Avenue Q | Backstage Pass with Lia Chang

Lia Chang: Daryl “Chill” Mitchell and Ann Harada to Star in Staged Reading of Internal Bleeding by Christine Toy Johnson

Daryl “Chill” Mitchell

Daryl “Chill” Mitchell (television’s “Brothers”, “Ed” and “The John Larroquette Show”) and Ann Harada (“Avenue Q”, “9 to 5″, “Les Miserables”) will star in a special exploratory staged reading of INTERNAL BLEEDING by Christine Toy Johnson, directed by Robert McQueen, on the second floor of Actors’ Equity Association, 165 West 46 St., New York City on April 5th at 6:30pm. The cast of INTERNAL BLEEDING also features Eddie Aldrich, Helen Farmer, Jaygee Macapugay and Ariel Estrada.

The reading, sponsored by the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee of Actors’ Equity Association, is the culmination of a short workshop exploring casting an actor with a disability (Mr. Mitchell) in a role that is written as both disabled and non-disabled, and will be followed by a panel discussion. Admission is free, but seating is limited, RSVP to Pearl Brady at 212-869-8530, ext. 346, or by emailing eeo@actorsequity.org.

INTERNAL BLEEDING is also made possible in part with public funds from the Manhattan Community Arts Fund, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Additional funding has been made possible by the Puffin Foundation.
www.christinetoyjohnson.com

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 Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

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

As a photographer and videographer, Lia collaborates with artists, organizations and companies in establishing their documentary photo archive and social media presence. 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.

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, Gourmet, German Elle, Women’s Wear Daily, The Paris Review, TV Guide, Daily Variety, Interior Design, American Theatre, Broadwayworld.com, Life & Style, OUT, New York Magazine, InStyle, Timeout.com, Villagevoice.com, Playbill.com, Theatermania.com, thelmagazine.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.

March 7, 2011
Categories: African American Artists, Asian American Artists, Entertainment, New York, Non profit, Theater . Tags: 9 to 5, Ann Harada, Ariel Estrada Actors’ Equity Association, Avenue Q, Backstage Pass with Lia Chang, Brianne Michelle Photography, Brianne Planko, Brothers, Christine Toy Johnson, Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, disability, Ed and The John Larroquette Show, Eddie Aldrich, Helen Farmer, INTERNAL BLEEDING, Jaygee Macapugay, Les Miserables, Lia Chang, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Manhattan Community Arts Fund, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Puffin Foundation, Robert McQueen . Author: Lia Chang . Comments: Leave a Comment

Lia Chang: Christine Toy Johnson Plays Christmas Eve in AVENUE Q at Weston Playhouse Theatre in Vermont, 7/15-31

Christine Toy Johnson Photo by Bruce Alan Johnson

If you are in Vermont, you can see Christine Toy Johnson as Christmas Eve in the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company’s production of Avenue Q, from July 15-31, 2010. The Weston Playhouse is located on the Village Green just off Route 100 in Weston, VT.

Avenue Q is the hilarious and politically incorrect comedy that edged out Wicked to win the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical, before going on to become Broadway’s 20th longest running show. Somewhat racy, but with a “gigantic heart,” this contemporary cult-classic is really a Sesame Street for grown-ups. Set in a highly diverse, very musical, neighborhood populated by eccentric characters (including adult puppets and their visible puppeteers), the show deals with adult problems in all shapes and sizes.

Christine (Sarah Brown in Weston’s Guys and Dolls) and Randy Blair (Barfee in Weston’s Spelling Bee) are the Avenue Q newbies. They will be joining David Benoit, Steven Booth, Lexy Fridell, Zonya Love and Sharon Wheatley, who have been part of the show’s Broadway, touring, and/or Las Vegas casts, for this all new production. WPTC Producing Director Tim Fort directs.

Avenue Q tells the story of a bright-eyed, recent college graduate named Princeton who settles in Avenue Q, the last affordable neighborhood in New York City. In warm and witty songs like “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist,” and “The Internet is for Porn,” Princeton and his new friends (a mix of live characters and puppets) learn about losing a job, falling in love and finding your place in the world. Suggested for mature audiences, the show was conceptualized by Tony winners Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics to go with the Jeff Whitty’s Tony winning Book.

The production team features music direction by Rob Meffe, choreography by Jacob Brent, puppetry coaching by Sharon Wheatley, scenic design by Howard C. Jones, lighting design by Kendall Smith, costume design by Daniel Urlie, sound design by Ed Chapman and production stage management by Kathleen Petroziello.

Christine Toy Johnson is an award-winning actor, playwright, and filmmaker. As a performer, she has appeared extensively on Broadway, off-Broadway, in regional theatres across the country, in film, television, and concerts worldwide for over 25 years and is the recipient of a Boomerang Fund for Artists Award in recognition of her acting and writing careers. She has had featured roles in the New York revivals of THE MUSIC MAN, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, and PACIFIC OVERTURES, the national tours of CATS, FLOWER DRUM SONG and BOMBAY DREAMS, and leading roles at some of the most well-respected theatres across the country including the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Huntington Theatre and The Denver Center Theatre Company. Film and television credits include “Lisa West” on ONE LIFE TO LIVE, CROSSING JORDAN, BLIND JUSTICE, GROUNDED FOR LIFE, NUNSENSE and NUNSENSE 2 (PBS and A&E), LAW AND ORDERS: SVU and CRIMINAL INTENT, OZ, CONSPIRACY THEORY, JUNGLE 2 JUNGLE, L.I.E and ALL AMERICAN EYES which she also wrote and produced. She and her husband Bruce Alan Johnson collaborated on TRANSCENDING,THE WAT MISAKA STORY, their award-winning documentary about the first person of color to play in the NBA. For more information about Wat Misaka, visit www.watmisaka.com.

Purchase tickets by calling the Playhouse Box Office window at 802-824-5288, or online. www.westonplayhouse.org.

Christine Toy Johnson Website

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.
Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Dr. Leroy Chiao and Wat Misaka to Receive 2010 OCA Pioneer Awards in Houston
Screening of “Transcending: The Wat Misaka Story”, Kicks Off OCA National Convention and 6th Annual Houston APA Film Festival on June 17; Wat Misaka and Dr. Leroy Chiao to Receive 2010 OCA Pioneer Awards
Harada, Leung, Llana, Johnson, Takara Et Al. Sing Once On This Island on May 16 at Theatre at Saint Peter’s Church
A Helluva Town DVD Release Celebration and Fundraising Concert for Transcending: The Wat Misaka Story
New York Knicks to Honor Wat Misaka at Madison Square Garden
Offical List of Films for the 2009 San Diego Film Festival
Making Work Now: The Asian American Artistic Community
Transcending: The Wat Misaka Story Screens at Rhode Island International Film Festival on 8/8 Wat Misaka: First Person of Color Drafted in NBA
Christine Toy Johnson’s Paper Son at Queens Theatre in the Park Studio Theatre
Christine Toy Johnson Kicks Off Pan Asian Rep’s Newworks 09
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
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
Photo Call: BD Wong and the Cast of Heading East at the Asia Society
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, performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multimedia journalist.

As a photographer and videographer, Lia collaborates with artists, organizations and companies in establishing their documentary photo archive and social media presence. 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. Lia currently plays Nurse Lia on “One Life to Live”. She has appeared in Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and “New York Undercover”.

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.

July 13, 2010
Categories: Asian American Artists, Entertainment, Music, Theater . Tags: Avenue Q, Backstage Pass with Lia Chang, Broadway, Christmas Eve, David Benoit, Jeff Marx, Jeff Whitty, Lexy Fridell, Lia Chang, Robert Lopez, Sesame Street. Randy Blair, Sharon Wheatley, Steven Booth, THE WAT MISAKA STORY, The Weston Playhouse, Tim Fort, TRANSCENDING, Vermont, Wat Misaka, Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, Zonya Love . Author: Lia Chang . Comments: Leave a Comment

Lia Chang: Hazel Anne Raymundo Joins Off-Broadway Cast of AVENUE Q

Hazel Anne Raymundo backstage at the Asia Society after the opening night performance of Robert Lee and Leon Ko's Heading East on May 24, 2010. Photo by Lia Chang

Hazel Anne Raymundo joins the Off-Broadway cast of Avenue Q in the role of Christmas Eve on June 13, 2010, at New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St. between Eighth and Ninth Avenues in New York.

In May, Ms. Raymundo appeared as Michiko in the staged concert of Robert Lee and Leon Ko’s Heading East starring BD Wong at the Asia Society in New York, and is thrilled to be reunited with her Avenue Q family. Her other legit credits include on Broadway – Pacific Overtures; Avenue Q; National/European Tours: Miss Saigon (Kim); Jesus Christ Superstar (Mary Magdalene). Regional/NYC: The King & I (Tuptim); Making Tracks; Personals; The Good Woman; The Vicar’s Wife; pre-Broadway workshops of Aida, Flower Drum Song and Clear Day; Concerts: Screaming Like a Fool, Asian Americans on Broadway, Once on this Island (all Asian cast).

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Photos: A.B. Cruz III and Lillian Kimura Receive 2011 AALDEF Justice in Action Awards
Photos: Chinese New Year Festival at The Huntington in San Marino
Geffen Playhouse Production Photos: LaBute’s The Break of Noon- Kevin Anderson, Tracee Chimo, Catherine Dent & John Earl Jelks
Photos:The Working Theater’s Off-Broadway production of HONEY BROWN EYES by Stefanie Zadravec at The Clurman
Andy Warhol, Romare Bearden, Alexander Calder, Lia Chang in Art & Healing Exhibit at Snug Harbor on SI
Photos: David Duchovny, John Earl Jelks, Amanda Peet,Tracee Chimo opening night of Neil LaBute’s The Break of Noon
André De Shields leads cast of Charles Smith’s Knock Me A Kiss at Abrons Arts Center
STORIES FROM CHINESE AMERICA: The Arthur Dong Collection, Vol. 2 as 4 disc DVD Box Set
Photos & Video Disney’s The Lion King Las Vegas-In the Makeup Chair with Thom Sesma
Photo Call: BD Wong and the Cast of Heading East at the Asia Society
Multimedia: Promises, Promises’ Stars Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes at Lord & Taylor Fifth Ave
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive.

Lia Chang

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

As a photographer and videographer, Lia collaborates with artists, organizations and companies in establishing their documentary photo archive and social media presence. 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.

This year, selections of Lia’s archive of Asian Pacific Americans in the arts, fashion, journalism, politics and space will become part of 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.

June 11, 2010
Categories: Asian American Artists, Entertainment, New York, Theater . Tags: Aida, Asia Society, Asian Americans on Broadway, Avenue Q, Backstage Pass with Lia Chang, BD Wong, Broadway, Christmas Eve, Clear Day, Flower Drum Song, Hazel Anne Raymundo, Heading East, Leon Ko, Lia Chang, Making Tracks, Mary Magdalene, Miss Saigon, Off-Broadway, Pacific Overtures, Personals, robert lee, Screaming Like a Fool, The Good Woman, The King & I, The Vicar’s Wife . Author: Lia Chang . Comments: Leave a Comment

Lia Chang: Ann Harada stars in “Christmas Eve with Christmas Eve” on 12/14 to benefit Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS

On Monday, December 14th, Ann Harada will resurrect her character “Christmas Eve” from the Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q for a one night only holiday cabaret entitled Christmas Eve With Christmas Eve. The evening will take place at The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space @ WNYC (44 Charlton Street at Varick) with all proceeds benefiting Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS.

Christmas Eve, the beloved, opinionated, heavily-accented therapist from Avenue Q, makes her holiday fantasies come true in this evening of song and comedy that both skewers and pays tribute to the great romantic duets and iconic moments of Broadway. No lyricist will be spared as she re-interprets the modern songbook with the help of some of Broadway’s most talented, hilarious and gorgeous leading men. Scheduled to help Harada “haul out the holly” are Paul Castree, Jeremy Davis, Raul Esparza, Andy Karl, Michael Mindlin, Christopher Sieber, John Tartaglia, Chip Zien and a “very special appearance” by Norm Lewis. Conceived and written by Gary Adler, Ann Harada and Alan Muraoka, the evening will be directed by Alan Muraoka with choreography by Michael Mindlin and musical direction of Gary Adler.

Ann Harada (Christmas Eve) originated the role of Christmas Eve in both the Broadway and London productions of the Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q. Her other Broadway credits include 9 to 5, Les Miserables, Seussical The Musical and M. Butterfly. She was also featured in the Actors Fund productions of Chess and Hair. Recent TV work includes “Lipstick Jungle” (as Victory Ford’s mother), “Cashmere Mafia,” “Johnny and the Sprites,” and “The Electric Company.”

Alan Muraoka‘s New York Theatre credits include Falsettoland for the National Asian American Theatre Company (Vineyard Theatre), the world premiere of Karaoke Series for the IMUA Theater Company, four Leading Men benefit concerts for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Empty Handed, a benefit concert starring the puppeteers of Broadway’s Avenue Q, and cabarets for Tony-nominated actresses Stephanie D’Abruzzo and Ann Harada. 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.

Date: Monday, December 14, 2009
Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Location: The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space @ WNYC
44 Charlton Street at Varick
New York

$50 for General Reserved Seating
$75 for Preferred Reserved Seating ($75 ticket buyers will also receive a poster autographed by the cast).
ORDER TICKETS ONLINE
To order tickets by phone, please call 212.840.0770 x268

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.

Other Articles by this Author
Multimedia: Lord & Taylor 2009 Christmas Windows
New York Knicks to Honor Wat Misaka at Madison Square Garden on 12/20
Tino Martinez and Sherri Shepherd at Lord & Taylor Benefit Bash
André De Shields Celebrates Black History Month Starring in The Working Theater’s Production of Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory at The Abington in February 2010
Classical Theatre of Harlem’s Archbishop Supreme Tartuffe, MTC’s Ruined are Top Winners at 2009 Audelcos
Director Alfred Preisser Sets His Sights on a New World Stage
Multimedia: Living Colour in Concert at the Highline Ballroom Photos
Multimedia: George Takei, Nancy Kwan, Lisa Lu and Tsai Chin attend Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong Collection Exhibition Opening Night
Audelco 2009 “The Viv” Nominees for the 2008-2009 Theatre Season Classical Theatre of Harlem Scores 12 AUDELCO Nods for Archbishop Supreme Tartuffe and The Three Sisters
Lia Chang Multimedia: Living Colour NYC Highline Ballroom Concert Photos
Multimedia: LIVING COLOUR performs at the Highline Ballroom in New York on October 30
Multimedia: BD Wong, Anastasia Barzee, Clarke Thorell, Cindy Cheung and Orville Mendoza at Rattlestick Playwrights Theaters’ Musical Mix ‘n’ Mingle
The Chinese American Museum partners with Academy award nominated filmmaker Arthur Dong on a groundbreaking exhibition about Hollywood’s forgotten past
Georgia O’Keefe Abstraction at the Whitney Museum of Art Through January 17, 2010
Monet’s Water Lilies on view at MOMO through April 12, 2010
My Botanical Beauties for the LIU/King’s County Hospital Center Nursing School
National Asian American Theatre Festival in New York
NAATCO’s all-Asian-American cast of The Seagull features Cindy Cheung, Marcus Ho, Mia Katigbak and Orville Mendoza
Multimedia: Andre De Shields stars in Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: From Douglass to Deliverance at The YARD
Multimedia: NAATCO’s LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION! with special guest Terrence McNally
David Henry Hwang’s YELLOW FACE Starring Francis Jue, Pub Bandu and Thomas Azar at Theatreworks through 9/20
Samrat Chakrabarti is featured in Claire McCarthy’s The Waiting City, which screens at the Toronto International Film Festival
ONE Musical stars Paolo Montalban, Manu Narayan, Pearl Sun and Michael Winther
The Bacchae Opening Night Photos: Andre De Shields, Jonathan Groff and Anthony Mackie
Andre De Shields receives Living Legend Award at the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival
Mid Summer Night Swing
2009 Asian American Journalists Association Awards
AAIFF 09 Closing Night Awards and H.P. Mendoza’s Fruit Fly
AAIFF Karma Calling, You Don’t Know Jack and Children of Invention
Jeff Adachi’s You Don’t Know Jack and Tzi Chun’s Children of Invention Screen at AAIFF 09
Multimedia: AAIFF 09 Opening Night Screening of Claustrophobia
Schedule at a Glance: Asian American International Film Festival AAIFF 2009
Transcending: The Wat Misaka Story Screens at Rhode Island International Film Festival on 8/8
Japan Cuts Festival of New Japanese Film
BD Wong Stars in La Jolla Production of Herringbone 8/1-8/30
Asian American International Film Festival 09 runs 7/23-7/26
Multimedia: Oumou Sangare, Will Calhoun at Central Park Summerstage
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Photo Call: Derek Walcott’s Marie Laveau
Multimedia: Archbishop Supreme Tartuffe Opening Night Party Photos
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Multimedia: Archbishop Supreme Tartuffe
Playbill.com: Photo Call: De Shields and Lange Star in Off Broadway’s Archbishop Supreme Tartuffe
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André De Shields Stars in Archbishop Supreme Tartuffe
In Arthur Dong’s Hollywood Chinese, Chinese Tinseltown Tales told by Asian Silver Screen Icons
Multimedia: Asian Pacific American Month Celebration at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
BD Wong Performs in Symphony Space’s Wall to Wall Broadway
Review: HBO’s China’s Unnatural Disaster the Tears of Sichuan Province
Multimedia: Francis Mbappe and the Tribe at Joe’s Pub Photos
Will Calhoun’s Native Lands Experience Live at the Blue Note in NYC
Mark Shaw: A Retrospective at Monroe Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe
Francis Mbappe Unplugged with The Tribe at Joe’s Pub
The Dish on Susur Lee and Shang
On Ensemble, Kenny Endo and Kaoru Watanabe in Taiko x2 at Cerritos Center
Thelonious Monk at Town Hall-The 50^th Anniversary Celebration
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Stanley Jordan
David Henry Hwang, Kathryn Layng and BD Wong at the Asian American Writers Workshop Literary Awards
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BD Wong is a Tour de Force in Herringbone
Nothing is Sacred in David Henry Hwang’s Comedy of Mistaken Racial Identity
Francis Jue, At Home on the Stage
NAATCO’s pitch perfect Falsettoland hits all the right notes
Flower Drum Song: An American Story

December 1, 2009
Categories: Asian American Artists, Entertainment, New York, Non profit, Theater . Tags: Alan Muraoka, Andy Karl, Ann Harada, Avenue Q, Chip Zien, Christmas Eve, Christopher Sieber, Gary Adler, Jeremy Davis, John Tartaglia, Michael Mindlin, Paul Castree, Raúl Esparza . Author: Lia Chang . Comments: Leave a Comment

Lia Chang: BD Wong in All-Star Lineup at Symphony Space for Wall to Wall Broadway

BD Wong at AALDEF's 35th Anniversary Celebration at PIER SIXTY, Chelsea Piers, in New York City on Thursday, March 26, 2009. Photo by Lia Chang

BD Wong and Wayne Barker will be performing a selection from Noel Coward’s The Coconut Girl, in Symphony Space’s Wall-to-Wall Broadway, a twelve hour marathon of performances celebrating a century of musicals, on Saturday, May 16 at 9pm. From 8pm-11pm, Tony and Emmy Award winner Paul Gemignani will conduct a full orchestra playing Broadway musical classics featuring performances by Michael Cerveris, Alexander Gemignani, George S. Irving, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Raúl Esparza, Martha Plimpton, Loni Ackerman, Terrence Mann, Randy Graff, Kate Baldwin, Leenya Rideout, Gregg Edelman, Julie Wilson, Debbie Gravitte, Ivy Austin, Isaiah Sheffer, Melissa Errico, James Naughton, Lisa Flanagan, Kathryn Markey, Amy Vice, Jonathan Hadary, Jeffrey Schecter, Liz Callaway, D’Ambrose Boyd, Chip Zien, and Donna Murphy.

The marathon of performances begins at 11am. Admission is free and seating is on a first come, first serve basis. Symphony Space is located at 2537 Broadway @ 95th St in New York.

Performance Schedule:

11 am Performances by the casts of The Lion King, Mary Poppins, The Little Mermaid, Wicked, and Shrek

11:45 am Excerpts from Adelphi University’s production of Rent

12 pm Great songs that never made it to the Broadway stage, featuring performances by Kevin Burdette, Loni Ackerman, Leenya Rideout, Amy Vice, Marion Cowings, and more

2 pm Robert MacNeil and Frank Rich discuss the musicals that changed their lives, with performances by Jonathan Hadary, Kevin Burdette, Loni Ackerman, and Lisa Flanagan

2:30 pm Composers Jeanine Tesori, Jo DiPietro, and William Finn pay tribute to works that inspired them, accompanied by Theodore Chapin

3 pm Successful songs from shows that flopped, featuring performances by Mary Cleere Haran, Martin Vidnovic, D’Ambrose Boyd, Loni Ackerman, and Lisa Flanagan

3:50 pm Harold Prince in a one-on-one discussion with Rob Marx about the making of musicals

5 pm A pre-centennial salute to Frank Loesser, with performances by Emily Loesser, Jo Sullivan Loesser, Debbie Gravitte, and Gregg Edelman

5:30 pm Songs from new musicals in the works: Ever After and Dear Edwina by composer Zina Goldrich and lyricist Marcy Heisler; and The Kid by composer Andy Monroe and lyricist Jack Lethner

6pm Performances from the current and recent shows South Pacific, Girl Crazy, The Who’s Tommy, In the Heights, Avenue Q, and Next to Normal performed by Andrew Samonsky, Rebecca Luker, Michael Cerveris, Carrie Anderson, and others

6:25 pm A sampling of side-splitting songs from Broadway reviews, featuring performances by Loni Ackerman, Kevin Burdette, Mary Brienza, Kathryn Markey, D’Ambrose Boyd, Leenya Rideout, Ivy Austin, Sidney J. Burgoyne, and more

7pm Lyricist Sheldon Harnick in discussion with composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda

8pm See first paragraph for lineup

Directions: Take the subway #1, 2,3,9 to the 96th St Station and walk one block south on Broadway

www.symphonyspace.org

Related Theater Articles:

David Henry Hwang, Kathryn Layng and BD Wong at the Asian American Writers Workshop Literary Awards

BD Wong is a Tour de Force in Herringbone

Impressionism Ends Broadway Run

André De Shields in Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory from Douglass to Deliverance

Andre De Shields and Reg E. Cathey Star in Cato at The Flea

Thom Sesma Stars as Scar in Disney’s The Lion King at Mandalay Bay

Thom Sesma, Peter Kim, Andrew Cristi Star in Durango