Photos: Carla Ching’s NOMAD MOTEL in Atlantic Theater Company’s Asian American MixFest

NOMAD MOTEL cast members Alex Hernandez, Michelle Vergara Moore, Heidi Schreck, Molly Griggs, Ken Leung and Christopher Larkin. Photo by Lia Chang

August 15, 2017August 16, 2017 ~ Lia Chang ~ Leave a comment

Atlantic Theater Company in partnership with producers Lloyd Suh and Qui Nguyen is presenting Asian American MixFest at Atlantic Stage 2, 330 West 16th St in New York from August 9-17.

NOMAD MOTEL director Ed Sylvanus Iskandar and playwright Carla Ching. Photo by Lia Chang

Last night, I caught Ken Leung, Molly Griggs, Alex Hernandez, Christopher Larkin and Heidi Schreck in Carla Ching’s terrific Nomad Motel, helmed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, with stage directions by Michelle Vergara Moore.

Synopsis: Alex lives in a tiny motel room with her mother and two brothers, scrambling to make weekly rent. Mason lives comfortably in a grand, empty house while his father runs jobs for the Hong Kong Triad. Until the day his father disappears and Mason has to figure out how to come up with grocery money and dodge Child Services and U.S. Immigration. Mason and Alex develop an unlikely friendship, struggling to survive, and trying to outrun their parents’ mistakes. Will they make it out or fall through the cracks? A play about Motel Kids and Parachute Kids raising themselves and living at the poverty line in a land of plenty.

Back Row (L-R) Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, Alex Hernandez, Christopher Larkin, Michelle Vergara Moore, Heidi Schreck, Ken Leung, Neil Pepe, Lloyd Suh, Front Row (L-R) Annie MacRae, Molly Griggs, Carla Ching and Abigail Katz. Photo by Lia Chang — Back Row (L-R) Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, Alex Hernandez, Christopher Larkin, Michelle Vergara Moore, Heidi Schreck, Ken Leung, Neil Pepe, Lloyd Suh,
Front Row (L-R) Annie MacRae, Molly Griggs, Carla Ching and Abigail Katz.
Photo by Lia Chang

Last week, the MixFest featured readings of short one-acts by playwrights Jessica Huang, Leah Nanako Winkler and Jiehae Park; a short play by Rajiv Joseph and a full-length play by Madhuri Shekar.

Check out this week’s lineup:

Atlantic Theater Company Artistic Director Neil Pepe, Lia Chang and Asian American MixFest co-producer and playwright Lloyd Suh. Photo by Garth Kravits

FRANKLINLAND
by Lloyd Suh
directed by Ralph B. Peña

Tuesday, August 15 | 7pm

Cast: Brad Bellamy, Sasha Diamond, William Jackson Harper, and Daniel K. Isaac

Synopsis: The story of growing up as the only son of Benjamin Franklin: the greatest scientific mind in the world, inventor of the lightning rod and the urinary catheter and the glass harmonica and bifocal glasses, and in his spare time, the United States of America.

WAR IS F**KING AWESOME
by Qui Nguyen
directed by Robert Ross Parker

Wednesday, August 16 | 7pm

Cast: Sheldon Best, William Jackson Harper, Jon Hoche, Margaret Odette, Nicky Schmidlein, Paco Tolson, Temar Underwood, and Emily Williams

Synopsis: A politically incorrect action-comedy following the adventures of Unity Spencer, a young colonial girl who has been imbued with immortality.

Playwrights A. Rey Pamatmat, Carla Ching and Dustin Chinn. Photo by Lia Chang — Playwrights A. Rey Pamatmat, Carla Ching and Dustin Chinn.
Photo by Lia Chang

A POWER PLAY; OR, WHATS-ITS-NAME
by A. Rey Pamatmat
directed by May Adrales

Thursday, August 17 | 7pm

Cast: Ethan Dubin, Will Hochman, Teresa Lim, Sarah Nealis, Maulik Pancholy, Mirirai Sithole, Luis Vega, and Rocky Vega

Synopsis: After State Assemblywoman Alex Hathaway’s district suffers a terrible tragedy, she goes to great lengths to capture a House seat in the next election. She even employs a strange, nameless thing to gain victory over her enemies through supernatural practices. But with all that determination and those ancient powers on her side, how did Alex end up with a community in shambles and a gun pointed at her head?

Admission is free. Reservations are required. Please email readings@atlantictheater.org

Abigail Katz, Neil Pepe and Annie McRae. Photo by Lia Chang — Atlantic Theater Company’s Artistic Director Neil Pepe is flanked by Asian American MixFest Director of New Play Development Abigail Katz and Associate Artistic Director Annie McRae..Photo by Lia Chang

ASIAN AMERICAN MIXFEST along with all of Atlantic’s new play and musical development activities are made possible by leadership support from the Howard Gilman Foundation, the Time Warner Foundation, and the Tow Foundation, with additional funding from the Axe-Houghton Foundation, the Barbara Bell Cumming Foundation, the John Golden Fund and the National Alliance for Musical Theatre.

Carla Ching, Ken Leung and Dustin Chinn Photo by Lia Chang

Peter Kim, Ed Sylvanus Iskandar and Nancy Kim Parsons-Borland Photo by Lia Chang

Deborah S. Craig, Ken Leung and Garth Kravits. Photo by Lia Chang

Jonathan Castanien, playwright Carla Ching and Randy Tamura Photo by Lia Chang

Christopher Larkin and Garth Kravits Photo by Lia Chang

David Shih and Lia Chang Photo by Garth Kravits

Atlantic productions and programs are also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, as well as the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

A HOT KEYS reunion for Neil Pepe, Lia Chang and Ken Leung. Photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an award-winning filmmaker, a Best Actress nominee, a photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2017 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at lia@liachang.com

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André De Shields, Ellen Burstyn, Hannah Cabell, Quincy Tyler Bernstine and More Celebrate AS YOU LIKE IT Opening Night at Bay Street Theater

Ellen Burstyn and André De Shields Photo by Lia Chang

August 13, 2017August 16, 2017 ~ Lia Chang ~ Leave a comment

I headed out to idyllic Sag Harbor to celebrate the opening performance on Saturday night of Bay Street Theater’s production of As You Like It by William Shakespeare, with Tony Award winner John Doyle at the helm.

Director John Doyle and André De Shields Photo by Lia Chang — Director John Doyle and André De Shields
Photo by Lia Chang

The production stars Ellen Burstyn as Jacques, André De Shields as Touchstone, Hannah Cabell as Rosalind, Quincy Tyler Bernstine as Celia, Kyle Scatliffe as Orlando, Noah Brody as Oliver/Corin, Leenya Rideout as Phoebe, Bob Stillman as Duke Frederick/ Duke Sr., Cass Morgan as Old Adam/Audrey and David Samuel as Silvius.

Three-time Academy Award winner and musical theater legend Stephen Schwartz has created an original, Jazz Era inspired score for the production and members of the cast play instruments.

Stage manager Kat West, Leenya Rideout, André De Shields, Hannah Cabell, David Samuel, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Kyle Scatliffe and Bob Stillman, Artistic Director Scott Schwartz and Executive Director Tracy Mitchell Photo by Lia Chang

John Doyle has designed the sets in addition to directing the production. The creative team also includes Ann Hould-Ward (Costume designer), Andrew Diaz (Props designer) and Shaughn Bryant (Sound Supervisor), Kat West (Production Stage Manager), and Stewart/Whitely (Casting). As You Like It is a co-production with Classic Stage Company in New York City (September 13-October 22).

Bay Street Theater Artistic Director Scott Schwartz, Executive Director Tracy Mitchell and André De Shields Photo by Lia Chang — Bay Street Theater Artistic Director Scott Schwartz, Executive Director Tracy Mitchell and André De Shields
Photo by Lia Chang

In As You Like It, Rosalind (Hannah Cabell) travels into the merry Forest of Arden leaving behind the politics of the city. Disguising herself as a man and accompanied by her cousin Celia (Quincy Tyler Bernstine), she embarks on a hilarious and romantic journey where she finds love, laughter, and more.

Noah Brody, Hannah Cabell, David Samuel and Cass Morgan Photo by Lia Chang — Noah Brody, Hannah Cabell, David Samuel and Cass Morgan
Photo by Lia Chang

Performances continue through September 3rd. Tickets are on sale at the Box Office at 631-725-9500 11 am – show time daily or online at www.baystreet.org.

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Bill Castellino and Lauren Molina Photo by Lia Chang

Bob Stillman and Garth Kravits Photo by Lia Chang

André De Shields, Jenay M, David Samuel Photo by Lia Chang

André De Shields and Noah Brody Photo by Lia Chang

Garth Kravits and Nick Cearley Photo by Lia Chang

Garth Kravits, Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley Photo by Lia Chang

Hannah Cabell, André De Shields, Evan lee Breed and Olivia Bowman-Jackson Photo by Lia Chang

Kyle Scatliffe, Director John Doyle, Bob Stillman and David Samuel Photo by Lia Chang

Lauren Molina, Scott Schwartz and Garth Kravits Photo by Lia Chang

Leenya Rideout, André De Shields, Hannah Cabell and Quincy Tyler Bernstine Photo by Lia Chang

Leenya Rideout, André De Shields, Hannah Cabell, David Samuel, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Kyle Scatliffe and Bob Stillman, Artistic Director Scott Schwartz and Executive Director Tracy Mitchell Photo by Lia Chang

Leenya Rideout, André De Shields, Hannah Cabell, Noah Brody, David Samuel, Kyle Scatliffe and Bob Stillman Photo by Lia Chang

Leenya Rideout, Hannah Cabell, Bob Stillman and Cass Morgan Photo by Lia Chang

Nick Cearley, Lauren Molina and André De Shields Photo by Lia Chang

Olivia Bowman-Jackson, André De Shields and Evan Lee Breed Photo by Lia Chang

Artistic Director Scott Schwartz, Quincy Tyler Bernstine and André De Shields Photo by Lia Chang

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is a year-round, not-for-profit professional theater and community cultural center which endeavors to innovate, educate, and entertain a diverse community through the practice of the performing arts. We serve as a social and cultural gathering place, an educational resource, and a home for a community of artists.

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Quincy Tyler Bernstine and André De Shields Photo by Lia Chang

Quincy Tyler Bernstine. Photo by Lia Chang

André De Shields Photo by Lia Chang

Classic Stage Company (CSC), now in its 49th Season, is committed to re-imagining classic stories for contemporary audiences. The company has been a home for New York’s finest established and emerging artists to grapple with the great works of the world’s repertory that speak directly to the issues of today. CSC serves an average of 35,000 audience members annually, including more than 4,000 students through its nationally-recognized CSC Education programs. Productions have been cited repeatedly by all the major Off-Broadway theater awards including the Obie, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, and the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Body of Work.

André De Shields as Touchstone in the John Doyle Helmed AS YOU LIKE IT at Bay Street Theater through September 3

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Garth Kravits, Lia Chang and André De Shields Photo by Kyle Scatliffe — Garth Kravits, Lia Chang and André De Shields
Photo by Kyle Scatliffe

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André De Shields as Touchstone in the John Doyle Helmed AS YOU LIKE IT at Bay Street Theater through September 3

Quincy Tyler Bernstine as Celia, Hannah Cabell as Rosalind and André De Shields as Touchstone in AS YOU LIKE IT at Bay Street Theater. Copyright Lenny Stucker

August 9, 2017August 15, 2017 ~ Lia Chang ~ Leave a comment

André De Shields as Touchstone and Hannah Cabell as Rosalind in AS YOU LIKE IT at Bay Street Theater. Copyright Lenny Stucker — André De Shields as Touchstone and Hannah Cabell as Rosalind in AS YOU LIKE IT at Bay Street Theater.
Copyright Lenny Stucker

Bay Street Theater is presenting As You Like It by William Shakespeare, with Tony Award winner John Doyle at the helm through September 3. Currently in previews, As You Like It opens on August 12, 2017. The production stars two- time Tony nominee and Emmy Award nominee André De Shields (The Full Monty, Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Wiz) as Touchstone, Hannah Cabell (The Father, Men on Boats, Major Barbara) as Rosalind, and Academy Award, Emmy Award and Tony Award winner Ellen Burstyn (Same Time, Next Year, The Last Picture Show, The Exorcist) as Jacques.

The full company of AS YOU LIKE IT at Bay Street Theater. Photo by Lenny Stucker

The production also features Quincy Tyler Bernstine (In The Next Room, Small Mouth Sounds) as Celia, Kyle Scatliffe (The Color Purple, Les Miserables) as Orlando, Noah Brody (Co-Artistic Director of Fiasco Theater) as Oliver/Corin, Leenya Rideout (War Horse, Company, Cabaret) as Phoebe, Tony Award nominee Bob Stillman (Grey Gardens, Songbird, As You Like It) as Duke Frederick/ Duke Sr., Cass Morgan (Memphis the Musical, Mary Poppins) as Old Adam/Audrey and David Samuel (The Diamond in the Rough, To Kill a Mockingbird) as Silvius.

Tickets on sale at the Box Office at 631-725-9500 11 am – show time daily or online at www.baystreet.org.

André De Shields and Noah Brody in AS YOU LIKE IT at Bay Street Theater. Copyright Lenny Stucker — André De Shields and Noah Brody in AS YOU LIKE IT at Bay Street Theater.
Copyright Lenny Stucker

Three-time Academy Award winner and musical theater legend Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, Godspell) has created an original, Jazz Era inspired score for the production and members of the cast play instruments.

John Doyle (The Color Purple, Sweeney Todd, Company) has designed the sets in addition to directing the production. The creative team will also include Ann Hould-Ward (Costume designer), Andrew Diaz (Props designer) and Shaughn Bryant (Sound Supervisor), Kat West (Production Stage Manager), and Stewart/Whitely (Casting). AS YOU LIKE IT is a co-production with Classic Stage Company in New York City.

In AS YOU LIKE IT, join Rosalind, one of Shakespeare’s greatest heroines, as she travels into the merry Forest of Arden leaving behind the politics of the city. Disguising herself as a man and accompanied by her cousin Celia she embarks on a hilarious and romantic journey where she finds love, laughter, and maybe even herself. Shakespeare’s beloved comedy will be brought to joyful new life in a production filled with Jazz Era inspired music performed by a masterful cast.

André De Shields as Touchstone in AS YOU LIKE IT at Bay Street Theater. Copyright Lenny Stucker — André De Shields as Touchstone in AS YOU LIKE IT at Bay Street Theater.
Copyright Lenny Stucker

André De Shields (Touchstone) In a career spanning forty-eight years, André De Shields has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director, choreographer and educator. He is the recipient of three Jeff Awards, one as Director for Victory Gardens’ 1987 production of The Colored Museum, and two as Featured Performer in a Musical for the Goodman Theatre productions of Play On! (1998) and Mary Zimmerman’s The Jungle Book (2013). In fact Mr. De Shields’ professional career began at Chicago’s Shubert Theatre, now the Bank of America Theatre, in the 1969 production of Hair. From there he moved on to The Me Nobody Knows at the Civic Opera House, and ultimately became a member of The Organic Theatre Company, where he created the role of Xander the Unconquerable, Ruler of the Sixth Dimension in the cult sensation Warp. A multiple Tony Award nominee, he is best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway musicals: The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Play On! and The Full Monty.

His numerous accolades include an Emmy Award for the NBC Special based on Ain’t Misbehavin’, the 2007 Village Voice OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance, the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival’s Living Legend Award, a 2012 Fox Foundation Fellowship in Distinguished Achievement, Florida Atlantic University’s 2014 Making Waves Award, the Theatre School at DePaul University 2015 Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Riant Theatre’s 2016 Pioneer of the Arts Award, the Black Theatre Network’s 2016 Winona Lee Fletcher Award, a 2016 Beinecke Fellowship at Yale School of Drama and nine AUDELCO Awards. and two Doctor of Fine Arts degrees honoris causa one each from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the State University of New York-College at Buffalo.

The 2017 Mainstage Season is sponsored in part by New York State through the generosity of Assemblyman Fred Thiele and State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle; the New York State Council on The Arts, a State Agency; Town of Southampton; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Shubert Foundation; and public funding by Suffolk County. Support for new work comes from The New Directions Fund and the Joseph SteinNew Musical Fund. Previews sponsored by Peconic Landing.

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lea Salonga, Merle Dandridge, Quentin Earl Darrington & Alex Newell Set for Broadway Revival of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND

August 8, 2017August 9, 2017 ~ Lia Chang ~ Leave a comment

Tony Award winner Lea Salonga, Alex Newell (“Glee”), Merle Dandridge (“Greenleaf”), and Quentin Earl Darrington (Cats) will join the cast of the Broadway revival of Once On This Island, which will play the Circle in the Square Theatre (235 W. 50th street, NYC) this fall.

Dandridge will play Papa Ge, Darrington will play Agwe, Newell will play Asaka, and Salonga will play Erzulie.

Known across the world for her powerful voice and perfect pitch, Lea Salonga is a singer and actress who is best known for her Tony Award winning role in Miss Saigon. In addition to the Tony, she has won the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards, in the field of musical theatre. She was also the first Asian to play Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway and returned to the beloved show as Fantine in the 2006 revival. Salonga has toured all over the world, performing sold out concerts in such locations as the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Singapore’s Esplanade (twice), Kuala Lumpur Convention Center (twice), Hong Kong Cultural Center (multiple times), Queen Sirikit Convention Center in Bangkok, Carnegie Hall in New York, and in various venues in Vancouver, Sacramento, San Diego, Phoenix, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary, San Bernardino, Cerritos and San Francisco. She was also the first artist to sell out two shows at Brigham Young University’s deJong Concert Hall in Provo, Utah since The Kings Singers in 2009. In 2017, Salonga broke the record for the most consecutive performances at Feinstein’s/54 Below with her acclaimed show Blurred Lines, also an album. Many fans of all ages recognize Salonga as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan for Mulan and Mulan II. For her portrayal of the beloved princesses, the Walt Disney Company bestowed her with the honor of “Disney Legend” in August of 2011. Salonga made a guest appearance on the acclaimed CW television show “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”. In the fall of 2015 Salonga began her celebrated run as Kei Kimura in the Broadway production of Allegiance. Ms. Salonga garnered a Craig Noel nomination for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical for her performance in the Old Globe production of Allegiance, and can be heard on the show’s original cast album. She has also appeared on Broadway in David Henry Hwang’s revisal of Flower Drum Song and internationally in Fun Home, Cats, Cinderella, God of Carnage. Other TV appearances include Les Miserables for PBS (10th and 25th Anniversary concerts), “Hey, Mr. Producer.”
www.leasalonga.com.

The revival of the Olivier Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated Best Musical will be directed by Tony nominee Michael Arden, and choreographed by the critically-acclaimed Camille A. Brown. The production will begin preview performances on Thursday, November 9, 2017 and officially open on Sunday, December 3.

Director Michael Arden said, “In casting the Gods that inhabit our island, it became imperative for me to break expectations and stretch beyond the bounds in which Gods are traditionally represented. It felt important that young people watching our production see themselves reflected back from the stage at them. The Gods are simply that: Gods. They are not bound by gender, race, sexuality or being human at all. I’m so very pleased to be collaborating with these four artists exploring the important and timely themes of this musical through their unique and incredible abilities.”

Dandridge, Darrington, Newell and Salonga will join the previously announced Phillip Boykin (Tonton Julian), Alysha Deslorieux (Andrea), David Jennings (Armand), Kenita R. Miller (Mama Euralie), and Isaac Powell (Daniel). The Storytellers for this production are Darlesia Cearcy, Rodrick Covington, Cassondra James, David Jennings, Grasan Kingsberry, Tyler Hardwick, Loren Lott, T. Oliver Reid, and AureLia Williams.

Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

Once On This Island is written by the Tony Award-winning team of Lynn Ahrens (Book and Lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (Music), and based on the novel “My Love, My Love” by Rosa Guy. This production will feature new orchestrations by original orchestrator Michael Starobin who is joined by AnnMarie Milazzo.

The creative team also includes Dane Laffrey (Scenic Design), Clint Ramos(Costume Design), Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer (Lighting Designers), Peter Hylenski (Sound Designer), Chris Fenwick (Music Supervisor), Alvin Hough, Jr (Music Director), David Perlow (Associate Director), Nikki M. James (Assistant Director), and Telsey + Co / Craig Burns, CSA (Casting Agent).

Once on This Island will be produced on Broadway by Ken Davenport, Hunter Arnold, Carl Daikeler, Richard Hopper and WitzEnd Productions, with Kayla Greenspan and Valerie Novakoff as associate producers.

Once On This Island is the Broadway musical celebration that sweeps us across the sea to a small village-where, in the aftermath of a great storm, a joyous new life begins. It is the tale of Ti Moune, a fearless peasant girl who falls in love with a wealthy boy from the other side of the island. When their divided cultures threaten to keep them apart, Ti Moune, guided by the island gods, sets out on a remarkable quest to reunite with the man who has captured her heart.

Bursting with Caribbean colors, rhythms and dance, the story comes to vibrant life through the score by Tony Award® winners Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Anastasia, Ragtime).

Tickets for Once On This Island are on sale through Telecharge. Group tickets are available at www.YourBroadwayGenius.com or by calling 855-329-2932.

Once On This Island premiered at Playwrights Horizons in May of 1990. The Broadway production opened in October of that year and ran for 469 performances garnering eight Tony nominations including Best Featured Actress (LaChanze), Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical and Best Musical. The 1994 West End production won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical.

Princess Iron Fan: The Stories and Music of Cantonese Opera with Joanna C. Lee and Patrick P. Lee at MOCA on August 12

Makeup application backstage, ca.1950's, MOCA Collections.

August 6, 2017August 9, 2017 ~ Lia Chang ~ Leave a comment

On Saturday, August 12th, join Hong Kong experts Joanna C. Lee and Patrick P. Lee at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) for Princess Iron Fan: The Stories and Music of Cantonese Opera from 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm. Tickets (include museum admission: $12/adult; $8/student & senior; Free for MOCA members. Click here to purchase tickets.

Before Hong Kong films, the most exported entertainment from southern China was Cantonese opera. Older than Peking opera, yet more open to innovation, Cantonese opera thrived not only in its home region but also in Cantonese enclaves around the world, with major stars from Hong Kong and Guangzhou (historically, Canton) regularly reaching out to their international fan base. Today, Cantonese opera still packs in the audiences in southern China, with professional troupes bolstered by an active community of amateur devotees.

This session offers an introduction to Cantonese opera’s traditional stories and musical styles. Learn the difference between a role type and a tune type, between Princess Changping and Princess Iron Fan. Two of Hong Kong’s noted experts guide you through this stylized yet populist entertainment.

Patrick P. Lee is the Hong Kong-based author of two books on Cantonese musical vernacular and a third, An Introduction to Cantonese Opera Music, scheduled for release this fall. A third-generation member of a Macau literati family, he pursued university and postgraduate studies in Hong Kong in art, literature and education. Since retiring from a four-decade career in education policy, he has devoted his attention to Cantonese opera. He has performed three solo recitals at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and toured extensively in Guangzhou, Macau and Shenzhen, with periodic stage appearances in the United States, Canada and Australia. In 2010 he made his concert debut in Amsterdam with musicians from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Joanna C. Lee received degrees in piano performance from London’s Royal College of Music and musicology from New York’s Columbia University. Later joining the music faculty at the University of Hong Kong, she received a 12-month grant to document an oral history of amateur Cantonese opera singing in Hong Kong and the American and Canadian diaspora. A longtime Honorary Research Fellow for HKU’s Centre of Asian Studies (2003-11), she is also an active translator and advisor for a broad range of cultural organizations.

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Plays by Rajiv Joseph, Carla Ching, Qui Nguyen, A. Rey Pamatmat, Madhuri Shekar, Lloyd Suh, Jessica Huang, Leah Nanako Winkler and Jiehae Park Showcased in Atlantic Theater’s Asian American MixFest, August 9-17

August 6, 2017August 15, 2017 ~ Lia Chang ~ Leave a comment

Atlantic Theater Company in partnership with producers Lloyd Suh and Qui Nguyen are presenting Asian American MixFest at Atlantic Stage 2, 330 West 16th St in New York from August 9-17. The MixFest will feature readings of full-length plays by Carla Ching, Qui Nguyen, A. Rey Pamatmat, Madhuri Shekar and Lloyd Suh, short one-acts by playwrights Jessica Huang, Leah Nanako Winkler and Jiehae Park and a short play by Rajiv Joseph.

Admission is free. Reservations are required. Please email readings@atlantictheater.org

“MEET THE WRITERS” PANEL
moderated by Lloyd Suh

Wednesday, August 9 | 5pm
RSVP

Asian American MixFest will kick-off with a group panel moderated by Lloyd Suh. Learn more about the writers in the festival, their creative process and what inspires their work.

HOUSE OF JOY
by Madhuri Shekar
directed by Saheem Ali

Thursday, August 10 | 3pm

Cast: Melis Aker, Karen Huie, Mahira Kakkar, Layla Khosh, Hubert Point-du-Jour, Debargo Sanyal, Ayana Workman, and Rasha Zamamiri.

Set some time like the 17th century, in some place like Delhi, India, House of Joy tells the story of Hamida, an elite female bodyguard in the Emperor’s Imperial Harem. Faced with an impossible ethical quandary, Hamida tries to help an abused Queen escape the heavily guarded harem, thus risking her life and going against everything she was raised to believe. A swashbuckling action-adventure romance inspired by the legends of Indian history.

ONE ACTS
by Jessica Huang, Rajiv Joseph, Jiehae Park and Leah Nanako Winkler
directed by Seonjae Kim and David Mendizábal

Friday, August 11 | 3pm

Cast: Eboni Booth, Dave Thomas Brown, Allison Buck, Harriett D. Foy, Emma Kikue Munson, Alison Rogers, Jenny Seastone Stern, Ricardo Vasquez, and Tiffany Villarin

Readings of three commissioned one-acts and a short play by Rajiv Joseph.

NOMAD MOTEL
by Carla Ching
directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar

Monday, August 14 | 7pm

Cast: Molly Griggs, Alex Hernandez, Christopher Larkin, Ken Leung, and Heidi Schreck

Alex lives in a tiny motel room with her mother and two brothers, scrambling to make weekly rent. Mason lives comfortably in a grand, empty house while his father runs jobs for the Hong Kong Triad. Until the day his father disappears and Mason has to figure out how to come up with grocery money and dodge Child Services and U.S. Immigration. Mason and Alex develop an unlikely friendship, struggling to survive, and trying to outrun their parents’ mistakes. Will they make it out or fall through the cracks? A play about Motel Kids and Parachute Kids raising themselves and living at the poverty line in a land of plenty.

FRANKLINLAND
by Lloyd Suh
directed by Ralph B. Peña

Tuesday, August 15 | 7pm

Cast: Brad Bellamy, Sasha Diamond, William Jackson Harper, and Daniel K. Isaac

The story of growing up as the only son of Benjamin Franklin: the greatest scientific mind in the world, inventor of the lightning rod and the urinary catheter and the glass harmonica and bifocal glasses, and in his spare time, the United States of America.

WAR IS F**KING AWESOME
by Qui Nguyen
directed by Robert Ross Parker

Wednesday, August 16 | 7pm

Cast: Sheldon Best, William Jackson Harper, Jon Hoche, Margaret Odette, Nicky Schmidlein, Paco Tolson, Temar Underwood, and Emily Williams

A politically incorrect action-comedy following the adventures of Unity Spencer, a young colonial girl who has been imbued with immortality.

A POWER PLAY; OR, WHATS-ITS-NAME
by A. Rey Pamatmat
directed by May Adrales

Thursday, August 17 | 7pm

Cast: Ethan Dubin, Will Hochman, Teresa Lim, Sarah Nealis, Maulik Pancholy, Mirirai Sithole, Luis Vega, and Rocky Vega

After State Assemblywoman Alex Hathaway’s district suffers a terrible tragedy, she goes to great lengths to capture a House seat in the next election. She even employs a strange, nameless thing to gain victory over her enemies through supernatural practices. But with all that determination and those ancient powers on her side, how did Alex end up with a community in shambles and a gun pointed at her head?

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

THE KING AND I Touring Cast Members Jose Llana, Joan Almedilla, Darren Lee, Manna Nichols, Michelle Liu Coughlin and More Set for ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK to Benefit BC/EFA on August 14

August 5, 2017August 6, 2017 ~ Lia Chang ~ Leave a comment

Members of the Broadway National Touring cast of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I in conjunction with La Ti Do Productions will host “One Night in Bangkok” an evening of song and dance at Bistro Bistro DC on Monday, August 14th. Net proceeds will benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA).

Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the performance will begin at 8:00 p.m. Bistro Bistro DC is located at 1727 Connecticut Ave NW Washington, D.C.

Audiences are invited to the Royal Palace to take part in this exclusive evening as the Royal Court step out of their roles in the musical and perform some of their favorite non-Siamese material. ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK is part of an ongoing series of performances by the touring company to support charitable causes, and it will be truly Something Wonderful.

The King and I cast members will perform songs by Stephen Sondheim, Maltby & Shire, William Finn, Sara Bareilles, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and will feature Joan Almedilla, Heather Botts, Amaya Braganza, Adriana Braganza, LaMae Caparas, Mindy Lai, Darren Lee, Michelle Liu Coughlin, Jose Llana, Michael Lomeka, Graham Montgomery, Manna Nichols, Marcus Shane, Riley Sickles, Sam Simahk, Kelli Youngman, plus other special guests to be announced. The evening will be co-hosted by the founders of La Ti Do Productions and local D.C. natives Don Michael Mendoza and Regie Cabico.

All proceeds from “One Night in Bangkok” will go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA).

The National Touring Company of the Lincoln Center Theater production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s THE KING AND I has raised more than $100,000 in donations for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS all over the country.

VIP admission is available for $40, which includes a pre-show reception with company members from the National Touring Company of THE Lincoln Center Theater PRODUCTION OF Rodgers & Hammerstein’S THE KING AND I from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., preferred seating, and light hors d’oeuvres. Theatre doors open at 7:00 p.m. for VIP ticket holders.

Regular Admission tickets are available for $25.

A very limited number of rush tickets will be available day of, but securing your spot to this sell-out event is highly recommended. All proceeds benefit BC/EFA. The purchase of event tickets is tax deductible. Visit www.OneNightInBangkok.net or www.LaTiDoProductions.com.

The King and I runs July 18-August 20, 2017 in the Kennedy Center Opera House on the following schedule: Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30 p.m. with 1:30 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday. For more information visit the Kennedy Center website, in-person at the Kennedy Center box office, or call (202) 467-4600 or (800) 444-1324.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS helps men, women and children across the country receive lifesaving medications, health care, nutritious meals, counseling and emergency financial assistance. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fund raising and grant making organization. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has raised more than $285 million for essential services for people with HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington DC. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization. For more information, go to www.broadwaycares.org.

Curated and hosted by La Ti Do co-founders Filipino Americans Don Michael Mendoza and Regie Cabico, the pair are thrilled to support their fellow Asian American artists by co-producing this benefit concert with cast members of The King and I. La Ti Do Productions made its debut to a full house in Washington, DC on January 23, 2012 at The Black Fox Lounge in Dupont Circle. Since then, La-Ti-Do became DC’s premiere musical theatre cabaret and spoken word series to serve the artistic community. On June 9, 2013, the show then opened a touring chapter in New York City and also made a special appearance at Feinstein’s/54 Below. In 2016, La Ti Do became a program of a parent company: Winters Lane Productions under the direction of Founder/Artistic Director Anya Randall Nebel. Currently, the DC chapter remains in Dupont Circle housed at Bistro Bistro restaurant and the NYC chapter at the Dramatists Guild Fund, Inc.

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Vote For Peter Kwong – Los Angeles SAG-AFTRA Elections

August 5, 2017August 5, 2017 ~ Lia Chang ~ Leave a comment

“Leave No Man Behind” – The Marines’ motto.

The upcoming contract leaves many members behind. What is not good for some is bad for all. We are a Union, we should be in this together.

Here are some of what we are losing:

Loss of reuse clips of performers from one episode to another without bargaining.
Loss of residuals reduced to $250 or $450 is split among the entire cast instead of to the individual actor for the length of the 3-5 year license run.
Loss of revenue to promote an episode of a series or the series as a whole without any limitation on length of time.
Loss of Portal to Portal.
Multiple Losses to Background Actors.
Pending claims dismissed.
Loss of mileage – Historic 30 mile zone expanded to 40 miles.
Loss of travel day.
Shooting more than one episode per day and being paid for only one episode.

We should have professional negotiators because we have lost so much over the years:

Continual losses on Cable.
Continual losses on New Media.
Loss of first class travel.
Loss of residuals prior to 1972.
Loss of Preference of Employment.

Enough is Enough! Vote out the Leadership that approved this current contract. Now is the time for change!!!

I have the EXPERIENCE of serving as SAG National Board of Directors for over 10 years, AFTRA National Board of Directors, Local AFTRA Board of Directors, 4 Years as Board of Governors at the Television Academy, and member of the Actors Branch Executive Committee at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences.

My SERVICE is demonstrated through 40 years of committee work at SAG, AFTRA, and AEA. Vice-Chair of the Children’s Committee, Women’s Committee, Seniors Committee, Chair of Diversity at Actors Equity, Vice-Chair of SAG EEOC, and Awards Committee.

Vote for Peter Kwong for Los Angeles Local Board #37, National Board #124, and Los Angeles Vice-President #05.

Ballots are out now and must be returned by 6:30 AM August 24, 2017.

Thank you for your consideration.

With me, we will Leave No Member Behind.

Peter Kwong

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Jaygee Macapugay, Eric Badique, Jennifer Blood, Marc De La Cruz, Priya Mahendra, Nic Rouleau, Remy Zaken, EJ Zimmerman and Kelvin Moon Loh to Perform THE SONGS OF Timothy Huang at Feinstein’s/54 Below on August 8

August 5, 2017August 9, 2017 ~ Lia Chang ~ Leave a comment

Timothy Huang, award-winning composer, lyricist, and creator of Costs of Living, (2016 Richard Rodgers Award, New American Musical Award) and the one-person musical The View From Here, returns to Feinstein’s/54 Below in The Songs of Timothy Huang. Featuring the songs “Dying to Know,” “Director’s Lament,” and “Rules of Engagement,” as well as a selection of tunes from Costs of Living, LINES: A Song Cycle, Peter and the Wall, and The View From Here, Huang will take to the stage with songs, stories, and support by some of the greatest friends Broadway has to offer.

Featuring Eric Badique (Miss Saigon, Anything Goes), Jennifer Blood (Matilda, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), Marc De La Cruz (Pacific Overtures, If/Then), Jaygee Macapugay (School of Rock, Here Lies Love), Priya Mahendra (Twisted), Nic Rouleau (The Book of Mormon), Remy Zaken (Dear Evan Hansen, Spring Awakening), EJ Zimmerman (Les Mis, Avenue Q), and Kelvin Moon Loh (SpongeBob SquarePants, Sideshow).

To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com/Feinsteins or call (646) 476-3551. $25-35 cover charge. Use code THUANG for $5 off main dining room cover charge. $60 premium seating. $25 food and beverage minimum.

Feinstein’s/54 Below, Broadway’s Supper Club & Private Event Destination, is a performance venue in the grand tradition of New York City nightlife. A few blocks from the heart of Times Square and just below the legendary Studio 54, Feinstein’s/54 Below is a classically designed state-of-the art nightclub in the theatre district that hosts audiences with warmth and style. Feinstein’s/54 Below presents iconic and rising stars from the worlds of Broadway and popular music and has set a new standard for culinary excellence worthy of the world-class entertainment on the stage. Located at 254 West 54th Street, Feinstein’s/54 Below features up to three shows nightly with cover charges ranging from $5-$105.

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

André De Shields, Ellen Burstyn and More Set for Stephen Schwartz’s Jazz Era AS YOU LIKE IT at CSC

August 5, 2017August 9, 2017 ~ Lia Chang ~ Leave a comment

Classic Stage Company is presenting AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare, with Tony Award winner John Doyle at the helm, with music by Stephen Schwartz, beginning Wednesday, September 13 as the first production of CSC’s 50th Anniversary Season. As You Like It is a co-production with Bay Street Theater. Click here for tickets. Classic Stage Company is located at 136 E. 13th St., New York, NY 10003.

The production will star two- time Tony nominee and Emmy Award nominee André De Shields (The Full Monty, Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Wiz) as Touchstone, Hannah Cabell (The Father, Men on Boats, Major Barbara) as Rosalind, and Academy Award, Emmy Award and Tony Award winner Ellen Burstyn (Same Time, Next Year, The Last Picture Show, The Exorcist) as Jacques.

Hannah Cabell, David Samuel, Leenya Rideout, Kyle Scatliffe, Ellen Burstyn. Photo Credit: Lenny Stucker

The production will also feature Quincy Tyler Bernstine (In The Next Room, Small Mouth Sounds) as Celia, Kyle Scatliffe (The Color Purple, Les Miserables) as Orlando, Noah Brody (Co-Artistic Director of Fiasco Theater) as Oliver/Corin, Leenya Rideout (War Horse, Company, Cabaret) as Phoebe, Tony Award nominee Bob Stillman (Grey Gardens, Songbird, As You Like It) as Duke Frederick/ Duke Sr., Cass Morgan (Memphis the Musical, Mary Poppins) as Old Adam/Audrey and David Samuel (The Diamond in the Rough, To Kill a Mockingbird) as Silvius.

An exiled Duke, his banished daughter, a gentleman in love, and a melancholy traveler. Tony Award-winning director John Doyle and Tony Award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz bring Shakespeare’s pastoral romance into the Jazz Age, with lovers in disguise, troubadours in trouble, and some of Shakespeare’s most beloved characters.

AS YOU LIKE IT will feature scenic design by John Doyle, costume design by Ann Hould-Ward and lighting design by Mike Baldassari. David Arsenault is Associate Scenic Designer and Amy Sutton is Associate Costume Designer.

Ellen Burstyn (Jaques) Ellen Burstyn’s sixty-year acting career encompasses film, stage, and television. In 1975 she became the third woman in history to win both a Tony Award and an Academy Award in the same year, for her work in Same Time, Next Year on Broadway and the film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. She has received five other Academy Award nominations. She has been nominated for seven Golden Globe awards, winning in 1979 for Same Time, Next Year. She became a “triple crown winner” when she received her first Emmy for a guest appearance in Law & Order: SVU (2009), and won again in 2013 for her role in the miniseries Political Animals. She has been nominated for an Emmy six additional times. In 2014 she was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. Early films include The Last Picture Show (1971 – Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations) and The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), among others.

Her recent films include Draft Day (2014), The Calling (2014), Interstellar (2014), The Age of Adaline (2015), Custody (2016), and Wiener Dog (2016). Soon to be released are The Tale, Nostalgia, A Little Something For Your Birthday and House of Tomorrow. She made her Broadway debut in Fair Game (1957). Other Broadway credits include 84 Charing Cross Road (1982), Shirley Valentine (1989), Shimada (1991), and Sacrilege (1995). She also performed off-Broadway many times, including The Little Flower of East Orange (2008) and The Atmosphere of Memory (2011). In London, she starred in The Children’s Hour (2011). She was the first woman elected president of Actors Equity Association (1982-1985) and serves as co-president of The Actors Studio. In 2006 she published her memoir, Lessons in Becoming Myself.

Hannah Cabell (Rosalind) Broadway credits include The Father (MTC), A Man for All Seasons (Roundabout). Off Broadway includes Men On Boats (Playwrights Horizons/Clubbed Thumb), Major Barbara (The Pearl), Grounded (Page 73) for which Cabell won a Drama Desk nomination, best solo performance. Others include 3C (Rattlestick), Compulsion (Public Theater), Pumpgirl (Manhattan Theatre Club), The Zero Hour (13P), Gentleman Caller (Clubbed Thumb), Mark Smith (13P). Regional and International theater includes The Moors Marjorie (Yale Rep), Marie Antoinette (Polignac ART, Yale Rep) , Compulsion (Woman Berkeley Rep, Yale Rep), Three Sisters (John Doyle, dir.) Irina Cincinnati Playhouse; In the Next Room; or the Vibrator Play (Berkeley Rep). Film and Television includes “The Path” (Hulu – recurring), “Mr. Robot” (USA), “Happyish” (Showtime), “The Leftovers” (HBO), “Law and Order: Criminal Intent”. Voice over includes “Grand Theft Auto” and “The Electric Company.” Cabell received her M.F.A, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and later the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship for Young Artists, 2011.

John Doyle (Director and Set Designer) is the new Artistic Director of Classic Stage Company where he has directed Passion, Allegro, Peer Gynt and the recent production of Dead Poets Society. Broadway: Sweeney Todd (Tony and Drama Desk Awards, Best Director of a Musical), Company (Tony Award, Best Musical Revival), A Catered Affair (Drama League Award, Best Musical Production), The Visit (Tony nom., Best Musical), The Color Purple (Tony nom., Best Musical Revival). Off-Broadway: Wings (Second Stage); Road Show (Public Theatre); Where’s Charley?, Irma La Douce (Encores!). Regional: Kiss Me Kate (Stratford); Caucasian Chalk Circle (ACT); Merrily We Roll Along, The Three Sisters (Cincinnati); Ten Cents a Dance (Williamstown); The Exorcist (LA). In the UK, John has been artistic director of four regional theaters. Numerous credits include: The Gondoliers, Mack and Mabel (West End); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regent’s Park); Oklahoma! (Chichester); Amadeus (Wilton’s Music Hall). Opera includes Madama Butterfly (Grange Park), Lucia Di Lammermoor (Houston/La Fenice/ Sydney Opera House), Peter Grimes (Metropolitan Opera, NY), The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (LA Opera). He directed the feature film “Main Street.”

Stephen Schwartz (Composer) wrote the music and lyrics for the current Broadway hit Wicked, and has also contributed music and/or lyrics to Godspell, Pippin, The Magic Show, The Baker’s Wife, Working (which he also adapted and directed), Rags, and Children of Eden. His most recent musical, Schikaneder, premiered in 2016 in Vienna. He has also worked in film, collaborating with Alan Menken on the songs for Disney’s Enchanted as well as the animated features Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and writing the songs for the DreamWorks animated feature The Prince of Egypt. In the classical music field, he collaborated with Leonard Bernstein on the English texts for Bernstein’s Mass, and composed the opera Séance on a Wet Afternoon. Schwartz has been inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and has been given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Awards include three Academy Awards, four Grammy Awards, and the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award.

Classic Stage Company (CSC). CSC is committed to re-imagining classic stories for contemporary audiences. The company has been a home for New York’s finest established and emerging artists to grapple with the great works of the world’s repertory that speak directly to the issues of today. CSC serves an average of 35,000 audience members annually, including more than 4,000 students through its nationally recognized education programs. Productions have been cited repeatedly by all the major Off-Broadway theater awards including the Obie, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, and the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Body of Work.

André De Shields, Ellen Burstyn, Hannah Cabell and More Set for AS YOU LIKE IT at Bay Street Theater, August 8 – September 3

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Backstage Pass with Lia Chang

Author: Lia Chang

Photos: Carla Ching’s NOMAD MOTEL in Atlantic Theater Company’s Asian American MixFest

André De Shields, Ellen Burstyn, Hannah Cabell, Quincy Tyler Bernstine and More Celebrate AS YOU LIKE IT Opening Night at Bay Street Theater

André De Shields as Touchstone in the John Doyle Helmed AS YOU LIKE IT at Bay Street Theater through September 3

Lea Salonga, Merle Dandridge, Quentin Earl Darrington & Alex Newell Set for Broadway Revival of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND

Princess Iron Fan: The Stories and Music of Cantonese Opera with Joanna C. Lee and Patrick P. Lee at MOCA on August 12

Plays by Rajiv Joseph, Carla Ching, Qui Nguyen, A. Rey Pamatmat, Madhuri Shekar, Lloyd Suh, Jessica Huang, Leah Nanako Winkler and Jiehae Park Showcased in Atlantic Theater’s Asian American MixFest, August 9-17

THE KING AND I Touring Cast Members Jose Llana, Joan Almedilla, Darren Lee, Manna Nichols, Michelle Liu Coughlin and More Set for ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK to Benefit BC/EFA on August 14

Vote For Peter Kwong – Los Angeles SAG-AFTRA Elections

Jaygee Macapugay, Eric Badique, Jennifer Blood, Marc De La Cruz, Priya Mahendra, Nic Rouleau, Remy Zaken, EJ Zimmerman and Kelvin Moon Loh to Perform THE SONGS OF Timothy Huang at Feinstein’s/54 Below on August 8

André De Shields, Ellen Burstyn and More Set for Stephen Schwartz’s Jazz Era AS YOU LIKE IT at CSC