35th Asian American International Film Festival Line-up in New York

The 35th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF), presented by Asian CineVision (ACV), runs July 25 – August 5, 2012 with screenings at Clearview Chelsea Cinemas, Asia Society and Museum, and The Museum of Chinese in America in New York.

“On the event of our 35th year we honor our roots–showcasing the best and most recent achievements by Asian American film and video makers while looking to future by nurturing emerging talents and embracing transformative technologies” says ACV Executive Director John C. Woo. More than half of the Festival selection is made in the US or is a co-production. Many are first time directors, including actress turned director Lily Mariye’s Model Minority, telling the story of an underprivileged teenage girl surviving the treacherous world of peer pressure, drug dealers and dysfunctional families in L.A. There are also a number of returning filmmakers, including H.P. Mendoza’s horror film I am a Ghost, about a girl trapped in a repetitive routine in Victorian times. And Rich Wong’s raunchy new film Yes, We’re Open, a sharp-witted comedy about a modern couple testing their boundaries of love, sex and honesty. “We are extremely happy to see the number of Asian American filmmakers making quality work in a truly independent fashion which AAIFF continues to champion,” adds Martha Tien, AAIFF Program Director.

AAIFF is also proud to bring back LGBTQ Cinema Night, which will take place on Friday, July 27. “LGBTQ Cinema Night was a huge success last year, and we are very happy to collaborate with our community partners again,” says Sophia Giddens, Festival Director. AAIFF will screen narrative feature SEÑORITA (The Philippines) by New York-based director Vincent Sandoval, a story of a transgendered woman who tries to leave her past life as a sex worker but becomes embroiled in the politics of a local election.

AAIFF’12 Line-Up:
Feature Films
A LOT LIKE YOU – Dir. Eliaichi Kimaro | USA/Tanzania
Tender, intellectual, and reflective, director/writer Eliaichi Kimaro explores her intricate identity as a Tanzanian-Korean mixed-race, first-generation American in her award-winning documentary. A LOT LIKE YOU lodges a personal lens to the perception of postcolonial and immigrant histories, confidently and sincerely bringing out the conversation between the individual, family and culture.

I AM A GHOST – Dir. H.P. Mendoza | Starring Anna Ishida, Jeannie Barroga | USA
Emily (Anna Ishida) is stuck in a repetition of events, a cycle that slowly begins to unravel as she comes to discover where and what she truly is. Yet her most horrifying revelation will only come when she questions how she was brought to this state, and what she must do to escape.

INVOKING JUSTICE – Dir. Deepa Dhanraj | India
In Southern India, family disputes are settled by Jamaats, all-male bodies which apply Islamic Shari’ah law to cases without allowing women to be present, even to defend themselves. Recognizing this fundamental inequity, a group of women establish a women’s Jamaat to hold their male counterparts and local police accountable, aiming to reform a profoundly corrupt and discriminatory system.

KNOTS – Dir. Michael Kang | Starring Kimberly-Rose Wolter, Illeana Douglas, Sung Kang | USA
It’s an “UN-romantic comedy” that reveals how the most unbelieving kind can be nudged into believing. After Lily (Kimberly-Rose Wolter) throws up at her boyfriend’s marriage proposal, she returns home to Hawaii for family support. But equally chaotic at home is the family strife of her thrice-married mom and two half-sisters who run a family wedding planning business. An unexpected encounter with her ex-boyfriend Kai (Sung Kang) leaves Lily questioning her own convictions.

MODEL MINORITY – Dir. Lily Mariye | Starring Jessica Tuck, Helen Slater, Laura Innes | USA
L.A. teenagers must survive the treacherous world of peer pressure, drug dealers, juvenile hall and dysfunctional families. Kayla, an underprivileged Japanese American girl with a drug addict mom and an alcoholic dad, endangers her promising future as an artist when she becomes involved with a drug dealer.

MR. CAO GOES TO WASHINGTON – Dir. S. Leo Chiang | Starring Anh “Joseph” Cao | USA
In 2009, Ang “Joseph” Quang Cao was the first Republican elected as representative of his district since 1890, and he became the first Vietnamese American to enter Congress. Dubbed the “Accidental Congressman,” MR. CAO GOES TO WASHINGTON depicts Mr. Cao’s life of strong work ethic, idealism, and political naivety.

PEARLS OF THE FAR EAST – Dir. Cuong Ngo | Starring Phuong Quynh, Huy Hoang | Vietnam
Set in the beautiful backdrop of Vietnam’s landscape, seven vignettes tell the stories of six women and one man of different ages and at different stages of their lives. The seemingly unrelated stories are strung together by the women’s common struggle with love, desire, passion, and sexuality.

SEEKING ASIAN FEMALE – Dir. Debbie Lum | Starring Jianhua ‘Sandy’ Bolstad, Steven Bolstad | USA
Steven is a twice-divorced 60-year-old Caucasian man obsessed with marrying an Asian woman. After a long search he finds Sandy, a young Chinese woman who agrees to marry him. In this quirky documentary, the director’s own prejudices are challenged as the couple turn one another’s assumptions upside down.

SEÑORITA – Dir. Vincent Sandoval | Starring Vincent Sandoval, Publio Briones III | Philippines
Wanting to quit sex work in Manila and start a new life, Sofia (Vincent Sandoval), a transgender woman, reinvents herself as Donna in the small town of Talisay to look after her friend’s son. But her past soon catches up with her when she gets involved in the complex politics of a local election, and her two lives cannot be kept apart.

SHANGHAI CALLING – Dir. Daniel Hsia | Starring Daniel Henney, Eliza Coupe | USA/China
SHANGHAI CALLING is a romantic comedy about modern-day American immigrants in an unfamiliar land. When an ambitious New York attorney, Sam (Daniel Henney), is sent to Shanghai on assignment, he immediately stumbles into a legal mess that could spell the end of his career. But with help from a beautiful relocation specialist, a well-connected foreign businessman, a clever but unassuming journalist, and a street-smart assistant, Sam might just save his job, discover romance, and learn to appreciate the many wonders Shanghai has to offer.

$UPERCAPITALIST – Dir. Simon Yin | Starring Derek Ting, Kenneth Tseng | USA/Hong Kong
A maverick New York hedge fund trader, Conner (Derek Ting), moves to Hong Kong and manages a mega-deal that swiftly escalates beyond his control. Caught between competing forces in a ruthless culture of profits. $UPERCAPITALIST inherits the legacy of financial classics such as WALL STREET, captivatingly intertwines contemporary and translocal issues in the financial drama, and reiterates the perpetual conflict between ambition, greed and humanity.

TOUCH – Dir. Minh Duc Nguyen | Starring Melinda Bennett, John Ruby | USA
A mechanic looking to save his faltering marriage strikes up an unlikely friendship with a Vietnamese-American manicurist, who not only cleans his greasy hands but also counsels him advice on his love life. But soon, the two find themselves drawn to each other, an attraction which becomes harder and harder to resist.

VIETTE – Dir. Mye Hoang | Starring Mye Hoang, Sean McBride | USA
An emotional and dramatic coming-of-age story of Viette (Mye Hoang), a Vietnamese-American teenager who dreams of breaking free from her oppressive household to pursue her personal desires and forbidden love. Balancing life on the edge of two opposite worlds, will Viette ever follow her heart, or will the consequences be too overwhelming?

YES, WE’RE OPEN – Dir. Rich Wong | Starring Lynn Chen, Parry Shen | USA
Uncommonly sharp-witted and brilliantly acted, YES, WE’RE OPEN presents Luke and Sylvia, a couple who think of themselves as open and modern—until they meet Elena and Ronald. The polyamorous nonconformists take the couple into the unconventional world of San Francisco relationships that test their boundaries of love, sex and honesty.

Shorts Program: LOVE, INTERRUPTED
Can love really conquer all when all becomes more than you ever bargained for? Five stories, each expressing an LGBTQ perspective, show that love never completely surrenders, no matter the circumstances.

A HEART FELT – Dir. Jingyang Cheng | USA
DOL – Dir. Andrew Ahn | USA
FORTUNE COOKIE MAGIC TRICKS – Dir. Alex Chu | USA
MY SPIRITUAL MEDICINE – Dir. Liang Cheng | China
ONCE – Dir. Jie Chen | USA

Shorts Program: FOR YOUTH BY YOUTH
Written and directed by talented youths between the ages of 15 and 20, this program is filled with refreshing animation, documentaries and experimental shorts reflecting youth culture today. Fun and diverse, this compilation of shorts will win the heart of anyone who watches.

ADIOS – Dir. Akshay Akkineni | India
BIG CITY, SMALL TOWN – Dir. Stefanos Tai | USA
FIRE IN OUR HEARTS – Dir. Jayshree Janu Kharpade | India
GIFT – Dir. Pang Jia Wei | Malaysia
I AM AN ASIACAN – Dir. Jesus Olvera | USA
LOVE EARTH – Dir. Chien-chun Tseng, Yu-hsuan Tseng | Taiwan
LOVE LIFE, LIVE YOUR DREAM – Dir. Anthony Anglin Jr. | USA
SAY HI TO PENCIL! – Dir. Thanh Huynh, Phuong Ahn Pham | Vietnam
THE ASCENSION – Dir. Gershon Sng | China

Shorts Program: THIS AMERICAN LIFE
What does it mean to be Asian American and living in America? This program of short films narrates five distinctive stories, including the life of a Japanese American youth in an internment camp, a group of Pakistani American Muslims living in California, and undocumented North Korean refugees.

A FLICKER IN ETERNITY – Dir. Ann Kaneko, Sharon Yamato | USA
AN AMERICAN MOSQUE – Dir. David Washburn | USA
OUT OF THE SHADOWS – Dir. James Tarlton | USA
OUTSIDER AT HOME – Dir. Hyunmin Danny Lee | USA

TWO SECONDS AFTER LAUGHTER – Dir. David Rousseve | USA/Indonesia
Shorts Program: HOW TO…
There is no living without losing. As these eight films show, all types of change are inevitable in life; but when we are confronted with such severity, we must not only survive, but also take a lesson on how to live.

COMRADES – Dir. Paolo Bitanga | USA
HOW TO EAT YOUR APPLE – Dir. Erick Oh | USA
JIN – Dir. Il Cho | USA
MOTHER’S MILK – Dir. Andy DeJohn | USA/Vietnam
THE HOMECOMING QUEEN - Dir. Rammy Park | USA
THE LAST MARBLE – Dir. Manjari Makijany | India
THE TELEGRAM MAN – Dir. James Khehtie | Australia
WAKING UP – Dir. Yuta Okamura | USA

Shorts Program: IN THE NAME OF LOVE
The magic word of love elicits both the most noble and most obscene of behavior for conspirators or strangers, couples or families. These six stories depict all kinds of love, be it ardent and destructive, dorky and reticent, or thawing and unreconciling.

BLEACHED – Dir. Jess dela Merced | USA
JOHNNY LOVES DOLORES – Dir. Clarissa de los Reyes | USA/Philippines
LOVE, NY – Dir. Vincent Lin | USA
MODERN FAMILY – Dir. Kwang Bin Kim | South Korea
ODIUM – Dir. Neale Hemrajani | USA
SHANGHAI LOVE MARKET – Dir. Craig Rosenthal | China/Singapore

About Asian CineVision & AAIFF
The Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) is produced by Asian CineVision (ACV), a nonprofit media arts organization devoted to the development, promotion and preservation of Asian and Asian American film and video. AAIFF is the nation’s longest-running festival of its kind and a leading showcase for the best in independent Asian and Asian American film and video.

For more information on the 35th Annual Asian American International Film Festival, please visit http://www.asiancinevision.org/aaiff/.

Other Articles by Lia Chang
Daniel Hsia’s Shanghai Calling, Simon Yin’s Supercapitalist & Michael Kang’s Knots to Screen at 35th annual Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) in New York, which runs July 25 – August 5, 2012
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Rick Shiomi helms Mu Performing Arts’ Asian American Cast of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods at Park Square Theatre in St. Paul, July 17-August 5, 2012
Dian Kobayashi, Emily Kuroda and Jeanne Sakata set for Daniel Akiyama’s A Cage of Fireflies at 2012 Sundance Institute Theatre Lab
Epic Theatre Presents Jeanne Sakata’s Hold These Truths, starring Joel de la Fuente, May 20-21, 2012
Performing Arts Images from the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection on Display at the Library of Congress to Celebrate APA Heritage Month
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Tony Award – winning Playwright Terrence McNally to be Honored at Westport Country Playhouse Annual Gala, September 24, 2012
Richard Thomas and Boyd Gaines to star in An Enemy of the People at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre during Manhattan Theatre Club’s 2012-2013 Season
Multimedia: Exclusive photos and video of Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas -In the Makeup Chair with Thom Sesma
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”
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
David Henry Hwang Set as Signature Theatre’s Residency One Playwright for the 2012-2013 Season
Photos: In Rehearsal with BD Wong at Dixon Place for Live Concert Recording of Herringbone
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
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

Daniel Hsia’s Shanghai Calling, Simon Yin’s Supercapitalist & Michael Kang’s Knots to Screen at 35th annual Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) in New York, which runs July 25 – August 5, 2012

SHANGHAI CALLING (USA/China), directed and written by Daniel Hsia with renowned producer Janet Yang, is the Opening Presentation film at the 35th annual Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF), presented by Asian CineVision (ACV), on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 at Asia Society and Museum (725 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021). Numerous guests from the cast and crew including Daniel Henney and Eliza Coupe will attend the Opening Night Gala hosted at Asia Society. The Centerpiece Presentation, SUPERCAPITALIST (USA/Hong Kong), will be shown on Saturday, July 28, with director Simon Yin and lead actor-writer Derek Ting in attendance. The festivities end on Sunday, August 5 with the Closing Night Presentation of KNOTS (USA), with director Michael Kang and lead actress-writer Kimberly-Rose Wolter in attendance. The Festival runs July 25 through August 5, with screenings at Clearview Cinemas (260 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011) and Asia Society and Museum (725 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021).

This year the Asian American International Film Festival features 50 New York premieres-narrative and documentary features, and shorts-of all genres from The Philippines, Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, UK, Canada and across the Asian Diaspora.

Opening Night Presentation:
SHANGHAI CALLING – Dir. Daniel Hsia | Starring Daniel Henney, Eliza Coupe | USA/China
Shanghai Calling narrates the story of Sam (Daniel Henney), a promising New York attorney, who is dispatched overnight by his bosses to open the firm’s new satellite office in the metropolis of Shanghai, where he meets Amanda (Eliza Coupe), the lovely relocation specialist. Sam proves to be capable at his new job by landing a huge deal just hours after arriving at the airport; however, the deal goes mysteriously awry, and Sam finds his career in serious jeopardy. He must trust those who know Shanghai best to lead him through the city.

Centerpiece Presentation:
SUPERCAPITALIST – Dir. Simon Yin | Starring Derek Ting, Kenneth Tseng | USA/Hong Kong
A maverick New York hedge fund trader, Conner (Derek Ting), moves to Hong Kong and manages a mega-deal that swiftly escalates beyond his control. Caught between competing forces in America and Asia in an uncompromising culture of profits at all costs, he desperately tries to negotiate and manipulate inside China’s closed, complex society. With his life and Hong Kong’s future staked on a corrupt billion dollar deal, the trader decides to take the ultimate risk.

Closing Night Presentation:
KNOTS – Dir. Michael Kang | Starring Kimberly-Rose Wolter, Illeana Douglas, Sung Kang | USA

It’s an “UN-romantic comedy” that unfolds how the most unbelieving kind can be nudged into believing. After Lily (Kimberly-Rose Wolter) escapes an engagement trigger-happy boyfriend in LA, she returns home to Hawaii to reluctantly join her dysfunctional family’s wedding planning business. Equally chaotic at home is the family strife of her thrice-married mom and two half-sisters, and the unexpected encounter with her ex-boyfriend Kai (Sung Kang).

How to Buy Tickets
For tickets sales click on the Festival Website: http://www.asiancinevision.org/aaiff/ for more information on how to order and pick up tickets.

There are no refunds and no exchanges. All tickets are general admission. Ticketholders must arrive 15 minutes prior to show time. Late ticketholders will not be guaranteed seating. All programs are subject to change, please check http://www.asiancinevision.org/aaiff/ for changes and updates.

About Asian CineVision & AAIFF
The Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) is produced by Asian CineVision (ACV), a nonprofit media arts organization devoted to the development, promotion and preservation of Asian and Asian American film and video. AAIFF is the nation’s longest-running festival of its kind and a leading showcase for the best in independent Asian and Asian American film and video.

For more information on the 35th Annual Asian American International Film Festival, visit http://www.asiancinevision.org/aaiff/.

Other Articles by Lia Chang
Velina Hasu Houston’s Calligraphy Set for World Premiere at LATC
Rick Shiomi helms Mu Performing Arts’ Asian American Cast of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods at Park Square Theatre in St. Paul, July 17-August 5, 2012
Daniel Hsia’s Shanghai Calling, Simon Yin’s Supercapitalist & Michael Kang’s Knots to Screen at 35th annual Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) in New York, which runs July 25 – August 5, 2012
Tony Award – winning Playwright Terrence McNally to be feted at Westport Country Playhouse Annual Gala, September 24, 2012
Dian Kobayashi, Emily Kuroda and Jeanne Sakata set for Daniel Akiyama’s A Cage of Fireflies at 2012 Sundance Institute Theatre Lab
Epic Theatre Presents Jeanne Sakata’s Hold These Truths, starring Joel de la Fuente, May 20-21, 2012
Photos: All-Access Pass to Disney’s Aladdin at The Muny with Thom Sesma, Francis Jue, Robin De Jesus, John Tartaglia, Jason Graae, Curtis Holbrook, Eddie Korbich, Samantha Massell and Ken Page
Performing Arts Images from the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection on Display at the Library of Congress to Celebrate APA Heritage Month
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Tony Award – winning Playwright Terrence McNally to be Honored at Westport Country Playhouse Annual Gala, September 24, 2012
Richard Thomas and Boyd Gaines to star in An Enemy of the People at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre during Manhattan Theatre Club’s 2012-2013 Season
Multimedia: Exclusive photos and video of Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas -In the Makeup Chair with Thom Sesma
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”
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
David Henry Hwang Set as Signature Theatre’s Residency One Playwright for the 2012-2013 Season
Photos: In Rehearsal with BD Wong at Dixon Place for Live Concert Recording of Herringbone
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
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 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.

Related Articles:
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
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: 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

On Wednesday, January 11, 2012, Tony Award-winning and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright 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, will receive the 2011 Cultural Achievement Award at the Asia Society New York Awards Dinner, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, 301 Park Avenue in New York.

Chinglish playwright David Henry Hwang (center) is flanked by (l-r) his cultural advisurs Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith, actors Johnny Wu, Christine Lin, Gary Wilmes, Angela Lin, Stephen Pucci, Jennifer Lim and Larry Lei Zhang after the 100th performance of Chinglish on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre in New York on January 5, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

The 2011 Global Vision Award will be presented to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leading pro-democracy opposition leader in Myanmar. The evening is also a celebration of the 90th birthday of John C. Whitehead, Former Deputy Secretary of State, who will be presented with the Global Vision Award. Comedian and actor, Dan Nainan will emcee the festivities, which will feature a special performance by members of the Silk Road Ensemble.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Global Vision Award
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.

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.

In 1991, Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Price for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.

David Henry Hwang Photo by Lia Chang

David Henry Hwang
2011 Cultural Achievement Award
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. 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

John C. Whitehead
Former Deputy Secretary of State
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.

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.

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.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Waldorf Astoria Hotel
301 Park Avenue
New York City
Reception: 6:30 pm
Dinner: 7:30 pm
Dress: Asian National Dress or Black Tie

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.

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Photo Call: BD Wong and the Cast of Heading East at the Asia Society
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
Photos: David Henry Hwang, Jennifer Lim, Leigh Silverman, Samuel L. Jackson, Kenny Leon, David Ives, Douglas Carter Beane and More at The Drama Desk & Fordham University Theatre Program’s “Anatomy of a Breakout” Panel
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
Up Close and Personal with Darren Pettie, Star of The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore
Photos and Video: Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas- In the Makeup Chair with Thom Sesma
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.

Subscribe to Backstage Pass with Lia Chang

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: Jon Norman Schneider is Making a Splash in Pool Boy at the Barrington Stage Company’s Musical Theatre Lab, 7/13-8/8

MaryAnn Hu, Hazel Anne Raymundo, Jon Norman Schneider, Cindy Cheung and Angela Lin in a scene from the staged concert of Heading East, a musical by Robert Lee and Leon Ko at the Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium at Asia Society in New York on May 24, 2010. Photo by Lia Chang

Jon Norman Schneider is currently making a splash as Jack in Pool Boy at the Barrington Stage Company’s Musical Theatre Lab in Pittsfield, MA. through August 8, 2010. In May, Schneider appeared in a benefit staged reading of Robert Lee and Leon Ko’s Heading East: A Musical at the Asia Society in New York, where his portrayal as Leonard Tong, the piano playing son of Siu Yee Tong, a Chinese immigrant played by BD Wong, was simply delightful.

BD Wong and Jon Norman Schneider backstage at the Asia Society before the opening night performance of Robert Lee and Leon Ko’s Heading East on May 24, 2010. In the musical they play father and son. Photo by Lia Chang

The Barrington Stage Company’s Musical Theatre Lab, under the mentorship of Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist William Finn kicked off its fifth season on July 13, with the world premiere of Pool Boy, a new musical with music and lyrics by Nikos Tsakalakos and book and lyrics by Janet Allard. Directed by Daniella Topol, Pool Boy has an Opening Night set for Wednesday, July 21 at 7:30pm at BSC’s Stage 2 space, 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield, MA, and is scheduled to run through Sunday, August 8.

What happens when an aspiring songwriter spends his summer serving cocktails to the rich and famous? In hopes of catching a break, he hobnobs with the big shots and is seduced by L.A.’s glitz and a sexy older woman. Love and chaos ensue in this new musical set poolside at the Hotel Bel-Air, based on Nikos Tsakalakos’s experience as a pool boy there.

The cast features Jay Armstrong Johnson (Broadway: HAIR) as Nick, Sara Gettelfinger (most recently seen on tour as Cruella DeVille in 101 Dalmations; Broadway: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) as Mrs. Duval, Sorab Wadia (London: Jihad! The Musical) as the Sultan, Cortney Wolfson (Broadway: Les Miserables revival) as April, Cliff Bemis (Original Cast: Irving Berlin’s White Christmas) as Mr. Lopes and John Hickok (Broadway: Little Women, AIDA, Parade) as Mr. Duval.

Pool Boy marks the first show collaboration between Allard and Tsakalakos, who previously penned the song “I Have a Lion,” which has been performed in Songs by Ridiculously Talented…, Late Nite with Niko and Songs of A Night Owl.

The production features music direction by Matt Castle, choreography by Shonn Wiley, scenic design by Brian Prather, costume design by Holly Cain, lighting design by Nicole Pearce, and sound design by Brad Berridge. Production Stage Manager is Michael Andrew Rodgers. Assistant Director is Nick Potenzieri.

Jon Norman Schneider’s legit credits in New York include Ching Chong Chinaman (Pan Asian Rep), Queens Boulevard (the musical) (Signature), Durango (Public), Thunder Above Deeps Below (2G), A Play on War, Blind Mouth Singing (NAATCO). Regionally, he has appeared in American Hwangap (Magic), Durango (Long Wharf), Citizen 13559: the Journal of Ben Uchida (Kennedy Center), O’Neill Playwrights Conference, REDCAT. Workshops: Oblivion(Playwrights Horizons), Edith Can Shoot Things And Hit Them (Ma-Yi), Futura (NAATCO/New Dramatists). His film and television credits include Last Night (upcoming), The Rebound, Hiding Divya and HBO’s Angel Rodriguez(opposite Rachel Griffiths), “The Electric Company,” “30 Rock,” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” He holds a BFA from New York University.

Niko Tsakalakos (Music and Lyrics) At BSC: Inaugurated Barrington Stage’s Late Night Series, August 2007, with Late Nite with Niko, an evening of original songs. World Premiere run of original revue, Songs of a Night Owl, August 2008. Contributed to the annual writer’s showcase, Songs by Ridiculously Talented Composers and Lyricists…, in September 2007 and 2008, as well as at Joe’s Pub, November 2008. Other credits: Co-composer of Duck for President and Other Stories, Theatreworks, August 2010. Appeared in 2009 ANT Fest at Ars Nova with Songs of a Night Owl. He is a Rutgers University graduate with a B.A. in English Literature with an emphasis on creative writing and poetry. As drummer and lead vocalist, his band Saint Friday has played the Los Angeles circuit, including venues such as the Viper Room, the Roxy and the Troubadour. Two-time recipient of the UCLA Writing Lyrics that Succeed and Endure scholarship with Concord Records and Marty Panzer. May 2008, graduated with an MFA from the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He also worked poolside for three summers at the Hotel Bel-Air.

Janet Allard (Book and Lyrics) Janet is a playwright and bookwriter/lyricist. Recent Works include: Vrooommm! A NASComedy published by Samuel French, Incognito, Loyal and Untold Crimes of Insomniacs, published by Playscripts, Inc. Her musical The Unknown: A Silent Movie Musical (with Shane Rettig and Jean Randich) won a Jonathan Larson Award with P73 Productions and appeared at the New York Musical Theater Festival. Ms. Allard is the recipient of two Jerome Fellowships at the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis. Her work has been seen at The Guthrie Lab, The Kennedy Center, Mixed Blood, Playwrights Horizons, Yale Rep, The Yale Cabaret, The Women’s Project, Perseverance Theatre, Joe’s Pub, with P73 Productions, She is a Fulbright Fellow, has an M.F.A in Playwriting from the Yale School of Drama, has studied at the NYU Musical Theatre Writing program with William Finn and written songs Niko Tsakalakos has performed in Barrington’s cabarets as well as Joes Pub and Ars Nova. She currently teaches playwriting at University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

Performances of Pool Boy are Tuesday through Friday at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 4pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 7:30pm at BSC Stage 2, 36 Linden St., Pittsfield. Opening Night: Wed., July 21 at 7:30pm. Tickets: $15-$45. Seniors: $20 all matinees. Pay What You Can Night for 35 year olds and younger: Fri., July 16 at 7:30pm. Post-show discussions with the cast will be held following the Thursday, July 15 and Thursday, August 5 performances. For ticket information call 413-236-8888, stop by the BSC Box Office at 30 Union Street or visit www.barringtonstageco.org. Please note that Pool Boy contains adult situations and strong language.

About the Musical Theatre Lab (MTL)
Celebrating its 5th year, BSC’s Musical Theatre Lab, overseen by Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist William Finn, is a place for young musical theatre writers to develop their work on all levels: from staged readings to workshops to full productions. Since its creation, five world premieres and four workshops have been produced. The critically-acclaimed The Burnt Part Boys (2006), written by Nathan Tysen, Chris Miller and Marianne Elder, received a production at Playwrights Horizons in May/June 2010. Barry Wyner’s 2007 hit musical Calvin Berger recently received critical acclaim at the George Street Playhouse, and an Off-Broadway production is planned. In 2008 The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Joe Calarco (book), Nathan Tysen (lyrics) and Chris Miller (music) received a full production (after a 2007 MTL workshop) and was chosen one of the Top 10 year-end shows by both The Boston Globe and The Berkshire Eagle. See Rock City and Other Destinations by Adam Mathias and Brad Alexander was also produced in 2008 and won a Top 10 nod from Metroland, and will receive its NYC premiere at The Transport Group this summer.

Other Articles by this author
Photo Call: BD Wong and the Cast of Heading East at the Asia Society
33rd Asian American International Film Festival: Stephanie Wang-Breal’s Wo Ai Ni Mommy screens at Clearview Chelsea Cinema on 7/16 and at Queens Library on 7/23
Christine Toy Johnson Plays Christmas Eve in AVENUE Q at Weston Playhouse Theatre in Vermont, 7/15-31
Lia Chang as Nurse Lia on One Life to Live
Portrait of Secretary Norman Y. Mineta to Be Presented at the National Portrait Gallery
Making the Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution Bill a Reality
Asian Women Donors Grant $82,000 to NYC Artists and Non-profits Committed to Activism Thru The Arts
AALDEF and the 33rd Asian American International Film Festival co-sponsors screenings of 9500 Liberty and Lt Watada at the Quad Cinema on July 17
Randy Gener Wins 2010 SPJ Deadline Club Award for Best Arts Reporting in New York City
Raymond Red’s Manila Sky Kicks Off the 33rd Asian American International Film Festival at the Chelsea Clearview Cinema on July 15; Festival continues through July 24
33rd Asian American International Film Festival Shorts Film Program Lineup
Photos by Lia Chang at the Shanghai World Expo 2010’s USA Pavilion, Library of Congress and Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong Collection in L.A.
Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong Collection Exhibition at the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles, has been extended through November 7, 2010
Hazel Anne Raymundo Joins Off-Broadway Cast of AVENUE Q
Crafting a Career
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2010 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 liachang@hotmail.com.

Photo by Lia Chang

Lia Chang is an actor, performance and fine art botanical photographer and an award-winning multimedia journalist. Lia’s portraits and performance photos have appeared in Vanity Fair, Gourmet, German Elle, Women’s Wear Daily, The Paris Review, VIBE, TV Guide, Daily Variety, Interior Design, American Theatre, Life & Style, OUT, New York Magazine, InStyle, Timeout.com, Villagevoice.com, Playbill.com, Theatermania.com, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, 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. As a photographer and videographer, Lia is frequently tapped to collaborate with artists, organizations and companies in establishing their documentary photo archive. She has been documenting her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism since making her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden.