Salonga to Perform at EWP 43rd Anniv Visionary Awards, Yu & Quest Crew Honored

East West Players (EWP), the nation's premier Asian American theatre, announces a special performance by Filipina Broadway Star Lea Salonga at the 43rd Anniversary Visionary Award Dinner & Silent Auction. EWP also happily announces two newly confirmed honorees, Academy Award winning director Jessica Yu and MTV's America's Best Dance Crew winner Quest Crew. Yu and Quest Crew will join Actor John Cho and the California Community Foundation as this year's 43rd Anniversary's honorees. The award winning event will take place at the Hilton Universal City on Monday, April 27, 2009. Proceeds from the event will benefit East West Players' educational and artistic programs.

"I'm excited that so many younger generations are raising the visibility of Asian Americans in the entertainment industry," says Producing Artistic Director Tim Dang. "I am proud that East West Players and many other artists have had a role in blazing a trail for people like John Cho, Lea Salonga and Quest Crew. With performances by Lea and Quest Crew, they have now become the trailblazers. It will be a night that you won't want to miss!"

Newly Confirmed Honorees include:

VISIONARY AWARD

Jessica Yu is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles. She won the 1997 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short for BREATHING LESSONS: The Life AND WORK OF MARK O'BRIEN, an intimate portrait of the writer who lived for four decades paralyzed by polio and confined to an iron lung. The film also won over 20 festival awards, including the IDA Achievement Award, the Audience Award at Aspen Shortsfest, and First Prize at the St. Petersburg International Film Festival, since its debut at the Sundance Film Festival. She also won a Primetime Emmy and a Cable Ace Award for Best Documentary Director.

In 2008, Yu's feature comedy for Cherry Sky Films, PING PONG PLAYA, co-written with Jimmy Tsai was released theatrically by IFC. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to enthusiastic audiences and reviews. Recently Yu was also a segment director on HBO's landmark series ADDICTION, which was nominated for an IDA Award.

BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE

Quest Crew is a group of friends who were pretty much spending all of their time together anyway. The members of Quest Crew are fun and entertaining. Each has substantial professional dance experience, performing on television shows like So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol to touring with the likes of Gloria Estefan and Sheila E. With a preference for moving to the likes of James Brown, Busta Rhymes, Prince, Boyz II Men and Black Sheep, the members of Quest Crew prefer their beats old school, although at least one member confesses moving to the futuristic sound of Daft Punk is among his favorites. The members of Quest Crew are Dominic "D-Trix" Sandoval, Hok, Ryanimay Conferido, Feng, Steve Terada, Brian Hirano, Victor Kim, Aris Paracuelles, Andy Luo and Lydia Paek.

Filipina Broadway actress Lea Salonga will sing a song celebrating the evening. Salonga was a recipient of East West Players' Visionary Award in 2002 and is best known for premiering the role of Kim in the Broadway and Smash Broadway hit MISS SAIGON for which she won the 1991 Tony Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical. She has been the singing voice in several Disney movies including Mulan and Aladdin. Salonga's additional Broadway credits include: Eponine and Fantine in LES MISERABLES as well as Mei-li in FLOWER DRUMG SONG. Additional Nominations and Awards include: Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, Astaire Awards and Lawrence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Also performing with be East West Players' favorites, The Three Filipino Tenors, including Antoine Reynaldo Diel, Randy Guiaya and Lito Villareal. The Three Filipino Tenors were last year's Visionary Awards Masters of Ceremonies. They recently performed at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy reviving their performance of ‘Tis The Season Celebrate: The Holidays with The Three Filipino Tenors and also at One Night Only: Divas vs Tenors, A Face-Off Celebrating Tim's 15th Anniversary.

Current event sponsors include: George and Sakaye Aratani, CBS, The Walt Disney Company (Platinum Circle Sponsors) and NBC Universal and American Airlines (Gold Circle Sponsors).

East West Players' 43rd Anniversary Visionary Awards Dinner and Silent Auction will be held onMonday, April 27, 2009 at the Hilton Universal City, 555 Universal City Drive, Universal City, CA 91608. The no-host reception and silent auction will start at 6pm. The dinner and awards program will start at7pm. Tickets are $175 - $1,250.

For more information on East West Players' 43rd Anniversary Visionary Awards Dinner and Silent Auction please visit www.EastWestPlayers.org or contact Development Manager Lisa Tang at (213) 625.7000 x17 or LTang@EastWestPlayers.org.

A Special Master of Ceremonies and additional celebrity talent & presenters to be announced.

 

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