ABOUT THE SHOW

Big Queer Filipino Karaoke Night! is a Clown-Drag-Karaoke Extravaganza, serving up Filipino-Canadian identity shenanigans, queer insights, family epiphanies, and soul gratifying karaoke! Inspired by Davey Calderon’s visit to his family’s ancestral land, the Philippines, this show is an interactive celebration of the intersections found in oneself. 

BQFKN! was created on the unceded lands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓-speaking xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) and səlil̓wətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim-speaking Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) peoples. This show is proud to be created by POC, QTPOC, and queer collaborators. All showings of BQFKN! have opt-in/opt-out values throughout a performance. 

Audiences are invited by Ate Dee-Dee to the first EVER queer-Filipinx karaoke night, all themed around quintessentially “queer-Filipinx” karaoke songs. However, things don’t always go to plan, as the man underneath the plastic wig (Davey) is still confronted by what inspired this kooky karaoke night -his trip to the Philippines- and can’t help but interrupt the night’s performance. He wants everyone to know about these bursting conflicted feelings, much to Ate Dee-Dee’s chagrin. Follow Ate Dee-Dee and Davey on this karaoke-storytelling-theatre journey that redefines everything you think you know about being Filipino. 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Davey Samuel Calderon, Writer/Performer (he/they) – is a director, curator, writer, producer, drag artist, dramaturg and settler on the unceded lands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples. He is the Co-Founder of New(to)Town Collective, an emerging theatre collective. Big Queer Filipino Karaoke Night! was his first written solo show that had a workshop showing at the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival (Produced by Tender Container and associate producers New(to)Town Collective and Neworld Theatre; Funded by BCAC). And the writer and producer of the short film, RUN (2018 Vancouver Queer Film Festival). Assistant director and co-dramaturg on My Name Is SUMIKO by June Fukumura at the 2019 Vancouver Fringe Festival (Produced by New(to)Town Collective and winner of the 2019 Pick of the Fringe Award). 

Currently, he is Playwrights Theatre Centre’s Dramaturg, Public Engagement, and is currently the dramaturg for  Mily Mumford’s It Lives in My Bedroom (PTC Associate 2021-24), Bianca Miranda’s Opo (2021 vAct’s  MSG Lab), Jenna Masuhara’s Before They Cut Down Our Tree (2020/21 vAct’s MSG & MSG2 Lab), and Zahida Rahemtullla’s The Frontliners (winner of the PTC New Play in Development Prize and the 2021 PGC’s RBC Emerging Playwright award). 

Chris Lam,  Director / Dramaturg   (he/him) –  is a director, actor and writer working and living on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples. He has worked with the Arts Club, Gateway Theatre, VACT, Frank Theatre, Rumble Theatre, Ensemble Theatre Company, Ruby Slippers Theatre and Pacific Theatre to name a few. He is the recipient of the Ray Michal Award for an Emerging Director in 2020 and twice Jessie Award nominated actor. His also the artistic director of West Moon Theatre in Vancouver. Follow him on IG: @phildashil and Twitter: @phildashil 

Anjela Magpantay, Cultural Consultant (she/her) – is a first-generation Canadian originating from the Philippines and is grateful to witness a reconnection to the “Motherland” and identity in BQFKN! She is a Co-Founder of New(to)Town Collective (NtTC), a theatre company that produces by-donation classes called Training Jams. NtTC strives to cross pollinate various streams of performance training and communities. Anjela also works freelance as an actor, teacher, producer and collaborator with various artists of different disciplines. She has a BFA in Theatre Performance from Simon Fraser University. 

Andie Lloyd,  Lighting Designer (she/he/they) –  is a queer interdisciplinary artist and community advocate, currently based on unceded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Territories. She works as a lighting and video designer, a platform consultant and writer, primarily working with Isadora. Her recent projects include her Surtitle & Projection Design work with Neworld Theatre’s Clean/Espejos, an interactive and real-time operated lighting design for FakeKnot’s whip, and looks forward to co-creating a live-streamed production of Christine Quintana’s Selfie with rice & beans theatre and Festival of Live Digital Art in June 2022. www.andielloyd.ca GFHG SDGM. 

Anthony Kit Lee,   Production Coordinator (he/him) –   is an emerging writer, director, interdisciplinary artist working in theatre and film on the unceded territories colonially known as Vancouver. His work focuses on challenging existing boudary between cinema and live-performance. As a Hong Konger, his works investigate the impacts of colonialism and totalitarianism. Anthony’s work has been presented across Canada. Anthony received his BFA in Film Production from Simon Fraser University and is currently an artistic associate at Radix Theatre. GFHG SDGM 

June Hsu,   Projection/Sound Designer (she/her)-  is an artist, musician, and theatre production designer passionate in all aspects of sound, set, and video. In 2019, she graduated from the Douglas College Stagecraft and Event Technology program and is currently studying in Simon Fraser University working towards her BFA in Theatre Production and Design. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada -the unceded and stolen traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim-speaking Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), and səlil̓wətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. June has been surrounded by the colourful sounds and sights from the cities to the mountains; sparking an interest in exploring the interrelations between sounds and their unique personalities.  

With over 15 years of practice in classical music and composition, her sound design works include “7 Stories” (Douglas College), “Selfie” (SFU SCA), and “The Tempest” (Carousel Theatre for Young People). Her other works also include: “Peter and the Wolf” (Collaborator) and “Our Eyes Will Adjust” (Set Designer & Technical Director Phase 1). 

ABOUT NEW(TO)TOWN COLLECTIVE

An emerging theatre collective based in Vancouver BC, aspiring to provide accessible, experimental training workshops and creating new interdisciplinary works together. We are interested in collaborating and cross pollinating our practices and ideas with collaborators from across all artistic disciplines through our Training Jams. As a Collective, we bring together a unique blend of practices including: Grotowski, devising, clowning, visual arts, contemporary dance, playwriting, dramaturgy, directing and more! We are integrating these practices to train and create new works as a collective while supporting each other’s individual artistic endeavors. Check us out @ www.newtotowncollective.com 

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SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE!

Adults: $35 | Seniors: $32 | Students: $16