The Wallis To Celebrate Lunar New Year With THE GREAT RACE And FAMILY FEST

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts will celebrate the Year of the Horse with a day of Lunar New Year programming on Saturday, January 17, featuring a ticketed stage production and a free outdoor family festival.

At 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., The Wallis will present Honolulu Theatre for Youth in The Great Race, performed in the Lovelace Studio Theatre. Written and directed by Reiko Ho, the production retells the story of the Chinese Zodiac through a family’s Lunar New Year celebration, using traditional movement, music, and martial arts to explore how each animal earned its place in the 12-year cycle.

Running concurrently with the performances, The Wallis will host Family Fest Celebrating Lunar New Year, a free outdoor festival on the campus grounds from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The festival will feature hands-on arts and crafts, cultural activities, and live performances.

Participating groups include Qing Wei Lion and Dragon Dance Cultural Troupe, Cold Tofu Improv Comedy Troupe, the Beverly Hills Public Library, and the City of Beverly Hills Community Services Department.

The Great Race draws from one of the most widely known folktales explaining the origins of the Chinese Zodiac. In the story, the Jade Emperor declares a race across a river, with the first twelve animals to finish earning a year named in their honor. The animals’ approaches to the challenge are said to reflect the personality traits associated with each zodiac sign.

Director and playwright Reiko Ho said the story is closely tied to her own upbringing. “I hope this play is not only how I pass on this story to a new generation, but part of the healing we are still doing after the terrible Asian-hate during the pandemic,” Ho said. “Growing up in Hawai‘i has taught me that healing starts with aloha and delight in one another’s cultures. Stories connect us all.”

Honolulu Theatre for Youth Artistic Director Eric Johnson emphasized the role of storytelling in community connection. “We believe wholeheartedly in the power of stories to bring us together across time and distance,” Johnson said, noting that sharing cultural narratives helps strengthen understanding and belonging.

Founded in 1955, Honolulu Theatre for Youth is one of the oldest professional theatre companies for young audiences in the United States and is known for creating original works rooted in the cultures of the Pacific.