Lia Chang: Mabuhay Inc. Culture School students discover a treasure trove of children’s books by Filipino authors and more in the Library of Congress’ Asian Division Reading Room

Library of Congress’ Asian Division Reading Room in the Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington D.C. Photo by Lia Chang

On the first Saturday in May, I was in the Library of Congress’ Asian Division Reading Room, located in Room 150 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E. in Washington, D.C., to photograph the Performing Arts Images from the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection, on display through May 31, 2012.

Selected scripts from the Performing Arts Playwright Series in the Library of Congress’ AAPI Collection. Photo by Lia Chang

Sponsored by the Library of Congress’ Asian Division, the display of 54 of my “In Rehearsal” photographs, drawn from the AAPI Collection’s Lia Chang Theater Portfolio, along with select working scripts from the Playwrights’ Archives including the plays of Rick Shiomi, Velina Hasu Houston, Christine Toy Johnson, Reme Grefalda, Jeanne Sakata, and Lani Montreal, is being held in conjunction with the Library of Congress celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM).

Members of the Mabuhay Inc. Culture School in the Library of Congress’ Asian Division Reading Room in the Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington D.C. on May 5, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

I was delighted to meet up with 10 children, their parents and chaperones from the Mabuhay Inc. Culture School, who had driven in from College Park, Maryland, for their second field trip in the Library of Congress’ Asian Division Reading Room.

Members of the Mabuhay Inc. Culture School in the Library of Congress’ Asian Division Reading Room in the Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington D.C. on May 5, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

More than 20 years ago, Mencie Y. Hairston and a group of parents established Mabuhay Inc. Culture School, a terrific weekend cultural and educational enrichment program where Filipino-American children ages 4 – 16, learn the common bonds of history, geography and culture between the United States and the Philippines.

Members of the Mabuhay Inc. Culture School in the Library of Congress’ Asian Division Reading Room in the Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington D.C. on May 5, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Arts and crafts, music, folk dancing, literature, history and Tagalog are part of the program. The mission of Mabuhay Inc. Culture School is to enhance the self-esteem and “cultural competence” of young Filipino Americans – children who know, share, and are proud of their parents’’ customs and traditions.

Members of the Mabuhay Inc. Culture School in the Library of Congress’ Asian Division Reading Room in the Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington D.C. on May 5, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Reme Grefalda, curator of the AAPI Collection at the Library of Congress, handpicked a selection of children’s books by Filipino authors for them.

Sofia Escalante, age 4, of the Mabuhay Inc. Culture School reads a book by a Filipino author in the Library of Congress’ Asian Division Reading Room in the Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington D.C. on May 5, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Each student chose a book to read, and then shared its synopsis with the whole group.

“We are grateful to Reme Grefalda for continuing to make the Library’s Asian American Collection accessible to our young readers,” said Hairston. “The field trip was focused on children’s books by Filipino authors. Reme totally gets it! She has gone out of her way to make the whole experience ‘kid friendly’. As Filipino Americans, our children read “Green Eggs and Ham” and “The Velveteen Rabbit”. We wanted them to also know first hand what stories Filipino children listened to or read.”

Members of the Mabuhay Inc. Culture School reads a book by a Filipino author in the Library of Congress’ Asian Division Reading Room in the Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington D.C. on May 5, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

“I asked them to identify the author and illustrator of their chosen book to drive the point that Filipinos are creative people,” said Hairston. “A majority of the books we read were based on Philippine legends. At the end of the book reading, the students deduced that the legends explained how things/beings/animals came to be but more importantly, they taught life lessons. Discussions continued at the cafeteria between bites of pizza and spoonfuls of rice! This was the best field trip ever!”

Katherine Argente (age 10), Lia Chang, Kayla Argente (age 13) and Liezl Argente. Photo by Leon Argente

MABUHAY, INC.
(A Filipino American Association) www.mabuhayinc-md.org/

Lia Chang with her Lia Chang Theater Portfolio “In Rehearsal” photographs on view through May 31, 2012, in the Library of Congress’ Asian Division Reading Room, in the Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington D.C, on May 5, 2012.

“In Rehearsal” Photographs from AAPI Collection’s Lia Chang Theater Portfolio on view through May 31, 2012 The 54 photographs on display feature the following artists rehearsing for “opening night”: Shinsai: Theaters for Japan, a collaborative benefit by New York’s leading theater companies as a gesture of solidarity with theater communities in Japan devastated by the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami; Katie Hae Leo’s Four Destinies, produced by Mu Performing Arts in Minneapolis MN; BD Wong and Wayne Barker’s King Matt the First with Wong directing Rosie O’Donnell’s Theater Kids; Cindy Cheung’s SPEAK UP CONNIE a one-person show also directed by BD Wong; David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish at the Goodman Theatre, prior to its Broadway run; Darren Lee, Director/Choregrapher of Disney Wishes; Thom Sesma’s Makeup Transformation as Scar in Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas; and the cast of Bakwas Bumbug!, a pop opera by Samrat Chakrabarti and Sanjiv Jhaveri.

In rehearsal at Lincoln Center for Shinsai: Theaters for Japan, a collaborative benefit by New York’s leading theater companies as a gesture of solidarity with theater communities in Japan devastated by the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami, on March 9, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Photos: In Rehearsal with Director Bartlett Sher and the cast of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan
Photos: Highlights of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan (3pm) with Andre Bishop, Mary Beth Hurt, Jennifer Lim, Angela Lin, Philip Kan Gotanda, Thom Sesma, Sab Shimono, Richard Thomas, Jay O. Sanders, and more
Photos: Highlights of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan (8pm) with Oskar Eustis, Patti LuPone, Lisa Emery, Ann Harada, Paolo Montalban, Thom Sesma, Sab Shimono, Henry Stram, Richard Thomas, John Weidman and more
The Library of Congress’ Asian Reading Room is located in Room 150 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C. The hours of the Library of Congress’ Asian Division Reading Room are 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

In rehearsal for Katie Hae Leo’s Four Destinies, produced by Mu Performing Arts in Minneapolis, MN, at Mixed Blood Theatre on October 15, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Lia Chang Photos: Backstage at Mu Performing Arts’ Four Destinies by Katie Hae Leo, 10/15-10/30 The Library of Congress is the central repository for all types of Asian publications that are not broadly available at other locations in the United States. Initiated in 1869 with a gift of 10 works in 934 volumes offered to the United States by the Emperor of China, the Library’s Asian collection of more than 2 million items is the largest and most comprehensive outside of Asia. For more information about the division and its holdings, go to www.loc.gov/rr/asian/.

In rehearsal for David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, prior to its Broadway run, on June 5, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Photos: Playwright David Henry Hwang in rehearsal at the Goodman Theatre for World Premiere of ChinglishFounded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov and via interactive exhibitions on a personalized website at myLOC.gov.

The cast of Bakwas Bumbug in rehearsal at DANY Studios in New York on June 16, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Photos: Christmas in June w/ Samrat Chakrabarti and Sanjiv Jhaveri’s “Bakwas Bumbug” at The Wild Project in NY

BD Wong rehearses King Matt the First, with Rosie’s Theater Kids at the Maravel Arts Center on 445 W. 45th St. in New York on March 17, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Photos: BD Wong in Rehearsal for “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”
Photos: BD Wong, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Brandon Victor Dixon, Tom Viola at “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”

Other Articles by Lia Chang
Multimedia: Exclusive photos and video of Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas -In the Makeup Chair with Thom Sesma
Portraits of New York Chinatown after 9/11 by Lia Chang in “Post 9/11″: Commemorative Display at Library of Congress
Up Close and Personal with Rick Shiomi, Award-winning Playwright & Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts
Extended through 8/23- “In Rehearsal” Lia Chang Theater Portfolio at Library of Congress Featuring Robert Lee and Leon Ko’s Heading East Starring BD Wong, Thom Sesma as Scar in The Lion King Las Vegas
Broadwayworld.com Photo Flash: Library of Congress’ IN REHEARSAL Exhibit
broadwayworld.com: Chinglish in Rehearsal
Epic Theatre Presents Jeanne Sakata’s Hold These Truths, starring Joel de la Fuente, May 20-21, 2012
President Obama Names Asian American Civil Rights Hero Gordon Hirabayashi Recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom
Remembering Civil Rights Leader Gordon Hirabayashi,1918- 2012
Photos: David Henry Hwang, Oskar Eustis, BD Wong, Brian d’Arcy James, Francis Jue, Jennifer Lim and Leigh Silverman at WNYC’s The Greene Space
Raymond J. Lee and Ali Ewoldt star in Concert Reading of Jason Ma’s Gold Mountain on May 21, 2012
BD Wong to Star in Live Concert Recording of HERRINGBONE for 2 Nights Only as a Benefit for Dixon Place, 5/21, 5/22
Filmmaker Justin Lin Acquires Film Rights to David Henry Hwang’s Critically Acclaimed Broadway Comedy Chinglish
David Henry Hwang Set as Signature Theatre’s Residency One Playwright for the 2012-2013 Season
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang. Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com

Lia Chang: Brooklyn Botanic Garden Celebrates Hanami, the Cherry Blossom Season, Sunday, April 1–Sunday, April 29, 2012

From April 1 to 29, Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) celebrates Hanami, the Japanese cultural tradition of experiencing each moment of the cherry blossom season, from the first buds to the full canopy to the multitudes of falling blossoms blanketing the ground.

Cherry Blossoms at Brooklyn Botanic Garden (Photo by Lia Chang)

In Japan, long-established customs associated with Hanami include strolling among the trees and capturing falling cherry petals in open palms. Brooklyn Botanic Garden is the United States’ finest site to experience Hanami, with more Japanese flowering cherries in one place, and a more diverse collection of cherry cultivars, than anywhere in the world outside Japan.

Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden: weeping Higan cherry, Prunus subhirtella ‘Pendula’. (Photo by Lia Chang)

During the Hanami season, visitors to BBG can enjoy several highlights inspired by its collection of over 220 flowering cherry trees:

Free Hanami tours (Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m.) focusing on BBG’s Japanese plant collections and specialty gardens, including the cherries, the C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum, and the Tree Peony Collection.
• Meet the Curator session with Chris Roddick, senior arborist
• Selection of special Japanese menu items at BBG’s Zagat-rated Terrace Café
• The Hanami Collection at BBG’s Gift Shop (both on-site and online at shop.bbg.org), featuring handpicked items inspired by the Garden’s blossoms and Japanese aesthetics

Cherry Esplanade (Photo by Lia Chang)

The cherry display will be tracked in real time on BBG’s web-based CherryWatch feature, which maps the entire collection and provides daily blooming updates. A perennially popular subject for photographers both amateur and professional, the Garden also encourages all visitors to share their cherry blossom images in its Hanami photo pool on Flickr.

The four weeks of Hanami culminate in the Garden’s legendary weekend festival Sakura Matsuri—popularly referred to as “New York’s rite of spring” and the nation’s largest event in a public garden. Conceived as a thrilling tribute to the Garden’s iconic display, Sakura Matsuri is scheduled for April 28 and 29, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, with over 60 performances, demonstrations, and exhibits—many of which are specially commissioned for this dynamic celebration. More information will be available at bbg.org/sakuramatsuri.

For more information on Hanami and Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s cherry blossoms, please visit bbg.org/discover/cherries.

Other articles by Lia Chang:
Photos: BD Wong in Rehearsal for “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”
Photos: Highlights of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan (3pm) with Andre Bishop, Mary Beth Hurt, Jennifer Lim, Angela Lin, Philip Kan Gotanda, Thom Sesma, Sab Shimono, Richard Thomas, Jay O. Sanders, and more
Photos: Highlights of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan (8pm) with Oskar Eustis, Patti LuPone, Lisa Emery, Ann Harada, Paolo Montalban, Thom Sesma, Sab Shimono, Henry Stram, Richard Thomas, John Weidman and more
Photos: In Rehearsal with Director Bartlett Sher and the cast of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan
Thom Sesma, Patti LuPone, Cindy Cheung, Jennifer Lim, Sab Shimono, James Yaegashi and more set for Shinsai: Theaters for Japan Benefit on March 11 at the Great Hall at Cooper Union in New York
Multimedia: Exclusive photos and video of Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas -In the Makeup Chair with Thom Sesma
David Henry Hwang to Receive 2012 William Inge Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award
The SFIAAFF30 Kicks Off with World Premiere of White Frog Featuring Booboo Stewart, Harry Shum, Jr., Joan Chen, Kelly Hu and BD Wong, at the Castro Theater on March 8
Tony award-winning actor BD Wong stars in NBC’s Awake; video preview and interview
Chinglish Playwright David Henry Hwang Moderates “RepresentAsian: The Changing Face of New York Theater” at Pope Auditorium at Fordham University
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Coming to America through The Angel Island Immigration Station
Orville Mendoza Joins the Broadway Cast of Peter and the Starcatcher, Previews Begin March 28 at the Brooks Atkinson
Photos: Laila Robins, Sean Dugan, C.J. Wilson, Peter Francis James, Bill Irwin and Tricia Paoluccio at Signature Theatre Company’s revival of Edward Albee’s The Lady From Dubuque
Photos: “How To Succeed” stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rose Hemingway and John Larroquette at Lord & Taylor for Windows Unveiling
Multimedia: Promises, Promises’ Stars Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes at Lord & Taylor Fifth Ave
Broadwayworld.com Photo Flash: Library of Congress’ IN REHEARSAL Exhibit
Photos: David Duchovny, John Earl Jelks, Amanda Peet, Tracee Chimo at Opening Night Party of Neil LaBute’s Break of Noon
Celebrating my mom – AN ACTIVE VISION: BEVERLY UMEHARA…LABOR ACTIVIST…1945-1999
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang. Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at lia@backstagepasswithliachang.com.

Lia Chang: Financial Times Critic Ken Smith Discusses Western Opera’s Recent Success in China with the Three Chinese Tenors at The China Institute in New York on January 21, 2012

The Three Chinese Tenors, Dai Yuqiang, Wei Song and Warren Mok are currently on a a world tour marking their appointment as China’s cultural ambassadors.

Ten years after the original Three Tenors performed live in the Forbidden City, China returns the favor. In anticipation of their by-invitation-only performance, “A Night with Beijing” at Alice Tully Hall, they’ll make a special appearance at the China Institute in New York on January 21, 2012 from 5:30pm – 7:30pm. Financial Times music critic Ken Smith, whose role for many years has been to explain opera in the West to the Chinese, and the opera in China to the West, will discuss with The Three Chinese Tenors, their respective roles in Western Opera’s recent success in China both in public visibility and recent prominence in the nation’s cultural agenda.

The China Institute is located at 125 East 65th Street in New York. The program also includes a pre-talk reception. Advance registration is required due to limited seating; $10 suggested donation toward supporting future Arts & Culture programming. Call 212-744-8181, ext. 111.

Dai Yuqiang, Luciano Pavarotti’s only Chinese student, has been dubbed “the Pavarotti of China” both for his fresh, lyrical voice and his enormous popularity at home. A former member of the People’s Liberation Army opera company, the Hebei native now lives in Beijing with a schedule of nearly 200 live and televised performances a year. The Shanghai-based Wei Song has garnered acclaim as one of China’s hardest working dramatic tenors. A veteran of both repertory Western operas and newly composed Chinese works, he spans both lyric and dramatic roles with “penetrating vocal power.” He is the newly appointed President of the Shanghai Opera House. Warren Mok first came to prominence at Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he appeared in more than 50 operatic roles. In addition to his international singing career, Mok is also the artistic director of the Macau International Music Festival and the founding artistic director of Opera Hong Kong. Born in Beijing, he is a graduate of the University of Hawaii and the Manhattan School of Music.

Financial Times critic Ken Smith and his wife Joanna C. Lee at Asia Society Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York on January 11, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Ken Smith writes about music and opera for the Financial Times and Opera magazine of London, and is a featured columnist for Opera magazine of Shanghai, China’s national publication devoted to Western opera. He is the author of Fate, Luck Chance…the Making of The Bonesetter’s Daughter Opera. Smith and his wife Joanna C. Lee, are co-authors of the Pocket Chinese Almanac and co-directors of Museworks Ltd., a Hong Kong-based cultural consulting company offering wide-ranging support, from production to translation and media services, for artists and institutions seeking links to and from Asia. Their clients include Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Opera, the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, Holland Festival, Habitat for Humanity, the Hong Kong International Film Festival, Sotheby’s HK and served as the cultural advisors to Tony award-winning and two-time Pulitzer finalist playwright and librettist David Henry Hwang, on Chinglish, Hwang’s critically acclaimed Broadway comedy currently playing at the Longacre Theatre, 220 W. 48th Street in New York.

Saturday, January 21, 2012
China Institute
125 East 65th Street
New York
5:30–7:30 PM, including a pre-talk reception.
Advance registration is required due to
limited seating; $10 suggested donation toward supporting future Arts & Culture programming. Please call 212-744-8181, ext. 111.

Related Articles:
Meet the authors of the Pocket Chinese Almanac, Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith, Museworks, Ltd.
Asia Society Honors Chinglish Playwright David Henry Hwang and Former Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead at the Waldorf Astoria on January 11, 2012
CHINGLISH Celebrates 100th Performance on 1/5/12 – Meet David Henry Hwang & the Cast After Post-Show Talkback
Photos: Maya Lin, BD Wong, David Henry Hwang, Yeohlee, Oscar L. Tang and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at MOCA Legacy Awards Gala
Cindy Cheung Debuts SPEAK UP CONNIE…Her Solo Show at Stage Left Studio, January 17-25, 2012
Mu Daiko 15th Anniversary Concert and Minnesota Tour, February 9-19, 2012
Aaron Lazar, Kate Baldwin, P.J. Griffith, Raul Aranas Set for the Dallas Theater Center/Public Theater Co-Production of Giant at the Wyly Theatre, January 18 – February 19, 2012
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
DOGS LIE, Starring Samrat Chakrabarti, Frank Boyd and Ewa Da Cruz, Nabs ”Best Film (USA)” and ”Feature Film Audience Award” at 2011 ITN Distribution Film and New Media Festival
Photos: “How To Succeed” stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rose Hemingway and John Larroquette at Lord & Taylor for Windows Unveiling
Multimedia: Promises, Promises’ Stars Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes at Lord & Taylor Fifth Ave
Broadwayworld.com Photo Flash: Library of Congress’ IN REHEARSAL Exhibit
Photos: David Duchovny, John Earl Jelks, Amanda Peet, Tracee Chimo at Opening Night Party of Neil LaBute’s Break of Noon
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

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Lia Chang Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang is an actor, performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multimedia journalist.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com.

Lia Chang Photos: David Henry Hwang, John C. Whitehead, Mayor Michael Bloomberg at Asia Society Awards Dinner in New York

The Asia Society held its 2011 Asia Society Awards Dinner in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York on Wednesday, January 11, 2012.

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang, Diana Taylor and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. (Lia Chang)

Kathryn Layng and her husband Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang. (Lia Chang)

Comedian and actor, Dan Nainan emceed the festivities, which included a special performance by members of the Silk Road Ensemble.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Ray Kelly, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, were among the 400 who came out to honor and to celebrate the 90th birthday of former Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead, who was presented with an Asia Society Award.

Tony Award-winning and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright and librettist David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly), whose hilarious and sexy new comedy CHINGLISH is currently on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street) in New York was presented with the 2011 Cultural Achievement Award.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leading pro-democracy opposition leader in Myanmar, received the 2011 Asia Society Global Vision Award, and a videotape of her acceptance speech was played during the dinner.

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang, journalist Kati Marton, widow of former Asia Society Chairman Richard Holbrooke, and Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead. (Lia Chang)

Seated, from left: Cynthia Whitehead, Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead. Standing, from left: Asia Society President Vishakha Desai, Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang and Former Asia Society President Bob Oxnam. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society President Vishakha Desai and Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang. (Lia Chang)

Seated, from left: Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead and Ray Kelly, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department. Standing, from left: Cynthia Whitehead, David Earls, Samantha Earls, Asia Society Co-Chair Ronnie Chan, Asia Society President Vishakha Desai and Asia Society Co-Chair Henrietta Fore. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society Trustee Lulu Wang, founder of Tupelo Capital Management, presented the 2011 Cultural Achievement Award to Chinglish playwright and librettist David Henry Hwang.

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang and Asia Society Trustee Lulu Wang, founder of Tupelo Capital Management. (Lia Chang)

David Henry Hwang’s plays include M. Butterfly (1988 Tony Award, 1989 Pulitzer Prize Finalist), Golden Child (1998 Tony Award nomination, 1997 OBIE Award), Yellow Face (2008 OBIE Award, 2008 Pulitzer Prize Finalist), FOB (1981 OBIE Award), The Dance and the Railroad (1982 Drama Desk Award nomination), Family Devotions (1982 Drama Desk Award nomination), Bondage.

Video excerpts from David Henry Hwang's Chinglish. (Lia Chang)

His latest Broadway offering Chinglish, was recently named by TIME Magazine, Bloomberg Radio, NY1 and WNYC as one of the Top 10 Broadway shows of the year. He wrote the libretti for the Broadway musicals Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida (co-author), Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song (revival, 2002 Tony Award nomination) and Disney’s Tarzan. In opera, his libretti include four works with composer Philip Glass: The Voyage (Metropolitan Opera), 1000 Airplanes on the Roof, Sound and Beauty (seen in Chicago at the Court Theatre), and Icarus at the Edge of Time; as well as Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar (two 2007 Grammy Awards), Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland (Opernwelt 2007 “World Premiere of the Year”) and Howard Shore’sThe Fly. Hwang penned the feature films M. Butterfly, Golden Gate and Possession (co-author), and co-wrote the song “Solo” with Prince. Hwang sits on the Council of the Dramatists Guild, and served by appointment of President Clinton on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. More information about Chinglish
Click here to view his speech.

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang (center) is flanked by (L-R) his wife Kathryn Layng, Joanna C. Lee, Rachel Cooper, Director of Cultural Programs and Performing Arts, Ken Smith and Yoshie Ito, Assistant Director, Business Programs, Asia Society. (Lia Chang)

Hwang was joined by his wife actress Kathryn Layng; and his Chinglish crew: Museworks. Ltd.’s Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith, his cultural advisors; his director Leigh Silverman, and his costume designer Anita Yavich.

Chinglish director Leigh Silverman, Kathryn Layng, Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang, Chinglish costume designer Anita Yavich. (Lia Chang)

Kathryn Layng with her husband Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang, Asia Society Trustee Harold Newman and Yoshie Ito, Assistant Director, Business Programs, Asia Society. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang (L) and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. (Lia Chang)

Kathryn Layng with her husband Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang, Lisina M. Hoch, Asia Society Honorary Life Trustee and Steven Hoch, Co-Founder of Highmount Capital. (Lia Chang)

Kate Levin, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Asia Society Trustee Lulu Wang, founder of Tupelo Capital Management, Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang and Former Asia Society President Bob Oxnam. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society Co-Chair Ronnie Chan and Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang. (Lia Chang)

Chinese Opera star Qian Yi, Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang and Hafez Nazeri, Iranian composer. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang (L) and Nicholas Platt, former president of the Asia Society. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang, Ralph Samuelson, and Andrea Samuelson. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award winner David Henry Hwang and Ida Liu. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society Trustee J. Michael Evans, Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs, presented the 2011 Global Vision Award to former Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead.

Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead and Asia Society Trustee J. Michael Evans, Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs. (Lia Chang)

Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead celebrates his 90th birthday this year. (Lia Chang)

Born in Evanston, Illinois, John C. Whitehead graduated from Haverford College in 1943 and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After receiving his M.B.A. degree from Harvard in 1947 he began at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he became Partner in 1956 and Senior Partner in 1976. In 1985 President Reagan appointed Mr. Whitehead Deputy Secretary of State, a position he held from July 1985 until January 1989. Click here to view his speech.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead. (Lia Chang)

He is the former Chairman of such diverse organizations as the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Harvard Board of Overseers, the International Rescue Committee, the United Nations Association, Haverford College, Asia Society and the Hungarian-American Enterprise Fund. He is Chairman of the Boy Scouts of America/GNY.

Cynthia Whitehead, Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead and Harold Newman. (Lia Chang)

In late 2001 Mr. Whitehead was appointed as Chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp, the organization responsible for the rebuilding and revitalization of Lower Manhattan, and served in that position until May 2006. He is also the Founding Chairman of the National September 11th Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center.

Paul B. Kazarian, Chairman & CEO of Japonica Partners, John C. Whitehead and Asia Society Chairman Emeritus Maurice R. Greenberg. Asia Society Co-Chair Ronnie Chan. (Lia Chang)

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Global Vision Award

Burmese democracy icon Aung Sang Suu Kyi accepts her Asia Society Global Vision Award. (Lia Chang)

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the leading pro-democracy opposition leader in Myanmar and the daughter of Aung San, a martyred national hero, and Khin Kyi, a late Burmese diplomat. She has spent most of the past two decades under detention after her party, the National League for Democracy, won a victory in the 1990 elections but was denied power by the ruling military junta. In the midst of her struggle, she has endured the loss of her husband, Michael Aris, and continued separation from her two sons. She was eventually released from house arrest on November 13, 2010 following the election of a new government, and a year later announced she would rejoin the political system.

Silk Road Ensemble members Sandeep Das (L) and Shane Shanahan. (Lia Chang)

Aung San Suu Kyi’s reemergence into politics has ushered in a new state of dialogue between Myanmar and the international community, highlighted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit in early December 2011, the first visit from a foreign secretary to the country in over 50 years. She formally registered her National League for Democracy as a political party in December 2011. The government of Myanmar approved the National League for Democracy’s registration on January 5, 2012, and the party is ready to begin campaigning for the by-elections to be held on April 1 of this year.

Silk Road Ensemble members Sandeep Das (L) and Shane Shanahan. (Lia Chang)

In 1991, Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Price for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.
Click here to view her videotaped message.
Click here for highlights of the dinner.

Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. (Lia Chang)

Asia Society is the leading educational organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders and institutions of Asia and the United States in a global context. Across the fields of arts, business, culture, education and policy, the Society provides insight , generates ideas, and promotes collaboration to address present challenges and create a shared future.

Founded in 1956, Asia Society is a nonpartisan, nonprofit education institution headquartered in New York with offices in Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, and Washington D.C.

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CHINGLISH Celebrates 100th Performance on 1/5/12 – Meet David Henry Hwang & the Cast After Post-Show Talkback
Photos: Maya Lin, BD Wong, David Henry Hwang, Yeohlee, Oscar L. Tang and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at MOCA Legacy Awards Gala
Click here for more articles on David Henry Hwang.
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

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Lia Chang and David Henry Hwang. (Rachel Cooper)

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.



All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com.

Lia Chang Photos: Maya Lin, BD Wong, David Henry Hwang, Yeohlee, Oscar L. Tang and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at MOCA Legacy Awards Gala

Photo by Lia Chang

The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) held its 32nd annual Legacy Awards Gala Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street in New York on December 12, 2011.

32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

This year’s Gala highlighted MOCA’s educational role in fostering understanding and bridging gaps between cultures and generations, while recognizing extraordinary individuals who have made substantial contributions to the legacy of Chinese Americans.

Actor BD Wong, artist and architect Maya Lin and Chinglish playwright David Henry Hwang at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Artist and architect Maya Lin, a Co-Chair of MOCA’s Board of Trustees, welcomed MOCA’s 2011 honorees, and special guests actor BD Wong, Chinglish playwright David Henry Hwang, fashion designer Yeohlee and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

Fashion Designer Yeohlee and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

The elegant soiree was hosted by CNBC correspondent Melissa Lee.

2011 Legacy Award honoree Pichet Ong, Mei-Mei Tuan and CNBC correspondent Melissa Lee at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

At the podium, Mayor Bloomberg said he wanted to attend the gala to personally congratulate his friend, philanthropist Oscar L. Tang, this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award honoree.

Sara Judge McCalpin,President, China Institute, 2011 Lifetime Achievement honoree Oscar L. Tang and MOCA Trustee Anla Cheng, Partner, Sino-Century China Private Equity, L.L.C. at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Mayor Bloomberg introduced Ms. Lin, the architect/designer who transformed the site at 215 Centre Street in New York, a 14,000-square-foot former machine shop, into a bi-level exhibit and administrative center for the Museum of Chinese in America, a museum that celebrates the living history of the Chinese experience in America.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and artist and architect Maya Lin at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

“The move into our new home at 215 Centre Street just two years ago has inspired a burst of creative activity,” said Maya Lin, Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees. “And MOCA’s success relies on our growing circle of friends who contribute their time, money, and talent to strengthen our mission.”

2011 MOCA Legacy Honorees Pichet Ong, pastry chef and author of The Sweet Spot, Dominic Ng, Chairman, President & CEO of East West Bank, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient philanthropist Oscar L. Tang & David Liu, co-founder and CEO of XO Group Inc. at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Carley Roney, Co-Founder, Chief Content Officer and Editor-in-Chief, XO Group Inc. (formerly The Knot.com) presented the Legacy Award to her husband David Liu, Co-founder and CEO of XO Group Inc.

2011 Legacy Award honoree Dominic Ng and Lulu Wang. Photo by Lia Chang

Lulu C. Wang, Chief Executive Officer of Tupelo Capital Management L.L.C., presented the Legacy Award to Dominic Ng, Chairman, President & CEO of East West Bank.

(LtoR) 2011 Legacy Award honoree Pichet Ong, celebrated pastry chef and author of The Sweet Spot with Mei-Mei Tuan at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Mei-Mei Tuan, MOCA Co-Chair and Founding Partner, Notch Partner L.L.C., presented the award to Pichet Ong, celebrated pastry chef and author of “The Sweet Spot.”

2011 Legacy Award honoree Pichet Ong and his mom at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

2011 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient with co-presenters Sara Judge McCalpin and Anla Cheng at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Sara Judge McCalpin, President, China Institute, and MOCA Trustee Anla Cheng, Partner, Sino-Century China Private Equity, L.L.C., presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to philanthropist Oscar L. Tang.

2011 MOCA Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Oscar L. Tang, his sister-in-law Jean Young and daughter Dana Tang at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Actor BD Wong and Chinglish playwright David Henry Hwang, at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Actor BD Wong, just back from shooting an episode of his new television show “Awake” in LA, was at the Gala to introduce Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang. Wong raved about Hwang’s sexy and hilarious new comedy now playing on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre, and recommended that everyone go see the play which has been named 3rd in Time Magazine’s list of Top 10 Plays and Musicals. As a teaser, Chinglish stars Jennifer Lim and Gary Wilmes performed an excerpt from the show.

Jennifer Lim and Gary Wilmes perform an excerpt from David Henry Hwang's new Broadway play Chinglish at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Jennifer Lim and Gary Wilmes perform an excerpt from David Henry Hwang's new Broadway play Chinglish at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Jennifer Lim and Gary Wilmes perform an excerpt from David Henry Hwang's new Broadway play Chinglish at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Chinglish playwright David Henry Hwang, and his wife actress Kathryn Layng at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Team Chinglish cultural advisor Ken Smith, projections designer Shawn Duan and cultural advisor Joanna C. Lee at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Chinglish star Jennifer Lim and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

All proceeds go to advance MOCA’s vision and services, including the sponsorship of new exhibitions and the Trending Asian America Public Program series, the expansion of educational programs in partnership with local schools, and the preservation of the Collection and Digital MOCA.

(LtoR) MOCA Board of Trustee Co-Chairs Mei-Mei Tuan, Founding Partner, Notch Partner L.L.C. and artist and architect Maya Lin at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Paul Huang, CJ Huang Foundation and Cao O, Executive Director of AAFNY at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

American diplomat Nicholas Platt and his wife Sheila Maynard Platt at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

2011 MOCA Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Oscar L. Tang at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

About the Museum of Chinese in America
MOCA was founded in 1980 as the community-based New York Chinatown History Project, and has since grown to encompass the journeys of a wide range of Chinese American communities from around the corner and across the globe. Since late 2009, when MOCA moved into the newly designed space by Maya Lin, located at the crossroads of SoHo and Chinatown, its exhibitions, programs, and audiences have expanded considerably. This was made possible by a public-private partnership to rebuild Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of 9/11 as well as MOCA’s growing community of donors led by its Board of Trustees.

Museum of Chinese in America is located at 215 Centre Street. For further information about the Museum, please call (212) 619-4785 or online at http://www.mocanyc.org.

Actor BD Wong, at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Today, MOCA’s mission is to celebrate the living history of the Chinese experience in America, to inspire our diverse communities to contribute to America’s evolving cultural narrative and civil society, and to empower and bridge our communities across generations, ethnicities, and geography through our dynamic stories.

(L-R) Committee of 100 Members Arthur Liu, 2011 Legacy Award Honoree Dominic Ng, Maya Lin, Jenny Ming, Ted Wang, Lulu Wang, 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree Oscar L. Tang, Calvin Tsao, Alice Young and Anla Cheng at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

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Chinglish playwright David Henry Hwang and Lia Chang at the 32nd Annual MOCA Legacy Awards Gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall St in New York on December 12, 2011.

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.

Lia made her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden, and has since documented her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism as a photographer and videographer, collaborating with other artists, organizations and companies to establish their documentary photo archive and social media presence. Lia was featured as Joy in the Signature Theater Company’s revival of Sam Shepard’s 1965 Obie award winning play, Chicago directed by Joseph Chaikin at the Public Theater. She has appeared in Wolf, New Jack City, Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman, “As the World Turns,” “Another World,” and “New York Undercover”. Lia currently plays Nurse Lia on “One Life to Live”.

Selections of Lia’s archive of Asian Pacific Americans in the arts, fashion, journalism, politics and space are now in the newly created LIA CHANG THEATER PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO in the ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTION housed in the Library of Congress Asian Division’s Asian American Pacific Islander Collection.

Lia’s portraits and performance photos have appeared in Vanity Fair, German Elle, Women’s Wear Daily, The Paris Review, TV Guide, Daily Variety, Interior Design, American Theatre, Broadwayworld.com, New York Magazine, InStyle, Timeout.com, Villagevoice.com, Playbill.com, Theatermania.com, Smartmoney.com The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Boston Globe, New York Times and Washington Post. A former syndicated arts and entertainment columnist for KYODO News, Lia is the New York Bureau Chief for AsianConnections.com. She writes about culture, style and Asian American issues for a variety of publications and this Backstage Pass with Lia Chang blog.

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Chinglish is Named in TIME Magazine’s Top 10 of the Year; Meet the Cast at Talkbacks after Select Performances in December
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Photos: Kathie Lee Gifford at the 2011 Lord & Taylor Fifth Avenue Christmas Windows Unveiling in New York
Photos: Fall Foliage at Devil’s Lake State Park
Portraits of New York Chinatown After 9/11 Featured in “Post 9/11”: Commemorative Display at Library of Congress Asian Reading Room, 8/30-9/15
Coming to America through The Angel Island Immigration Station
Broadwayworld.com Photo Flash: Library of Congress’ IN REHEARSAL Exhibit
Photos: A.B. Cruz III and Lillian Kimura Receive 2011 AALDEF Justice in Action Awards
Photos: David Duchovny, John Earl Jelks, Amanda Peet, Tracee Chimo at Opening Night Party of Neil LaBute’s Break of Noon
Museum of Chinese in America Programs in Jan.to Celebrate the Lunar New Year in NYC
AAJA & MOCA FREE Panel & Town Hall on covering Chinatown: “CHINATOWN, UNCOVERED”
Multimedia: AALDEF Celebrates 35 Years of Protecting and Promoting the Civil Rights of Asian Americans
Fred Korematsu, American Hero and Civil Rights Activist Dies at 86
Celebrating my mom – AN ACTIVE VISION: BEVERLY UMEHARA…LABOR ACTIVIST…1945-1999
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at lia@backstagepasswithliachang.com