Avaaz tickets

Fresh off his Broadway debut, Michael Shayan brings what the Washington Post calls “The role he was born to play,” to the Theater J stage. In Avaaz, he explores his Iranian heritage and complicated family through the sparkle and luster of a dinner party by embodying the real star of the story – his mother, Roya. A dazzling hostess, Michael’s Roya welcomes the audience into her home to celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. She prepares a feast for her guests in both the form of a meal and the tale of her life: she’s a resilient and hilarious narrator, diving deep into the immigrant experience as a single mother of a queer son, a Jew in Iran, and a Persian in America, all while crafting an irresistible feast for her guests. It’s the dinner party of the season – and one you won’t want to miss.

Michael Shayan’s transformative storytelling power shifts between tenderness and strength, motherhood and memory. His comedic timing and physical ability to shift character is a wonder in and of itself. The fullness of his solo show creates the kind of humor that opens our hearts and lets us fall in love – both with the woman who raised him and the universal depth of her immigrant story.