Sami Ma
SAMI MA is a a queer, first-generation daughter of Chinese immigrants navigating the messy & exciting terrain between her traditional Chinese culture and her über-American upbringing. She is continuously in pursuit of her familial & cultural history/identity and how it intersects with activism & politics.
HELLO KITTY MUST DIE is a musical adapted from Angela S. Choi’s novel of the same name, centered around Fiona Yu, a 30-ish Chinese-American lawyer who appears to be just another Hello Kitty stereotype.
How was HELLO KITTY MUST DIE developed? Where did the show originate, and how did you get involved?
Hello Kitty Must Die was originally adapted seven years ago from the book by Angela S. Choi (now Kate Kamen) as a one-woman show, which our lovely cast member, Ann Hu, had done several readings of. It was picked up by our current producer, Kevin McCollum, and was expanded into the five person musical that has been playing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe! Most of us came onboard for this version, which auditioned in NYC in June.
If you had an unlimited budget to produce your dream tv show or movie, what would it be about?
If I had insane amounts of money I would love to make a docuseries following the life span of different herds of protected wild horses that roam across the world. I’m a former horse girl turned horse adult and am incredibly into the conservation of these beautiful creatures. Also, who wouldn’t want to get paid and make money traveling the world and seeing beautiful places while also studying horses?
What's the "emotional core" of HELLO KITTY MUST DIE? How do you hope audiences feel when they see it?
I think the emotional core of Hello Kitty Must Die is the messy, feminine rage that we keep pushed down in order to exist “appropriately” in the world as adults. Something I love about our show is watching an Asian woman experience every emotion fully and being able to act on it unapologetically. It is an incredibly unhinged, zany hour of theater and I hope audiences feel like they’re being taken on a crazy roller coaster that just keeps turning unexpectedly and getting wilder and wilder.
Will you describe a theatrical moment from the show, a big sequence or joke, or line of dialogue that encompasses the spirit of the show?
One of my favorite moments of our show is our opening number. It begins with a sort of verbal violence of things we have been told in our own personal lives that launches us into the tearing apart of the model minority stereotype that many Asian folks feel the pressures of, especially as women. I think it really sets the audience up for how dark, sarcastic, and morbidly humorous our show can be at its core.
Can you tell us about some other shows you've seen at Fringe this year that you would recommend checking out?
I have been loving Chriskirkpatrickmas (their delightful show is in the slot before ours and we knew several cast members before coming to the Fringe so it’s been awesome to have buddies and so many familiar faces that we love), Cara Connors Straight for Pay, Joysuck, How to Flirt, and Yuck Circus.