By Jennifer Beasley.
Do you have to understand someone in order to love them?
Charlene Kaye presents Tiger Daughter, or How I Brought My Immigrant Mother Ultimate Shame.
After watching this show it appears that anything Chinese American Kaye does is the source of shame for her feisty mother, Lily, who immigrated from Singapore to the States with two young daughters.
Kaye is well known in the US. On Spotify she has 2,872 followers a month, toured with the Star Kids team for their S.P.A.C.E. tour (parody musical of Harry Potter) where she played her own original music, and is a comedian as well!
Bursting onto the stage with a hot guitar and Rock Chick attitude, Kaye sets out to inform, beguile and to shock. A nuanced performance with added emphasis via slides screened on the backdrop, Kaye is not afraid to share vulnerabilities.
A well written piece, that shone when Kaye delved deeper into the pain and hurt of her fractious relationship with her mother, releasing the tension with a sharp comedic insight. I must admit these darker moments resonated to both me and my son, who I’m sure found much of what Kaye said relatable (me a Tiger Mum? No, I never took my son to train 9 times a week as a high-performance swimmer!)
An interesting discourse on Kaye’s life ensured, flashing a sterling wit and great mimicry, as we travel through her life as a singer/songwriter.
Achingly beautiful and at times sad, this isn’t a laugh-a-minute comedy. Rather, it is a woman’s wry portrayal on how the bonds to her mother affects them both, yet the love is fierce and flames hot like a burning Tyger.
And at the end, a loving birthday card that tells Kaye that it doesn’t matter if you don’t understand someone. What matters is that you are loved.
Charlene Kaye is part of the Laugh Pack performance, where you can book Full Price tickets for three or more different, eligible performances in the one transaction to receive a 10% discount on your tickets (excludes previews, Tightarse Tuesdays and Saturday performances).
Kaye will also be performing at the Asian All-Star Gala at the Town Hall on the 5th April so don’t miss out!
Charlene Kaye- Tiger Daughter plays at Gandel Labs ACMI at 7:45 PM until 20th April 2025.
