Latest news with #DavidHenryHwang
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Daniel Dae Kim makes Tony Awards history, pushes Asian representation on Broadway
The first monologue Daniel Dae Kim ever performed was by David Henry Hwang. Advertisement He had to do one for his college summer programme at the National Theatre Institute in the US state of Connecticut. Kim chose a scene from FOB, Hwang's 1980 play about the assimilation struggles of a Chinese-American. So it is fitting that 35 years later Hwang – the first Asian-American to win the Tony Award for best play – would be the one to bring Kim into the Tony spotlight. Known for TV series such as Lost and Hawaii Five-0, Kim, 56, is the first Asian nominee in the category of best leading actor in a play in the Tonys' 78-year history for his work in a Broadway revival of Hwang's Yellow Face. It'd be a huge surprise if I won, but I will say that even getting the nomination is a win Daniel Dae Kim 'I can imagine a lot of things, but I did not imagine this scenario with David,' Kim said.
San Francisco Chronicle
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Why Daniel Dae Kim believes ‘Yellow Face' resonates in today's political climate
From 2004 TV smash 'Lost' to 2024's ' Avatar: The Last Airbender,' for more than two decades Korean American actor and producer Daniel Dae Kim has steadily risen up the call sheet to become one of the most reliable and recognizable Asian American faces in entertainment. He has also used his visibility to be an outspoken advocate for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, departing the 'Hawaii Five-0' reboot after seven seasons to protest pay disparity, and testifying before Congress in 2021 amid a wave of anti-Asian violence. In 2024, Kim returned to his theater roots, starring in the Broadway revival of ' Yellow Face,' playwright David Henry Hwang's 2007 semi-autobiographical tale about accidentally casting a non-Asian actor to play an Asian role. The snappy comedy-drama recently received three Tony Award nominations, including best revival of a play and best featured actor in a play (San Francisco-born actor and St. Ignatius College Preparatory School product, Francis Jue). To his surprise, Kim scored a best actor in play nod — the first Asian leading actor in 78 years to do so. The Chronicle spoke with Kim at the AMC Kabuki theater in San Francisco's Japantown on Sunday, May 11, where a new film adaptation of 'Yellow Face' packed the closing night screening of this year's CAAMFest, before it premieres Friday, May 16, on 'Great Performances' on PBS. This interview was edited for length and clarity. A: It's a cliche, but I was in bed sleeping. I didn't expect a nomination; I was planning to wake up and read about my colleagues' and friends' good fortune. Then my publicist repeatedly called me — breaking through the do-not-disturb feature on my phone — and gave me the good news. Q: 'Yellow Face' premiered in 2007, yet its themes about race and representation remain relevant today. Did the political climate of the past year affect the performances night to night? A: Current events can definitely influence and affect not only how we perform but how the audience receives our performance. I'll never forget the show that we did on Election Day 2024. The results affected all of our performances in a way that we heard lines differently in the show that we hadn't heard before, and we could tell they were resonating with the audience in a different way. That's one of the beautiful things about theater is that on any given night, any performance syncing up with a specific audience can create something brand-new. And that's what happened that night. Q: You've used your platform to raise issues affecting the AANHPI community, even testifying before Congress during the rise of anti-Asian violence. Who inspired you to be so outspoken? A: It's the people who challenged the status quo because it not only affected their way of life, but also people who had an understanding of something greater than themselves. David Henry Hwang was an inspiration, for sure. Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii, who served 1963-2012) was a big role model for me. In fact, when I was younger, people used to ask me who my role models were as an actor, and I really didn't have that many as much as I admired Sen. Inouye. He came from an island that was not so overwhelmingly a minority when it came to race, and yet he took that power into Washington, D.C., at a time where there was so little representation for Asian Americans, and became one of the lions of the Senate. That's a significant contribution at a time when we had none. A: These are the reasons why a play like 'Yellow Face' is so important, because it shines a light on why those misperceptions are so harmful. When people misguidedly think that incarcerating Americans, or thinking they're more loyal to a foreign country than their own, then there needs to be a narrative change. A play like this is a way of explaining and shedding light on this subject without a textbook or a sermon or a lecture. This is the power of entertainment — people can laugh and cry and learn all at the same time. Q: What do you hope audiences take away from 'Yellow Face,' especially those unfamiliar with the AANHPI experience? A: When we're living in a time when we're being questioned about how to define what is American, I would love audiences to think again about the contributions that not just people who look like me have made to this country, but people who may have come from South America or the Middle East.
CTV News
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Daniel Dae Kim making history at the Tony Awards and pushing for Asian representation on Broadway
Nominee Daniel Dae Kim attends the 78th Annual Tony Awards Meet the Nominees press event at the Sofitel New York on May 8, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) The first monologue Daniel Dae Kim ever performed was by David Henry Hwang. He had to do one for his college summer program at the National Theater Institute in Connecticut. Kim chose a scene from 'FOB,' Hwang's play about the assimilation struggles of a Chinese American. So, it's fitting that 35 years later Hwang — the first Asian American to win the Tony Award for best play — would be the one to bring Kim into the Tony spotlight. Known for TV series such as 'Lost' and 'Hawaii Five-0,' Kim, 56, is the first Asian nominee in the category of best leading actor in a play in the Tonys' 78-year history for his work in a Broadway revival of Hwang's 'Yellow Face.' 'I can imagine a lot of things, but I did not imagine this scenario with David,' Kim said. 'That I would be in a play with him, that we would both be nominated for Tony Awards and we would be able to call each other friends.' In the semi-autobiographical show, which ran last fall at the Roundabout Theatre Company, Kim played a satirical version of Hwang. The show also scored nods for best play revival and best performance by a featured actor in a play for first-time nominee Francis Jue, an original 2007 cast member. You could not have scripted a better ending for a play that was written in response to the musical 'Miss Saigon' casting white actors as Asian characters. Kim's performance was filmed in November and PBS will broadcast 'Yellow Face' on Friday. The Tonys, airing on June 8, also will put a spotlight on the play. Asian representation and the Tonys This groundbreaking nomination seems like the perfect karmic reward for Kim, who has spent years advocating for greater Asian representation. At the pandemic's height, the Korean American actor was a constant media presence speaking out against anti-Asian hate. He also jump-started a campaign for veteran actor James Hong, then 91, to get a Hollywood star. He woke up to the news of his nomination after people were able to get around his phone's 'do not disturb' mode. His competition includes George Clooney and Cole Escola. 'It'd be a huge surprise if I won, but I will say that even getting the nomination is a win especially when you put it in the context of our community and what this means for Asian Americans,' said Kim, whose previous Broadway credits include 'The King and I.' He admits it's surprising and 'a little sad' that no other Asian actor has been in this category. There's still never been an Asian nominee for best lead actress in a play. 'Of course, the barrier we really want to break is to actually have someone win, and hopefully that happens sooner rather than later, whether it's me or not.' Kim is one of seven Asian acting nominees this year. Only three acting trophy winners have been Asian. One was Lea Salonga for 'Miss Saigon' and another was Ruthie Ann Miles for 'The King and I.' Coincidentally, the first was BD Wong for best featured actor in Hwang's Tony-winning play, 'M. Butterfly.' Hwang takes special pride in helping actors break glass ceilings. 'I get to feel like, 'Oh, maybe I'm actually able to make a difference' and change the culture in the way that my little-kid-self would have loved but would not have thought possible,' said Hwang, who now has his fourth career Tony nomination. He was last nominated 22 years ago. Bringing Asian Americans into the theater For a long time, Hwang felt the only way to get a play with Asian characters made was to set it outside America because 'Broadway audiences are not interested in Asian Americans.' Historically, productions with Asian ensembles have been musicals set in 'the exotic lands of Asia,' such as 'The King and I,' said Esther Kim Lee, a theater studies professor at Duke University and author of 'The Theatre of David Henry Hwang.' 'Flower Drum Song,' set in San Francisco, was an exception but the songs and book were by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Hwang actually revised the book in 2002. 'It's 2025. We finally see an actual Asian American play with an Asian American lead,' Lee said. 'You can have 'The King and I' and have great actors and they may get Tony Awards, but it's really not about Asian Americans. That this has happened with 'Yellow Face' is just incredible.' The show's two-month run brought the Roundabout a 50% increase in first-time audience members — 'a powerful statement,' Kim said. 'One of the nicest compliments I would hear after the show when I would go to the stage door is, 'This is the first Broadway show I've ever seen,'' Kim said. 'That meant a lot to me because bringing Asian Americans into the theater is important and bringing younger people into the theater is important just for the health of theater in general.' 'Yellow Face' has new relevance Besides discussing whitewash casting, 'Yellow Face' examines the pain of the main character's immigrant father. The role is based on Hwang's father's experience being wrongly accused of laundering money for China. With the current anti-immigrant and anti-DEI climate, the show's airing on PBS feels especially vital to Hwang. 'Whenever there's a conflict between America and any Asian country, Asian Americans are the first to get targeted,' Hwang said. PBS is also where in 2020 the five-episode history docuseries 'Asian Americans' aired for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Kim was a narrator and remains 'unequivocally proud' of the project. Five years after the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes, Kim sees 'Yellow Face' simply making it to Broadway as a victory. 'I don't want to get preachy, but I will say that the goal with spotlighting and elevating people of color is not to threaten the establishment,' Kim said. 'The goal was really to say everyone can contribute to our society. Everyone can be a positive force for change.' Terry Tang, The Associated Press
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Daniel Dae Kim making history at the Tony Awards and pushing for Asian representation on Broadway
The first monologue Daniel Dae Kim ever performed was by David Henry Hwang. He had to do one for his college summer program at the National Theater Institute in Connecticut. Kim chose a scene from 'FOB," Hwang's play about the assimilation struggles of a Chinese American. So, it's fitting that 35 years later Hwang — the first Asian American to win the Tony Award for best play — would be the one to bring Kim into the Tony spotlight. Known for TV series such as 'Lost' and 'Hawaii Five-0,' Kim, 56, is the first Asian nominee in the category of best leading actor in a play in the Tonys' 78-year history for his work in a Broadway revival of Hwang's 'Yellow Face.' 'I can imagine a lot of things, but I did not imagine this scenario with David,' Kim said. 'That I would be in a play with him, that we would both be nominated for Tony Awards and we would be able to call each other friends.' In the semi-autobiographical show, which ran last fall at the Roundabout Theatre Company, Kim played a satirical version of Hwang. The show also scored nods for best play revival and best performance by a featured actor in a play for first-time nominee Francis Jue, an original 2007 cast member. You could not have scripted a better ending for a play that was written in response to the musical 'Miss Saigon' casting white actors as Asian characters. Kim's performance was filmed in November and PBS will broadcast 'Yellow Face' on Friday. The Tonys, airing on CBS on June 8, also will put a spotlight on the play. Asian representation and the Tonys This groundbreaking nomination seems like the perfect karmic reward for Kim, who has spent years advocating for greater Asian representation. At the pandemic's height, the Korean American actor was a constant media presence speaking out against anti-Asian hate. He also jump-started a campaign for veteran actor James Hong, then 91, to get a Hollywood star. He woke up to the news of his nomination after people were able to get around his phone's 'do not disturb' mode. His competition includes George Clooney and Cole Escola. 'It'd be a huge surprise if I won, but I will say that even getting the nomination is a win especially when you put it in the context of our community and what this means for Asian Americans,' said Kim, whose previous Broadway credits include 'The King and I.' He admits it's surprising and 'a little sad' that no other Asian actor has been in this category. There's still never been an Asian nominee for best lead actress in a play. 'Of course, the barrier we really want to break is to actually have someone win, and hopefully that happens sooner rather than later, whether it's me or not.' Kim is one of seven Asian acting nominees this year. Only three acting trophy winners have been Asian. One was Lea Salonga for 'Miss Saigon' and another was Ruthie Ann Miles for 'The King and I.' Coincidentally, the first was BD Wong for best featured actor in Hwang's Tony-winning play, 'M. Butterfly.' Hwang takes special pride in helping actors break glass ceilings. 'I get to feel like, 'Oh, maybe I'm actually able to make a difference' and change the culture in the way that my little-kid-self would have loved but would not have thought possible," said Hwang, who now has his fourth career Tony nomination. He was last nominated 22 years ago. Bringing Asian Americans into the theater For a long time, Hwang felt the only way to get a play with Asian characters made was to set it outside America because "Broadway audiences are not interested in Asian Americans.' Historically, productions with Asian ensembles have been musicals set in 'the exotic lands of Asia,' such as 'The King and I," said Esther Kim Lee, a theater studies professor at Duke University and author of 'The Theatre of David Henry Hwang." 'Flower Drum Song,' set in San Francisco, was an exception but the songs and book were by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Hwang actually revised the book in 2002. 'It's 2025. We finally see an actual Asian American play with an Asian American lead,' Lee said. 'You can have 'The King and I' and have great actors and they may get Tony Awards, but it's really not about Asian Americans. That this has happened with 'Yellow Face' is just incredible.' The show's two-month run brought the Roundabout a 50% increase in first-time audience members — 'a powerful statement," Kim said. 'One of the nicest compliments I would hear after the show when I would go to the stage door is, 'This is the first Broadway show I've ever seen,'" Kim said. 'That meant a lot to me because bringing Asian Americans into the theater is important and bringing younger people into the theater is important just for the health of theater in general.' 'Yellow Face' has new relevance Besides discussing whitewash casting, 'Yellow Face' examines the pain of the main character's immigrant father. The role is based on Hwang's father's experience being wrongly accused of laundering money for China. With the current anti-immigrant and anti-DEI climate, the show's airing on PBS feels especially vital to Hwang. 'Whenever there's a conflict between America and any Asian country, Asian Americans are the first to get targeted,' Hwang said. PBS is also where in 2020 the five-episode history docuseries 'Asian Americans" aired for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Kim was a narrator and remains 'unequivocally proud" of the project. Five years after the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes, Kim sees 'Yellow Face' simply making it to Broadway as a victory. 'I don't want to get preachy, but I will say that the goal with spotlighting and elevating people of color is not to threaten the establishment,' Kim said. 'The goal was really to say everyone can contribute to our society. Everyone can be a positive force for change.'
Forbes
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
PBS' ‘Broadway's Best' Lineup To Feature Four Full Productions
Next month PBS' Great Performances will offer four star-studded productions, one comedy and three musicals. Scene from Roundabout Theatre Company's production of "Yellow Face" The lineup begins with the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal, recorded during its West End transfer from London's Donmar Warehouse. Next up is Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang's Broadway comedy Yellow Face from Roundabout Theater Company, starring Daniel Dae Kim. The second musical is the Tony Award-winning Girl from the North Country, featuring 20 reimagined songs by Bob Dylan, while the last musical is Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate, starring Tony Award winner Stephanie J. Block. 'Broadway's Best' from Great Performances will air Fridays at 9 p.m. ET from May 9 to 30 on PBS, on and the PBS App. The productions are part of the WNET Group's special Broadway and Beyond festival, celebrating theater productions and the people who bring them to life. PBS calls Next to Normal an 'intimate portrait of a modern family (exploring) illness, loss, grief and family, as a suburban wife and mother lives with bipolar disorder and is haunted by her past. This premieres May 9 at 9 p.m. ET. According to PBS, Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang's comedy, Yellow Face, from Roundabout Theatre Company, 'stars Daniel Dae Kim as an Asian American playwright who protests yellowface casting in the blockbuster musical 'Miss Saigon,' only to mistakenly cast a white actor as the Asian lead in his own play. The repercussions resonate in this farce about the complexities of race.' This premieres May 16 at 9 p.m. ET. PBS said Girl from the North Country takes place in 1934 in Duluth, Minnesota, where 'a group of wayward travelers' lives intersect in a guesthouse filled with music, life and hope. . (It) features 20 reimagined, legendary Bob Dylan songs, including 'Forever Young,' 'All Along the Watchtower,' 'Hurricane' and 'Like A Rolling Stone.'' This premieres May 23 at 9 p.m. ET. Kiss Me, Kate stars Tony Award winner Stephanie J. Block in her West End debut as Lilli Vanessi in Cole Porter's legendary musical comedy. Filmed at the Barbican in summer 2024, it also features Adrian Dunbar as Fred Graham. This premieres May 30 at 9 p.m. ET. Playwright Hwang recently told that earlier versions of Yellow Face ran at New York's Public Theater and on Audible, before the latest version was offered by Roundabout Theater late last year. He said it is the first Broadway play 'centered on East Asian characters as Americans, rather than portraying us as foreigners. So I think it's really important now because of the spike in anti-Asian hate that happened during the pandemic. . .Asians do suffer from racial profiling.' For over 50 years PBS' Great Performances has showcased the best in all genres of the performing arts, featuring a diverse range of artists from around the world. It has won 67 Emmy Awards and six Peabody Awards. Produced by the WNET Group. it is available for streaming concurrent with broadcast on and the PBS App, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.
