Interview: Chatting with Veteran Broadway Actor Telly Leung

Broadway veteran Telly Leung has co-produced a documentary with Aaron Albano, another Broadway veteran and active member of the AAPI Broadway community. It is called ENSEMBLE and it is currently available via Broadway on Demand.

Telly Leung has numerous Broadway credits to his name including Aladdin, Allegiance, Flower Drum Song, Godspell and more, along with television and film appearances. In addition to his acting resume, Telly has also released his own music and solo albums.

What inspired you to pursue a career in theatre?

I really got into doing theater when I went to high school. I went to a math and science high school in New York City called Stuyvesant High School and being involved in the musicals after school was a great way to give my brain a break from the physics & calculus and meet friends who like musicals, like me. I did it for fun. I wasn't even aware that this could be a profession until I was encouraged to audition for performing arts college programs by my high school acting teacher. "You could study this in college, and get a degree in this?" It was staggering to me! I ended up applying to both liberal arts college programs (where I could make my parents happy by getting a "real" degree) and I also auditioned for performing arts colleges like NYU, Emerson, and Carnegie Mellon. Eventually, I decided to go to Carnegie Mellon, one of the country's oldest conservatory programs. I finally felt like I was surrounded by other people JUST LIKE ME: People that loved to eat, breathe and sleep theatre. CMU also gave me a great financial aid package based on my audition, so even though my parents weren't so keen on me studying theater in college, they had no choice! In my traditional Chinese home, money talks! And CMU gave me the money to give my theater dreams a shot.

What was the first show you saw on Broadway?

The first show I ever saw was CATS at the Winter Garden Theater. I think I was 10 or 11 years old. It was a school trip to a Wednesday matinee. I will never forget walking up to Ken Page at intermission as Old Deut. I also remember seeing Laurie Beechman as Grizabella. All of us sat in the last row of the mezzanine, but I could feel her voice cut through my body! That's how powerful it was!

What show was your Broadway debut?

I made my Broadway debut in the 2002 revival Flower Drum Song starring Lea Salonga. I was in the ensemble, and I covered Wang Ta (played by Jose Llana).

What is your favorite musical?

It is difficult to pick a favorite, but I'd have to say RENT. It's the show that made me want to do theater when I was a teenager. I grew up in NYC, and was able to see the original cast 12 or 13 times in the summer of 1996 at the Nederlander Theater. I was one of those RENT-heads that slept outside the box office to get my $20 rush ticket. It was a full-circle dream come true when I got to join that company in 2006, and then be part of the final cast.

Do you have a dream role?

I am very lucky. I've had many of my Broadway dreams come true. I got to work with Stephen Sondheim on PACIFIC OVERTURES. I got to fulfill a life-long dream of originating a role on Broadway when I did ALLEGIANCE. I've always wanted to play THE PHANTOM. Maybe one day...

Favorite musical theatre song?

Again, picking a favorite is so hard. My favorite Broadway love song is I'll Cover You from RENT. I think GYPSY is the perfect musical, and I never tire of hearing SOME PEOPLE, which I think is an anthem for all of us in the theater. It's empowering. It's rebellious. It's Broadway belting at its best.

Who were your musical influences?

I've had so so so many. I was lucky enough to grow up in New York and have Broadway in my backyard. I saved up my money and went to the TKTS booth a lot (or bought rush tickets). Broadway influences include: Betty Buckley, Patti LuPone, Howard McGillin, Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Carol Channing, Terrence McNally, Chita Rivera, Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lea Salonga, Norm Lewis, Michael McElroy, Davis Gaines, Nathan Lane, Faith Prince, Liz Callaway... the list goes on and on. But, I also grew up in NYC listening to the radio, so my first musical influences also reflect the music of my childhood and teenage years: Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, George Michael, Elton John, Boyz to Men.... I could keep going forever.

You're favorite role you've done?

I loved being in RENT. If it was still running, I'd still be in it! I also loved my time in Aladdin. To be a leading man in a company of some of the finest theater folks in the business was a true privilege and honor. There is a lot of love at the New Amsterdam Theater, and everyone in that building is a gem.

How does it feel to be back on stage and have live theatre and performances again?

I have loved performing for live audiences again. During the darkest hours of the pandemic, it felt like I would be doing concerts on Zoom forever, so to get a chance to actually be singing for live audiences now is great!I relish every opportunity I get with a new-found appreciation for being LIVE. I have some concert performances lined up at performing arts centers and symphonies around the country, and I'm looking forward to those a lot.

Advice you have for Asian American actors? Could you tell us more about the Asian American experience in theatre?

My biggest piece of advice: Don't wait for someone to present you with opportunities. Make your own!

As an AAPI performer, I learned early on that I did not have as many opportunities on Broadway as others. I began to create my own work. My first Broadway show, Flower Drum Song, closed in 4 months - and then I was out of work. I quickly threw together a club act for myself and premiered it at DON'T TELL MAMA. Creating my own cabaret show was a crash course in "producing 101." I was not only "the talent", but I was also the company manager, publicist, accountant, wardrobe supervisor and stage manager of my own show! Yes, it was a lot of work - but it was also extremely gratifying to have complete control over my own artistic opportunity and it felt so good to not sit around and helplessly WAIT for a phone call from my agent for the next audition.

Eventually, I created a whole other career for myself in the nightlife world and I met some of the finest musicians in NYC. Over the course of 2 decades, we've done a lot of gigs together, made a lot of music together, and we've even come up with 2 solo albums and several singles & EPs together as well. All of this was born out of my frustration that I was not getting as many opportunities as my Caucasian counterparts in this business.

All of that self-produced work has now led me to learning many lessons about producing, and after 2 decades in this business, I can proudly call myself a "producer." My latest project is a 50 minute documentary called ENSEMBLE, which is currently available on Broadway on Demand. It was an idea that was brought to me by my dear friend and fellow AAPI Broadway performer Aaron Albano (Mary Poppins, Newsies, Allegiance, Hamilton). He wanted to gather a group of 13 diverse dancers on the 1 year anniversary of the Broadway shut down in March 2021 for a dance class and a socially-distant discussion about the year that was, and the future of Broadway. I am extremely proud of this project as it is a rare opportunity to hear stories from some of the hardest working folks in our profession.

Did I always know what I was doing? Nope. Did I always have the answer or resources to produce? Absolutely not. Did I ask questions, swallow my pride and ask for help when I needed it? ABSOLUTELY. So much of being an artist that survives this business, especially being an artist of color, is finding your tribe and community for help. Find your community, and start telling the stories you want to tell.

Other than theatre, what do you enjoy doing? Hobbies?

I just moved uptown to Harlem, and I have a nice big kitchen for once in my life - so I've been enjoying cooking a lot with my husband.

Photo Credit: Gavin Calais

To post a comment, you must register and login.