National Asian Artists Project To Hold 2023 Gala Benefit in Chinatown in June

 

National Asian Artists Project will hold its 2023 Gala Benefit on Friday, June 2nd at The Golden Unicorn (18 East Broadway @ Catherine Street). "At The Corner of Chinatown and Broadway - Returns!" will be directed by Ms. Lee and Richard Jay-Alexander, with music direction by Joey Chancey, and will feature special guest performers, the award-winning Theatre Club from P.S. 124, and the NAAP Broadway Community Chorus. The evening will also include a salute to 2023 honorees Lori Tan Chinn, Virginia Wing and Henry Yuk, as well as special recognition presentations to Peter Pileski and the late Bob Avian and to Cassey Kivnickand the late Susan Kikuchi, for their unwavering support of National Asian Artists Project through the years.

The evening will begin at 6:00pm and will include dinner, a traditional 8-course Chinese Banquet, followed by an evening of entertainment and the presentation of the awards. There will also be an exciting announcement of the Fall show.

"It's going to do my heart good to see us reassemble on June 2nd in Chinatown for the first time in 4 years, to raise needed funds for NAAP," stated Ms. Lee. "It will be a wonderful reunion and I look forward to honoring and recognizing some extraordinary people who have been part of the business and a big part of our community landscape for so long. We will have performers on hand and be announcing our plans for a Fall show. I hope to see you there and hug you IN PERSON. Let's celebrate NATIONAL ASIAN ARTISTS PROJECT!"

"Whenever Baayork Lee asks to join her to put together a NAAP event, it's impossibe to say no," exclaims Mr. Jay-Alexander. "I have been a fan of the organization, watching them grow exponentially over the years as they bust out of Chinatown and onto the world stage. It's going to be a wonderful evening and the first time we have all been together since coming out of COVID."

Tickets are $350 and are available for purchase online here. For further information, visit www.naaproject.org/2023gala.

HONOREE BIOS

Lori Tan Chinn

Conceived three months in Hoisan, South China (that's the first Chinese to arrive in America), lived in her mother's womb during the three-month ship ordeal to America, and three months later, born as a near-Yankee baby on July 7th - the year doesn't matter - in Seattle, WA! Lori first had ambitions to become a gymnast, or a costume designer, a violinist, but ended up a writer, self-taught actor, dancer, singer, celebrating her 54th year in all these combined passions on January 17th, the day the Greyhound Bus rolled into NYC and to the YWCA. She quickly landed her first show, on Broadway, in the chorus of Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen, a musical adaptation of The Teahouse of the August Moon. She was quickly plucked out of the chorus and cast as the female comic lead when choreographer, Ron (Broadway Cabare_t, the film, New York, New York) Field created a five-minute dance solo for her. Nine years and many bread & butter jobs later, she landed her second Broadway show, G.R. Point, opposite Michael Moriarty, and another nine years later, landed her third Broadway show, M. Butterfly, which introduced and skyrocketed the career of newcomer, BD Wong.

The latest pre-Broadway gig, Half Time, the project that the late Marvin Hamlisch had worked on before his death, starred the late Georgia Engel, Donna McKechnie, Andre De Shields, Lillias White, and Lori (finally getting front billing, after 48 years) had its out-of-town presentations in Chicago, then at NJ's Paper Mill Playhouse, but didn't quite make it to the Great White Way...yet. In between these intervals, there was Off-Broadway: The Primary English Class, opposite Diane Keaton, seven seasons at the famed O'Neill Playwrights Conference, working with fellow rising-star actors: Meryl Streep, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary Alice, some television gigs: "Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific", starring Glenn Close, Harry Connick, Jr. (she is the first actress to be cast, racially correct, as the Chinese/Vietnamese/Tonkinese Bloody Mary) in that television production, as well as, three subsequent stage productions, one of which remains her favorite, choreographed by Baayork Lee, at Washington, DC's Arena Stage, which garnered her the Helen Hayes Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical, Resident Theatre); as Iris, second-season semi regular on "Roseanne"; seven seasons as Mei Chang in Netflix's first original streaming show: "Orange is the New Black"; films: Pixar's recently Oscar-nominated animation film, Turning Red, Late Bloomers, She-Devil, What About Bob?, Mickey Blue Eyes (her single scene with Hugh Grant was included in a collection of funniest comedy scenes).

The joy and privilege of being within the cast of "Awkwafina is Nora From Queens", originating the role of her Grandma, rounds out the Celestial Cycle of affectionately-proclaimed "Asian-American Meteorics" - ones who shot up like meteors from their early beginnings, in all directions of the arts. What a thrill, what an honor, this ride! Speaking of rides, stay tuned for new film directorial debut by Adele Lim (co-writer, Crazy Rich Asians): Joy Ride_, due out in theaters this July, and later, two animated television series, and one Netflix animation film, starring some exciting new, and also established co-stars: Awkwafina, Bowen Yang, Ali Wong, Ashley Park, Stephanie Hsu, Bryan Cranston, Jack Black and two wild animation productions opposite our illustrious elder, Mr. James Hong.

Virginia Wing

is an American singer and actress of Chinese descent, whose ancestors came to the "Gold Mountain" from Canton (now Guangdong) in the mid-1800s, lured by the Gold Rush and the building of the railroads. She is currently writing about growing up Southern in the segregated Mississippi Delta, where she was born and raised, titled "Chop Suey Chittlins and Apple Pie." Her first paid appearances were at the age of three, standing on the ice cream box in her family's grocery store and singing for the salesmen, who applauded and rewarded her with nickels and pennies! Professionally, she has run the gamut from opera, theatre, cabaret, TV, film, playwriting, directing and producing to script analysis. She modeled in her youth and is in the Breck Girl Hall of Fame. She was the model in the Mitsouko by Guerlain ad in the 60s, which won awards internationally. She was a nominee for Best Actress in the Hollywood NAACP Image Awards. She won the Inspirational Artist Award in 2021 for her work in the short film When the World Was Young at the Disorient Film Festival. Her proudest role to date is Grandmother - to three fabulous grandchildren. https://performingartslegacy.org/wing/ 

Henry Yuk

is a native New Yorker, from Brooklyn. He has worked extensively with Pan Asian Rep (including Yellow Fever, Teahouse,Yellow Is My Favorite Color), as well as with NAATCO (The Cherry Orchard, You Can't Take It With You, Awake and Sing!) and Ma-Yi Theatre Co. (The Square, No Foreigners Beyond This Point). His film work includes Kundun (directed by Martin Scorsese), Brooklyn Lobster and the cult classic,The Last Dragon. His TV work includes "The Sopranos," "Cosby," "Dellaventura," various "Law and Order" episodes. Most recently he appeared in Marvel's "Iron Fist" and "Warrior" on HBO Max. He last worked with New Federal Theatre in Gong Lum's Legacy. He is relishing his current role as Gung Gung to his grandchildren. www.henryyuk.com

 

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