Gary and Feifei Yang at The Edge of Heaven Live on Chinese New Year 2/16/18. Photo by Phil Mango
(FORT LEE, NJ) -- The Barrymore Film Center presents "A Heavenly Evening" featuring Gary Lucas and Feifei Yang in a double bill of Chinese music culture on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 7:00pm.
The first part of the night features Gary performing his live guitar score for the Chinese silent masterpiece "The Goddess" (1934). "The Goddess" is the story of a devoted mother that fights to get her son an education amid criminal and social injustice in China. The film was directed by Wu Yonggang and stars Ruan Lingyu.
From Gary's sold-out performance with "The Goddess", Transilvania Film Festival at the Basilica in Cluj Romania 6/5/19. Photo by Nicu Cherciu
In part two, Gary and Feifei Yang will perform their beautiful re-imaginings of classic Chinese Pop from the 1930s through the '70s including music from their current album, "The Edge of Heaven Volume 2."
Gary Lucas has been called "One of the most original guitarists in America...a modern guitar miracle" by Rolling Stone magazine. He has released over 50 acclaimed albums in every conceivable genre, written hits for Jeff Buckley and Joan Osborne, toured in over 40 countries, and played and collaborated with luminaries like Lou Reed, Jeff Buckley, Captain Beefheart, Nick Cave, Chris Cornell, Bob Weir, Leonard Bernstein, et al.
He has composed music for film and tv and also live scores accompanying films both silent and sound, he's received several Lifetime Achievement Awards and Songwriting Awards in Italy for his work with Jeff Buckley, and performed before the General Assembly of the UN for Holocaust Remembrance Day. He has performed in over 40 countries. (He returns to Japan May 6 – 8 with his group Gods and Monsters, and heads to Australia after this performance to collaborate with Katie Noonan on a Jeff Buckley tribute.)
Feifei Yang is an internationally recognized Chinese string virtuoso, mezzo-soprano, and Voting Member of the Recording Academy (GRAMMY Awards). As a Global Music Award and Berlin Music Video Award winner, she has brought the erhu to major cultural stages. Featured by media outlets including CBS, NBC, and AFP, she is acclaimed for interpreting Chinese music with emotional depth, artistic refinement, and a distinctly modern voice.
Tickets range from $25-$35 and are available for purchase online. The Barrymore Film Center is located at 1 Park Avenue in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
