BIG MONEY Video, San Diego County Fair at Del Mar, Introducing the Asian Story Theater Library, San Diego Chinese Women's Association Grant, and more!

Watch BIG MONEY in Full HERE

It's the world-famous "You're O-K, I'm O'Keefe" Dance Spectacular, the story of Irish-American Adventurer David Dean O'Keefe! How he rescued an island that barely survived for 2000 years without him! At least until the dancers take over. Then it's the truth of this very real, probably magical island, surviving pirate raiders, a religious crisis requiring the Pope to intercede, and unique island tradition of stone money: disks up to 4 meters across and 4 tons. Yap adopted the real O'Keefe, and together, incredibly, they ruled the entire world's copra industry for nearly a quarter of a century.

𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹

Asian Story Theater performing at the 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹, June 13, 2026 at the San Diego County Fair. Featuring songs from 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙇𝘼𝙎𝙏 𝘾𝙀𝙉𝙎𝙐𝙎, 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙂𝙊𝙇𝘿𝙀𝙉 𝙍𝙐𝙇𝙀, 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘾𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙀𝙀 𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙔𝙎, 𝙒𝙃𝘼𝙏 𝘼𝙍𝙀 𝙔𝙊𝙐?, 𝙈𝙐𝙎𝙄𝘾𝘼𝙇 𝙋𝘼𝙐𝙇 𝙂𝘼𝙐𝙂𝙐𝙄𝙉, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙀𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝘼𝙈𝙀𝙍𝙄𝘾𝘼𝙉. Performers include Dey Fernandez, Frankie Taitingfong, Andy Fernandez, Gingerlily Lowe, Rhys Green, and Kent Brisby.

𝘈𝘚𝘛 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘺𝘴 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭, 𝘊𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘢𝘯 𝘋𝘪𝘦𝘨𝘰.

INTRODUCING THE AST

L I B R A R Y

A recent and ongoing effort to build out the catalog of Asian Story Theater’s past productions. Afforded by support for training, equipment, and talent by the Prebys Foundation, this includes video recordings of past productions dating back to 1989. As part and supplemental to those productions, we have a considerable archive of original music. Beginning with this newsletter, each month we will share links to one video, and one musical recording. We think you will find evidence of some remarkably talented artists. I hope you enjoy this bit of AST (and world) history.

𝘈𝘚𝘛 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘺𝘴 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭, 𝘊𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘢𝘯 𝘋𝘪𝘦𝘨𝘰.

FOR AUGUST:

Video recording of recent Fringe production BIG MONEY, Part 1 (2026). BIG MONEY

Audio feature: “Sweet Pikake," featured in ASIAN SCARY THEATER (2024). Spotify - Apple Music

Vocal, ukulele - Gingerlily Lowe
Featured ukulele - Anthony Stanley
Slack key guitar, background vocal - Kent Brisby
Bass - Douglas Walker
Percussion - Danny Campbell
Music and lyrics - Gingerlily Lowe
Recording Engineer - Shawn Rohlf, House of Burlap

San Diego Chinese Women’s Association

The San Diego Chinese Women’s Association has awarded Asian Story Theater a grant in support of our 2027 Lunar New Year show. The Association has been gracious enough to support this series for the past several years. Our 2026 show THE GREAT HORSE OF MONGOLIA was seeded with their support. This June they announced their help for 2027 along with other grants and scholarships in a luncheon awards ceremony. Their recurring support has been critical to this community program. Specific information about our 2027 program will be announced in an upcoming newsletter.

In Other News...

The Family Album - Live at La Jolla Playhouse Through August 23rd

Our friends at La Jolla Playhouse are excited to share a special offer for THE FAMILY ALBUM, extended one more week. It's a powerful, uplifting new musical that follows an Asian-American family. Singer-songwriter Mia Bing is on the cusp of breaking through in the music industry. Just as she receives the call that could change her career, she’s pulled back to her childhood home. This humorous and poignant world-premiere musical is now playing through Aug 23rd.

The playhouse is also extending a special discount code to Asian Story Theater friends and newsletter recipients. If you use the codeword COMMUNITY when you make a reservation, you can receive a 20% discount on regular ticket prices.

Questions? Suggestions? Want to get involved?

To share a story, audition, make a donation, or just get involved, please send us an email to [email protected]