On Monday, March 14, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is presenting My AAPI Broadway Story: Breaking Barriers at 6:00pm in the Bruno Walter Auditorium, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza (between the Metropolitan Opera and Lincoln Center Theater or enter on 111 Amsterdam between 64th and 65th St.). This event will take place in person at the Library for the Performing Arts. Directed and conceived by Lainie Sakakura, the program is free. Click here to RSVP.
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Broadway stars come together to share stories of how they broke the mold, pushed their way into non-traditional casting, and continue to work as actors, directors, choreographers, writers, producers, and educators to create space for future generations.
In “My AAPI Broadway Story,” Lainie Sakakura (6 Broadway shows including Fosse, Chita Rivera The Dancer’s Life), speaks with Baayork Lee (13 Broadway shows, Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award recipient), Ann Harada (7 Broadway shows including Cinderella, 9 to 5), Telly Leung (7 Broadway shows including Aladdin, In Transit), Jose Llana (7 Broadway shows including Rent, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee),and JoAnn M. Hunter (19 Broadway shows including School of Rock, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway) about their journeys on the Great White Way. The program will include incredible live performances and never-before-aired archival footage of their original Broadway performances. Come hear their personal stories–the truth, the laughs, the hurt, and their hopes for the future.
Starting January 29, 2022, patrons aged 5 and older who wish to attend public programs at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts will be required to show proof they are fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine approved for use or authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or World Health Organization (WHO).
People who fail to comply will not be authorized for entry.
NYPL staff will ask to see your proof of vaccination and ID upon entry to the event. We will not store or share your health information.
You must wear a mask at all times during your visit for your safety and the safety of others. Visitors not wearing a mask will not be permitted to enter the Library. Masks must be worn completely covering your nose and mouth and secured under your chin.
All policies are subject to change at NYPL’s sole discretion and without notice. By attending an event at the library, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold the New York Public Library, its Trustees, Officers, agents or employees liable for any illness or injury.
Lia Chang loves to tell stories – as an actor, a multi-media content producer, a performing arts photographer and an award-winning filmmaker. A co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, Lia makes films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, and The Last Dragon. She stars in and is the Executive Producer for the indie films Hide and Seek (AA Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Best Actress Nomination), Rom-Com Gone Wrong, and When the World Was Young (2021 DisOrient Film Audience Choice Award for Best Short Narrative). Lia made her stage debut as Liat in a national tour of South Pacific with Barbara Eden and Robert Goulet, was featured as Joy in Signature Theatre’s revival of Sam Shepard’s Chicago and has worked extensively Off-Broadway. Photo archives: Lia Chang Theater Portfolio collection,1989-2011, housed in the AAPI collection in the Library of Congress’ Asian Reading Room; Lia Chang Photography Collection in The Billy Rose Theatre Division of the New York Public Library. Awards: 2000 OCA Chinese American Journalist Award, the 2001 AAJA National Award for New Media. Lia is an AAJA Executive Leadership Graduate (2000), a Western Knight Fellow at USC’s Annenberg College of Communications for Specialized Journalism on Entertainment Journalism in the Digital Age (2000), a National Press Photographers Association Visual Edge/Visual Journalism Fellow at the Poynter Institute for New Media (2001), a Scripps Howard New Media Fellow at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism (2002), and a National Tropical Garden Environmental Journalism Fellow (2003). www.liachang.com, www.liachangphotography.com
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2022 Lia Chang Multimedia, unless otherwise indicated. 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
Backstage Pass with Lia Chang 