsumikawa, Matt Tayao, and Troy Terashita. Generous support for this production is provided by the S. Mark Taper Foundation Endowment for East West Players.

Under the guidance of Sir Master Cert, young Norman Lee battles the baddest b-boy crew at Sunset Park High for respect, honor, and the heart of sweet Cindy Chang.

East West Players is excited to be partnering with Projekt NewSpeak and Kollaboration. "Working with these two organizations and reaching out to new forms, new audiences, and the next generation of artists is core to the mission of East West Players," says Tim Dang, EWP Producing Artistic Director.

Projekt NewSpeak is a premiere arts and entertainment Production Company. Their mission is to empower the Asian Pacific American and independent arts community by impacting the mainstream media through entertaining and innovative projects that speak to the hearts and minds of all people. They achieve their mission through four methods: 1) Live Showcases, 2) Internet Broadcasting, 3) Film & Television, and 4) Education. "Projekt NewSpeak is excited to be a partner and supporter of East West Players on their latest production, KRUNK FU BATTLE BATTLE. East West Players has been and continues to be one of the nation's premier theatrical companies that produce cutting edge stories for the stage. In addition, we are most excited that Beau Sia and Marc Macalintal are working on this project, and we urge everyone to go see KRUNK FU BATTLE BATTLE! You don't wanna miss out!" says Eddie Kim, Projekt NewSpeak Executive Producer.

Kollaboration is an annual event and movement produced by young Asian and Pacific Islander professionals and students, volunteering their time and skills to celebrate the vast talents of their community and hopefully bring them into the mainstream. Kollaboration's current mission and mantra is "Empowerment through Entertainment". Rina Lee, Kollaboration Director of Performer Relations, says "Kollaboration is honored to support and collaborate with East West Players and KRUNK FU BATTLE BATTLE and look forward to the upcoming musical!"

Additional funding for KRUNK FU BATTLE BATTLE is provided by the James Irvine Foundation, the California Community Foundation, Shubert Foundation, The LA Board of Supervisors through the LA County Arts Commission, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. KRUNK FU BATTLE BATTLE is proud to be a partner with the National Asian American Theater Conference and Festival and the Festival of New American Musicals.

All performances of KRUNK FU BATTLE BATTLE will be staged at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts at 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. KRUNK FU BATTLE BATTLE opens Wednesday, May 18, 2011 and closes on Sunday, June 26, 2011. Opening night will be accompanied by a pre-performance cocktail reception and a post-show reception with the cast and creative team. Performances are Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Previews are Thursday - Saturday, May 12 - 14 at 8pm and Sunday, May 15 at 2pm. The Pay-What-You-Can Performance will be held Thursday, May 19 at 8 pm with a suggested $5 minimum. The post-show discussion will be held on Sunday, May 29.

Preview tickets are $25 for all seats, $15 all seats with student ID.** General tickets range from $40 - $50. Opening night tickets are $70 for all seats. Tickets are currently on sale. For ticket purchases or more information, please call East West Players at (213) 625-7000 or visit www.eastwestplayers.org. Senior, student and group discounts are available. Dates and details are subject to change.

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