THE YORK THEATRE A BY-INVITATION-ONLY READING OF THE DRAGON EMPRESS OF CHINA
Power. Ambition. Show Business.
Performed by PAOLO MONTALBAN, KAI AN CHEE, VIRGINIA WING, JAY PARANADA, VIVECA CHOW, KUPPI JESSOP, JAKE MANABAT
Monday, January 26, 2026, at 7:00 PM
New York, NY (January 22, 2026) – The York Theatre (Joseph Hayward, Producing Artistic Director, Wendy Hall, General Manager) will present a special by-invitation-only reading of the new musical The Dragon Empress of China, directed by Austin Ku (New works at Pan Asian Rep, National Asian Artists Project and PlayGround-NY; Grammy-nominated performer) on Monday, January 26, 2026 at 7:00 PM, RSVP to boxoffice@yorktheatre.org.
With book and lyrics by Bryan Leys (Hell’s Belles, Off-Broadway) and music by Donald Stark (Composer-in-Residence at Hudson Theater Works), The Dragon Empress of China is a new musical that fuses show tunes, swing, and traditional Chinese music as imperial history meets nightclub spectacle. It traces the rise of Cixi, a defiant 19th-century concubine who became China’s ruthless ruler. Her story is reinvented in 1942, San Francisco’s famed Forbidden City nightclub. While the performers bring the power struggles of the Chinese court to life on stage, backstage, they face their own battles confronting racism and the cutthroat reality of show business.
The creative team also includes Alex Ngo (Baked!, Prospect Musicals) as Music Director and Juni Li, recipient of the NYIT Outstanding Stage Manager Award, as Stage Manager.
The cast features Paolo Montalban (Prince/King Charming in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella and Descendants: The Rise of Red) as Billy, Kai An Chee (Miss Saigon revival tour) as Judy, Virginia Wing (AAPI trailblazer, NAACP Image Award nominee) as Madame Lu, Jay Paranada (Aladdin tour) as Tommy, Viveca Chow (Miss Saigon revival) as Sally, Kuppi Jessop (A Sign of the Times, Off-Broadway) as Johnny, and Jake Manabat (M. Butterfly revival) reading stage directions.
The York Theatre, “Where Musicals Come to Life,” is the only theatre in New York City—and one of very few in the world—dedicated to developing and fully producing new musicals and preserving notable shows from the past. For over five decades, York’s intimate, imaginative style of producing both original and classic musicals has resulted in critical acclaim and recognition from artists and audiences alike. Since 1997, The York has focused on new musicals in its Mainstage Series—most of them world, American, or New York premieres—by some of the field’s most esteemed creators and has also helped launch the careers of many talented new writers. Over 45 cast recordings from York Theatre productions are now available, including its acclaimed revival of Closer Than Ever (2013 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Revival). Commercial transfers of such York premieres as The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!), Souvenir (Tony Award Nomination for actress Judy Kaye), and Jolson & Company, and revivals of Pacific Overtures and Sweeney Todd (four Tony Nominations including Best Revival) have all showcased the importance of The York and its programs.
The York is the recipient of an Emmy Nomination, a special Drama Desk Award for “Developing and Producing New Musicals,” and a special Outer Critics Circle Award for “50 Years of Producing New and Classic Musicals.” The York is currently producing at The Theatre at St. Jean’s at 76th Street and Lexington Avenue.
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