From Japan to the Philippines, Cultures A waken in ‘Asian Pacific Tales’

The opening act is taiko drumming--booming and assertive; the finale is a dramatic Hawaiian Stick Dance. In between, “Asian Pacific Tales,” at East West Players, serves up stories from Japan, Hawaii, China, Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines.

At almost two hours, the menu is a bit too generous--a few loose segments could be tightened up or trimmed--but there’s much to like in this unusual sampler, a combination of relaxed humor and well-integrated songs, music, sounds, movement and tidbits of information about the language, dress and customs of the various cultures represented here.

Aimed at ages K-6 (a 40-minute version of the show tours the Los Angeles Unified School District) and directed by Betty Muramoto, Glen Chin and Jim Ishida, the emphasis is on funny stuff, especially physical humor.

In “The Great Art of Baseball-Do,” performed with the highly stylized movement and speech of Kyogen-style Japanese comedy, a conceited kendo student (Casey Kono) is taken down a peg by a fellow student (Sabrina Lu). She teaches him a rather punishing version of baseball, in which a strike is a painful proposition.

Another Kyogen-style tale works along similar lines: Two arrogant swordsmen (Jason Fong and Kurt Kuniyoshi) get their comeuppance when a not-so-humble servant (Lu again) turns the tables. Her revenge includes taking possession of their fancy clothes and making them cluck like roosters and dance like dolls.

“Maui and the Sun,” however, takes first prize for sheer fun. The Hawaiian myth about how the heroic Maui captured the capricious sun and persuaded it to shine brightly for six months out of the year is notable for Fong’s droll portrayal of a greedy Sun, hurrying through each day in order to steal his favorite breakfast: cooked bananas.

A Vietnamese tale, “The Miraculous Banyan Tree,” feels slow, as does “The Magical Song of the Adarna,” from the Philippines. The former takes too long in the telling, and in both the movement is not crisply staged. The latter revs up at the end with a traditional Filipino dance in which the actors take turns rhythmically moving poles on the floor for fleet-footed dancers to jump over.

The rest of the program: “Marisa’s Mandoo,” a modern Hawaiian story about a young girl’s contribution--traditional dumplings--to her family’s New Year’s celebration, is highlighted by Janet J. Song’s nice turn as a wise grandmother and Fong and Aaron Takahashi as comical arguing Aunties.

“The Five Chinese Brothers,” is about five peasant brothers (Kuniyoshi, Lu, Kono, Fong and Kelly Miyashiro) with unusual abilities who teach a lesson in honor to a cowardly emperor and his mandarin (life-sized puppets worked by Song). The stylized movement in the amusing piece is punctuated by Chinese gongs, courtesy of ensemble member Kathrine Keiko Nakano.

“Asian Pacific Tales,” East West Players, 4424 Santa Monica Blvd., Silver Lake, Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends Aug. 24. $5 (ages 12 and under) and $10. (213) 660-0366.

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Laugh It Up: Budding stand-up comics who like to clown around can exercise their comedy chops at the “Kids Komedy Klinic,” at Storyopolis on Aug. 23. The event features comedian Bobby Collins performing silly stories and fairy tales and then audience members ages seven and up are invited up to the microphone to try out their favorite jokes, groaner puns or wacky stories and get some comedy tips, too.

“Kids Komedy Klinic,” Storyopolis Art Gallery and Bookstore, 116 N. Robertson, Plaza A, Los Angeles, Aug. 23, 11:30 a.m. $6 per participant. Reservations: (310) 358-2512.