The Chop Stops: Off-Broadway's Cookin' Will End Aug. 7; International Life Continues
By Kenneth Jones
12 Jul 2005
The producers of Cookin' — the international stage sensation that mixes machete-like movement with culinary theatrics — announced that the Off-Broadway engagement of the show will end Aug. 7 at the Minetta Lane Theatre.
The show is the "first-ever long running Korean production in New York City." By the time it closes, it will have played 632 performances and a 16 month run.
Conceived and directed by Seung Whan Song, Cookin' officially opened its New York run March 7, 2004.
In a statement, producer Simone Genatt said, "It has been a great pleasure to have Cookin' in New York where it has given a tremendous amount of joy to audiences, especially the countless families who were in the theatre at each performance. We owe a debt of gratitude to the many wonderful Korean artists who have performed in the show over the past 16 months, as well as our generous Korean sponsors."
Productions continue around the world. Cookin' recently concluded a North American tour and will continue to tour world-wide. Future plans also include a tour of Mainland China, Indonesia and Hong Kong as well as multiple scheduled engagements throughout Europe and Russia.
Cookin' is presented Off-Broadway by PMC Production Co. Ltd., Seung Whan Song, Kwang Ho Lee, The Broadway Asia Company, Simone Genatt Haft and Marc Routh, in association with Zemiro, Mort Swinsky and Amy Danis/Mark Johannes.
The piece was presented as part of the 2003-2004 season at New York's New Victory Theatre.
Here's how the producers characterize the experience: "Staged in a restaurant kitchen, Cookin' is a hilarious non-verbal percussion show featuring four crazy Korean chefs who are working against the clock to prepare a complete wedding banquet. With an overheated Maitre D' intent on keeping the foursome on schedule, Cookin' slices, dices, chops and beats a delightfully spellbinding blend of martial arts, drumming and dance."
Originally developed in Seoul by PMC Production Co. Ltd. in 1997, Cookin' applies the traditional rhythms of Samulnori — a form of Korean music – "to a fast-paced kitchen percussion show combining comedy, rhythm and non-verbal performance that culminate into a dynamic and delicious evening of performance." The typical instruments of Samulnori have all been replaced with utensils commonly found in the kitchen including knives, cutting boards, pots, pans, chopsticks and woks.
Cookin' features scenic design by Dong Woo Park, costume design by Hee Joo Kim, lighting design by Hak Young Kim and sound design by Jai Hyun Park.
Performances continue Wednesday through Friday evenings at 8 PM, Saturdays at 2 PM, 6 PM and 9 PM, and Sundays at 2 PM and 5:30 PM.
Tickets for Cookin' are $40-$65 and are available by calling the Minetta Lane Theatre box office at (212) 420-8000 or Ticketmaster.com at (212) 307-4100, or in person at the Minetta Lane, 18 Minetta Lane, one block south of W. 3rd St., between Sixth Avenue and MacDougal St.
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A scene from Cookin'
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| photo by Joan Marcus |
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