GOAL Our goal is to mount a full production of Illegal: A New Musical in 2022, to recognize the 140th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act and to continue our support of the #StopAsianHate movement. To make that happen, we need you!
For too long Asian American voices and narratives have been left out of history textbooks, media representation, and public consciousness. Help us change that, by bringing Illegal to the stage!
*** BUDGET So far, we've raised $5000. Making a musical is costly, though, so we still have a long way to go.
Without your support, this show cannot happen. Join us on our journey to bring Illegal and its message of perseverance, solidarity, and hope to more individuals and communities.
MORE ABOUT ILLEGAL Illegal is the proud love child of Hamilton and Bruce Lee, inheriting from one its fast-talking clever wordplay and innovative blending of rap, rock, and historical references, and from the other its high-energy cast of colorful characters ready to take on the world—with kung fu, if need be.
By turns serious, satirical, and slapstick, Illegal tells the story of some of America’s first "illegal" immigrants, drawing on the experiences of Skyler’s ancestors in the 1920s to critique and call out the oppressive immigration policies and anti-Asian biases of today. Although the characters are fictional, many lyrics, stories, and names are real and come from family documents, historical records, and poetry carved into the walls by immigrant detainees. Illegal brings to center stage a group of people largely left out of American history textbooks and mostly unseen on American theatre stages.
*** MORE ABOUT OUR 2021 VIRTUAL TOUR Inspired by the #StopAsianHate movement and seeking to respond, as artists, to the anti-Asian violence and hatred that we saw during the pandemic, we created the 2021 Illegal virtual tour. Starting in May, AAPI Heritage Month, we began partnering with community organizations and schools to host virtual presentations about how storytelling and arts activism can combat hate and inspire empathy. Through this tour, we have introduced Illegal to hundreds of new fans and created momentum for our full production in 2022.
2022:
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation *Community Partner*
Chinese Historical Society of America
Flushing Town Hall
High School Tour - performances hosted by:
Manhasset Memorial High School
Bronx Science
Great Neck South High School
2021:
AAPI Heritage Month Virtual Tour - performances hosted by:
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund *Community Partner*
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation *Community Partner*
Asian American / Asian Research Institute at CUNY
Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans
Apex for Youth
Great Neck South High School
The Nueva School
Yale Associations of Rhode Island and Cape Cod
OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates National Summit
Carnegie Hall- performance supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies
Times Square - outdoor performance in the heart of Broadway
2019:
Yale University -
Lighten Theater workshop production - three sold-out performances
Asian American Students Alliance 50th Anniversary Gala
Tsai City Innovation Award performance
Museum of Chinese in America - Lunar New Year festival performance
2018:
Museum of Chinese in America - performance of first songs