By Andrew Hamlin
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Left to right: Caitlin Sarwono, Melisa Cedillo, Adele Lim, Becca Mercado, Matthew Reyes, Shaudi Bianca Vahdat.
Converting immigrant stories—a wide variety of immigrants, from a wide variety of home countries and eras—into a song, and then into a cohesive musical program, obviously takes hard work and vision.
But Seattle’s own Shaudi Bianca Vahdat took up the challenge, creating “The Golden Door,” in part out of her own frustrations with immigrant and BIPOC representation in Seattle musical theater.
“I remember being in a show many years ago with a huge cast,” Vahdat remembers. “For the curtain call, there were so many of us that we had to line up in two rows. Like in many productions, the actors in primary roles stood in the front row, while those in supporting roles were placed in the back.
“Before opening night, one of my fellow actors, who was standing next to me, commented that all of the BIPOC performers in the cast were in the back row, and the front row was all white actors. She said something like, ‘Someday I’d like to be in a show where we’re in the front row at curtain call.’ That moment stuck with me.”
“The Golden Door” itself started out as her college thesis project at Berklee Valencia in Spain. “At the time, the 2016 election was pretty fresh, and I was thinking about the incoming administration’s impact on communities I was close to, including immigrant communities, and particularly immigrant communities of color, since they seemed to be the immigrants subjected to the most blatantly harmful behavior.
“I started interviewing folks, adapting the interviews into songs and monologues, and putting together a cast and band made up of my talented Berklee classmates, to whom I’ll always be grateful for the work they put into this project, for the public workshop version of the show in Valencia. I knew I wanted to keep working on the show and keep expanding it.”
Left to right: Matthew Reyes, Caitlin Sarwono, Melisa Cedillo, Adele Lim, Becca Mercado.
Her immigrant interviewees got the option to be credited by name or remain anonymous. Vahdat adapted some interviews directly into songs, some into monologues, others as background for the show. So far, she’s worked with folks from countries including Chile, India, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, and the Philippines.
“One thing I love about ‘The Golden Door’ is there are different genres of music inside of it. So, we have a campfire song with two guitars, we have a tango-inspired number, [and] a song modeled after a classic Disney princess song.
“That’s an important element of the adaptation process as well. The songs need to not only stand on their own but fit in with one another to create an entire show, a cohesive experience. Even though our show does not have a linear plot like most traditional musicals, we’re still creating an arc. We want to keep our audience engaged throughout, and that means taking them along with us on a journey. So each song and monologue needs to fit in with that journey.”
Previous performances at Seattle’s Inscape Arts, and the Seattle Center Armory, paved the way for this latest production.
“I love hearing people’s reactions to the show—and how wonderfully diverse they are. Several people have told me, ‘That’s just like my story,’ about particular songs. I’ve seen audience members moved to tears. Happily, I’ve also heard plenty of laughter, which was important to me while developing the show.
“Though some of the stories we tell are heavy and tragic, that’s not the whole experience of immigration. There is humor, excitement, and joy, too—and I’m grateful people are experiencing those emotions in our show, alongside the others.”
“The Golden Door” plays July 18-20 at Seattle Open Arts Place (SOAP), formerly known as 18th & Union. For showtimes, prices, and other information, visit soap.thundertix.com.