CATS for Culture

BESIDES PREPARING FOR THE KING and I, the Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra is immersed in cultural enrichment, and you are invited to join the group on its escorted outings to see San Francisco’s Chinatown as well as Madama Butterfly.

This summer, participants took an overnight bus trip to Manzanar Historic Site, the former Japanese Relocation Camp during World War II. They experienced what life was like for the Myamoto and Imada families as depicted in CATS recent production of Snow Falling on Cedars.

Manzanar was one of ten relocation camps in the western United States where more than 110,000 Japanese and Japanese-Americans were interned during World War II. The group explored the state-of-the-art interpretive center how to make dim sum (dumplings and assorted Chinese hor doevres) and partake in a Chinese tea ceremony.

Martin Yan of Yan Can Cook! left his mark in the foothills when he visited Grass Valley last summer and thrilled a packed audience at The Center for the Arts with his culinary showmanship.

On Sunday, Sept. 12, CATS will visit Martin in San Francisco, where he will lead the group on a cultural walking tour of Chinatown. Participants will learn how to make dim sum (dumplings and assorted Chinese hor doevres) and partake in a Chinese tea ceremony.

In addition, who wouldn’t enjoy Puccini’s Madama Butterfly? You can get dressed up for an afternoon at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco
on Saturday, Nov. 14.

This is a Lyric Opera of Chicago production and staged by Broadway legend, Harold Prince. It is performed in Italian with English supertitled. The seating is in the Orchestra section at a group rate. You can take CATS bus or drive on your own.

CATS’ auditions for Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s beloved musical The King and I are Aug. 28-29 at St. Joseph’s Cultural Center in Grass Valley.

Visit CATSweb.org to learn more.

(photo credit: Lee Foster)