TGIF FEATURE: Asian/American leading ladies talk about diversity onstage and perceptions of Asian performers

Jai Lennard

Lea Salonga and Philippa Soo met for the first time for the Hollywood Reporter interview.

PHILIPPA SOO and Lea Salonga, the leading ladies of Broadway musicals Hamilton and Allegiance respectively, weigh in on the current breakthrough season for diversity onstage and discuss what it means for Asian-American actors and stories in an interesting interview in the Hollywood Reporter.

"Stop seeing us as exotic or oriental. Don't see us as foreigners, see us as part of the country," said Salonga.

Soo, in her debut role in the hip-hop musical Hamilton, may be the next Asian/American to win the coveted Tony, Broadway's equivalent to the movies' Oscar. Salonga made history  in 1991 when she became the first Asian/American to win the award for her role in Miss Saigon.

Broadway has always had limited offerings for Asian/American performers. This year is unprecedented in its opportunities for singers, dancers and actors of Asian descent. 2015 has had revivals of The King and I, Flower Drum Song and a production of Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures or David Henry Hwang's M. Butterfly may be in the offering this year. Those productions coming in the wake of a year-long off-Broadway run at the Public Theater for the Imelda Marcos bio-musical Here Lies Love, the ongoing King and I revival and the Broadway premiere of Allegiance mean that more Asian actors have been consistently employed on prominent New York stages than at any time in history.

RELATED: Hollywood take note - Broadway musicals not afraid to feature Asian artists in leading roles

The big question now is whether that momentum will continue, with more non-traditional casting like that of Soo as Eliza, Alexander's wife, in Hamilton.

Salonga, meanwhile, will finish up with Allegiance until it ends its Broadway run on Feb. 14. She will appear in the season finale of television's groundbreaking musical sitcom Crazy Ex-Girlfriend during which she will sing. That episode will air in mid-April.

RELATED: Why you should be watching "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"

For more news about Asian/Americans & Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.

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TGIF FEATURE: I'm Asian, but I'm not ...

AHHH, stereotypes! How they haunt us.

We do our best to break through the stereotypical impressions have of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. We all want to be seen as individuals, to stand out, to be ... unique.

So, whenever I can, I deliberately go out of the way to go against the Asian stereotype. If you're Asian, no further explanation is necessary for the following:

I'm a good driver (but, that's a matter of opinion. and I'm not overly cautious.

I almost always give the maximum tip to waiters, valets and cabbies.

I deliberately make mistakes in math.

I actually appreciate and like art of all kinds.

I shave my head rather than display my bad Asian hair.

I cook a lot so I air out my house frequently.

I studied martial arts, but - shhh- it's not something I talk about.

I will not settle for a bad table in a restaurant.

I prefer quiet, understated humor.

I don't play violin or classical piano.

I'd rather be a writer than a doctor or a business owner.

I will not put up being ignored.

I will not remain quiet if I see an injustice. 

Thanks to Buzzfeed for another of their video series on Asian Americans trying hard - sometimes awkwardly - to fit in, but at the same time, be individuals.

Have a great weekend!