[Sun Oct 11, the same set will be performed starting at 2pm and 3:30pm, at 21 Pell Street]
** Due to weather forecast, this program will be moved indoors in the First Chinese Baptist Church, 21 Pell Street
A lively outdoor variety show on Pell Street bringing traditional and contemporary acts to the doorstep of the 100-year old First Chinese Baptist Church on Pell Street. Experience the dazzling spectacle of Sichuan opera face-changing, the wonder of a masterful magician, mesmerizing hoop dance, delightful puppetry, soulful Hawaiian guitar, and plenty of comedy and laughter—all coming together in an unexpected mix of magic, music, and motion on the streets of Chinatown.
This performance is a free-flowing event on Pell Street. Feel free to grab a snack, catch a part of performance - and if you miss some, come back for the second showing! Send a donation to support the artists and Think!Chinatown.
This event is a FREE outdoor event. RSVP above to get the latest info in case of changes due to weather or any other reason.
Donate any amount to support our artists and Think!Chinatown’s work.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Andy Wang is a Hawaiian slack key guitarist and vocalist whose music is deeply rooted in the traditions of Hawaiʻi. He has studied with slack key masters Keola Beamer, Raymond Kāne, and Ozzie Kotani, and has appeared as a special guest with HAPA and twice opened for the legendary Mākaha Sons.
Spica Wobbe ( 鄭淑芸 Shu-yun Cheng) is the co-founder of Double Image Theater Lab. Spica is a puppetry artist originally from Taiwan. She has worked and studied with master puppeteers Albrecht Roser, Norbert Goetz (Germany), Damiet van Dalsum (Holland), Suratno S. Kar (Indonesia), Peter Schumann and Ralph Lee (U.S.).
Yukio Tsuji (shakuhachi, percussion) is a composer and performer who has collaborated on more than 200 productions over the years. Throughout his career, he has worked with many major theater directors including Estelle Parsons, Ellen Stewart, Jerome Robins, Julie Taymor, Sir Peter Hall, John Dexter, Andre Serban, and Elizabeth Swados.
Eric Qiu, known onstage as Magic Q, is a Shanghai-born, New York-based magician whose performances blend Eastern artistic traditions and philosophy with American humor and pacing. Through visual magic, sleight of hand, music, and audience interaction, he creates shows that connect across cultures and generations.
Tony Liao 廖祖華 is a veteran performer of Sichuan Opera Research Institute in Chengdu, China, he has more than 20 years of professional experience in Sichuan Opera performance. He studied at Sichuan Opera School and specialized in face-changing performance. He has performed in Europe and America.
Abby Man-Yee Chan is a Hong Kong–born choreographer, dancer, performer, and puppeteer based in Brooklyn. A former dancer with City Contemporary Dance Company and co-artistic director of Mcmuimui Dansemble, her work has been presented internationally across Asia, the United States, and Brazil.
Yuen Yu Caroline Chan (Caro) is a trilingual actor, comedian, and emcee from Hong Kong. A Performer of the Year Nominee by the International Association of Theatre Critics (HK) and a 2025 Asian Cultural Council New York Fellow, she hosts across English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.
With thanks to The First Chinese Baptist Church at 21 Pell St, who has been serving Chinatown for 100 years, for their ongoing partnership with Think!Chinatown
Chinatown Arts Festival, presented by Think!Chinatown, celebrates the cultural richness of Manhattan’s Chinatown. We present Chinatown folk artists and emerging Asian American artists in dialogue with each other, so that we can bring generations together and connect with a wider arts audience.
Think!Chinatown 心目華埠 is a creative placekeeping non-profit here to create intergenerational spaces of art, joy, belonging and connection in Manhattan’s Chinatown. At the intersection of arts, storytelling and neighborhood engagement, T!C works to grow community agency in our own neighborhood’s built environment as well as the narrative of our own stories. T!C is the team behind Chinatown Nights (fka Chinatown Night Market), Chinatown Arts Festival, Chinatown Block Party, Chinatown Storytelling Festival. Our home is the Think!Chinatown Studio, at 1 Pike Street, where you can find exhibitions, cultural and food workshops, small performances and talks. Learn more at www.thinkchinatown.org. To stay up to date on program offerings, subscribe to Think!Chinatown’s email list. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Want to be a patron of Think!Chinatown’s work? Donate here