Stage Review - Young Dragon: A Bruce Lee Story (Seattle Children’s Theatre)

Stage Review - Young Dragon: A Bruce Lee Story
Presented By: Seattle Children’s Theatre - Seattle, WA
Show Run: February 19 - March 22, 2026
Date Reviewed: Saturday, February 21, 2026 (Opening weekend)
Run Time: 75 minutes (no intermission)
Reviewed by: Breanne Jensen

For the last fifty years, Seattle Children’s Theatre has created a safe, welcoming, and educational environment for adults and children alike. While I have attended many shows over the years at Seattle Children’s Theatre (SCT), soaking in the theatre, culture, diversity, and storytelling through the lens of a reviewer gave me a new love for this local gem.

Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan) is best known for being the very first global Chinese movie star. Mixing a passion for martial arts, cinema, and drive, Bruce changed the way Hollywood and many other entertainment outlets view Asian American artists, both in the world and within the industry. Bruce’s parents were entertainers themselves in the traveling Hong Kong Opera Company, in which his father was the star. Due to this exposure, Bruce Lee took part in his first movie when he was practically a newborn as an extra, and then went on to appear in many other films as a child.

Even though he was born in San Francisco, California, his parents traveled back to China and raised him there until he was nineteen years old, when they “volun-told” Bruce that he would be on the next ship to Seattle, Washington, to live with a family friend and work in their restaurant. Later, he attended the University of Washington (Go Cougs!—sorry, I had to, or I’ll never hear the end of it from my grandfather), started teaching his own martial arts classes, and then met his wife, Linda, with whom he had two children, Brandon and Shannon. Bruce tragically passed away at the age of only thirty-two due to complications from swelling in his brain and a reaction to pain medication.

In the short span of seventy-five minutes, the cast, crew, and playwright tell the heroic, courageous, and trailblazing story of Bruce Lee, painting a picture for the audience as a window into this young dragon’s life.

The scenic design and construction for this show are meticulously crafted, and every detail honors the culture and heritage of its subject. The colors on the set are striking and elegant, and the costumes, props, use of space, and lighting design (also a shout-out to the very popular bubble machine loved by kids and adults alike) flow seamlessly, transporting the audience across the different locations and timelines of Bruce’s life.

The actress playing Bruce’s mother explains how she came to name her son, describing him as “hot to the touch like a strong dragon.” Each time the story highlights his more hot-tempered moments, the audience is shifted to Bruce on the water, speaking with his guides and learning that the cold water is not meant to extinguish his fire, but rather to help him calm himself and refine his craft. Balance for the dragon.

The cast is an ensemble of five actors who portray a wide range of important figures in Bruce’s life, including his first student, Jesse Glover. Among my favorite elements is the use of actors who become a boat for Lee; the loose fabrics of their costumes imitate the motion and splash of the waves, bringing both comedy and reflection. The entire cast is strong, polished, professional, and natural. The impression given is that each performer took the time to study the cultural, familial, and historical context of this story, creating a portrayal of Bruce Lee’s life that is both engaging and educational.

While the cast is filled with professional stage and screen actors from across the country, the leading role of Bruce Lee is played by Michaelangelo Hyeon, who stands out for a different reason. Hyeon had the opportunity to work on his second show with playwright Keiko Green and trained in the martial arts styles of Wing Chun and Jeet Kune Do for this production. The rigor of that training is evident in his physicality, emotional depth, and creative interpretation of the role. His movements are natural, effortless, impressive, and controlled, and his performance leaves the audience wanting to give Bruce a hug—revealing him, at his core, to be a kind and human presence, as brought to life through Hyeon’s portrayal, Keiko’s writing, and the work of the entire company.

Bruce Lee, his son Brandon Lee (who passed in a tragically similar manner and at a similar age in 1993), and his first student Jesse Glover are all buried at Lake View Cemetery here in Seattle. Due to Bruce and Brandon’s legacy, their resting places are among the most visited sites in the country. The number of visitors is so high that the cemetery declined to allow Kurt Cobain to be buried there, in order to avoid becoming an even larger tourist destination.

For someone who lived only thirty-two years and passed away over fifty years ago, Bruce Lee’s story continues to inspire, encourage, and captivate generations past, present, and future. Thanks in part to the push of his parents, Bruce Lee will forever remain a pioneer for Chinese American performers and martial artists in Hollywood. His discipline, resilience, values, and determination offer a lesson to all of us: to fight for what is right, to hold fast to our values, to pursue our dreams, to enter spaces where we may not always feel welcome, and to find balance between passion, wisdom, intensity, vulnerability, and change.

Whether you are bringing your youngster, your teen, yourself, or a friend, Young Dragon: A Bruce Lee Story by Keiko Green is an important and thought-provoking piece of theatre that audiences will enjoy and continue to discuss for years to come. Seattle Children’s Theatre continues to do an exceptional job of bringing stories to life that reflect and honor diverse communities, abilities, and lived experiences—something that feels more essential now than ever. Run, don’t walk, to get your tickets before the production closes on March 22, 2026.

Keiko Green’s Young Dragon: A Bruce Lee Story runs on stage at Seattle Children’s Theatre through March 22. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://www.sct.org/.

Photo credit: Truman Buffett