Kung Fu Cowgirl The Musical

Kung Fu Cowgirl opens at the Beverly S. Sheffield Zilker Hillside Theater on Thursday, September 3, and runs through September 13. It's an original Austin family musical that puts Chinese kung fu and Texas cowboy culture in the same room, with live music, dance, comedy, and adventure to hold it all together.

The story follows Xiao Xue, a young kung fu student from Kung Fu Village with cowgirl ambitions. She travels to Harmony Junction to reclaim her village's stolen silver ribbon, enters the town's Rodeo Games, and teams up with the charming but roguish Cowboy Cody to face off against the dangerous teahouse empress, Madam Babel. The show is created by Snow Zheng, and the cast includes Xiao Xue, Cowboy Cody, Madam Babel, and Master Hao.

That mix of East and West carries through the music and the staging. The original score blends Western twang with Eastern ripples, and brings in funk, jazz, rap, and Broadway. On stage, martial-arts-inspired movement meets country dance energy, with bilingual, cross-cultural humor throughout. At its core, it's a story about identity, courage, and cultural pride.

Behind the scenes, it's staged by an Austin-based bilingual arts company with a 15-person adult cast and young performers. The production is part of the City of Austin's Artist Access Program. There are eight performances in total: September 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, and 13, all at 8 PM. It's free and open to the public at the Beverly S. Sheffield Zilker Hillside Theater, 2201 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX 78704.