Interstate Reviews

Stage and Cinema- Recommended

"...In the age of A Strange Loop, the hit Broadway musical about a "Big Black Queer" it seems the time is ripe for more musicals about the gay experience, but one with transgender characters as leads' Lesbian singer-songwriter Melissa Li and transgender spoken-word artist Kit Yan formed a band named Good Asian Drivers, which began touring in 2008. Inspired by their time on the road as an "activist band" Yan began writing a musical with Li that mirrored their story. (Which is precisely what writer Michael R. Jackson did for A Strange Loop.) The result is Interstate, a sunny, uncomplicated, feel-good musical comedy which opened at East West Players in Los Angeles last night."

Stage Scene LA- Highly Recommended

"...A 20something trans man and his lesbian best friend take a road trip across America (and in so doing transform the life of a transgender Kentucky teen) in East West Players’ powerful, exhilarating World Premiere musical Interstate."

Stage Raw- Highly Recommended

"...The book of Interstate netted its writers the 2021 Kleban Prize, an annual award given to musical theater writers of extraordinary promise, and the honor is well-earned. The intersectionality of queer and Asian identities is a notion rarely explored on stage, but this show does so brilliantly with the nuance and authenticity that only lived experience can provide. The music and lyrics meet the book at its level; the vocal harmonies, the skillful use of the ensemble across character types, and the outstanding vocal performances from the East West cast-including an especially stunning belt from Kristian Espiritu as Adrian-make for an exemplary storytelling experience from start to finish."