Since Alice Chu and Roger Pincombe reopened the大明星剧场in 2021, the historic venue in the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown has hostedaerial burlesque,“Star Wars” burlesqueand R-rated Valentine’s Day shows.
But the married couple are also deeply committed to honoring the space’s neighborhood, an effort now furthered by “Chinatown Dragon,” which Chu directs.
The family-friendly variety show features Jenida Yang, who’s been studying traditional Chinese dance since the age of 4; James Roland, who specializes in kung fu and swordplay; and Rosemary Le, who has the rare distinction of holding a Stanford doctorate in psychology and working as a circus artist with a focus on aerial work.
Also part of the show are musicians who play traditional Chinese instruments. Chumin Chen is on the erhu, also known as the two-stringed fiddle, and Angel Li and Yvonne Wu play the guzheng, a type of zither.