Yes, yes. I know it’s not September 19th anymore. But once again life got in the way. And I promise I will catch up and actually complete this year’s challenge on time because I have so many incredible artists still to feature. Like the musical Blossoming (You Undo Me) that I recently saw at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
This show was sold to me as a queer Chinese musical. Which immediately piqued my interest because I know from friends who have had to leave China in recent years that that country is not exactly safe for the queer community at the moment. So I was curious to find out what a queer Chinese musical entailed. The answer, as it turns out, is a beautiful story about a secret second child having his queer awakening. And I loved it.
Blossoming (You Undo Me) tells the story of Tao, a second child conceived during China’s one-child policy because his parents were desperate for a son. When he leaves China as a young adult, he comes into his queerness, embracing all that the community has to offer.
There is so much to love about this show (it is a musical after all), but what I most appreciated was its lightness. Yes, there was angst. And yes, there was trauma. But none of that was the focus of the show. Far too often, queer stories are presented as great tragedies, which can be true. But queer lives don’t exist only in trauma. Despite the sometimes overwhelming odds, queer communities are thriving all over the world, and it was nice to watch a story focus more on the joy of being queer for once. Hopefully the creative team behind this show can take it to China one day. Without it causing any controversy. Wouldn’t that be lovely.
Suggestions for artists I should check out? Please contact me with your ideas. I hope you enjoyed your daily helping of art!
