Deep Fried: A Pinoy Musical!

book by Davey Samuel Calderon and lyrics by Peter Abando, Kimmortal, and Davey Samuel Calderon with contributions by C.E Gatchalian and Jeremiah Mari Carag

Deep Fried: A Pinoy Musical! is a two-act musical set in a Vancouver fried chicken franchise restaurant. The story centers around Antoinette (also named Toni), a young, queer Filipinx non-binary person who works at a Cruxes Chicken run by their older cousin, Kuya Pepe. They work hard with their best friends (Sol and Ben) and love that their workplace is an unofficial community space for Filipinos and the Joyce-Collingwood (aka Little Manila) neighbourhood. However, despite their pride in their work, they aspire to become a music star. Unexpectedly, a visit to the chicken shop from a Filipino-Canadian pop idol, Q, causes a chain of events that unintentionally intertwines their lives. Deep Fried is not just another story of the diaspora. It’s a passionate anthem from the perspectives of racialized folks in the service industry, exploring friendship, dreams, and desire, on their terms.