Help Bring ILLEGAL: A NEW MUSICAL to the Stage!

Help us bring Illegal: A New Musical to a bigger stage! We are deeply grateful for any support that you are moved to give us to help broaden our reach and expand our capacity to share this moving, urgent, and little-known story with as many people as we can.

Background:

After initially creating the show as a Yale workshop performance in 2019, our in-person performances were halted due to the pandemic. In 2022, we were finally able to kick off a series of concert readings of Illegal: A New Musical, as well as talks and other events in recognition of the 140th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act, and we are currently continuing to perform on both the East and West coasts, in partnership with several communities and organizations, as well as building our network in the theater community.

We are working on developing the show and intend to mount a full professional production of "Illegal" in the near future. We are prepared for this; however, it will require a significant financial investment.

Typical musical productions in New York City cost at least $30,000 and have both grassroots funding and sponsors. Your support will allow us to keep working towards this goal of putting it up in an Off-Broadway or large stage capacity.

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More about the show: 

Responding to recent anti-Asian racism and violent incidents, particularly against Asian women, Illegal is a historical fiction musical that tells the stories of Asian Americans, immigrants, and women of color especially.

Created in 2019 with book, music and lyrics by Skyler Chin & Sita Sunil, Illegal: A New Musical pays respect to the challenges immigrant families face today, shines a light on AAPI history, and gives voice to some of America’s first “illegal” immigrants. Inspired by the 1923 detainment and interrogation of Skyler’s grandfather on Angel Island en route to Manhattan Chinatown, Illegal confronts the history of anti-Asian prejudice that Skyler’s ancestors experienced during the Chinese Exclusion era and that many still face a century later. The show's bold, irreverent characters and upbeat, comedic moments honor the fighting spirit of those who persevered and allowed future Americans to proudly tell their stories.

A Finalist for the Richard Rogers Award and Semi-Finalist for the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center’s 2022 National Music Theater Conference, Illegal is packed with fast-talking clever wordplay, an innovative blend of rap, rock, poetry, and historical references, and colorful characters ready to take on the world—with kung fu, if need be. Illegal brings to center stage people largely left out of American history textbooks and mostly unseen on American stages.

Help us change that!

Learn more here.

Listen to songs on SoundCloud or on YouTube.