Tiananmen: A New Musical Opens in Phoenix

Production members join Tiananmen student leaders for a press conference ahead of premiere.

This week, HRIC Executive Director Zhou Fengsuo traveled to Phoenix for the premiere of Tiananmen: A New Musical. Ahead of the premiere, Zhou joined his friend and fellow student leader Wu’er Kaixi, cast members Kennedy Kanagawa and Ellie Wang, musical director Darren Lee, and producer Jason Rose for a press conference where they discussed the show’s impact, its importance in the fight for freedom and democracy, and the shadow of the Chinese government’s willingness to intimidate its critics into silence.

Holding a shirt from Tiananmen Square that reads “民主自由” (Democracy and Freedom), Zhou Fengsuo told reporters that Tiananmen: A New Musical “is important for China today and for the world. Only a democratic China can be a force of peace and of prosperity.” But Tiananmen’s message comes at a cost: recently, the lead actor dropped out after facing pressure from the Chinese government, and those involved with the production had to make sure they didn’t have family members in China who would be retaliated against as a result of their involvement.

Wu’er Kaixi, who joined the project as a creative consultant, hopes that Tiananmen will be able to travel to other locations, such as New York and Taiwan, so that many people can see it. He declared that the fight for freedom and democracy in China, and around the world, is “unfinished business.”

Tiananmen: A New Musical premieres on October 6, 2023.