As the clock is ticking, excitement is also brewing.  Behind-the-scenes at Kollaboration everything's abuzz as they place the finishing touches in what is guaranteed to be a phenomenal night at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on November 16th.  

This year, while maintaining the core of the show, which is to showcase in full authenticity the talents of Asian Americans, Kollaboration Star went for a full upgrade to become a premium show.  This is the year that things heat up, making it a show not to miss.

For the first time, Kollaboration Star is backed up by a top hitmaker in hip-hop group Drunken Tiger.  With a full one-hour long set, Drunken Tiger's Tiger JK, Yoon Mirae and Bizzy becomes the opening act guaranteed to be the show's main highlights.  In fact, with the stellar line-up of finalists vying for the prize in the competition showcase following the opening act, the entire evening is only guaranteed to be that of highlights. No Kollaboration Star production in years past have come up to this level.  This year, in tribute to the many cities in which Kollaboration made its mark, to the Asian and Pacific Islander American communities they represent, and to the causes they support, Kollaboration goes for a total upgrade by bringing in a legitimate opening act, organizing pre-show festivities and every little good thing that's happening behind the scenes.

The intricate details behind the production makes it all come to full view though.  In a correspondence with KpopStarz, Kollaboration organizers says, "Over $50K worth of production has gone into the stage production for the show, which includes a top-of-the-line sound system from L-Acoustics."  With such planning and bold investments being made in stage production alone, we know Kollaboration means business.  They are no longer your typical non-profit performance, but one that strives to market Asian American and Pacific Islander authenticity by making sure the show feels unlike your ow-budget high school's auditorium performances.  After all, Asian Pacific Islander Americans are capable of world-class stage production, aren't they? 

And we're not done yet. Kollaboration is making good use of their deep connections in the industry.  The innovative Lumpens,  also known as top animator from Seoul Young Sook Choi, is going to be visual director for Drunken Tiger's performance. His notable work includes Korean hiphop star Smells' recent MV for "Dance Wit Me".  Why is this relevant, you ask?  Well, an animator, and a visual space transformer will be directing the stage live during the performance, that alone is relevant.   This means that audiences will be treated to be taken to an experience, not just from a flat stage but one where the auditorium could turn into a club, a playground or whatever world the visual director and Drunken Tiger want to take us to.  Exciting! We don't know where Lumpens will be standing at in the show, but it is possible to get a glimpse of him because Kollaboration says, "Yes, he (Lumpens) will be at Kollaboration Star personally directing the visuals & lighting for Drunken Tiger's set." 

If you're still deciding whether that trip to Pasadena is worthwhile or whether to buy that ticket, our exclusive information regarding the production should be enough to convince you to give Kollaboration Star 2013 a shot.  It will not be the same ol' same ol' and you wouldn't want to miss the year when thing's leveled up, would you?  

If you're already going to Kollaboration Star, make sure to arrive early.  Doors open at 4PM so you can partake of the pre-event festivities.  Buy a snack or meal or two from the food trucks (Seoul Sausage Company, The Bun Truck and Bool BBQ will be parking at the Kollaboration Terrace!). You can also print yourself a minion and visit some of the sponsor booths for awesome swag we hear will be given away.

To learn more about Kollaboration Star 2013, please visit www.kollaboration.org or connect on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KollaborationStar.

Tickets are still available for purchase through Ticketmaster.