Tony Award goes to Asian/American; newcomer nabs nomination for 'Miss Saigon' role

AN ASIAN/AMERICAN veteran of Broadway will definitely receive a Tony this year. Not as certain, is the chance for Eva Noblezada, who was nominated as best actress in a musical for her role in the revival of Miss Saigon.

Baayork Lee

Baayork Lee, a director, actress and choreographer who played Connie Wong in the original 1975 production of A Chorus Line, will receive the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award at this year’s ceremony on June 11.

The award, announced this morning (May 2), is presented annually to a member of the theater community “who has made a substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian, social service or charitable organizations,” according to the Tony Administration Committee, citing Lee’s “commitment to future generations of artists through her work with the National Asian Artists Project and theater education programs around the world.”

“Baayork works tirelessly to break down cultural walls that often build up around what theatre goers consider ‘traditional’ musicals, and her dedication to fostering the next generation of performers and theatre professionals to do the same is exemplary. We are thrilled to honor her this year,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League, and Heather Hitchens, President of the American Theatre Wing.

Lee is best known for creating the role of Connie, as well as serving as director-choreographer Michael Bennett’s assistant choreographer on the production. Subsequently, she staged many national and international companies, throughout the U.S. and the world.

Lee is the Founder of National Asian Artists Project (NAAP), which is a community of artists, educators, administrators, community leaders and professionals who work to showcase the work of Asian/American theater artists through performance, educational programming and community outreach.

Eva Noblezada

The San Diego-born Noblezada, 21, was nominated for her role as Kim, the Vietnamese bar girl who falls in love with an American soldier, in 1975, during the fall of Saigon, as depicted in Miss Saigon. Her talent shone through overcoming the casting controversy and the debate over the white-savior plotline. Miss Saigon was also nominated for a Tony in the "Best Revival of a Musical" category.

The Filipina/American was first cast in the role by famed producer Cameron Mackintosh when she was just 17 for a production in London.  She had to skip her high school graduation  in Charlotte, South Carolina in order to accept the role, for which she won rave reviews. She won Great Britain's version of the Tony Award for her role in that production. Noblezada followed that up by playing Eponine in Mackintosh’s London version of Les Miserables.

In the category, best actress in a musical, Noblezada is up against some Broadway heavyweights. The Hollywood Reporter’s chief theater critic, David Rooney, wrote in an analysis piece on Monday: “I think newcomer Eva Noblezada deserves attention for 'Miss Saigon,’ though if she’s rubbing shoulders in the lead-actress-in-a-musical group with royalty like Bette Midler, Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole, she should just enjoy being along for the ride.” Midler is the heavy favorite for her role in another revival, Hello Dolly.

Watch Eva Noblezada's performance of "Home" from Miss Saigon:

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Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/entertainment/article148017609.html#storylink=cpy

The Tony Awards ceremony is set for Sunday, June 11, at Radio City Musical Hall in New York City. Actor Kevin Spacey will host the CBS telecast.

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Phillipa Soo will star in new Broadway show

Phillipa Soo will be 'Amelie'

IT LOOKS more and more like that Phillipa Soo departure from Tony-winning musical Hamilton is a done deal with the announcement that she will assume the lead role in the musical version of Amelie, the 2001 French movie.

The Tony-nominated actress will play the lead role in the musical adaptation of the 2001 film, which made its world premiere with Les Miserables star Samantha Barks. It is a role that Soo originated during workshop development.

Amelie, adapted from the Oscar-nominated movie of the same name, will have its off-Broadway warmup run this winter and is expected to hit Broadway in January, A theater is yet to be selected.

RELATED: Asian/American leading ladies talk about diversity onstage

Chinese/American Soo was nominated for her Broadway debut role as Eliza Hamilton, the woman behind the man; but by the end of the show, she is front and center.

The Hollywood Reporter praised her "moving" performance and standout numbers: "'Helpless' measures up to the most irresistible pop songs about love at first sight in the way it captures the sheer giddiness and joy of a romantic thunderbolt, ... (and) Eliza's plea to Alexander to leave the battlefield and return to his family, 'That Would Be Enough,' is a heartbreaker."

RELATED: Disney introduces its first Polynesian princess in Moana

For Amelie, "Daniel Messe and Nathan Tysen have written clever, heartfelt lyrics and a rich, romantic score that is beautifully sung by Phillipa," said producer Aaron Harnick. "We are thrilled she is our Amelie."

"I am excited to step back into the shoes of this character," said Soo in a statement. "She is joyous, complex, and determined, in her own small way, to change the world for the better."

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

Broadway noting up-and-coming Asian/American performers in casting of 'Phantom' & 'Hamilton'

Ali Ewoldt as Maria in West Side Story.

WHILE HOLLYWOOD is stumbling around still trying to figure out this diversity thing #OscarsSoWhite, #Whitewashing, Broadway is showing signs that last year's success at integrating the stage was not a fluke.

Filipino/American Ali Ewoldt has been named as the new Christine in the long running Broadway production of Phantom of the Opera.

She’ll take over the lead role from Julia Udine on June 13.

Ewoldt whose mother is Filipino was born outside of Chicago and raised in Pleasantville, NY, she has a BA in Psychology from Yale University.

“I want to be able to represent all the other people of color who aspire to play Christine someday,” said Ewoldt to Broadway.com. “Hopefully someday, everything will be open and people will have truly equal opportunities, and we can say it doesn’t matter anymore.

Ewoldt made her Broadway debut in 2006 in Mr. Mackintosh's first Broadway revival of Les Miserable as Cosette, according to Playbill. She joins direct from playing Tuptim in the Chicago Lyric Opera production of The King & I. She also appeared in the original cast of the current Lincoln Center Theater production. 

Other credits include Luisa in The Fantasticks (Off-Broadway), Maria in West Side Story (first national tour), Lili in Carnival! (Musicals Tonight) and the national tour of Les Miserables. 

Ewoldt will join another new cast member. Jordan Donica, who will be the first African American to play the role of Raoul.

NBC

California-raised Karla Garcia now calls New York City home.

Another Filipina/American recently joined the cast of the Tony-nominated hip-hop hit Hamilton (how's that for alliteration?).

Karla Garcia joins the Tony-nominated Phillipa Soo as Asian cast members in the multi-ethnic cast. Garcia is the first Filipina cast member. As the "swing" for female cast members, the Broadway veteran and an alumna of So You Think You Can Dance (Season 5) has to learn multiple parts in case any of the cast gets a day off or can't perform for any reason.

“I’m not in Hamilton because I’m the first Filipino,” she told NBC. “They didn’t hire me because I’m Filipino. I audition. I put in the work. I know I’m good at my job. I’m secure enough that I’m just here as a dancer. And anything else like ‘Oh you’re Asian’ or ‘You’re Filipino,’ (I say) ‘Yes thank you.’ I’m proud of that, too. I’m happy to represent the Filipino community and have a family-oriented background and parents who raised me to follow my dream. But that’s the cherry on top.”

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Darren Criss in national tour of 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch'

Darren Criss in character for Hedwig & the Angry Inch.

DARREN CRISS will put on the wig and heels again for the first few stops of the national tour of the Tony-winning musical, Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

The Filipino/American actor, who is an alum of the American Conservatory Theater, played the title role on Broadway for 12 weeks last year.

The national tour will start in San Francisco with performances at the SHN Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco (Oct. 4-30) and Hollywood's Pantages Theatre (Nov. 1-27). The show's tour will then continue across North America.

Darren Criss sans makeup.

"When I found out that the tour would be kicking off in my hometown of San Francisco — the city where I was introduced to Hedwig & The Angry Inch — I could think of no better excuse to get back into the heels of a character I loved and missed so very much," Criss said in a statement.

 "And since Los Angeles has become a second home for me, I relished the idea of seeing what kind of fun Hedwig would bring to the heart of Hollywood. Getting to share this fantastic Broadway production with the two great Californian cities of my own life story will hopefully be as much of a joy for me as it will be for audiences who will experience Hedwig’s life story on the West Coast!"

"West coast be warned, Darren takes no prisoners!" said John Cameron Mitchell, who originated the role on Broadway. 

Criss' big show business break came in the TV show Glee, where he played Blaine.

A summary of Hedwig and the Angry Inch: Hedwig, born a boy named Hansel in East Berlin, fell in love with an American G.I. and underwent a sex-change operation in order to marry him and flee to the West. Unfortunately, nothing worked out quite as it was supposed to - years later, Hedwig is leading her rock band on a tour of the U.S., telling her life story through a series of concerts at Bilgewater Inn seafood restaurants. Her tour dates coincide with those of arena-rock star Tommy Gnosis, a wide-eyed boy who once loved Hedwig ... but then left with all her songs.

Criss, whose mother is from the island of Cebu, said his favorite thing about being Filipino is the extended family ... and the food. His favorite dish? "It depends because there are so many variations of lumpia and pancit but, hands-down, my favorite Filipino dish would be breakfast — with my garlic rice, tocino and bibingka for dessert."

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

Presenting the Anna Awards (the alternate Oscars for AAPI actors)

Cary Fukunaga, wins the "best director" Anna Award for 2016

IT'S AWARDS SEASON again. Peoples Choice, Emmies, Oscars, there's a whole lot of categories in which Asian/American and Pacific Islander actors WERE NOT nominated. Not because they have any  less talent, but mostly because of the lack of opportunities for meaty roles in big and important movies, television and stage shows.

The biggest award show of them all, the Academy Awards, is coming up this weekend and a handful of AAPI, African/American and Latino/Americans were picked to present the coveted trophies, a deserved honor in itself, but ostensibly, to add a little color to the #OscarsSoWhite proceedings.

RELATED: #HollywoodSoWhite - The incredible 'Whiteness' of being

Anna May Wo

To make up for the lack of recognition for Asian/American and Pacific Islander performing artists, there is always the highly anticipated awards handed out by Views From The Edge, which debuted last year. This year, we have had to abandon the (admittedly self-promoting) Eddie Awards from last year because - as we belatedly learned - there is already an Eddie Award sponsored by the American Cinema Editors named after the legendary editor, Eddie Shore.

After much deliberation, this year we decided to rename these awards to the Anna Awards, named after Anna May Wong, the first Chinese/American star in Hollywood. Despite the lack of acting opportunities for Asian/American actresses, she actually turned down a role because it cast Asians in a bad light. Hooray!

You might notice that most of the awards were given to TV actors. That's because the motion picture industry has not caught on to the changing demographics of the American audience. The 2015 television season, including streaming media, is historic in the number of offerings featuring AAPI actors. Let's hope this diversification of the entertainment industry is more than a trend.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: The categories are made up entirely by whimsical me and really have no serious artistic merit. They are subject to change at a moment's notice or a sudden change of heart or because I didn't have my morning cup of coffee. The Anna Awards considers the performances by AAPI artists in all the performing arts in the year 2015. Enjoy!)

Envelope, please! The Anna Awards for 2016 go to:

Cary Fukunaga

Best Director: Hands down, it has to be Cary Fukunaga for directing Beasts of No Nation, an encgrossing drama about Africa's child soldiers. His direction helped showcase Idris Elba's talent enough to earn Elba acting nomination for the Screen Actors Guild. Critics say Beasts was snubbed and should have been nominated for Best Picture. Fukunaga also got an Emmy for directing the critically acclaimed first season of True Detective for television.

Best Newcomer: Priyanka Chopra hit American TV screens in a big way this season on her hit show Quantico. The Bollywood actress has made the transition with ease and U.S. audiences have shown their appreciation by voting her Favorite Actress in A New TV Series in the Peoples' Choice Awards. She will also present at the Academy Awards next week.

Priyanka Chopra

Best Actor Hardly Anyone Has Seen: Joel de la Fuente for his portrayal of the Japanese Chief Inspector Kido in Man In The High Castle. This excellent alternate history story based on the classic Philip K. Dick novel, is on Amazon so it is not accessible to great number of viewers. But if you have Amazon, you've got to tune in to watch veteran actor de la Fuente make his calculating smart character, a bad guy, almost sympathetic, always a step behind the American rebels and subtly showing his doubts about the Nazi persecution of Jews.

Joel de la Fuente

The Huang family opened the door for other Asian/American families.

Best Asian/American Family Portrayal: This is a tough one but it is a nice problem to have. For the first time in history we have more than one Asian/American family to consider: Josh Chan's family in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Dev Shah's family in Master of None, and the Park family in Dr. Ken. However, this year the award will go to the Huang Family on Fresh Off The Boat. The parents (Constance Wu and Randall Park) especially are excellent. I like the inside jokes that only Asian/Amerian viewers would catch like the scene where the family is watching the show "All-American Girl" that starred Margaret Cho and one of the sons turns to the mother with the comment, "Still no shows about Asians." The best comedy and pathos comes from the friendly way the writers and producers approach race by not hitting you over the head.  In FOtB, you can find yourself laughing but then realize the not-so-funny "truth" of those race-based situations. 

Is he, or isn't he?: Bobby Morley, who plays Bellamy Blake in The 100. He's one of those Filipino/Australians who has found success in Hollywood (actually the show is taped in British Columbia). His character is not race-specific and it appears he uses makeup on his face to look a bit lighter (whiteface?). But if you Google his mugshots, his browness shines through enough to make you ask, "Is he half-Asian?"



Bobby Morley

Chrissy Teigen

Best Tweeter/Personality: For the second year in a row, the award goes to  Chrissy Teigen. The irreverent don't-care funny Tweets have made her a go-to during the awards shows. When her husband performs, watch out for the camera to pan over to her. Whether co-hosting Tyra Bank's F.A.B. fashionista TV show or swaying lip-synching celebrities in Lip Sync Battle, she is sure to come up with biting remarks, riposte's and repartee. I love her response to haters.

Best Badass Man: That would have to go to Daniel Wu, star of Into The Badlands on AMC. He's also one of the producers of the martial arts epic that takes place in a future dystopian America where guns are outlawed. That premise allows for a lot of swordplay, kicks, punches and acrobatic jumps and somersaults, a perfect imagined world for the Hong-kong style of spectacular choreographed fight scenes. The opening fight scene is a classic.

Michelle Yeoh's character (left)  in 'Strike Back' was instrumental in one of the main character's death.

Best Badass Woman: It was a pleasant surprise to find Michelle Yeoh on the last season of Strike Back, where she played the villainess, a spy for North Korea. She was able to demonstrate her physicality and familiarity with martial arts moves in the TV shoot'em-up in marvelous fight scenes. All-in-all, she was portrayed an evil character not to be messed with. Runner-up: Agent May as played by Ming Na Wen in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. For some unfortunate reason, the show shied away from Agent May-centric stories this season.

Let's See More Of Him: This is a first-time category also. Because this past year we've seen a number of roles that put more facets on the Asian/American image. One of the most intriguing characters on TV is that of Job as played by Hoon Lee in Banshee, which will end its run this spring. The former Ninja Turtle appeared in the Broadway production of the King And I over the summer but obviously, this talented actor has got more to give. 

Hoon Lee

Best Performance in A Musical: Obviously. it must go to Vanessa Hudgens for her role in the Grease Live production. Her portrayal of a brassy, but vulnerable, Rizzo drew raves and industry admiration. Her solo rendition of "There Are Worse Things I Could Do," was made even more poignant because Hudgen's father died less than a day before Grease Live went on the air. We just need to keep the Filipina/American actress away from National Monuments.

Vanessa Hudgens as Rizzo in 'Grease Live.'

Many fans thought Steven Yeun's character
Glenn Rhee was a goner.

Most Buzz & Angst: This is the first year for this category (because I didn't think of it last year.) but I had to find a way to mention The Walking Dead's non-death of Glenn Rhee as played by Steven Yeun. In terms of buzz, it generated as much, if not more, discussion than Jon Snow's non-death in Game of Thrones. For weeks, the Walking Dead producers kept us guessing the fate of everyone's favorite good-guy in the zombie apocalypse. Is he dead? Is he alive? What about Maggie? How could he survive? Was that his guts being eaten by zombies? The questions and theories kept coming up on discussion boards, talk shows, columns and blogs (including this one).

Lea Salonga

Best Broadway Performer: Lea Salonga in Allegiance reminded Broadway why she was the first Asian/American artist to win a Tony, as she played the main female role in the musical loosely based on the experiences of actor and social media master George Take, who made his first appearance on the Great White Way in his role in this show. With Allegiance now shuttered on Broadway, let's hope that Salonga doesn't wait so long to return to the New York stage.

Emma Stone in a bad case of whitewashing
in the motion picture Aloha.

Best Asian role played by a non-Asian: We should call this the Emma Stone award. Her portrayal of a hapa in the movie Aloha came right after last year's #OscarsSoWhite fiasco so the criticism heaped upon the actress and director was enough for director Cameron Crowe to issue an apology. No amount of spray-on tan could convince anyone of Stone's character's mixed-race origins. Unfortunately, I expect this award to have more nominees next year.

Best non-Asian role played by an Asian: That would be Phillipa Soo, who plays Eliza Hamilton, the wife of one of America's founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, in the Broadway musical Hamilton. The hip-hop musical is the hit of the season and might very well give Soo a shot at the Tony award, Broadway's equivalent to the Oscar.


Phillipa Soo as 
Eliza Hamilton



Best Asian/American zombie: Well, let's just say, "the only Asian zombie" that we know of. Susan Tran played the nice, little old lady who liked to putter around in her garden next door to the main characters' house in Fear the Walking Dead, the West Coast spinoff of The Walking Dead. It is a relief to know that Glenn (Steven Yuen) from the original series, might not be the only AAPI to survive the zombie apocalypse. Travis Manama, who plays the main protagonist Cliff Curtis, is Maori/American. Unfortunately, Susan won't be returning in the second season. 

Susan Tran

"Crazy Ex- Girlfriend" got the Filipino family gathering right.

Best Show Not Being Watched: The winner (in this category, winning is losing) is Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Ii don't get it. It is one of the most original and entertaining shows on American TV this season. Is it because CW is the least watched network? Is the title scaring off a lot of people who might otherwise enjoy it? It is not because of the diverse cast, their talent abounds in the musical rom-com, the imaginative original songs and production numbers, an Asian/American romantic lead in Vincent Rodriguez III and the show introduced viewers to TV's first Filipino/American family, the Chan's. But the ratings are miserable - last not only in its time slot but last in Monday night's prime time. A second season is questionable so be sure to watch it while it is still on the air. Runner-up is Truth Be Told featuring Filipina/American actress Vanessa Latchey, who plays a Filipina married to a Euro/American. Race relations was supposed to be key part of the show which wanted to be edgy but the writing didn't match its expectations resulting in lackluster reviews.

Best Stereotype Buster: Aziz Ansari as, well as the character Dev Shah in Netflix's groundbreaking show Master of None. In the series, Ansari plays Dev Shah, a millennial Asian/American actor struggling to make ends meet while juggling his love life, his relationship with his parents and battling Asian stereotypes - in other words, a well-rounded human being with flaws and hang-ups. Good news for fans, the show will have a second season, but not until 2017. Runner-up honors go to Rene Gube for playing Father Brah, a hip, Filipino/American priest in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. 

Aziz Ansari



Most Groundbreaking Role: Vincent Rodriguez III, who, as Jose Chan, is the object of the obsessive "love" of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's title character played by Golden Globe winner Rebecca Bloom. The CW romantic comedy musical  is struggling to find an audience despite glowing critical reviews. But hey, an Asian/American romantic leading man is historic. Through the season we've seen the Josh Chan character rounded out as a not-too-bright, but sensitive young man that you wouldn't mind to having a beer with.

Vincent Rodriguez III

Worst Portrayal of an Asian/American: For the second year in a row, Matthew Moy's character Han Lee in Two Broke Girls wins this ignominious award. The character is a short, desexualized Korean diner owner with a heavy accent and is often the butt of jokes. Producers have tried to round out Han Lee by occasionally allowing him to go out on dates. The only redeeming grace for this negative stereotype is that he occasionally is given a biting response towards the other characters.

Matthew Moy

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

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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"Allegiance" - the musical - to close its Broadway run

The "Allegiance" cast will make a final bow on Broadway, Feb. 14.

THE MUSICAL Allegiance, which opened just two months ago on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre, has set a closing date for its Broadway run - Feb. 14, 2016.

The silver lining, however, is that the producers are making plans for a national tour.

In a statement, producers for Allegiance said: 

"Bringing "Allegiance" to Broadway was not only a labor of love for our entire creative team and this company of extraordinary artists, but it was also a work with deep commitment to social relevance and impact. We are so proud to have brought George Takei’s very personal family history to the stage and – in the process – to have surfaced a chapter of history that was painfully unknown to so many. 

"By its last performance Allegiance will have been seen on Broadway by approximately 120,000 people, a number that eerily echoes the number of Japanese Americans who were directly impacted by the events that inspired our musical, and whose rights were trampled in the name of pure fear and intolerance. 

"We look forward to continuing to share this essential story — more relevant than ever, given today’s headlines — and this moving score with theatergoers across the country and around the world for many years to come. 

RELATED: "Allegiance" ready for its Broadway debut

"Audiences who have experienced Allegiance on Broadway have left the theater transformed, uplifted, enlightened, inspired, informed, and entertained. We remain committed to finding more ways in which the true impact of Allegiance will continue."

By the time the show closes, it will have played 37 previews and 113 regular performances.The storyline is partially inspired on the life of actor George Takei (who also stars) and his experience in Japanese/American internment camps during World War II.  Allegiance also stars Tony winner Lea Salonga and Telly Leung, and tells the story of a family uprooted and forced to adapt to a new mode of life demanded by a frightened country which would not dare to accept difference.

Lea Salonga and George Takei.

Allegiance, according to press notes, "illuminates one of American history’s lesser known chapters as it tells the story of Sam Kimura (Takei), transported back nearly six decades to when his younger self (Leung) and his sister Kei (Salonga) fought to stay connected to their heritage, their family, and themselves after Japanese Americans were wrongfully imprisoned during World War II. An epic story told with great intimacy, Allegiance explores the ties that bind us, the struggle to persevere, and the overwhelming power of forgiveness and, most especially."

The show features a book by Marc Acito, Jay Kuo, and Lorenzo Thione, and music and lyrics by Kuo. A cast recording of Allegiance will be released Feb. 5 through Broadway Records/Yellow Sound.

The complete cast comprises Takei as Sam Kimura/Ojii San, Salonga as Kei Kimura, Leung as Sammy Kimura, Katie Rose Clarke as Hannah Campbell, Michael K. Lee as Frankie Suzuki, Christopheren Nomura as Tatsuo Kimura and Greg Watanabe as Mike Masaoka with Aaron J. Albano, Belinda Allyn, Marcus Choi, Janelle Dote, Dan Horn, Owen Johnston, Darren Lee, Manna Nichols, Rumi Oyama, Catherine Ricafort, Momoko Sugai, Sam Tanabe, Kevin Munhall, Elena Wang, Scott Watanabe and Tony winner Scott Wise.