Poulenc’s searing one-act opera follows a desperate woman through a final phone call with her departing lover. This haunting musical monologue transforms private anguish into visceral theater, as raw emotion unfolds through Poulenc’s lush orchestration and Jean Cocteau’s unflinching text. An unforgettable portrait of love and loss.

Based on the true story of Ming Kuang Chen, a Chinese food deliveryman who was trapped in a Bronx elevator for 81 hours in 2005, this sung-through hybrid of musical theatre, opera, and solo performance explores the immigrant experience through a blend of operatic singing, rap, and contemporary musical theater that reflects the collision of desperation, delusion, and absurdity in Chen's confined world.

EPSG:4326

SJSU School of Music presents La Voix Humaine and Stuck Elevator

Hammer Theatre Center

Opera Grand Rapids proudly presents the Michigan premiere of Stuck Elevator, a groundbreaking chamber opera by composer Byron Au Yong and librettist Aaron Jafferis. Inspired by the true story of an undocumented Chinese immigrant trapped in a Bronx elevator for 81 hours, this genre-defying work fuses opera, hip-hop, and spoken word to illuminate the unseen struggles of immigrant life in urban America. This landmark production features an all native Chinese-speaking cast and the first all-Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) creative team to stage the opera, under the visionary direction of Mo Zhou, marking a significant milestone in the work’s performance history.

Stuck Elevator

Betty Van Andel Opera Center

Immerse yourself in the compelling narrative of Knoxville Opera's production of Byron Au Yong’s Stuck Elevator, scheduled for May 2025. This opera, directed by Keturah Stickann, is based on the dramatic true story of an immigrant delivery man trapped in an elevator. Through this intense and poignant experience, the production explores themes of personal struggle and resilience. A co-production with River & Rail Theatre, this opera promises to deliver a unique and impactful theatrical experience.

Byron Au Yong

Events

Past events

10 - 12 Apr, 2026

SJSU School of Music presents La Voix Humaine and Stuck Elevator · Hammer Theatre

20 - 21 Feb, 2026

Stuck Elevator · Opera Grand Rapids

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