The Fairy Princess watched THE TONYS this year with bated breath, and now, indeed – there has been a hit, a palpable hit in the lack of performers with API heritage – the blow dealt by Ms. RuthieAnn Miles!
This is not the first time Ms. Miles has been mentioned in this blog, the first was for her portrayal of Imelda Marcos in the hit show at the Public Theater, HERE LIES LOVE…
Then AVENUE Q had an anniversary, TFP and Ms. Miles were in the same group shot that TFP likes to call “The Ghosts of Christmas Eves Past”
L-R: Lisa Helmi Johanson, Sala Iwamatsu, Ann Harada, Erin Quill, Hazel Raymundo, RuthieAnn Miles
If you missed her acceptance speech – which is only the FOURTH TIME THAT A PERSON OF API HERITAGE HAS ACCEPTED A TONY AWARD FOR INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE IN 69 YEARS – here it is:
CONGRATULATIONS MS. RUTHIEANN
Oh is THAT All you got – BETTER TRY AGAIN!!!!
– for what this means for you both individually and collectively, to watch your win was indeed SOMETHING WONDERFUL.
(If you would like to see her sing the actual song, please click on the link below)
The Fairy Princess wanted to take a brief moment and congratulate the British East Artists on their award of Nee Hao Magazine’s Man and Woman of the Year Award.
The fight for recognition in theater or for those in the UK, theatre, is so very complicated and exhausting, that it is truly, truly a wonderful thing to see their work recognized in a way that the US Asian Americans have yet to be, though AAPAC is doing great work under the leadership of Pun Bandhu.
Here is the article from Nee Hao and as part of the “international support’ team, I am absolutely thrilled.
After much deliberation from the judges in reviewing a pool of impressive candidates, a decision was made. On February 9, the winner of the first-ever Nee Hao’s Man and Woman of the Year Award is to be received by the British East Asian Artists (BEAA), a collation of amazing men and women from diverse professions involved in directing, acting, writing, broadcasting and filmmaking. Normally the award should go to an individual man and woman, but this year an exception is to be made because of the special achievement of this group. A full list of the other finalists will be in articles to follow.
The Judges’ Decision
BEAA was selected by a stellar line of judges comprising of:
Dr. Catherine Xiang In charge of Mandarin section at LSE; responsible for Asian Languages, liaison for Confucius Institute Business, London
Raymond Wong MBE, the Honorary Chairman of the Bristol Chinese Association
Dee Lo, presenter and co-producer of BBC Radio Chinatown in Manchester
GK Tang, the founder and entrepreneur behind OrientalUK.com based in the North East
Ben Donn, Entrepreneur and founder of V Town Events based in Manchester.
Editor of Nee Hao Magazine Steven Ip, who was not part of the judging panel, had this to say: “Their courage in breaking barriers to incorporate more East Asians into the arts and cultural sectors is truly inspirational. Fighting racism, prejudice and underrepresentation, the BEAA truly deserves universal recognition; I am proud that Nee Hao has played a small part in recognising their contributions”.
Gathering together in 2012, the BEAA campaigned against the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) adaptation of the Chinese play “Orphan of Zhao”. The RSC only cast three British East Asian actors in the play, reflecting a lack of the organisation’s dedication to equal opportunities-casting. The pressure exerted on the RSC through BEAA’s efforts in rallying up online support resulted in a written statement by the RSC to review their policies. Although it is impossible to recount all the individuals involved in the initiative, notable mentions have been made regarding Daniel York, Anna Chen, Dr. Broderick D.V. Chow, Kathryn Golding, Paul Hyu, Michelle Lee, Chowee Leow, Hi Ching, Jennifer Lim, Lucy Sheen, and Amanda Rogers.
Victor Wong, Executive Director of the Chinese Canadian National Council, who co-nominated the group stated:
“Through their efforts, the BEAA successfully challenged the racist assumptions and stereotyping of the theatre industry. Their efforts to break the glass ceiling of “invisibility” in the UK also benefits the British Chinese and East Asian communities in general, and especially for young people at the beginning of their careers. The BEAA were able to attract international support and also engaged with important allies including Equity representatives, media, funders and political representatives”.
Yinsey Wang, contributing editor of Nee Hao, who also supported the nomination of BEAA, stated of the Nee Hao’s Man and Woman of the Year project:
“We wanted this award to support what we feel is lacking in the British East Asian community: unity. The BEAA has shown dedication to a truly unified cause and enchanted the imagination of the British East Asian. As a British East Asian, I feel empowered to know that together we can make substantial differences in Britain, and can even engage the serious problems that affect the heart of the international community, such as racism, underrepresentation and misunderstanding”.
BEAA continues to create extensive ripples in the arts and culture of Britain, providing a forum for creatives to share and develop their work. Nee Hao is proud to celebrate this year’s men and women from the BEAA that have outlined 2012 as an important step forward for all British East Asians.
A statement by BEAA is to be made at the awards ceremony and shall be reported on after the festivities of Nee Hao Magazine’s Chinese New Year Show in London, which includes a fashion show, performances, a charity raffle in support of Chinese orphaned and abandoned children, and delightful culinary creations.
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The Fairy Princess also wanted to take a moment, and recognize the passing of a true Artist and Pioneer for API performers, particularly those of us who fall into the even smaller category of “Eurasian’ aka “Hapa” aka “Mixed Race” performers – Kevin Gray, known for his work in Miss Saigon, The King and I, Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, and many more – died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 55.
(If you click on the names of the shows, you will find articles from Playbill.com on his many successes)
Here is an interview of Kevin when he was doing The King and I at The MUNY
When I looked at my Facebook and Twitter feeds, I was staggered by how many of my friends had worked with him – friends of all different backgrounds and so many different kinds of shows – he touched them all through his work and his friendship. He was a pioneer simply because he was a wonderful performer and his talent was second to none.
This is not an obituary of Kevin, it is simply a thank you – I am not qualified to write one for him, but Theatermania and Playbill have done so, and if you click the words there, you will see them.
The Fairy Princess wanted to acknowledge that though we are all still fighting for recognition on our world stages, there was a brilliant warrior fighting that same fight, simply by being a standout in all he did.
Rest in Peace Kevin Gray – many thoughts and prayers to your Wife and Family.
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