Cambodian Rock Band
| Cambodian Rock Band | |
|---|---|
| File:Cambodian Rock Band Lauren Yee play 2020 Off-Broadway Poster, Signature Theatre.jpg 2020 Off-Broadway production poster | |
| Written by | Lauren Yee |
| Characters | Chum Neary Duch Rom Leng Pou |
| Genre | Drama, Comedy |
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Cambodian Rock Band is a play by American playwright Lauren Yee that follows the Cambodian genocide through the lens of a musician father during the regime and his daughter in present-day. The play, featuring original music by Dengue Fever, premiered in 2018 at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California,[1] before premiering Off-Broadway at Signature Theatre Company on February 24, 2020.[2]
Plot
The play takes place across two time periods, the 1970s and 2008. In the latter, we meet a Cambodian-American lawyer named Neary, who is working to prosecute leaders of the Cambodian genocide. When her father, Chum, who himself fled the country, arrives unexpectedly to urge her to return home, she's caught between justice and security.[3]
The play also flashes back to the 1970s, during the height of the genocide, seeing Chum as a musician in a surf rock band. The regime targets artists and intellectuals, and eventually Chum and his band are imprisoned in S-21, a notoriously brutal prison run by the ruthless Duch. As the story escalates, we see Chum emerging as one of the only survivors of the prison and the power music played in his survival.[4]
Production history
Yee was inspired to write the play based on her love for the surf-rock band, Dengue Fever.[5] The play first premiered at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California in 2018, directed by Chay Yew and starring Joe Ngo as Chum, Brooke Ishibashi as Neary/Sothea, Daisuke Tsuji as Duch, Abraham Kim as Rom/Journalist, Raymond Lee as Ted/Leng and Jane Lui as Pou. The production also featured original music by Dengue Fever.[6][1] The production opened on March 4, 2018 and ran through March 25, 2018. The play received positive reviews, with BroadwayWorld calling it "stunning" and a "tragic piece of history,"[7] and Reappropriate lauded the play as "mesmerizing" featuring a "powerhouse cast."[8] For the production, Lauren Yee won the Horton Foote Prize,[9] Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award,[10] along with a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award[11] and a Craig Noel Award.[12]
Following its positive reception, the production was announced to transfer Off-Broadway as part of Signature Theatre Company's season. Yew returned as director, with Ngo, Lui and Kim reprising their roles, and Francis Jue as Duch, Courtney Reed as Neary/Sothea and Moses Villarama as Ted/Leng. The production opened on February 4, 2020, originally scheduled to run through March 22, 2020,[2] but shuttered early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[citation needed] The Off-Broadway production received mixed to positive reviews, with some criticism for the play's shifts between comedy and historical drama. Ben Brantley's review in The New York Times praised the cast's performances, though noted the writing struggles to "comfortably reconcile the radical shifts in style and mood."[13] A review in Variety praised the production's ambition and use of music, with criticism of the modern-day plot, calling it "thin", though praising the "rousing finale."[14] Nonetheless, the production was nominated for two Drama Desk Awards,[15][16] including Outstanding Play, two Drama League Awards,[17] and an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play.[18] Jue won a Lucille Lortel Award for his performance as Duch.[19] A cast album was released in May of 2020 through Yellow Sound Label.[20]
The play has since been produced at regional theatres including Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2023[21] and in Los Angeles by the East West Players in 2025.[22]
Cast and characters
| Character | Coast Repertory 2018[1] | Off-Broadway 2020[2] |
|---|---|---|
| Chum | Joe Ngo | |
| Neary/Sothea | Brooke Ishibashi | Courtney Reed |
| Duch | Daisuke Tsuji | Francis Jue |
| Rom/Journalist | Abraham Kim | |
| Ted/Journalist | Raymond Lee | Moses Villarama |
| Pou | Jane Lui | |
Accolades
2018 Los Angeles production
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Horton Foote Prize | Lauren Yee | Won | [9] | |
| 2019 | American Theatre Critics Association Award | Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award | Won | [10] | |
| Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award | Best Production | Won | [11] | ||
| Outstanding Featured Performance | Daisuke Tsuji | Won | |||
| The Ted Schmitt Award | Lauren Yee | Won | |||
| Craig Noel Award | Outstanding Dramatic Production | Won | [12] | ||
| Outstanding Direction of a Play | Chay Yew | Won | |||
| Outstanding Featured Performance | Daisuke Tsuji | Won | |||
2020 Off-Broadway production
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Play | Nominated | [23][24] | |
| Outstanding Actor in a Play | Francis Jue | Nominated | |||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play | Honored | [25] | ||
| Lucille Lortel Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Francis Jue | Won | [26] | |
| Drama League Award | Outstanding Production of a Play | Nominated | [27] | ||
| Distinguished Performance | Joe Ngo | Nominated | |||
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Cambodian Rock Band (Production Program) (PDF) (Theater Program). South Coast Repertory. March 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2026. Search this book on
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Clement, Olivia (February 24, 2020). "Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band Opens at Off-Broadway's Signature". Playbill. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ Alley Theatre (2023). "Cambodian Rock Band". Alley Theatre. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
- ↑ Concord Theatricals. "Cambodian Rock Band". Concord Theatricals. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
- ↑ Kearse, Kerri (May 25, 2021). "Post-Pandemic, Cambodian Rock Band's Tour is Ready to Storm the Stage". Playbill. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ So, Caylee (June 29, 2018). "Rock in a Hard Place: Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band". American Theatre. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ Donelan, Charles (March 19, 2018). "BWW Review: Powerful New Play Cambodian Rock Band Makes World Premiere at South Coast Repertory". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ Fang, Jenn (March 21, 2018). ""Cambodian Rock Band" Brings Khmer History to Life through Story and Song". Reappropriate. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Clement, Olivia (2018-09-04). "Jaclyn Backhaus and Lauren Yee Awarded Horton Foote Prize". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Staff, American Theatre (2019-04-08). "Lauren Yee's 'Cambodian Rock Band' Takes Steinberg-ATCA Award". American Theatre. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Tsuji, Daisuke (2019-04-08). "Winner of Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle award for outstanding Featured Performance!!!". Daisuke Tsuji. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Chang, Lia (2020-02-14). "Cambodian Rock Band, Chay Yew, Daisuke Tsuji, Hold These Truths' Ryun Yu Win San Diego's 2019 Craig Noel Awards; Full List of Winners". Backstage Pass with Lia Chang. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
- ↑ Brantley, Ben (February 24, 2020). "Review: Partying With the Khmer Rouge in Cambodian Rock Band". The New York Times. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ Stasio, Marilyn (2020-02-25). "Cambodian Rock Band Review: Lauren Yee's Play Opens Off Broadway". Variety. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
- ↑ "2020 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
- ↑ Dan Meyer (June 13, 2020). "A Strange Loop, The Inheritance, Moulin Rouge! Win Big at 2020 Drama Desk Awards". Playbill. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Moulin Rouge! and Danny Burstein Among 2020 Drama League Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
- ↑ Clement, Olivia (May 11, 2020). "Moulin Rouge! Leads 2020 Outer Critics Circle Award Honorees". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ↑ Clement, Olivia (3 May 2020). "Octet and Heroes of the Fourth Turning Lead 2020 Lucille Lortel Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- ↑ Clement, Olivia (April 15, 2020). "Cambodian Rock Band to Release Off-Broadway Cast Recording". Playbill. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ Gans, Andrew (January 31, 2023). "Cast Complete for Cambodian Rock Band at Berkeley Rep". Playbill. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ Wood, Ximón (January 8, 2024). "East West Players Announces Cast and Creative Team for Los Angeles Premiere of Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band". East West Players. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ "2020 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ Dan Meyer (June 13, 2020). "A Strange Loop, The Inheritance, Moulin Rouge! Win Big at 2020 Drama Desk Awards". Playbill. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ Clement, Olivia (May 11, 2020). "Moulin Rouge! Leads 2020 Outer Critics Circle Award Honorees". Playbill. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ Clement, Olivia (3 May 2020). "Octet and Heroes of the Fourth Turning Lead 2020 Lucille Lortel Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- ↑ "Moulin Rouge! and Danny Burstein Among 2020 Drama League Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
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