Famous Asian-American Broadway Performers and Their Stories

By kristined

If you have never seen or attended a Broadway musical production, you have no idea what you are missing. As they say on Broadway, “all the world’s a stage,” and the Asian American and Pacific Islander community has finally gotten their chance to shine. Take a look at these Asian Americans making a significant impact on Broadway!

Jin Ha

When Jin Ha landed the coveted part of Song Liling, a transgender Chinese opera singer, in the 2017 Broadway revival of the Tony-winning play “M,” he was still an understudy for Aaron Burr and King George in “Hamilton.” The legendary actor Clive Owen is featured in David Henry Hwang’s dramatic commentary on East-West, male-female binary, “Butterfly.”

Phillippa Soo

Phillipa Soo caught everyone’s eye when she stole the show as Eliza in the famous musical “Hamilton,” but this year, Soo showed that she could hold her own when she portrayed the title role in the Broadway production of “Amelie.” She has also appeared in “The Parisian Woman” as Rebecca.

Ali Ewoldt

Before making history, however, Ali Ewoldt had roles in “Les Miserables,” “The King and I,” and “West Side Story.” Ewoldt’s mother is from the Philippines, and the Broadway actress has expressed her admiration for fellow Pinay Broadway legend Lea Salonga. In June 2016, Ali Ewoldt became the first Asian-American woman to play Christine in Broadway’s “Phantom of the Opera.”

Eva Nobleza

Eva Nobleza, a native of California, became well-known for her role as Kim in the West End revival of the operatic musical “Miss Saigon,” which is about a young Vietnamese woman who falls in love with an American soldier in the era of the Vietnam war. Nobleza repeated her role in the 2018 Broadway Broadway production, for which she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.

Diana Huey

When some parents complained that Diana Huey’s character Ariel wasn’t supposed to be Asian, the actress found herself at the heart of a minor controversy. Huey decided to reject the criticism, and the success of her portrayal of the Disney aquatic mermaid princess gave young girls even more reason to dream.

Telly Leung

Telly Leung began his role as the title street rat in Disney’s Broadway production of “Aladdin” after leaving the cast of “In Transit.” Although he at first faced criticism by theatergoers for being a Chinese actor playing a Middle Eastern character, Leung found his way of connecting with the musical when he learned that much of the original “Aladdin” tale was set in China.

Lea Salonga

Lea Salonga made history as the first Asian woman to win a Tony Award for her performance as the original Kim in “Miss Saigon.” However, Salonga isn’t content to sit back and enjoy her success. She appeared in the musical “Allegiance,” which was about a family’s experience with Japanese incarceration during World War II. She also appeared in “Once on This Island.”