Archives for posts with tag: film

The MOST AANHPI Season of Bway coming to a close, and let’s talk about that interview….

May 27, 2025 //

The Fairy Princess wants to acknowledge that when she called the 2024-2025 season ‘the most’ AANHPI season on Broadway without a show being set in an Asian country…she was RIGHT! Let the gloating begin!

While she cannot take credit for ANY of it, and one shouldn’t, she admits to being overwhelmed when the nominations were announced. She did not even write about it. It was personally moving, and it was hard to put words to the feeling of, “I may be done here’, as representation on Broadway was all that TFP ever wanted.

She wanted it for herself, but overwhemingly, she wanted to for her son. She did not want her child to grow up and only see his three stages of life represented in The King and I, and think that was all he could do in life, should he choose performing. So she started writing, and now, as he turns 13 in a week, all she can think is that what she chose to do to change the conversation, it was worth it.

He will never have to worry, should he choose performance (although she is Asian enough to hope he does not, and everyone needs a lawyer or a dermatologist) he will have a wide range of things to choose from, and he has inspirations, and people moving mountains he will never know that existed.

Names of people she has known forever, who have doggedly pursued their dreams when most would have told them, “it will never happen’.

Those people were wrong.

To that, TFP says HA!

We must acknowledge that Daniel Dae Kim is the first in the Lead Male Category of Play to be nominated. THE. FIRST. EVER. MAN. OF. ASIAN. DESCENT. to be nominated as the LEAD in a Play. DDK has been, has HAD to be, an actor, a producer, and an advocate for representation – and that, is actually what this blog is about, but give the man his flowers…he deserves them.

It took 78 years of TONY Award ceremonies for this moment.

Allow TFP to list the AANHPI Nominees, for a moment please…

Best Musical: Maybe Happy Ending (Starring Helen J. Shen, Darren Criss)

Best Musical: Operation Mincemeat (starring Claire-Marie Hall)

Best Musical Revival: Sunset Blvd (starring Nicole Scherzinger)

Best Play Revival: Yellow Face by David Henry Hwang

Best Lead Actor in a Play: Daniel Dae Kim

Best Lead Actress in a Musical: Nicole Sherzinger

Best Lead Actor in a Musical: Darren Criss

Best Direction of a Musical: Saheem Ali

Best Featured Actor in a Play: Francis Jue, Yellow Face

Best Featured Actor in a Play: Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary!

Best Book of a Musical: Hue Park (& Will Aronson) Maybe Happy Ending

Best Scenic Design of a Musical: (Dane Laffrey) Maybe Happy Ending

Best Lighting Design of a Play: David Bengali (& Heather Gilbert) – Good Night and Good Luck

Best Costume Design of a Play: Brenda Abbandandolo – Good Night & Good Luck

Best Orchestrations: Marco Paguia – Buena Vista Social Club

Best Original Score: Hue Park (& Will Aronson) – Maybe Happy Ending

Best Costume Design of a Musical: Clint Ramos – Maybe Happy Ending

Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Ruey Horng Sun (& Scott Zielinski) – Floyd Collins

In addition, you are perfectly able to go and see Lea Salonga on Broadway now in OLD FRIENDS, which is a Sondheim revue, although it seems an injustice to call it that – TFP saw it in London, it is remarkable.

(If the work stars AANHPI performers, TFP has included it on that list. If the designer is working in conjunction with another person, she has put brackets around the partner who is not Asian. If the person nominated is of Asian descent, but the play/musical is not – TFP has included it on the list. If the nominee is mixed Asian descent, in all parts of that diaspora, she has included it on this list.)

Truly, it is the list of her dreams. Did it irk her that the men have 6 nominations in the leads of musicals and the women have 5? Yes. Is there room for ONE more for the women….absolutely there is.

Ahem.

That list would not be possible, even ten years ago because AANHPIs did not have access like they have now. TFP repeats, that list would not have been possible 10 years ago because we did not have interest from either the public or the producers ten years ago in ‘our’ stories. TFP has been writing this blog for 14 years, and when she started, a list like the above was unthinkable.

It just would not have happened – and you cannot impose the open-ness of now onto the closed-ness of then. That is a very weird thing to her, to constantly go back and act like people have not changed, Broadway has not changed, and audiences have not changed in 14 years. She understands that ‘the kids’ who are very vocal about speaking up and out NOW, insist it all would have been different sooner if ‘we’ (the ones who were around back then, and before) had railed against the dying of the light at the time – and we did, but that list is GENERATIONAL CHANGE.

People have to be ready for change – and as we can tell from this last election – where they could have propelled us forward by voting for the Bi-racial Lawyer who was a prosecutor and always the best questioner on ANY inquiry panel she was on, and who was selected to be ONE heartbeat away from the Presidency – who would have taken seriously revisions on health care, vaccinations, tax relief, housing, who had plans all day long – and they voted for the Sundowning Tarriff Bogeyman and his makeup loving “I can’t be racist because I am married to a woman of color’ clown car of a disaster side piece.

Because white America was not ready to admit the white guy was unqualified, and she was qualified.

Yes, they are ignorant and racist. Yes, they are. However they were not ready to admit that, and so here we are, America.

So when TFP tells you, a list like that has taken deliberate and repeated attacks on the ‘establishment’ of white theater over and over and over, just by EXISTING – you should believe her. It has been a GROUP project by people like Ralph B. Peña, Tisa Chang, Baayork Lee, Mia Katigbak, DHH, Jon Lawrence Rivera, Roger Tang, AAPAC, East West Players, Lodestone, SLANT, NAAP, Pan Asian, NAATCO, Ma-Yi, Silk Road Rising, CAATA, MAM, Artists at Play, Grateful Crane Ensemble, Kumu Kahua Theatre, Pangea World Theater, TeAda, Theater Mu, A Squared and whoever else has contributed to this – she means it.

It took EVERYONE to change that narrative that AANHPIs could not act, or sing, or dance unless they were doing Flower Drum Song or King & I or Miss Saigon or Bollywood Dreams.

It is OPPORTUNITY and ACCESS meeting ‘the moment’.

WHICH IS WHY when TFP read the article in the New Yorker, she had some thoughts on one very specific section (well, she had thoughts on the whole thing, but most of that was that someone needed a nap or a cocktail…)

Now, placing a two-hander play next to a musical was not a great producing decision, but perhaps the theater was the only one available. However, she should not have taken it upon herself to contact the Producers of Hell’s Kitchen directly. That is and will always be, a producer discussion. That is a conversation that actors can and should never be involved in, because it falls outside the parameters of what is your responsibility as an actor.

The theaters are close together and they are old, however there is much that can be done, and again – THAT IS A PRODUCER DISCUSSION, STAY IN YOUR LANE.

So the ‘clap-back’ by Ms. Lewis was warranted. That is why Audra McDonald liked it – because ‘get off my lawn’ is not the right energy for Broadway.

If you act up and act out then you take your licks – you open that door, be prepared for someone to close it for you.

It was this next part that TFP really did not like:

Comparing your 28 Broadway shows, as a person who attended Julliard, and who has, as a white actress (yes, yes, even when she started, she would have been seen as a white actress, though in the 1800’s that was not the case because her family hails from Sicily) been offered things on a scale that is almost unheard of ALL her life….that is not the look, M’am.

She is confusing access with talent level.

Which, TFP wants to remind you, that Kecia Lewis has TEN Broadway shows as an African American woman living her life in the Predominantly White Industry that is Broadway. There are very few people that can claim 10 Broadway shows to their credit, so it is not a flex to compare 28 to 10.

Ms. Lewis did not have the ACCESS that Patti LuPone had, ever. She never, ever had it. She DESERVED it – but it was not available to her because, and TFP is going to say this AGAIN for the folks in the back – BROADWAY IS A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INDUSTRY!

In fact, they BOTH won Best Featured Actress in a Musical – Ms. LuPone in 2022, and Ms. Lewis in 2024. Two years apart. To be so dismissive of a colleague that is, by definition of that award alone, in the same category as you?

Ms. Lewis started performing on Broadway AT AGE 18!

18!

Ms. LuPone did not perform on Broadway at 18, she was in Julliard at 18.

Journeys are always different – some are harder than others.

Ms. LuPone had career ups and downs – however with as many fights as she has gotten in with cast members and producers – would she have been allowed to continue those ups and downs post the Andrew Lloyd Webber Sunset Blvd debacle if she was a Black woman?

Patti LuPone trashed a dressing room. She sued Andrew Lloyd Webber. Over a role. She has called former cast mates names in the press. She left the Union because she didn’t feel like paying and then abruptly came back with a new show. She moans about the folks who come and see Broadway shows and the space they take up.

TFP has no doubt she can be a wonderful colleague and super fun to get drinks with, but if she had that rep, as a woman of color – would she have been allowed to continue at the level she has?

It is just a question.

A question from a Mixed Asian Woman who watched all her classmates bounce to Broadway before she did because she did not fit a body type or a look that most thought of as Asian – so there were very few shows she could ‘fit’ into – even though she could see herself in all of them. Then she started writing and pointing out disparities and Broadway CDs said “no thanks’ for THREE years.

Just as an example.

Just food for thought.

Because TFP has seen what this industry does to POC who speak up.

TFP could say more. She could.

This is simply a woman who cannot see her privilege who continues to lash out, not realizing the damage she is doing to herself and her reputation. These are two colleagues she is lashing out at, in a ridiculous and unfair way. She doesn’t want to do Broadway again? TFP does not think that will be an issue, though she has enjoyed her performances for years.

As they say in COMPANY ‘I think there’s a time to come to New York and a time to leave”

Let’s discuss someone who is sticking around…Ms. Kecia Lewis!

However, as it turns out, TFP saw the luminescent Ms. Lewis SEVERAL times in her life on the stage INCLUDING just this past Saturday night on Broadway. She and her son were in the front row (they punk’d her at TKTS, y’all cuz the guy just said “i have two in the orchestra’ and didn’t say where) and Ms. Lewis was a revelation and a dream, she sang that stage up and down, and put us all in our places as we watched her perform in HELL’s KITCHEN.

The entire cast was FIRE, and you would think if sound was SUCH an issue, TFP would be deaf, being in the front row.

She is not deaf. The sound was particularly well managed from the front of house perspective.

She also got to see her son be totally captivated by Ms. Lewis and the cast’s performances, which, honestly is a win for a parent. He loved it. Particularly because he plays piano, and Ms. Lewis’s character teaches piano in the show.

Ms. Lewis and her ten Broadway shows and her TONY award in 2024 is a testament to her staying in the industry as it changed, and being the change she wanted to see. The two journeys are not comparable. That is all TFP wanted to say.

TFP is going to end by reminding people that access is not talent – and they should never be confused.

Some of the greatest performers the world does not know, have never been on Broadway because of access – very often there is little they can do to change it.

That is the way the world works, but to paraphrase Lorrell Robinson in Dreamgirls…from one Long Island gal to another….

“You got the same job I got?“

“You got the same TONY I got?“

“Then shut up“

TFP out

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Categories Diversity

Let’s get Netflix to spring for Warrior Season 4 – and other wins prove this coming Bway year is the most Asian ever (in a year with no shows set in Asia)

February 20, 2024 //

The Fairy Princess, as anyone who reads this blog knows, is a huge fan of the series, WARRIOR.

Why you ask? She loves a good martial arts series with Asian heritaged actors – some from England, some from Australia, Indonesia, Canada, and many from the Downtown NY Scene and from Broadway as well. In short – it is a series where both her Irish heritage and Chinese heritage come together and give her severe anxiety and yet, enjoyment.

TFP is complicated.

Now, WARRIOR has bounced around quite a bit – first Cinemax and then HBO and now…Netflix.

Netflix is going to bring about a huge global fan base for this show – much in the way that Peaky Blinders did to it’s cast. This series is a giant one for AAPI’s and that is because it comes from…the Bruce.

Yes, this is Bruce Lee‘s vision, as brought to life by his daughter, Shannon Lee. In this show we see the origin of the Chinese in America, but we also see mixed race people, because as we know, Bruce was Mixed Asian AND Mixed Asian people are always going to be around as long as different groups intertwine.

What is magical about this show is that they have built the ‘origin’ stories of the mixed race characters into the show, and then left it. Ah Sam, played by Andrew Koji, makes reference to his American Grandfather, and boom, there it is. Young Jun, played by Jason Tobin, is the result of a relationship his father, Father Jun, played by Perry Yung, had with a white prostitute. In fact, Mixed race Asians are a plot point all around, with Wang Chao’s daughter and supporting her, being a major plot point for the character played by Hoon Lee.

All of it makes dramatic sense as they go through the show. Now, there are three seasons already on Netflix, however fans NEED a fourth season – perhaps even a fifth, and there IS a way to get it. That way is interest. We need to get WARRIOR to Number 1 for a a few weeks. It is currently at #6.

So TFP is going to tell you her strategy – she also used this with The Brothers Sun on Netflix, and she is going to ask that you all follow suit. Why? Season 4 baby – the producers say it depends on how Netflix responds to the numbers for the show. If we can get it to Number 1 for say, a month – TFP is pretty sure a Season 4 will be ordered.

This is her strategy – she leaves the television on WARRIOR when she is at home at all times. Numbers cannot be faked – well they likely can but she does not know how as she is not a criminal, she just enjoys shows about criminals – and she is willing to give over her screen to a show that she has already watched. If you have more than one television/ipad/laptop you can devote to this, then great! And if you don’t, TFP appreciates your devotion.

Keeping on the theme of Bruce Lee, have you all realized that his goddaughter, Diana Lee Inosanto, has joined the Star Wars Universe on the cast of Ahsoka on Disney Plus?

She is making her rounds of all of the conventions right now, and seemingly having the best of all possible times. You can follow her on Insta – @therealdianaleeinosanto . She has also written a children’s book on autism with her son, Sebastian, as well as being the writer/director/star of the indie film, The Sensei.

In addition to Ahsoka, in her latest role, she voices Horse in The Tiger’s Apprentice, alongside Henry Golding, Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh, Brandon Soo Hoo, Michelle Yeoh, Bowen Yang, Leah Lewis, Deborah S. Craig, Sherry Cola, and Kheng Hua Tan.

The Tiger’s Apprentice is streaming on Paramount Plus.

Turning to Broadway, much mention must be made for the Broadway debut of Lola Tung, from The Summer I Turned Pretty, in Hadestown. She is playing Eurydice – the same part that was originated by Eva Noblezada (who is heading towards the opening of The Great Gatsby on Broadway with lightening speed). This image is from the Hadestown Insta account, and in terms of performance, TFP thinks it is best to let your ears do the listening.

She and Jordan Fisher nail it, it is quite exciting – so many congratulations to them, may it have an SRO.

Last but certainly not least – in anyone’s mind – is the upcoming Broadway debut of former Pussycat Doll, Nicole Scherzinger – just announced.

This looks entirely different from any other Sunset Blvd in recent memory – but in the best way – AND, this proves TFP‘s point that this coming season – that this year, the year of the Wooden Dragon – will be the MOST Asian Broadway has ever been in a season with no show set in Asia!

TFP out.

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Categories Diversity

Bossy Bear Beats Paw Patrol, and the Patriarchy has a Mojo Dojo Casa Award only they can touch and no one is surprised.

January 25, 2024 //

TFP wants to start off on an upbeat note – after declaring this coming season in theater the most Asian on Broadway- in a year with no shows set in Asian countries – (which, she’s not wrong) – she had some more good news via Insta – Bossy Bear – the Nickelodeon series (based on a children’s book series by David Z. Horvath and his wife, Sun-Min Kim) has beaten, numbers wise, the juggernaut that is…wait for it..PAW PATROL!

Here is what it means to AAPI America, and this is what she told her kid when he asked why it was a big deal – what it means is that children understand and require content where they can see themselves. They love the dogs. They likely have a lot of dogs they know personally – but to them, dogs do not represent necessarily human behavior, though they do talk and deal with moral issues on Paw Patrol. Paw Patrol is a great show, and has been THE GOAT for a long time. However there was room for a show down, and when it all came out – in January the viewers for Bossy Bear were 147,000, vs. Paw Patrol’s 80,000. Bossy Bear was UP 77% and Paw Patrol was down 48%.

Bossy Bear is a bear that walks upright – in a family of upright walking animals. The drawings are not photo-realistic, so it is easier perhaps to discern human type behavior as interpreted through animals.

However what TFP wanted to point out is that Bossy Bear ‘lives’ in a multi-cultural area that is more urban based – and they have different characters raised by different kinds of parents and in different ways. It also is based in Asian, specifically Korean culture as interpreted by America – so here’s what AAPI’s – we are winning the future Generations- no one is turned off by the show’s innate and specific Korean-ess, they embrace it and within the fabric of the show, they see themselves and their neighbors.

Yes, it means that kids are more willing to watch different kinds of characters and be inclusive – a huge ups to their parents and families – because Bossy Bear and his sister being of Korean descent – is not threatening to them. The Kids will be all right.

Meaning perhaps we will see a time when someone is not targeted by people for their background. TFP is all for that! Oscar Hammerstein was correct – if you are going to be racist to someone, you must be carefully taught how to do so.

Great that Nickelodeon is teaching children to acknowledge and be open – because in specificity, we find universality.

TFP also wanted to give a shout out to the Newly interpreted British production of Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London. It got rave reviews in all the papers there – and we love to see it. Open till February 24th – Directed by Matthew White, the cast includes Jon Chew, Kanako Nakano, Saori Oda, Takuro Ohno, Joaquin Pedro Valdes, Luoran Ding, Masashi Fujimoto, Rachel Hayne Picar, Eu Jim Hwang, Able Law, Ethan Le Phong, Jo Jo Meredith, Patrick Munday, Sario Solomon, Joy Tan, Lee VG and Iverson Yabut.

Now on to the Mojo Dojo Casa Award Nominations aka The Oscars!

Now TFP fully acknowledges that there are Nominees in so many categories that are super encouraging.

The Supporting Actress category is a joy to look at – America Ferrara for Barbie, Danielle Brooks for The Color Purple and Da’Vine Joy Randolph for The Holdovers, Jodie Foster for Nyad, and Emily Blunt for Oppenheimer.

Must be noted that Ms. Ferrara is the 9th Latina ever nominated and the last time a Latinx performer won in the category was in 2021, Ariana DeBose, awarded in 2022.

In the Best Lead Actress category HERstory is being made as Lily Gladstone is nominated for Killers of the Flower Moon (First Native American Nominated in Best Actress Category). TFP is rooting for her.

There is even A woman nominated in the Best Director Category – Justine Triet who directed Anatomy of a Fall. She is a French national.

In the Best Lead Actor category – Jeffrey Wright and Coleman Domingo

So there is diversity going on – it just seems to TFP that while we applaud certain moves, we cannot help but comment on some others that seem, to quote Julie Andrews, ‘egregiously overlooked’.

Even as we see so much progress…for example…

members of the LGBTQIA+ community playing characters of the LGBTQIA+ community!

TWO of them!

Coleman Domingo and Jodie Foster!

Yet, TFP cannot help but notice…the bulk of the ‘queer’ characters are played by straight people, straight people who are allies, but straight people – again…progress comes like a drip drip and not a tidal wave.

One year of a ‘big win’ for a certain group is not a guarantee of an reworking of that world. It’s not. The kids want it to be, however TFP is old – she knows how progress goes – like the cha cha – forward back, forward back. And a one and a two.

Will we see progress every awards season? A little bit.

But will patriarchy end?

No.

Not even with a bill passed by POTUS Barbie.

People like patriarchy. Of course ‘those people’ are Cis White Men, they love it. They can open their minds and hearts in small amounts, in categories that they do not feel threatened in. Supporting categories for POC, they love that – because to a certain extent they believe that is where all the “Alphabet” people are – and that is our purpose – in their minds.

This is not to negate any one or any performance at all – honestly they are all standouts – but just to note, that is where ‘they’ feel comfortable having us. So that is why it does not threaten the status quo to have diverse nominees in the categories. (Not too much progress at once or ‘we’ will get spoiled.) A win by an Actor or Actress of minority status is always followed it seems, by a win by a straight white person. Don’t believe her?

After awarding Best Supporting to Ariana DeBose, in 2023 the award went to Jamie Lee Curtis for Everything Everywhere All At Once. Also nominated that year in that category were Angela Bassett,(who did so many of the things) Hong Chau, and Stephanie Hsu.

Cuz….

TFP doesn’t know if the horses front ends are anywhere near these nominations, but she is pretty sure they can be included if we look at them from the rear.

There are three women nominated for Original Screenplay – Anatomy of a Fall –Justine Triet, May December -Samy Burch and Past Lives – Celine Song - that is great, shakes up that category a bit as that has never happened before. Should they all have been nominated in more categories? Yeah.

But then where would the white auteur directors go?

Would have been lovely if Greta Lee had been nominated, or Charles Melton or…it is pointless to go on – we see what it is.

Celine Song should have been nominated in the Best Director category and we know what that is too – let’s just acknowledge it.

Yes, there were super cool pushes for inclusion so- now let’s talk about it – Barbie was not nominated for Best Director or Best Actress – it was nominated in the Adapted Screenplay category so Ms. Gerwig can share the nomination with her Husband.

How nice. What’s that called again, TFP?

Margot Robbie played Barbie, but she also produced the film, so she is nominated in…the Producer category for Best Picture. However no one would have noted the project had she not been able to play the role near perfectly.

Is this a time to get upset? Are we all going to fall on our swords for two white ladies who have one of the highest grossing movies of the last year?

Barbie is a sly comedy – and comedies have always been discounted at The Oscars. TFP is honestly not ‘that’ surprised. The men want the Oscars to ‘mean something’ and so they award them for ‘important’ films that they can feel gravitas for. They have always done this, the men.

Look at The Oscar – it is a giant phallus.

What they have failed to realize, and what TFP relies on with this particular blog is that – humor, in so many ways, is a more important way to get across a message than demanding everyone be agitated. or crying. Or pounding their chests.

Men are sensitive.

The girls that laughed, their moms, and grandmothers and aunties who saw what was made ‘for them’, will make sure that film lives on in infamy, it is already a giant box office winner – but that comedic film will be shown until we no longer show films – that is a win.

Bigger than any ceremony.

In many ways, the non-nominations are the point. They are getting addressed on Instagram by Hillary Rodham Clinton – that is the point as well. That the ‘gals’ were right. They only get proven more ‘right’ as time goes on. Tick tock.

Greta Gerwig wrote and directed one of the most pointed take-downs of male ego in our modern cinema and the only ones who found it not at all painful to ‘get’ were women and the Gay men who love them.

That is it.

LGBTQIA + and cis women.

Cis women of all kinds ‘got’ it.

America Ferrara delivered a BLISTERING testimonial of what being in a patriarchy does to the female psyche, yes – but Greta Gerwig penned it. (TFP is not willing to give Noah credit for that monologue -he would have no way ‘in’ to that insight.)

Now it is fine, and by fine she means ‘totally infuriating but expected’ that they did not nominate Ms. Gerwig nor Aussie Actress/Producer Margot Robbie for awards for Best Director and Best Actress for BARBIE.

The point was made – we can only get so far before men stop us.

In a film about BARBIE, they nominated Ken. (And Gloria, who is not a Barbie at all)

The Oscars do not like comedies, so it was always a long shot.

Eventually – those men will die.

That is what they are scared of.

Men are mostly afraid of being laughed at – that is why they don’t like Drag Queen Story Hour.

TFP isn’t angry about any of it, it is actually amusing to watch because the talking points for conversation will be endless. Some push back will come from conservative women who hold up the patriarchy – because of course it will.

TFP expects it.

Does not matter though – the film is out, and it does not have to roar and rage – it can make it’s point by being smart and clever. It has bops and triple threats, and it is FUN, and for those who could not bring themselves to vote for a comedy film that will be a cultural touchstone for a long time – meh – your loss.

This is one of the unique issues of being a woman. We live longer and we never forget.

So All Hail to the Actors of Diversity that have made it to the Big Show this year – the world changes every day – we are watching it at the Oscars in slo-mo – but it’s still moving forward and that’s something to celebrate.

May the flowers you get be the ones that mean something to you.

S’allright Folks, Dance it out!

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Categories Diversity

Asians are killing it – and it is not a trend

January 9, 2024 //

The Golden Globes were on Sunday night, and as many predicted, Ali Wong and Steven Yuen walked off with Best Performance by an Actress/Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television Statuettes for their roles in BEEF.

BEEF also awarded it’s creator, Lee Sun-jin the Best Miniseries, Anthology, or Motion Picture Made for Television. Overall, BEEF was nominated for 13 Awards, and walked away with three.

Charles Melton, the Actor of Mixed Asian background, won for Outstanding Supporting Performance at The Gotham Awards for his role in the feature film, May/December.

Here is his speech at the UNFORGETTABLE Awards –

Great speech.

All of the speeches are great.

Now let’s talk about a moment, from The Golden Globes that was…not quite as great.

The glee with which a lot of people gravitate towards Charles Melton, an exceptionally handsome Mixed Korean man, and the disdain they seem be be showering on Jo Koy, an average looking Mixed Filipino comedian who mostly plays to giant audiences of People of Color, has it’s roots in the uncomfortable truths – which is, unless you are disarmingly attractive as a mixed race person – think Olivia Munn, H.E.R., Nicole Scherzinger, Merle Dandridge, Tyson Beckford, Olivia Rodrigo, and so on – you are going to be in a rough place, both with white people who do not know where to put you AND those with 100 per cent Asian forbears.

In fact, TFP has noticed on the clock app, a glee that is coming from the non-Mixed Asians that seems almost diabolical in their need not just to acknowledge that Mr. Koy had a rough night, but mocking his comedic voice in general. As someone who has hung out with a lot of comedians, this rubs TFP the wrong way.

Everyone can have a rough set. Everyone can misfire. To go after the man’s entire career is not what should happen.

Not all jokes are going to land with all crowds – clearly Mr. Koy is not a comedian who often tells ‘jokes’ – set up, set up, punchline. He is a storytelling comic. He tells stories that his audience – usually mainly People of Color, relate to on some level. His audience is inclusive. He often allies himself with other groups in his crowds, for example pointing out the similarity between Filipinos and Mexicans. Telling Divorced Dads to not fight their ex over child support. Pointing out how his sisters left home early, while he, the only boy, had to be asked to leave by his Mother when he was 28, and then it was just to the garage. He does a lot of bits with his Mom – much as Margaret Cho does when she does standup.

No, his act is not all accents and imitations. That is a punitive take. His standup does rely though, on audience participation.

For example – had he told the joke about Martin Scorsese‘s film, Killers of the Flower Moon to his audience – (What I learned from Killers of the Flower Moon is that white people stole everything) the laughter would have gone on for several minutes. As the person who lifted the story from the book, then centered a white narrative that was, in fact, the killer’s…perhaps Mr. Scorsese (who has lifted from Asian films almost frame for frame aka The Departed) at the Golden Globes were not going to be on board with that.

Hark though – Meryl Streep seemed be fine with him. Robert DeNiro as well.

Taylor Swift, not so much. Which is ok.

This is not about talent – this is about how much white audiences ‘allow POC to flourish’ when they are the focus of the repartee. Jim Gaffigan, very funny standup, was there was laughing, because…he gets it. Why was he there? No idea. TFP is sure someone will tell her. Must have had a comedy special. Ricky Gervais ripped the guests apart and they did not like him either, and yet, he was invited back again and again. White on white crime is allowed. Punching above your weight class?

Could Mr. Koy have done better? Absolutely he could have.

She hopes never to hear the word ‘boobies’ in an award ceremony again – ever. Nor does she enjoy the thought that a man could be seated in one part of the auditorium, whilst his nether regions are long enough to extend to the stage. Sounds incredibly uncomfortable, just think of his tailor.

However, the combination of chilly white gazes and the Asians online condemning Jo Koy is not just a “how very DARE he” kind of thing.

TFP sees it as purist behavior.

TFP has hosted quite a lot, nothing as large as the Golden Globes – but Whoopi Goldberg has. What she had to say, TFP agreed with- Mr. Koy just did not know the room. Hired ten days prior, he did not even get enough time to envision himself knowing the room and writers?

Of course he used them. All Hosts use them.

Mixed race Asian people are applauded when they do well – especially good looking ones – because when we accept awards it is wonderful to acknowledge our Asian parent, throw in a phrase the audience might know, show how Asian we are. Mixed race Asian people who hit the wrong note are instantly ostracized and are alarmingly ‘ not Asian enough’ for Asian Americans. Instantly discounted because of their backgrounds. Perhaps we did not know the right way to cut the fruit, or the hand positions to share alcohol, or did not show deference – and when we give folks, ‘the rep sweats’, the bum’s rush is immediate. Sadly after viewing white reactions – Asians got the ‘rep sweats’. And awaaay he goes….

TFP does not know Mr. Koy, but writing this blog – even when you are not actively writing it – makes you aware of things – like that he invested in the Broadway show HERE LIES LOVE, like he got the film EASTER SUNDAY made, which united well known known Fil-Am actors and lesser known together. He had a sitcom pilot that did not go, and as he mentioned – he has had a few Netflix specials. He is going off on a multi-city tour. Jo Koy is a community guy – he is ‘our’ community guy. He may not host an awards show again, but he may, and let’s just wish him better luck next time and a lot more prep time.

He does belong in Hollywood – it was only those who gatekeep Hollywood that decided he did not belong in the room at the Golden Globes. Meryl said he could stay, Taylor said they were ‘never, ever getting back together‘ with one sip of a drink.

It is all good. It was a good Golden Globes – there was an AAPI Host and there were AA award winners. Many, many firsts. When we can stop counting the firsts, we will have won.

Gatekeeping is not what ‘allies’ is supposed to mean – plenty of comics have failed at hosting before, perhaps hosts should be done away with all together – but till then, let’s all do a better job of allowing the people that have shot their shot, a bit of a grace. Some things did not land – it happens. TFP watched the video a few times now, it was not always the joke, it was that white Hollywood does not find itself funny, and only someone from a ‘higher white’ status, aka British, aka Gervais, is allowed to point it out.

And next time, Hollywood Foreign Press – hire Alec Mapa.

He would have had a great bit with Vanessa Williams, America Ferrara, and Matt Damon ready to go. He could wear a matching Willy Wonka outfit and tap his way into the audience, as he has worked with most of them.

TFP out.

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Categories Diversity

TFP is back #Warrior #HudsonYangFoodie #MeanGirlsand more to get excited about in 2024

January 4, 2024 //

Where have you been, oh Fairy Princess?

The short answer is that on Dec. 26,2023, TFP became an orphan.

Those of you who have become grown orphans know what that is about, and time to process becomes essential. Especially if you lose parental guidance during the holidays. TFP chose travel and honoring and creating memories above anything else. Liam’s Squidward face says it all.

She did, of course, do her panels at BroadwayCon, which she again will be doing for the eighth year this year – lucky 8! Asians, where you at?

There was also a little thing called the Great Screen Actors Guild strike of 2023 – as SAG/AFTRA members, we were not allowed to promote anything that members of the AMPTP could benefit from. TFP is a SAG/AFTRA member and an AEA member, so unless she was writing about Broadway, she honestly was not ‘allowed’ to write – she was allowed to march – and march she did!

TFP usually blogs to support Asian and Pacific Islander talent, not just on Broadway, but on television and in films. Also – not JUST Asian and Pacific Islander talent, but under-repped people across the board. TFP is known for ‘calling out’ producers, networks, casting – alas if there is no producing, nothing new is going on networks, and therefore…who needs casting?

You see the issue.

A blog, this blog, is not therapy.

A blog, for TFP is the space to remind people that speaking about diversity and agreeing we all need it, is not actually creating more diversity – although it can help to maintain allies and create understanding.

What ‘we’ need – those behind the camera, in front, supporting the whole thing – is small actions that a individual can take that will not cost a ton, is something most people do anyway, which help us understand where we fall in the ‘big picture’.

“We’ all come out when there is an issue, but subtly upsetting the status quo? Maybe, sometimes- if we are able or have had enough coffee that day or…with that said….onward, it’s the little things…

WARRIOR, formerly of HBO (before that Cinemax), has been sold to NETFLIX, which opens it up to a much wider audience. The possibility that people will watch all three seasons about Bruce Lee‘s vision of the Chinese arriving in America in the early days, 1800’s – (Pay attention fans of The Gilded Age, these are the folks building George Russell’s rail roads) and demand a FOURTH season is HIGH. If you #Thread it, fans of the show – new fans – it will come. That is TFP’s belief.

Shout out to Shannon Lee for the vision to take this from the page to the small screen, what a tremendous contribution she has made not just to her father’s legacy, but to the greater community of Asians in America – East, Southeast, South – and to fans, no matter what background – of martial arts.

Need to get Diana Lee Inosanto on Season Four, and the circle will be complete.

Diana is currently killing it on Disney+ in Ahsoka along with Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, and Temuera Morrison. However she is a fierce martial arts combatant and she should be on WARRIOR if there comes a Season 4.

In TFP‘s estimation it has a very, very high percentage to command S4. Most people have a NETFLIX account but do not have an HBO MAX account – which is enormous for the Cast and Crew. Also, there are three established seasons, but nothing is wrapped up. Based on initial response, the team could be heading back to South Africa where it is filmed, in no time at all.

WARRIOR launches on NETFLIX in FEBRUARY 2024. Binge watch it and be wow’ed – then get 5 of your friends to watch it as well.

Phenomenal performances by all the Actors, but of course, because it is his birthday today- special one to Broadway’s Telly Leung, who joins the existing company of Andrew Koji, Olivia Cheng, Perry Young, Jason Tobin, Dianne Doan, Hoon Lee, Joe Taslim, Chen Tang, Dustin Ngyuen, Marc Dacasos, and various other non Asian folks – who, hey – they were here then too.

Telly is playing the 1800’s version of himself, and frankly – TFP was ‘here for it’ when it was on HBO, and she will be ‘here for it” even more on NETFLIX. In her estimation, when the next book is written about Pop Culture in the 2020’s (lookin at you Jeff & the Phil (s)) if there is not an entire section on WARRIOR and it’s potential for changing the conversation about Asians of America and how it made them sexy badasses – first time since Bruce Lee – then TFP will eat her…dumplings.

She will eat all the dumplings and be contrite.

Will not happen though – it is a game changer and being on NETFLIX only means the game will be seen across the globe, instead of a somewhat small group of elite.

Another show on NETFLIX we are super excited about is THE BROTHERS SUN– again, if you already have the service, all you have to do is watch it. It premiered today on January 4th, and TFP must confess, she binged watched it and she was absolutely thrilled to do so.

It is repping Action Asians on screen and behind the camera – as it was written by Byron Wu and Brad Falchuk, and directed by several people but mostly it seems, Choreographer/Director Kevin Tancharoen, who directs 5 out of the 8 episodes. The remaining 3 are directed expertly by Viet Ngyuen.

To paraphrase Phil Yu and Jeff Yang – you will NOT get the ‘rep sweats’ watching this series, it is great.

Cast includes Oscar Winner Michelle Yeoh, Justin Chien, Sam Li, Highdee Kuan, Alice Hewkin, Jenny Yang, Rodney To, Ron Yuan, and a series of cameos by some great LA Asian talent.

The story follows a college age student who finds himself embroiled in a gang war that began in another country and found him all the way in America. There are some fabulous inside LA’s AAPI community jokes that had TFP cracking up, Improv comedy is a running gag, and as TFP also studied at The Groundlings, it made her really appreciate how smart, how specific, and yet how universal this series is.

You could also – if you don’t have a mental health day coming your way – choose to let it run in the background because, hey – numbers are numbers and we need to get THE BROTHERS SUN‘s numbers way up, because a Season 2 is definitely needed.

HUDSON YANG is coming to the Asian Food Network with his reality cooking show, ORDER UP.

Hudson is very geared towards learning all the ins and outs of the restaurant business, while he was still starring in FRESH OFF THE BOAT for ABC, he became an early investor in the restaurant KHONG TEN in West LA, which has since closed. Being a busy college student – he attends Harvard as a sophmore and recently performed in the musical, HEATHERS, when he is not off learning how to cook in Asia.

Sounds awesome. Hudson can sing, so TFP is really thrilled he did HEATHERS at Harvard.

Speaking of Musicals, the composer, lyricist, and book writer of said musical, HEATHERS is Lawrence O’Keefe who alongside his wife, Lyricist, Writer, & Composer Nell Benjamin, co-wrote the music and lyrics for LEGALLY BLONDE, for which they were nominated for a TONY Awards. Nell then collaborated on the musical MEAN GIRLS with Tina Fey, which arrives in movie theaters on January 12, 2024.

Next up for Ms. Benjamin is the stage musical, COME FALL IN LOVE, the DDLJ Musical which featured a heavily South Asian company, and is Broadway bound.

Now, MEAN GIRLS has always had diversity within the show while it ran on Broadway, but in the film has taken it to the next level – Thanks Telsey!

The film musical’s cast has Broadway & Only Murders In the Building‘s Ashley Park as Madame Park, Auli’i Cravalho as Janis, Avantika as Karen Shetty, Mahi Alam as Kevin Ganatra, John El-Jor as Jason Weems, Grant Harrison Mateo as Tiny Boy, Kaylee Kaleinani as Sophie Kawachi, and Amann Iqbal as Rude Girl – that is a LOT of folks who in a current day film have Asian heritage of all kinds. Chris Olsen of Tik Tok fame is even in there – he is of Filipino descent, hangs out with Meghan Trainor, usually brings coffee to celebs? In addition to the film, you can find him on the clock app @chris.

@chris

JUST WAIT FOR ITTTT…. #meangirls

♬ original sound – Chris Olsen

Since it has been a while, let TFP remind you – the issue is money – the issue is, with this widely diverse a cast, are in person movie theaters going to see their box office boom? If it does, then you get to take your kids or your significant other to see images on the large screen where you are represented.

Being represented does not mean ‘this is a carbon copy of my every facial feature and trait’ what it means is, there is someone who looks similar to you in that film universe. When people take that chance and go buy tickets and spend hours staring at diverse skin tones, psychologically they bond with the cast.

That is why there are fans. They attach to one character, or characters – and then when they leave the theater, they perhaps smile at someone the next day who reminds them of their favorite characters. They leave the door open for possibility – so that old Asian people in America can walk down the street and not get attacked for being old Asian Americans walking down the street in America. Heck, while attacks on the elderly were egregious, attacks on Asian American women – especially in New York were violent and sadly, life ending. TFP had to ride the NY subway at the time, she stood with her back to a station pole, as did every other Asian appearing person she caught a glimpse of.

Top L-R Thom Sesma, Ali Ewoldt, Liam Kong looking les miz, Ruthie Ann Miles, Joanna Carpenter, Raymond J. Lee, Director Stafford Arima, Bottom: Erin Quill, Zach Piser – BroadwayCon 2023

Wanting to remind you that most shows, most Broadway shows, even now, do not have a plethora of AAPI talent in them, many times we are found in the dance ensemble and only in the dance ensemble – but SWEENEY TODD, with or without Josh Groban, has a larger than usual amount of Asians in there – led by TONY Winner, Ruthie Ann Miles. Raymond J. Lee who frequently goes on for the Beadle Bamford and Pirelli, Joanna Carpenter, who ‘covers’ Ms. Miles, are both pictured above. Not pictured are Alicia Kaori and Michael Kuhn, which bring the number of performers to 5, and also (very exciting) ASM Plato Seto.

Which makes the current cast of Sweeney Todd the Broadway show with the most AAPIs for a show not set in Asia.

Now, for a moment, let us just ponder that these cast members many times have had to defend their right to even be in the show and battle the microagressions that come with that – however TFP will remind you that Sweeney Todd is set in London in the year 1785.

The first documented Chinese person in Western European books was a Christian monk name Rabban Bar Sauma in the late 13th century. The next to be documented, this time by a painting, was Michael Alphonsus Shen Fu Tsung, which was painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller which was commissioned by King James II, and presented in 1687. It hung in the King’s bedroom till he died.

So yes, there were Asian people in London – perhaps not in huge numbers, but they were there because what does TFP always say? Port cities had a transient population and world travelers – and where there are men and women, there are babies at some point. In fact, for a show not set in Asia, the cast has a huge number of Asians, and thank you to The Telsey Office.

Therefore please stop remarking to the very excellent cast members that they ‘do a good English accent’ or that you are ‘surprised’ to see them – they are doing their job, and excellently – move on.

Where a bar of excellence has been set, others will follow – which is why we were all delighted to hear that there is good news on the horizon for a transfer.

In fact, Ms.Miles who announced on TFP’s panel this past summer, that the show she headlined at City Center – LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA is currently looking for a Broadway theater.

TFP could not say enough good things about that production, directed by Chay Yew, she was ecstatic to see that having diversity behind the table, which led to ‘inside jokes’ that only minority folks could understand. Like the choice he made to have all the Italian characters be played by Latinx actors. He ‘took back’ what had been done in the past by Hollywood and Broadway, where they frequently let Italians play any person of color, without regard to even trying to find actual Latinx or Native American people to inhabit those roles, flipped his thing down and reversed it.

Playwright Larissa FastHorse in addition to her wildly popular Thanksgiving Play, has re-written the book for Peter Pan, the beloved children’s book about a boy who will not grow up and fairies that die without applause.

This new version began at the Ordway and will tour the nation. Lonny Price is directing – and, if it comes near to you, and you have the means, perhaps go and see a story that had a portrayal that needed updating. Like, really needed it.

Finally, TFP want you to know that Hudson Yang is not the only one in show business in the Family . His father, Jeff Yang, journalist, book writer, and podcaster co-wrote his first film, A GREAT DIVIDE with Jean Shim and Martina Nagel.

Directed by Jean Shim. Starring Ken Jeong, Jae Suh Park, Emerson Min, Miya Cech and MeeWha Alana Lee, aka The Lee Family, who leave the Bay Area for a fresh start in Wyoming. 

(What could possibly go wrong?)

Born out of the awareness of the violence against AAPI People during the pandemic in America, we became aware of how, even now, the question of tolerance is really often one of white forbearance. Which can be rescinded at any time, depending on mood.

This film is currently on the film festival circuit – so if it hits yours in your area – please buy a ticket.

There we are Folks, very simple, not costly ways to help contribute to the change of perception of Americans in this country. You can turn on your internet streaming device, you can go to the movies, or the theater, or a film festival – and your numbers make a difference. The conversations you can begin from seeing those works are all part of TFP‘s master plan to make sure Americans of Asian descent are seen as Americans, and not as something to be othered.

Bring us MORE in 2024!

TFP out. (But she will be back)

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Categories Diversity