The Monkey King: A Kung Fu Musical

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The Monkey King

NEW! Musical Theatre: The Monkey King: A Kung Fu Musical

An amazing original musical for the whole family, THE MONKEY KING is based on the legendary mythical figure from the beloved 16th-century Chinese novel “Journey to the West,” by Wu Cheng’en. Heartfelt music and an inspiring storyline tell the adventures of the first-ever female Monkey King as she battles against Heaven and Earth’s most treacherous foes to save her tribe and achieve immortality. With a cast of memorable characters, a mix of classical and rock music, and kung-fu style choreography – this is an action adventure come to life! Starring Kimbirdlee as The Monkey King recently played at the Claire Schulman Theater in Queens, NY and Landmark on Main St in Port Washington, NY.

PERFORMER BIOS:

Kimbirdlee Fadner is an actor, singer, director, producer, artist, Chinese brush painting artist, model and community builder. As an actor with classical, musical and theatrical technical training, she frequently performs in musical theatre, dramatic plays, TV/FILM, cabarets and new works by composers and writers in New York City, the Midwest and nationwide.

Some of Kimbirdlee’s most recent NYC theatre credits include, Agatha Christie’s “Witness for the Prosecution” (Role: Romain Vole; “The Pajama Game” (Role: Gladys); “Into the Woods” (Role: Florinda, National Asian Artists Project); Thornton Wilder’s “The Alcestiad” (Role: Death, Magis Theatre Co); Shakespeare’s “Richard ll” (Role: Queen Isabel) and “The Tempest” (Role: Ariel, Marin Shakespeare Co in California). She has also appeared on TV in all branches of “Law & Order” and “FBI”(NBC TV);“Gossip Girl,”(The CW); “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Fallout” and upcoming “Ètoile” (Amazon Prime Video); “Eric,” (Netflix) (Benedict Cumberbatch) and more.

Fadner is a company member of Magis Theatre Company, whose mission is to bring neglected classics back to life and animate works of literature never before brought to the stage. She is a member of the National Asian Artists Project, which actively builds bridges between the work of artists of Asian descent in New York City and worldwide.

Kimbirdlee Fadner has originated multiple theatrical roles in new musicals. The one earning the highest recognition is “The Monkey King, A Kung Fu Musical,” in which Kimbirdlee plays the first-ever female Monkey King, who battles against Heaven and Earth’s most treacherous foes to save her tribe and achieve immortality. The production debuted last year at The Claire Shulman Theater at Queens Theatre in Queens, New York

(February 2023), after several years of development. In 2018, the project received a Queens Council on the Arts New Works Grant. It was workshopped at Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance’s Howe Theatre in the Roosevelt Island Cultural Center in May 2018, August 2018 and August 2022. (Roosevelt Island is an island in New York City’s East River, within the borough of Manhattan.) The show was also workshopped at Queens Theatre in August 2018; at the Figment Festival NYC in June 2019; and with the National Asian Artists Project at The Actors Temple Theater in New York City in October 2019. In addition, the show was presented by Queens Theatre as a virtual presentation in the year 2020.

“Writing and starring in “The Monkey King A Kung-Fu Musical with Jonathan (Fadner) is my most meaningful project to date that highlights my own culture, empowers my world as an Asian woman, and creates much needed opportunities for the Asian theatre community here in New York City and beyond,” said Kimbirdlee Fadner, who is co-writer and star.

To round off Kimbirdlee’s cultural influence as an Asian artist, she and her well-known Chinese brush painting artist mother, Charlotte Fung Miller of Mukwonago, Wisconsin, have exhibited their Chinese Brush Paintings in the Midwest, and on the East and West Coasts. Kimbirdlee’s series, “The 5 Element Dragons” and “The Swirly Dragon Series” are representative of her love for ancient art and symbolism, and are sold as limited edition pieces. In 2022, Kimbirdlee collaborated with Charlotte Fung Miller to create the Chinese Brush Painting influenced digital backdrop for, “The Monkey King, A Kung Fu Musical.”

Kimbirdlee Fadner is also a Theatre Director, Voice and Acting Coach at Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance, a Manhattan performing arts non-profit with a dedication toward producing new works for underrepresented populations.

Fadner’s directing credits include, “The Monkey King a Kung Fu Musical,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Wind in the Willows,” “Into the Woods” and “Disney’s Descendant.

She attended the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California (ACT-SF) and Mills College at Northeastern University in Oakland, California before moving to New York City to pursue her acting career with her composer/writer husband (Jonathan Fadner). They now have two children, also professional child actors.

Jonathan Fadner

Jonathan Fadner is a composer, lyricist and writer whose works for theatre have been produced by Queens Theatre, National Asian Artists Project, Common Man Musicals, Mr. Finn’s Cabaret at Barrington Stage Company, 23 Elephants Theatre Company, Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance (MSTDA) and Landmark on Main St., among others. His songs have been featured by 54 Below, NYMF, Barrington Stage, MSTDA, Don’t Tell Mamma’s, Sardi’s, The Duplex, The Sanctuary and more.

Jonathan Fadner’s commissioned piece from Main Street Theater & Dance Alliance, “The Monkey King, A Kung Fu Musical” which he wrote with his wife Kimbirdlee (Sau Wai) Fadner, has had developmental NYC performances at the Queens Theatre in the Park (directed by Steven Eng); the Actor’s Temple in NYC, Flushing Library, the Howe Theatre, Figment Festival and the public library on Roosevelt Island, and was presented as part of Queens Theatre’s online content. It received a well-acclaimed, full production at Queens Theatre in 2023.

As a Junior version, “The Monkey King, A Kung Fu Musical,” has been performed multiple times in New York and California. Fadner’s musical, “The Ghosts All Around You,” was commissioned by MSTDA, is now an annual tradition and was funded by the New York State Council on the Arts and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. In August 2024 and 2023 as part of MSTDA’s Make-a-Musical Progam, “The Wind in the Willows” and “Book About Life” were performed in the Howe Theatre in NYC.

His full-length musical, “The Unspeakable Act” (Book by Steven Hess, Lyrics by Steven Hess and Jonathan Fadner) and music by Jonathan Fadner, won Best of Fringe in the San Francisco Fringe Festival. Jonathan Fadner has written four full-length musicals for the stage: “The Monkey King: A Kung Fu Musical,” “The Wind in the Willows,” “The Ghosts All Around You,” and “Book About Life,” as well as many scores for plays and other musicals.

Fadner also writes music for plays. He has written music for Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline” and “As You Like It” at NYU’s Meisner Studio in Brooklyn, “Romeo and Juliet” and “The Comedy of Errors” at NYU Tisch’s New School, and “Richard II” at MSTDA. He has new projects coming up for 2024-25 at NYU & MSTDA.

Jonathan Fadner works in New York City as a teacher who specializes in creating new musical theater pieces with youth. He also serves as the technical director of Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance, a nonprofit performing arts center.

CAST:

Kimbirdlee Fadner as MONKEY KING

Jack Fadner as JOGO

Chrissy Pardo as GANJUWAI & GUAN YIN

Benjamin Leaf as JADE EMPEROR

Brian Jose as DEMON OF HAVOC

*All actors, except for Monkey King, also play a myriad of colorful characters