Asian performers/shows research and info needed

Posted: 4/25/08 at 12:31am

Hey guys,

I'm doing a paper about Asian performers, I'm specifically focusing on Miss Saigon and the King and I. My paper talks about the lack of Asian men in leading roles, including the fact that the King in "the King and I" was never actually played by an Asian man until the Asian tour. I will also be talking about the lack of female and male Asians on Broadway.

Anyway, I am looking for any information regarding Asian broadway actors and actresses. I will touch on Asian actors and actresses. I know some of the more recent ones, including of course Lea Saonga, Jose Llana, Ann Harada (HW), ect. I am looking for more Asians who were in LEADING roles on Broadway. Tours would be okay too. I am looking for people who are 100% Asian. I also know Adam Jacobs and Ali Ewoldt are half-Filipinos.

So thanks in advance, PM me if you wouldn't want to write on the thread.
~Jkor

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 12:34am

You may want to get in touch with Philip Chung of Lodestone Theatre.

http://www.lodestonetheatre.org/Contact%20Us.html

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 12:45am

Telly Leung? B.D. Wong?

good luck.

[professor]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 6:28am

You should definitely check out Esther Kim Lee's book "A History of Asian American Theatre" (Cambridge University Press, 2006). You may also want to take a look at James Moy's "Marginal Sites: Staging the Chinese in America" (Iowa, 1993). Good luck-- it sounds like an interesting paper...

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 6:34am

Loretta Ables Sayre (SOUTH PACIFIC) is 100% Filipino.

[vinnylin]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 12:32pm

I randomly came across this website, which may be of interest to you in your research:

http://www.asianamericansonbroadway.com/home.html

A few other Asian actors that came to mind:
Mako - Pacific Overtures (Tony nom).
Miyoshi Umeki - Flower Drum Song (Tony nom).
Pat Suzuki - Flower Drum Song.
June Angela - Tuptim in the 70s revival of King and I, Shogun the Musical (Tony nom).
BD Wong - M. Butterfly (won Tony), You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, the short-lived Face Value
Alec Mapa - M. Butterfly.
Baayork Lee - A Chorus Line, Promises Promises, others
Francis Ruivivar - Shogun the Musical, Engineer in Broadway Miss Saigon (the first Asian-American in the role)
Barry Bernal - original Thuy, Broadway Miss Saigon
Kam Cheng - original alternate Kim, Broadway Miss Saigon, ensemble in King and I
Joohee Choi - Tuptim in King and I revival
Jason Ma - Thuy/Engineer in Miss Saigon
Luoyong Wang - Engineer in Miss Saigon
Leila Florentino, Roxanne Taga, Rona Figueroa - Kim in Miss Saigon
Margaret Anne Gates - Ellen in Miss Saigon

(There are a lot of other actors that were cast in Miss Saigon over the years - the ones above are just the ones that came to mind. I'm sure you can find a list somewhere).

If you want to talk about leading/featured Asian roles, you should be sure to touch upon the handful of other Asian-themed Broadway shows, including Pacific Overtures, Flower Drum Song, South Pacific, M. Butterly and Shogun the Musical (in addition to Miss Saigon and the King and I, which you already mentioned). There aren't that many so you can't really ignore any of them. There are also some smaller Asian roles in a few shows, including Avenue Q, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chorus Line and Asian actors have been cast in smaller roles in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Mamma Mia, City of Angels, Company, Rent, etc.

Beyond Broadway, you may want to take a look at off-Broadway, including the Pan Asian Rep and other companies that specialize in productions starring Asian actors or Asian themed shows. And you should see if you can read Yellow Face, David Henry Hwang's latest play at the Public, which was a Pulitzer finalist this year and discussed the issue of Asian actors and non-traditional casting.

Good luck!

[Altodette]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 1:53pm

You can write about me; a first generation Filipina auditioning for shows in a predominantly Cascasian community...

Sometimes I feel I'll just end up playing Kim in Miss Saigon or Tuptim in King 'n I. My mom would like to see me as "Christine" in ALW's Phantom, or "Belle" in B 'n B, but I have a feeling that's not going to happen anytime soon.

Good Luck with your project - I'd be VERY interested in reading it when you are finished.

Altodette

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 2:02pm

Jon Jon Briones is one of my favorite Filipino male performers. He was in the original cast of Miss Saigon as an ensemble and later became the Engineer in the tour. Also Leo Valdez was in the UK tour.

Btw, be sure to mention that not only was the Engineered originated by a white person in Miss Saigon, Thuy was as well.

Updated On: 4/25/08 at 02:02 PM

[Jon]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 2:17pm

In 1969, Japanese film actor Somegoro Ichikawa tok over the lead role in MAN OF LA MANCHA (the original Broadway porduction that had opened in 1965).

The original cast of Bernstein's ON THE TOWN (1948?) featured dancer Sono Osato in the female lead role of Ivy Smith - a role not specifically written as Asian. Updated On: 4/25/08 at 02:17 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 2:26pm

Alan Muraoka

[osage08]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 3:46pm

Ann Sanders?

[BWNUT]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 5:11pm

Jennifer Paz, Ma-Anne Dionisio - Kim in Miss Saigon
Joanna Ampil, Joan Almedilla- Kim in Miss Saigon, Fantine Les Miz

Updated On: 4/25/08 at 05:11 PM

[tgn915]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 5:23pm

Aaron J. Albano is 100% Filipino

(..I think.)

Posted: 4/25/08 at 6:25pm

Thanks everyone. I appreciated the PMs and comments you left. All the information will be very helpful

~Jkor

[musicaltheatrefan3]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 6:33pm

Jose Llana-Spelling Bee-Filipino

[singingbackup]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 6:41pm

Contact east west players out in los angeles..they do great work. eastwestplayers.org

[Miss Elphaba]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 6:41pm

Joanna Ampil never played Kim on Broadway (though she should have, she's AMAZING!)

She played it west end, the uk tour and Sydney :)

But if your including Non-American performances, you really should include her..she's amazing in everything shes done and was the first Filipino to play Mary Magdalene in JCS

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 6:48pm

I've seen Asian Americans on Broadway, and although the banter is painfully cheesy, it's a good show.