Leviathan Lab Presents Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT, 11/3-19

Leviathan Lab, an Asian American professional creative studio invested in advancing the careers of Asian American artists, presents its inaugural production, Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT at the Arclight Theater at 152 West 71st Street, Level 1 between Broadway and Columbus Avenues in Manhattan, November 3 – 19 (Thursday – Saturday, 8PM; Sundays, 2PM; Wednesday, 11.16 at 8PM). The production will be directed by Leviathan Lab Artistic Director Nelson T. Eusebio III (Assistant Director, ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL, The Public Theater/NYSF's Shakespeare in the Park 2011) with original music by veteran Broadway actor/composer Jason Ma (THE SLY FOX, MISS SAIGON, SHOGUN THE MUSICAL), and sets & costumes by Maiko Chii (Oenslager Fellowship for Design, Elson Award for Design).

The production will feature an all Asian American cast from the Leviathan Lab Acting Company. In TWELFTH NIGHT, Viola, a young woman shipwrecked and stranded in the seaside city of Illyria, sets a series of events into motion that create a tangled knot of mistaken identities, bewildering desires, practical jokes, and ribald revelry that only time and fortune can untie.

Inspired by the films of auteur Wong Kar-wai, Leviathan Lab's re-imagining of Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy will be set in Hong Kong in the 1960's during the twelve days of Christmas. "The lush sensuality and deep sense of nostalgia that permeates the Hong Kong depicted in Wong Kar-wai's films from the 1960's – In the Mood for Love, Days of Being Wild – feels like the kind of Illyria that makes your heart swoon," says Eusebio. "That feeling of being drunk on love and romantic spirit seems perfect for the world of TWELFTH NIGHT, a play very much about emotion grown to excess."

About the original music, Eusebio says, "The music of Hong Kong in the 1960's was a crazy mix of Chinese opera stars, Nat King Cole crooned in Spanish, and a lot of 1960's western pop imported by Filipino club musicians.

This collage of musical styles provided Jason Ma with a feast of inspiration for Shakespeare's most musical play. The production features Maiko Chii's scenic and costume design.

Leviathan Lab's TWELFTH NIGHT by William Shakespeare is an Actors' Equity approved showcase production. Tickets are $18 general admission, $15 students and seniors, with special prices for groups of 10 or more. For reservations, please call 212.726.1059 or visit www.leviathanlab.com.