Cambodian Rock Band NYC Reviews and Tickets

84%

(128 Reviews)

Positive

97%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Absorbing, Great acting, Great singing, Ambitious, Entertaining

About the Show

This darkly funny, electric new play with music tells the story of a Khmer Rouge survivor returning to Cambodia, as his daughter prepares to prosecute one of Cambodia's most infamous war criminals.

From the show:

Guitars tuned. Mic checked. Get ready to rock! This darkly funny, electric new play with music tells the story of a Khmer Rouge survivor returning to Cambodia for the first time in thirty years, as his daughter prepares to prosecute one of Cambodia's most infamous war criminals. Backed by a live band playing contemporary Dengue Fever hits and classic Cambodian oldies, this thrilling story toggles back and forth in time as father and daughter face the music of the past. Directed by Chay Yew, the New York premiere of this intimate rock epic about family secrets is set against a dark chapter of Cambodian history. It launches Steinberg Award-winning playwright Lauren Yee’s Residency 5.

Member Reviews (128)

Loud, Uneven tone, Thought-provoking, Ambitious, Absorbing

See it if you'd enjoy rock music &/or intense drama abt Khmer Rouge. Historical scenes compelling. Duch is fascinating; CRB strgest when he's on.

Don't see it if you want cohesive play (tone varies wildly). Upbeat music at end seems wrong. Some wooden dialogue/acting. Still, unusual premise; ambitious

Absorbing, Entertaining, Great acting, Great singing

See it if Really great story, performances and music. Has a little of everything, drama, history, singing. Really enjoyed it.

Don't see it if You aren't in the mood for a 2 act play. Aren't in the mood for a serious play.

Thought-provoking, Great writing, Absorbing, Great singing, Intense

See it if You like rock & roll and when it is used to help tell a story that is both deeply sensitive and emotionally disturbing. Slow build up.

Don't see it if If you want a fluffy light hearted, easy to swallow show. This takes a little work to follow and it’s a tough one to easily accept. Read more

Great acting, Quirky, Overrated, Disappointing

See it if If you want to see good acting and a 70s musical about Cambodia.

Don't see it if Overrated. Music drowns out at times and story is convoluted.

Epic, Meaningful, Great music, Disturbing, Intense

See it if Powerful combo of rock music, Khmer Rouge prison survival, and American daughter seeking her roots. Creative & transporting.

Don't see it if You don't like hard rock. You want a fully realistic story. You are uninterested in historical themes. Prison torture. Read more

Amazing combo of ‘70s cambodian rock music & tale of murderous cambodian prison commandant

See it if acutely shows banality of evil in Khmer Rouge mass killings; fine actor-musicians; Cambodian rock/Dylan fill scenes w emotion

Don't see it if broad & jokey; contrived plot; still works as entertaining vehicle 2 bring alive chilling historical chpt Read more

Gritty, Great writing, Great staging, Great acting, Inventive

See it if Gritty war crimes musical. Headstrong lawyer clashes with narrator and her pa over secrets well kept. "I raised you not to care." Dual-roles

Don't see it if Class-based genocide.Tribunal meeting.Pol Pot.Western-style rock band.Unreliable narrator:"It is my story & I can tell you anything I want." Read more

Disappointing, Cliched, Slow, Resonant, Great singing

See it if You’d be fascinated by a fictional account involving the Khmer Rouge, especially one that throws in some good rock songs.

Don't see it if You feel unsatisfied when a play — with sub-par acting — is told in a wonky, mish-mash style that doesn’t come together.

Critic Reviews (15)

"Partying With the Khmer Rouge in ‘Cambodian Rock Band’: Lauren Yee’s ambitious, tonally mixed play uses bait-and-switch tactics to approach the dark heart of a genocidal regime."
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3/5 Stars. "Directed by Chay Yew, 'Cambodian Rock Band' doesn't quite hang together as a whole: It relies too much on contrivance and exposition, especially in the modern parts. But there's something both touching and rousing about the way it honors the lost beat of Cambodia's past. It's an act of defibrillation."
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"Men to Watch in 'Cambodian Rock Band', 'Blues for an Alabama Sky,' and 'The Headlands'"
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"One of the most widely produced new American plays of the current season, Lauren Yee's plugged-in confrontation with genocidal history takes its New York bow in Chay Yew's electric production."
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"Lauren Yee’s play draws on the music of Dengue Fever to track the fate of a fictional Cambodian band that ran afoul of the Khmer Rouge."
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"‘Cambodian Rock Band’ is vibrant, moving, and overstuffed"
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"Lauren Yee's Fabulous 'Cambodian Rock Band' Is the First Great Play of 2020: Yee's award-winning drama comes to the Pershing Square Signature Center."
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"'Cambodian Rock Band' is notable for its confident, if shocking, trajectory, from a wisecracking family drama with kicky musical interludes to a struggle for survival under the most pitiless of conditions."
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