Did anyone else love HEADING EAST?

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 2:40pm

Last night I saw the concert version of HEADING EAST at the Asia Society. Despite the fact that this show has been kicking around for over a decade, this was my first exposure to it. It's an ambitious book, chronicling 150 years of the Asian-American experience (for lack of a better term) through the eyes of one family. Aside from the fact that the chronology doesn't quite make sense (the wife is pregnant for what seems like decades), I thought the score was glorious (everything from torchy ballads to bouncy Broadway numbers, including a splashy send-up of Judy Garland's 'Born in a Trunk' number called 'Born in a Junk') and the performances were stellar. It's always a joy to see BD Wong singing and dancing (loved him in HERRINGBONE and PIPPIN), but, age age 50, his (ahem) maturity adds an important gravitas to the central role of the young man who leaves China to seek a better life, only to find, as he grows older, that monetary success does not necessarily bring happiness. As his wife, Fay Ann Lee is superb, and her singing is absolutely lovely, especially in the poignant 11 o'clock number 'Only Home' which had more than a few of us wiping away tears. The entire cast is strong, and I especially enjoyed Jon Norman Schneider's performance as the ambitious son Leonard. I thought his performance in CHING CHONG CHINAMAN was excellent, but didn't realize he had such a wonderful singing voice. His song, 'Comin' Home', sung by the son who left his family to find fame and fortune, but comes home broke and unsuccessful, will break your heart.

It's a long show (3 hours) and there were a few empty seats after the intermission, so I gather not everyone was as enchanted as I was, but for me it was a delightful evening. Now that BD Wong is one of the producers, as well as the star, I hope this show receives a full-scale production.

(BTW: I was thrilled to find a CD available on Amazon, featuring, among others, Paolo Montalban, Fay Ann Lee, Christine Toy Johnson, and THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE'S Ken Leung. There are songs on the CD that have been removed from the show, and songs in the show not on the CD, but at least it's something)