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| Vanessa Hudges as Gigi |
A LITTLE BIT of history will be made this fall when Lea Salonga takes the stage in Allegiance, the musical created by actor George Takei. Along with Vanessa Hudgens in Gigi and most of the cast of Here Lies Love, that could possibly be the largest number of Filipino Americans under Broadway's bright lights at the same time.
Throw in the revival of "The King and I" and its cast and it would appear that Broadway is better than Hollywood in casting Asians.
Granted, that's still not a whole lot, but it's better than a couple of years ago when everyone was bemoaning the fact that Asians couldn't get cast on Broadway.
It helps that two of the productions - Here Lies Love about Imelda Marcos and her dictator husband Ferdinand Marcos, and Allegiance about the life in the internment camps for Japanese Americans during WW II - are about Asians so it makes sense that the producers seek Asian artists.
Hudgens, who is half Filipino, is doing what can perhaps be described as a reverse yellow-face by playing the lead character Gigi, a French girl, in a remake of the musical that introduced Leslie Caron to American audiences. Gigi premiered yesterday, March 19.
She is perhaps best known for the High School Musical franchise where she sang and danced through the motion pictures. I forget how many of the pre-Glee movies were made.
Here Lies Love tells the story of the Philippines Conjugal Dictatorship, from the time Imelda Marcos was a beauty queen to the downfall of the ruling couple. Everyone with a passing knowledge of that era knows that Imelda loved to party and loved to sing, which makes perfect fodder for this interactive musical which won rave reviews. The musical has a sister production that just opened in London. I can't wait until it comes to the West Coast, the home base of both critics and supporters of the Marcoses. Jaygee Macapugay plays the role of Imelda Marcos in "Here Lies Love." Playing Ferdinand Marcos is Jose Llana.
Macapugay takes over for Ruthie Ann Miles, the Hawaiian-born Korean singer who won the "Best Actress In A Musical" for her portrayal of the Philippines former first lady. Miles has moved over to "The King and I" where she plays Lady Thiang.
Hudgens, who is half Filipino, is doing what can perhaps be described as a reverse yellow-face by playing the lead character Gigi, a French girl, in a remake of the musical that introduced Leslie Caron to American audiences. Gigi premiered yesterday, March 19.
She is perhaps best known for the High School Musical franchise where she sang and danced through the motion pictures. I forget how many of the pre-Glee movies were made.
Macapugay takes over for Ruthie Ann Miles, the Hawaiian-born Korean singer who won the "Best Actress In A Musical" for her portrayal of the Philippines former first lady. Miles has moved over to "The King and I" where she plays Lady Thiang.
Allegiance has been waiting in the wings for its Broadway debut for almost two years after its debut in Los Angeles. Created by actor George Takei, whose family was interned in those infamous internment camps for Japanese Americans on the West Coast. It finally found a theater and will open in the fall.
The Manila-raised Lea Salonga, who has made quite a name for herself on Broadway since her American debut in Miss Saigon, will reprise the role she had in the Los Angeles production the WWII dramatic musical as the wife of Sam Kimura, played by Takei.
Hollywood can learn a few things from their Broadway counterparts.
Do Asian theme shows attract audiences. Yes!
Do nonAsians care if the casts are Asian? No!
Do Asian artists have talent? Yes!
All you need are relatable strong or complicated characters and a compelling storyline. It helps if you step away from the stereotypes, too. As these musicals prove, the audience will come. That's entertainment!
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