By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– Due to popular demand, Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY) has added two performances of its World Premiere stage adaptation of WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON, Saturdays May 16 and May 23 at 4:30 p.m. (The original run was April 10 – May 9.) The Newbery Honor book by Grace Lin is the story of Minli, a young Chinese girl who sets out to change her family’s fortune; it was adapted for the stage by the HTY company.
Single tickets are $20 for adults (age 18-59), $15 for seniors (age 60+) and $10 for youth (age 2-17). The show is best enjoyed by audiences five years old and above. Tickets at www.htyweb.org or 839-9885.
A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz. In the Valley of Fruitless Mountain, young Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life’s questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man of the Moon to ask him how she can change her family’s fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.
Director Eric Johnson said, “Grace Lin is one of the most beloved Asian-American writers creating work for young people today and we are thrilled to collaborate with her on this World Premiere adaptation made especially for HTY’s audiences.”
WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON is performed by Alvin Chan, Maile Holck, Junior Tesoro, Christina Uyeno and Matthew Mazzella. Director is Eric Johnson; set and lighting designer is David Gerke; props and puppet designer is Chesley Cannon; costume designer is Lacy Rohlf; sound designer and composer is Paul James Prendergast; projection designer is Adam Larsen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace Lin is the author and illustrator of picture books, early readers and middle grade novels. Grace’s 2010 Newbery Honor book WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON was chosen for Al Roker’s Today Show Kid’s Book Club and was a NY Times Bestseller. LING & TING, Grace’s first early reader, was honored with the Theodor Geisel Honor in 2011. An Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award nominee for the US, most of Grace’s books are about the Asian-American experience because she believes, “Books erase bias, they make the uncommon everyday, and the mundane exotic. A book makes all cultures universal.” See more about Grace and her work at www.gracelin.com.
Honolulu Theatre for Youth is Hawaii’s non-profit professional theatre company providing theatre and drama education programs that make a difference in the lives of Hawaii’s young people and families. Founded in 1955, HTY is recognized the world over as one of America’s most honored theaters.