Interview: Adrian Pang on playing Mr Miyagi in THE KARATE KID - THE MUSICAL
The Karate Kid - The Musical brings the legendary 1984 film to life on stage and receives its UK premiere touring across the country from 28 April. We spoke to Adrian Pang who plays at the iconic Mr Miyagi in the new musical.
For those who may not be familiar, please can you tell us what The Karate Kid is about and a little bit about your character, Mr Miyagi?
The Karate Kid - The Musical is an exhilarating and exciting stage adaptation of the iconic 1984 movie of the same name. It’s a classic “zero to hero” fable with a lot of heart and humour, and a timeless tale of lost souls finding themselves and a new lease of life.
Daniel Larusso is a 17-year-old new kid town, finds his first love, and also finds himself the target of the high school bullies. Daniel is forced to embrace challenges, re-invent himself, and (literally and figuratively) find balance in his life.
Mr Miyagi is originally from Okinawa, Japan, and outside his job as the neighbourhood maintenance man, he lives a solitary life, minding his own business and his beloved bonsai trees. He befriends Daniel, and becomes a reluctant surrogate father, unlikely role model, and surprising spiritual guide. They become a bit of an odd couple partnership, become firm friends and soulmates, and yes, Miyagi is the “karate” to Daniel’s “kid”.
What is it about The Karate Kid that you think makes it work well as a stage musical?
The musicality of this adaptation takes numerous moments in the story and journey of the characters to another level. Storytelling through song and movement is uniquely evocative emotionally and spiritually, and the music in this musical truly takes us all on a rollercoaster of feelings, and makes the audience feel even closer to the action and the journey of the story. Drew Gasparini has written a wonderful score, with songs that are faithful to the 80s in spirit but also have a very contemporary pop vibe. Audiences are going to love this story set to this music!
Why do you think The Karate Kid has become so beloved over the last 40 years?
The movie was released at a time when we all needed inspirational stories of everyday individuals finding the hero in themselves, ordinary people doing extraordinary things, lost souls finding purpose and meaning and identity. 40 years on, in the times that we are now living in, I feel that, more than ever, we need some kind of inspirational story that motivates us to rediscover what it truly means to be a good person, a kind person, and decent human being, and standing up for what is right - this musical has all of that!
Having worked extensively across Asia, what is it about this show that drew you to return to the UK stage?
I have always embraced new challenges and the opportunity to try to fill the humongous shoes of the one and only Pat Morita, who was so memorable as Mr Miyagi in the film, was terrifying and at the same time too tempting to say no to. I am relishing this as a chance to pay tribute to the memory of Morita, and at the same time imbue it with a sense of freshness and fun for today’s audiences.
On stage, you have performed in a multitude of plays. How are you finding the experience of working on a musical?
I have dabbled in some musicals in my career even though I am not trained in musical theatre. Thankfully I don’t have much “dancing” to do as Mr Miyagi, I shall leave it to the real dancers in our ensemble, who are absolutely phenomenal performers. The movement and choreography in this show is stunning.
What has been the highlight of your career so far and is there anything you still hope to achieve?
I honestly do not ever look back and assess my career in those terms. But with a gun to my head, or a karate kick to my face, I would say that I am extremely proud of Pangdemonium, the theatre company that my wife Tracie and I founded in 2010. Tracie directs all our shows, and she is brilliant. I’m just the poster boy for the company and try to ingratiate myself into some of our productions.
Why should audiences come to see The Karate Kid at their local theatre?
The Karate Kid - The Musical is a thrilling, entertaining, inspiring, funny, fun and fabulous night at the theatre. DO NOT MISS IT!