American figure skater Alysa Liu garnered attention when she appeared on a Broadway stage in New York, performing the dance that went viral on social media during the 2026 Winter Olympics with the cast. The 20-year-old athlete's performance to the song "Stateside" amassed tens of millions of views on YouTube.
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Simu Liu, Alysa Liu, and Allison Hsu (from left) backstage at the play Oh, Mary! on Broadway in New York City, United States. Photo: *WireImage*.
During her visit to the comedy Oh, Mary!, Liu met actor Simu Liu backstage. A video shared on social media showed Simu Liu and the Broadway artists dancing to "Stateside."
The video began with Simu Liu standing in front of the camera, stretching his arms, before the camera panned to other cast members. In the final scene, Alysa Liu appeared with the entire group in a collective shot. The play's official account captioned it: "Broadway called, and Alysa Liu answered".
Simu Liu humorously commented: "Just a bunch of Liu-natics", a pun on "lunatics" referring to those sharing his surname.
Broadway is a system of 41 professional theaters, each with a capacity of 500 seats or more, located in the Theatre District of Manhattan, New York. It is considered the largest commercial theater hub in the United States, attracting many world-renowned plays and musicals.
During this visit, Alysa Liu spent time chatting and taking photos backstage. She grew particularly close to Allison Hsu, Simu Liu's fiancee. The two quickly found common ground as Hsu had pursued figure skating before transitioning to the music industry.
The dance by Simu Liu, Alysa Liu, and the Broadway artists.
Alysa Liu and Hsu exchanged phone numbers, even discussing the possibility of skating together in the future. Meanwhile, Simu Liu enthusiastically mimicked skating moves backstage to playfully tease everyone. The actor also performed an aerial spin and knelt, mimicking the end of a performance, as the group greeted the audience after the show.
Simu Liu, born in 1989 in Harbin, China, and raised in Canada, is an actor and stuntman of Chinese descent. He rose to Hollywood stardom with his starring role in the 2021 Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Beyond film, Liu has also participated in theater and stated that performing on Broadway has long been a dream of his.
For Alysa Liu, the Broadway visit followed a memorable event. At the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, she secured the individual women's gold medal, ending a 24-year wait for the United States in this event, and also contributed to the US team winning an additional team gold medal.
Beyond her official competitions, Liu also garnered attention for her performance at the Olympic figure skating gala on 21/2. Dressed in blue attire with colored details symbolizing the Olympic rings, she skated to the song "Stateside." Liu's cheerful and energetic style quickly made the performance go viral on social media.
Alysa Liu's full performance at the figure skating gala, 2026 Winter Olympics.
The song "Stateside" was performed by British singer PinkPantheress, featuring Swedish vocalist Zara Larsson. Alysa Liu chose this song to express her individuality and natural style on the ice. The performance subsequently received praise from many viewers, including PinkPantheress herself.
After watching Oh, Mary!, Liu expressed her desire to explore more shows when she returns to New York. Previously, her only Broadway experience was seeing The Lion King musical when the touring company performed.
"There are so many plays I want to see", Liu told the cast. "I laughed so much during this show and will definitely return to New York to see more".
By Hoang An (Source: *People*)
