In celebration of Asian Heritage month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee of Actors’ Equity Association and ReImagined World Entertainment will present the debut of “The Asian American Composers and Lyricists Project”, an evening of works created and sung by Asian American theatre artists. The free 90-minute concert will take place on Sunday, May 19 at 8 p.m. at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at the Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42 St. in New York.
Featuring original words and music by Adam Gwon, Timothy Huang, Christine Toy Johnson, Leon Ko, Felice Kuan, Robert Lee, Yan Li, and Jason Ma, the event will be directed by Alan Muraoka and emceed by Ann Harada (CINDERELLA).
Singers will include Jose Llana (HERE LIES LOVE, SPELLING BEE), Ali Ewoldt (THE FANTASTICKS, LES MISERABLES), Telly Leung (GODSPELL, RENT), Christine Toy Johnson (THE MUSIC MAN, HELLO, DOLLY!), Thom Sesma (THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’, THE LION KING), Joshua dela Cruz (HERE LIES LOVE), Ann Sanders (AVENUE Q), Daniel J. Edwards (ANYTHING GOES), Raymond J. Lee (ANYTHING GOES), Cindy Cheung, Brooke Ishibashi, Brian Jose, Karl Josef Co, Jaygee Macapugay, Marc de la Cruz, Joanne Javien, Gyu Jin Lim, Helen Park, Diane Phelan and Hansel Tan.
Tickets are free, but seating is limited. Please RSVP to EEO@actorsequity.org before Friday, May 17.
The Asian American Composers and Lyricists Project was founded by librettist/lyricist/actor Christine Toy Johnson in 2012 as an ongoing initiative to increase the visibility of Asian American theatre artists, putting to rest the misconception that we do not exist. The artists taking part in this event have collectively performed in over 40 Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, have had their works produced around the world, and have been participants in The BMI Musical Theatre Writing Workshop, The Dramatists Guild Fellows Program, and the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU.
This performance of the Asian American Composers and Lyricists Project is made possible in part with public funds from the Manhattan Community Arts Fund, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.
Fresh from playing Linda, the stage manager on the Golden Globe nominated NBC musical drama “Smash”, Ann Harada (AVENUE Q, 9 TO 5, Les Misérables, M. Butterfly) is currently appearing as the stepsister Charlotte in the Broadway premiere of RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’s Cinderella, at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway at 53rd Street), alongside Laura Osnes (Tony nomination Award for Frank Wildhorn’s BONNIE & CLYDE, SOUTH PACIFIC, ANYTHING GOES, GREASE) as Cinderella; Santino Fontana (THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, Drama Desk Award for BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS, OBIE Award for SONS OF THE PROPHET) as the Prince; and Victoria Clark (Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards for THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA) as Marie, the Fairy Godmother, in the Broadway premiere of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway at 53rd Street). RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’s Cinderella began previews on January 25, 2013, and will open on March 3, 2013.
Directed by Mark Brokaw (CRY BABY, THE LYONS, HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE), this new production has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a new book by four-time Tony nominee Douglas Carter Beane (XANADU, SISTER ACT, LYSISTRATA JONES, THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED), based on the original book by Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical has choreography by Josh Rhodes, and music adaptation, supervision and arrangements by David Chase. Opening Night is Sunday, March 3, 2013. Tickets to RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’S Cinderella are on sale now through Tele-charge and can be purchased by calling 212 239 6200 or online at www.telecharge.com.
The celebrated musical RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’S Cinderella, originally written for television in 1957 by the legendary musical theatre duo Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, starring Julie Andrews. Although stage adaptations have been performed worldwide since 1958, RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’S Cinderella, in fact, marks the Broadway premiere for the beloved romantic musical. Along with Cinderella, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s legendary musicals include OKLAHOMA!, CAROUSEL, THE KING AND I, SOUTH PACIFIC and THE SOUND OF MUSIC.
Mr. Beane’s book for RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’s Cinderella offers a new romantic twist on the ultimate makeover story of a maid-turned-princess, mixing fresh comedy and wit with the beloved tale’s classic elements — the pumpkin, glass slipper, masked ball and more. In addition to musical numbers from the original score, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible,” “Ten Minutes Ago” and “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?,” this Cinderella includes four additional songs from the Rodgers + Hammerstein “trunk.”
The cast also features Harriet Harris (Tony and Drama Desk Awards for THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, TV’s “Frasier” and “Desperate Housewives”); as Madame, Cinderella’s stepmother; Marla Mindelle (SISTER ACT, SOUTH PACIFIC) as stepsister Gabrielle; Peter Bartlett (THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST) as Sebastian, Prince Topher’s mentor and Lord Chancellor; Greg Hildreth (PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON) as the rebel Jean-Michel; and Phumzile Sojola (The Gershwin’s PORGY & BESS) as Lord Pinkleton. Jill Abramovitz, Kristine Bendul, Drew Franklin, Heidi Giberson, Stephanie Gibson, Shonica Gooden, Kendal Hartse, Robert Hartwell, Laura Irion, Adam Jepsen, Andy Jones, Andy Mills, Linda Mugleston, Alessa Neeck, Peter Nelson, Nick Spangler, Kirstin Tucker, Cody Williams, Branch Woodman and Kevin Worley complete the cast.
RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’S Cinderella has scenic design by Anna Louizos (Tony nominee IN THE HEIGHTS, HIGH FIDELITY; also AVENUE Q, IRVING BERLIN’S WHITE CHRISTMAS); costume design by William Ivey Long (5-time Tony winner for HAIRSPRAY, THE PRODUCERS, GREY GARDENS, CRAZY FOR YOU, NINE); lighting design by Ken Posner (Tony winner THE COAST OF UTOPIA; also WICKED, HAIRSPRAY, OTHER DESERT CITIES); and sound design by Nevin Steinberg (The Gershwin’s PORGY AND BESS, LA BOHEME; BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO, HAIR, IN THE HEIGHTS). Andy Einhorn is music director and conductor.
RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’S Cinderella is presented on Broadway by Robyn Goodman, Jill Furman, Stephen Kocis, Edward Walson, Venetian Glass Productions, The Araca Group, Luigi and Rose Caiola, Roy Furman, Walter S. Grossman, Peter W. May/Sanford Robertson, Glass Slipper Productions LLC/Eric Schmidt, Ted Liebowitz/James Spry and Center Theatre Group. Lawrence C. Salameno is the associate producer.
RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’S Cinderella will be performed at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway at 53rd Street). The schedule is as follows:
Previews:
Friday, January 25 – Friday, February 9:
Monday – Saturday at 8pm, Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm;
Tuesday, February 12 – Sunday, February 17:
Tuesday – Saturday at 8pm, Saturday and Sunday at 2pm;
Tuesday, February 19 – Sunday, February 24:
Tuesday – Saturday at 8pm, Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm, Sunday at 3pm;
Beginning Tuesday, February 26:
Tuesday at 7pm, Wed at 2pm and 7:30pm, Thurs at 7pm, Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm and 8pm, Sunday at 3pm.
Tickets to RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’S Cinderella can be purchased by calling Tele-charge at 212 239 6200 or online at www.telecharge.com.
For more information please visit www.CinderellaOnBroadway.com
The Epic Theatre Ensemble’s New York premiere of Jeanne Sakata’s solo play Hold These Truths (formerly known as Dawn’s Light: The Journey of Gordon Hirabayashi), starring Joel de la Fuente, and helmed by Lisa Rothe, has been extended through November 25, 2012 at the Theatre at the 14th Street Y in New York.
Joel de la Fuente as Gordon Hirabayashi in Jeanne Sakata’s Hold These Truths. Photo by Lia Chang
Sakata was inspired by a true story to write Hold These Truths, which is set in Seattle during World War II, where University of Washington student Gordon Hirabayashi is agonizing over U.S. government orders to forcibly remove and mass incarcerate all people of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast. As he fights to reconcile his country’s betrayal with his passionate belief in the U.S. Constitution, Hirabayashi journeys toward a greater understanding of America’s triumphs — and a confrontation with its failures. President Obama posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Gordon Hirabayashi (1918-2012), the nation’s highest civilian honor, in April 2012.
As Gordon Hirabayashi, de la Fuente is a revelation in his nuanced tour-de-force portrayal of Gordon, seamlessly transforming into 30+ other characters throughout the course of the play.
The audience at Hold These Truths at The Theatre at the 14th Street Y in New York on November 12, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang
On Veteran’s Day, The Theatre at the 14th Street Y was packed to the rafters. Daniel Dae Kim flew in from the set of “Hawaii Five-O: to support his “brother” de la Fuente, “Smash”‘s Ann Harada, Golden Child‘s Greg Watanabe and Traci Kato-Kiriyama, casting director Meg Simon, playwright Sung Rno, Linda Chapman, Julie Crosby, Megan Carter, Julie Azuma, Tamio Spiegel, Dave Shih and more were among the full capacity crowd that leapt to their feet for several standing ovations.
Greg Kimura, President/CEO of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, California, moderated a post-show panel on the legacy of the Hirabayashi case in the context of Asian American struggles for civil rights, with special guests Kathryn Bannai (the first lead attorney on the Hirabayashi 1980′s case), activist Suki Ports, playwright Jeanne Sakata and de la Fuente, organized by The A/P/A Institute at NYU.
Daniel Dae Kim, Jeanne Sakata, Joel de la Fuente, Lisa Rothe, Ann Harada, Sung Rno after a performance of Jeanne Sakata’s Hold These Truths at The Theatre at the 14th Street Y in New York on November 12, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang
I sat down to chat with Jeanne Sakata to talk about her inspiration to write Gordon Hirabayashi’s life story, how she did her research, why she chose the solo show format and what she hopes audiences will take away from de la Fuente’s performance.
Check out the Rave Reviews below.
THE NEW YORKER
“One of the stunning things about Joel de la Fuente’s performance in Jeanne Sakata’s gripping one-man show is how completely he embodies the real-life character of Gordon Hirabayashi….de la Fuente, under the direction of Lisa Rothe, also plays many other characters—Hirabayashi’s parents, his college friends, police, lawyers, judges, a Hopi Indian—but his portrayal of Hirabayashi, whom President Obama just this year posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, feels eerily true to life.” Full Review
Joel de la Fuente, Jeanne Sakata and Daniel Dae Kim. Photo by Lia Chang
HUFFINGTON POST
“Jeanne Sakata’s eloquent one-man drama about civil rights giant Gordon Hirabayashi…. provides a concise examination of a fascinating chapter in American history…Joel de la Fuente plays Hirabayashi with buoyant, magnetic enthusiasm, under the direction of Lisa Rothe.” Full Review
Jeanne Sakata, Joel de la Fuente, Lisa Rothe and Robert Chelimsky. Photo by Lia Chang
TIMES SQUARE CHRONICLES
“A fabulous Joel de la Fuente….Ms. Sakata is a wonderful playwright who conveys emotions and words with a poetry that is full of humor and knowledge.” Full Review
Traci Kato-Kiriyama, Golden Child’s Greg Watanabe, Jeanne Sakata and Joel de la Fuente. Photo by Lia Chang
JAPAN CULTURE NYC
“Hold These Truths is lighthearted, witty, and laugh-out-loud funny…. Joel de la Fuente does a tremendous job as Gordon, endearing himself to the audience with Gordon’s exuberance ….Both Sakata and de la Fuente emphasize the no-nonsense firmness within Gordon, whose deeply patriotic spirit and uncompromising faith allowed him to take on the US government as an American citizen.” Full Review
Panelists Jeanne Sakata, Kathryn Bannai, Suki Ports and Greg Kimura during a post-show discussion at The Theatre at the 14th Street Y in New York on November 12, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang
TECHNORATI.COM
“…A shining play beautifully written by Jeanne Sakata…. resonates with vitality and power…de la Fuente’s stirring, layered portrayal of Hirabayashi, and his spot-on ironic and humorous portrayals of Hirabayashi’s parents, friends and people he meets along his journey, propel us toward a mixture of emotions, reminding us that this could happen again if we are not careful. Lisa Rothe’s excellent directing choices and Sakata’s emotionally uplifting rendering of this heroic soul adhere flawlessly. This is what living, breathing theater is about. Unforgettable.” Full Review
Jeanne Sakata, Kathryn Bannai, Suki Ports, Greg Kimura and Joel de la Fuente. Photo by Lia Chang
URBAN EXCAVATIONS
“It takes a deft dramatic hand to craft moving theatre out of social history and courtroom drama, and a nuanced actor to portray the passage of time and multiple characters. The Epic Theatre production of Jeanne Sakata‘s Hold These Truths reveals just such deftness of hand and actor nuance. Moving, instructive, thrilling….Travel downtown to be inspired by script, actor, and history in equal measure….Culled to its human and emotional essence, we hold Hirabayashi’s story as we must all ‘hold these truths.’” Full Review
Ann Harada and Jeanne Sakata. Photo by Lia Chang
Hold These Truths has been extended, and the remaining performance schedule is Saturday, November 17 @ 7pm, Sunday, November 18 @ 3pm & 7pm, Monday, November 19 @ 7pm, Friday, November 23 @ 7pm, Saturday, November 24 @ 3pm & 7pm, Sun, November 25, @ 7pm. Tickets (which include post show discussions) are $40 and are available by visiting www.epictheatreensemble.org. or by calling 866-811-4111. Above the Fold* offers $20 supplement price tickets for Dispatches From (A)mended America.
Theater at the 14th Street Y
344 E. 14th Street
New York, NY 10003
Steps away from the 1st Avenue Station on the L, L train to 1st Avenue
Jeanne Sakata (Photo by Lia Chang)
Jeanne Sakata has been honored to make her playwriting debut in recent years with her solo Hold These Truths (formerly Dawn’s Light: The Journey of Gordon Hirabayashi). The play had its world premiere in 2007 at East West Players, co-presented by the Japanese American National Museum, the UCLA Department of Asian American Studies, and the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, and was subsequently chosen by the Epic Theatre Ensemble and the Lark Play Development Center for their first joint presentation, as well as by the New York Theatre Workshop to be showcased at their 2009 Dartmouth Residency. Most recently, the play was performed at Chicago’s Pritzker Pavilion with Silk Road Rising/Millennium Park as part of the Park’s 2011 IN THE WORKS New Plays Series. It was also presented in the Epic Theatre Ensemble’s 2010 Passion Play Festival with the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, at the University of California at Riverside, the 16th Annual Conference of the Japan Studies Association in Honolulu, at Japanese American Citizens League Day of Remembrance events in Sacramento and Salinas, California, and at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where it was the inspiration and theatrical centerpiece of the civil rights symposium “Civil Liberties, National Security and the Legacies of the Japanese Removal and Incarceration.” With the East West Players Theatre for Youth program in 2008 and 2010, the play has twice toured high schools and junior high schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. HOLD THESE TRUTHS is now part of the Library of Congress Playwrights Archive in the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection in Washington DC, where Sakata’s working script was recently on view in the Thomas Jefferson Building in conjunction with the Library of Congress celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
Hold These Truths (Formerly Dawn’s Light: The Gordon Hirabayashi Story) is part of the Playwrights Archive in the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection, and Sakata’s working script is currently on view in the Library of Congress’ Asian Division Reading Room in the Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington DC through May 31, 2012, in conjunction with the Library of Congress celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM). Photo by Lia Chang
Jeanne is also an acclaimed stage and screen actress, performing in 2011-2012 in the title role of Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession in the Antaeus Theatre Company’s Classics Fest, Daniel Akiyama’s A Cage of Fireflies at the Sundance Institute Theatre Lab, Julia Cho’s The Language Archive at East West Players, Seven at USC, and Don Nguyen’s Red Flamboyant at the Ojai Playwrights Festival. Jeanne has also performed with The Public Theater, Lincoln Center Theater, Kennedy Center, Mark Taper Forum, La Jolla Playhouse, South Coast Rep, American Conservatory Theater, Northlight Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Berkeley Rep, A Contemporary Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Syracuse Stage and Arizona Theatre Company, and is a member of LA’s renowned classical group The Antaeus Company. Screen credits include playing Mom Wanda to Olivia Munn in the 2012 feature comedy The Babymakers, Tyler Perry’s “Meet The Browns,” “Desperate Housewives,” “ER,” “Threat Matrix,” “Line of Fire,” “Presidio Med,” “American Family,” “NUMB3RS,” John Ridley’s “I Got You,” the MOW’s “The Reading Room,” “Hiroshima,” “Consensual Relations,” and the feature films XXX2: State of The Union and American Fusion.
Jeanne’s special awards and honors include an LA Ovation Award for Best Lead Actress for her portrayal of male Beijing Opera star Master Hua in Chay Yew’s Red at EWP, a 2011 Outstanding Artist Award for her career achievements by Los Angeles’ Asian Pacific American Friends of the Theatre, an Entertainment Today Award for Best Supporting Actress in Chay Yew’s A WINTER PEOPLE at Theatre @ Boston Court, a StageScene “Best of 2007” Outstanding Performance mention for her performance as Maria Callas in EWP’s MASTER CLASS, and a DramaLogue Award for Outstanding Performance for her work in Jean Genet’s THE MAIDS at EWP. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband of 36 years, Timothy Patterson. For further information on Jeanne and HOLD THESE TRUTHS, please see: www.jeannesakata.com, www.holdthesetruths.info
Jeanne Sakata, Joel de la Fuente, Daniel Dae Kim and Lia Chang. Photo by Ann Harada
On Veteran’s Day, I headed to the Theatre at the 14th Street Y in New York to chat with Joel de la Fuente, prior to his evening performance in The Epic Theatre Ensemble’s New York premiere of Jeanne Sakata’s solo play Hold These Truths (formerly known as Dawn’s Light: The Journey of Gordon Hirabayashi), directed by Lisa Rothe, which has been extended through November 25, 2012.
Joel de la Fuente as Gordon Hirabayashi in Jeanne Sakata’s Hold These Truths. Photo by Lia Chang
As Gordon Hirabayashi, de la Fuente is a revelation in his nuanced tour-de-force portrayal of Gordon, seamlessly transforming into 30+ other characters throughout the course of the play.
Playwright Jeanne Sakata was inspired by a true story to write Hold These Truths, which is set in Seattle during World War II, where University of Washington student Gordon Hirabayashi is agonizing over U.S. government orders to forcibly remove and mass incarcerate all people of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast. As he fights to reconcile his country’s betrayal with his passionate belief in the U.S. Constitution, Hirabayashi journeys toward a greater understanding of America’s triumphs — and a confrontation with its failures. President Obama posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Gordon Hirabayashi (1918-2012), the nation’s highest civilian honor, in April 2012.
The audience at Hold These Truths at The Theatre at the 14th Street Y in New York on November 12, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang
The Theatre at the 14th Street Y was packed to the rafters. Daniel Dae Kim flew in from the set of “Hawaii Five-O: to support his “brother” de la Fuente, “Smash”‘s Ann Harada, Golden Child‘s Greg Watanabe and Traci Kato-Kiriyama, casting director Meg Simon, playwright Sung Rno, Linda Chapman, Julie Crosby, Megan Carter, Julie Azuma, Tamio Spiegel, Dave Shih and more were among the full capacity crowd that leapt to their feet for several standing ovations.
Daniel Dae Kim, Jeanne Sakata, Joel de la Fuente, Lisa Rothe, Ann Harada, Sung Rno after a performance of Jeanne Sakata’s Hold These Truths at The Theatre at the 14th Street Y in New York on November 12, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang
Greg Kimura, President/CEO of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, California, moderated a post-show panel on the legacy of the Hirabayashi case in the context of Asian American struggles for civil rights, with special guests Kathryn Bannai (the first lead attorney on the Hirabayashi 1980′s case), activist Suki Ports, playwright Jeanne Sakata and de la Fuente, organized by The A/P/A Institute at NYU.
Panelists Jeanne Sakata, Kathryn Bannai, Suki Ports and Greg Kimura during a post-show discussion at The Theatre at the 14th Street Y in New York on November 12, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang
Check out the Rave Reviews below.
THE NEW YORKER
“One of the stunning things about Joel de la Fuente’s performance in Jeanne Sakata’s gripping one-man show is how completely he embodies the real-life character of Gordon Hirabayashi….de la Fuente, under the direction of Lisa Rothe, also plays many other characters—Hirabayashi’s parents, his college friends, police, lawyers, judges, a Hopi Indian—but his portrayal of Hirabayashi, whom President Obama just this year posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, feels eerily true to life.” Full Review
Traci Kato-Kiriyama, Golden Child’s Greg Watanabe, Jeanne Sakata and Joel de la Fuente. Photo by Lia Chang
HUFFINGTON POST
“Jeanne Sakata’s eloquent one-man drama about civil rights giant Gordon Hirabayashi…. provides a concise examination of a fascinating chapter in American history…Joel de la Fuente plays Hirabayashi with buoyant, magnetic enthusiasm, under the direction of Lisa Rothe.” Full Review
Jeanne Sakata, Kathryn Bannai, Suki Ports, Greg Kimura and Joel de la Fuente. Photo by Lia Chang
TIMES SQUARE CHRONICLES
“A fabulous Joel de la Fuente….Ms. Sakata is a wonderful playwright who conveys emotions and words with a poetry that is full of humor and knowledge.” Full Review
Joel de la Fuente and casting director Meg Simon. Photo by Lia Chang
JAPAN CULTURE NYC
“Hold These Truths is lighthearted, witty, and laugh-out-loud funny…. Joel de la Fuente does a tremendous job as Gordon, endearing himself to the audience with Gordon’s exuberance ….Both Sakata and de la Fuente emphasize the no-nonsense firmness within Gordon, whose deeply patriotic spirit and uncompromising faith allowed him to take on the US government as an American citizen.” Full Review
Jeanne Sakata, Joel de la Fuente, Lisa Rothe and Robert Chelimsky. Photo by Lia Chang
TECHNORATI.COM
“…A shining play beautifully written by Jeanne Sakata…. resonates with vitality and power…de la Fuente’s stirring, layered portrayal of Hirabayashi, and his spot-on ironic and humorous portrayals of Hirabayashi’s parents, friends and people he meets along his journey, propel us toward a mixture of emotions, reminding us that this could happen again if we are not careful. Lisa Rothe’s excellent directing choices and Sakata’s emotionally uplifting rendering of this heroic soul adhere flawlessly. This is what living, breathing theater is about. Unforgettable.” Full Review
Joel de la Fuente, Jeanne Sakata and Daniel Dae Kim. Photo by Lia Chang
URBAN EXCAVATIONS
“It takes a deft dramatic hand to craft moving theatre out of social history and courtroom drama, and a nuanced actor to portray the passage of time and multiple characters. The Epic Theatre production of Jeanne Sakata‘s Hold These Truths reveals just such deftness of hand and actor nuance. Moving, instructive, thrilling….Travel downtown to be inspired by script, actor, and history in equal measure….Culled to its human and emotional essence, we hold Hirabayashi’s story as we must all ‘hold these truths.’” Full Review Hold These Truths has been extended, and the remaining performance schedule is Saturday, November 17 @ 7pm, Sunday, November 18 @ 3pm & 7pm, Monday, November 19 @ 7pm, Friday, November 23 @ 7pm, Saturday, November 24 @ 3pm & 7pm, Sun, November 25, @ 7pm. Tickets (which include post show discussions) are $40 and are available by visiting www.epictheatreensemble.org. or by calling 866-811-4111. Above the Fold* offers $20 supplement price tickets for Dispatches From (A)mended America.
Theater at the 14th Street Y
344 E. 14th Street
New York, NY 10003
Steps away from the 1st Avenue Station on the L, L train to 1st Avenue
Joel de la Fuente (Photo by Lia Chang)
Most recently, Joel de la Fuente has appeared onstage playing Vershinin in The Three Sisters, directed by Brian Mertes at the Chautauqua Theatre Conservatory. On screen, de la Fuente stars in the feature film Brief Reunion, which just won the Audience Choice Award at the Gotham International Film Festival and in the upcoming film, Forgetting the Girl, which also took home Audience Award honors at the Soho International Film Festival. Selected New York theatrical credits include: Ivanov in Ivanov (Mint Theater/NAATCO, Jonathan Bank, dir.); The Downtown Plays (Tribeca Theater Festival, John Rando, dir.); Claudio in Beatrice and Benedict with the New York Philharmonic (conducted by Sir Colin Davis); The Square (Lisa Petersen, dir.); America Dreaming (Michael Mayer, dir.); Valentine in The Two Gentlemen of Verona (NYSF, Adrian Hall, dir.). In 2005, Joel de la Fuente served as the Artistic Associate of the National Asian American Theater Company. In addition to Ivanov, he has also appeared with NAATCO in the world premiere of Cowboy v. Samurai; Air Raid;Fuente Ovejuna (David Herskovitz, dir.); and as Iago in Othello (also directed by Jonathan Bank). Other theatrical credits include: Ariel in The Tempest (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey); Florizel in The Winter’s Tale (Williamstown Theatre Festival, Darko Tresjnak, dir.); Chay Yew’s Wonderland (La Jolla Playhouse, Lisa Petersen, dir.); Liu Mengmei in the Peter Sellars’ production of The Peony Pavilion which performed in Vienna, Rome, Paris, and London’s Barbican Centre with original music composed by Tan Dun.
Ann Harada and Joel de la Fuente. Photo by Lia Chang
On television, de la Fuente has spent ten seasons appearing as TARU technician Ruben Morales in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” He was a series regular on the Fox drama, “Space: Above & Beyond;” and has had recurring roles on: “E.R.;” “High Incident;” and the Sidney Lumet series, “100 Centre Street.” Joel can be seen next Spring in the new series, “Hemlock Grove,” exclusively on Netflix. Additional film credits include: Personal Velocity (Sundance Jury Prize Winner, Best Film); The Adjustment Bureau; The Happening; Heights; Return to Paradise; From Other Worlds. As a writer, de la Fuente’s essay on his experiences as an Asian American actor is published in Pyong Gap Min’s “Struggle for Ethnic Identity,” and he is a co-writer of “Life Document 2: Identity” with Ayad Akthar, which won the Columbia Students Award for Best Film in 2002. Joel de la Fuente is an alumnus of Brown University and the Graduate Acting Program at N.Y.U. www.joeldelafuente.com/Twitter: @joeldelafuente
Jeanne Sakata, Joel de la Fuente, Daniel Dae Kim and Lia Chang. Photo by Ann Harada
John Tartaglia, Stephanie D’Abruzzo and Carey Anderson (all from Broadway’s AVENUE Q) along with Gwen Hollander (LITTLE WOMEN), Christine Toy Johnson (FALSETTOLAND),Francis Jue (THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, PACIFIC OVERTURES), singer/songwriter Phoebe Kreutz, Raymond J. Lee (ANYTHING GOES), Adam Levinskas, Jose Llana (THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, RENT), Orville Mendoza (PETER AND THE STARCATCHER), Olivia Oguma (MAMMA MIA) and actress Lexi Windsor will all be on hand to perform and pay tribute to director and actor Alan Muraoka (“Sesame Street”, Broadway’s MISS SAIGON, THE KING AND I) at an evening to benefit National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) on Monday, September 10 at 416 W. 42 St. in New York.
The event will be hosted by Ann Harada (AVENUE Q), with a special guest appearance by Terrence McNally. The evening will be directed by Thom Sesma, with musical direction by Michael Lavine.
The event begins at 6 p.m. with cocktails, followed by the performance at 7 and dessert at 8:30. Tickets range in price from $125-$250-$500-$1000 and can be purchased by going online at www.naatco.org.
As a director, Alan Muraoka received critical acclaim for his all-Asian American production of the William Finn musical FALSETTOLAND for the National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO), which enjoyed a sold-out run at the Vineyard Theatre in NYC. The production was revived in June 2007 for the First National Asian American Theatre Festival held in New York City. Alan’s other NAATCO credits include having staged benefit readings of INTO THE WOODS and LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION! He directed the Tony-nominated actor John Tartaglia (AVENUE Q) in his one-man show, “John Tartaglia AD-LIBerty,” which ran at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theatre, and won numerous cabaret awards. Other New York directing credits include KARAOKE STORIES (Imua Theater Company); “Christmas Eve With Christmas Eve 1-3” and “The Leading Men 1-4″ all benefit concerts for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which starred many of Broadway’s current male talent; “Empty Handed,” a benefit concert starring the puppeteers of Broadway’s AVENUE Q; and cabarets for Tony-nominated actress Stephanie D’Abruzzo and Ann Harada. On television, Alan has directed for “Sesame Street” and for the “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” on NBC.
As an actor, Alan is most recognizable for his role in the Emmy Award winning series, “Sesame Street,” where he plays “Alan,” the proprietor of Hooper’s Store. He has appeared in six Broadway shows; the recent revival of PACIFIC OVERTURES, MAIL, SHOGUN: THE MUSICAL, MY FAVORITE YEAR, THE KING AND I (with Lou Diamond Phillips and Donna Murphy), and most notably MISS SAIGON, where he played the lead role of the Engineer.
NAATCO (National Asian American Theatre Company) puts into service its total commitment to Asian American theatre artists to more accurately represent onstage the multi- and intercultural dynamics of our society. NAATCO’s mission is to assert the presence and significance of Asian American theatre in the United States, demonstrating its vital contributions to the fabric of American culture, by presenting the following repertory: European and American classics as written with all Asian American casts; adaptations of these classics by Asian American Playwrights; and new plays – preferably world premieres – written by non-Asian Americans, not for or about Asian Americans, but realized by an all Asian American cast. NAATCO’s work has been acknowledged by an OBIE Award (for their productions of William Finn’s FALSETTOLAND and Brecht’s HE WHO SAYS YES/HE WHO SAYS NO), the Village Voice (for THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA), Off-Off-Broadway Review (for SCHOOL FOR WIVES) and the Rosetta LeNoire Award from Actors’ Equity Association in recognition of its contributions toward increasing diversity and non-traditional casting in American theatre.
Lia Chang
