The East Side: A New Musical
Harvard University, Farkas Hall, April 2019
Book by Julia Riew, Jared Leong, and John Lim; Music and Lyrics by Julia Riew
As New York City Chinatown becomes increasingly gentrified, 17-year-old Ryan and his immigrant mother, Ms. Chen, must decide whether to reimagine their restaurant to appeal to American interests, or go bankrupt. Jaded by life at the restaurant, distracted by romance, and full of idealistic fantasies, Ryan struggles to balance spending time with friends, studying for the SATs, working at the Dumpling House, and investing in his hobbies. The East Side is a new coming-of-age musical about family, authenticity, gentrification, and Asian-American identity.
The East Side in the News:
Student-penned musical puts the spotlight on the Asian Student Arts Project
‘The East Side’ Explores the Struggle of Living in the West
‘The East Side’ Takes On Asian-American Identity Onstage
Senior co-writes Harvard musical to raise Asian representation in theater
Watch and Listen
Production Photos
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