National Asian Artists Project and Prospect Theater Company presented a sold-out concert reading of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods at The TimesCenter in New York on October 20.
Check out the photos, as well as a video from the event, below!
Directed by Steven Eng with music direction by Kristen Lee Rosenfeld, the all Asian American cast starred Katie Mariko Murray (Passion) as Cinderella, Alex Chester (How the Grinch Stole Christmas) as Little Red Riding Hood, Joanna Carpenter as the Baker's Wife, Karl Josef Co (CSC's Pacific Overtures) as Cinderella's Prince, Daniel J. Edwards (Anything Goes) as Rapunzel's Prince, Lydia Gaston (The King and I) as Jack's Mother, Ann Harada (Cinderella, Avenue Q) as the Witch, Kennedy Kanagawa (Dinner with Georgette) as Jack, Raymond J. Lee (Groundhog Day, Honeymoon in Vegas) as The Baker, and Jason Ma (writer/composer, Gold Mountain) as the Mysterious Man.
Other cast members included Rona Figueroa (Cinderella's Stepmother), Kimbirdlee Fadner (Florinda), Rebecca Lee Lerman (Lucinda), Colin Miyamoto (Steward), David Shih (Cinderella's Father, Wolf), Laura Yen Solito (Cinderella's Mother), Virginia Wing (Grandmother, Giant), and Xiaoqing Zhang (Rapunzel).
Members of the NAAP Broadway Community Chorus included Bianca Bastian, Kiet Tai Cao, Cailin Chang, Ann Chow, Shay Y. Chuang, Andy Danh, David Eng, Jiho Kang, Karin Kawamoto, Alex Lawrence, Linda Lee McBride, Mio Nakanishi, Anthony Obnial, Jeremy Rafal, Melissa Rivera, Kui-Fang Tseng, Viet Vo, Tomo Watanabe, Mandarin Wu and Layla Yu.
NAAP Kids - with current and alumni of NAAP's P.S. 124 Theatre Club included Astrid Chen, William Cui, Andrea Guo, Jack Robert Fadner, Mika Kwan, Michelle On, Gabriella Rodriguez, Kassidy Shyu, Maxmilan Shyu, Charlotte Wang, Sydney Wong, Madelyn Woo and Russell Yang.
The production and design team included Katrina Olson (Production Stage Manager), Hannah Barudin (Deck Stage Manager), Julie Miller (Line Producer) Jimm Halliday (Costume Designer), Cassey Kivnick (Associate Director), Alison Zador (Associate Costume Designer), Griffin Strout (Assistant Music Director), Zack Childers (Assistant Stage Manager), Bella Iorio and Elise Selah (Production Assistants).
Musical Director Kristen Lee Rosenfeld conducted the band with Griffin Strout on Piano, Kiku Enomoto on Violin, Clyde Daley on Trumpet, Josh Johnson on Reeds and Matt Covey on Percussion.
This event is part of NAAP's annual Rediscover Series, which explores classic musicals with professional artists of Asian descent, proving that great works of theatre speak to all communities. The event is also part of Prospect's ongoing IGNITE concert series.
For more information, visit NAAProject.org or ProspectTheater.org.
Photo Credit: Lia Chang
Full Company of Into the Woods
Opening Remarks: Cara Reichel, Baayork Lee, Nina Zoie Lam, Steven Eng & Company
Hello, Little Girl: David Shih (Wolf) and Alex Chester (Little Red Ridinghood)
Kennedy Kanagawa (Jack)
Layla Yu (Wood Dweller), Xiaoqing Zhang (Rapunzel), David Eng (Wood Dweller), Ann Harada (Witch)
What Big Eyes You Have: Alex Chester (Little Red Ridinghood), Shan Y Chuang (Wood Dweller), David Shih (Wolf), Alex Lawrence (Wood Dweller)
Jason Ma (Narrator) and NAAP Kids
He’s a Very Nice Prince: Joanna Carpenter (Baker’s Wife) and Katie Mariko Murray (Cinderella)
Agony: Karl Josef Co (Cinderella’s Prince) and Daniel J. Edwards (Rapunzel’s Prince)
Feeding Milky White: Raymond J. Lee (Baker), Joanna Carpenter (Baker’s Wife), Kennedy Kanagawa (Jack)
Transformation: Ann Harada (Witch)
Karl Josef Co (Cinderella’s Prince), Katie Mariko Murray (Cinderella), Colin Miyamoto (Steward), Laura Yen Solito (Cinderella’s Mother)
Cinderella finds her Prince: Rebecca Lee Lerman (Lucinda), Kimbirdlee Fadner (Florinda), David Shih (Cinderella’s Father), Rona Figueroa (Stepmother), Katie Mariko Murray (Cinderella), Karl Josef Co (Cinderella’s Prince), Colin Miyamoto (Steward)
Death of the Narrator: Virginia Wing (Giant), Jason Ma (Narrator), Ann Harada (Witch), Alex Chester (Little Red Ridinghood), Raymond J. Lee (Baker), Joanna Carpenter (Baker’s Wife)
Virginia Wing (Giant), Ann Harada (Witch), Lydia Gaston (Jack’s Mother), Alex Chester (Little Red Ridinghood), Raymond J. Lee (Baker), Joanna Carpenter (Baker’s Wife)
Moments in the Woods: Joanna Carpenter (Baker’s Wife)
No More: Raymond J. Lee (Baker)
No One Is Alone: Katie Mariko Murray (Cinderella) and Alex Chester (Little Red Ridinghood)
Virginia Wing (Giant)
Death of the Giant: Virginia Wing (Giant), David Eng (Wood Dweller)
Children Will Listen: The Company
Members of The NAAP Broadway Community Chorus
Kennedy Kanagawa (Jack)
The Band: Griffin Strout (Piano), Kiku Enomoto (Violin), Josh Johnson (Reeds), Kirsten Lee Rosenfeld (Conductor), Clyde Daley (Trumpet), Matt Covey (Percussion)
Videos