Photo Flash: Lainie Sakakura Ushers In The Year of the Dog at P.S. 87 With Broadway Pals Ali Ewoldt, Telly Leung, and More
By: Stephi Wild Feb. 10, 2018
Broadway vets Lainie Sakakura and Alex Sanchez ushered in the Year of the Dog at P.S. 87 - William T. Sherman School's Annual Pan Asian Lunar New Year celebration, with a little help from their Asian American Broadway friends on February 9, 2018.
The evening, highlighting a variety of Pan Asian cultures, is a labor of love for Sakakura and her husband, award-winning choreographer Alex Sanchez, who has served as her P.S. 87 Culture & Community Committee co-chair for eight years - in bringing multicultural awareness and arts to a New York City public school through contemporary and cultural music, dance, and personal stories.
"Growing up, I didn't have any Asian American role models to look up to," shared Sakakura. "I only saw Asian people portrayed as buck tooth, thick glasses wearing nerds. I didn't have any positive influences to counter the racial prejudices I felt towards me. The PAN ASIAN LUNAR NEW YEAR event is what I wish I had as a kid. An evening filled with amazing, talented, beautiful Asian American performers celebrating everything that we are."
The performers included Telly Leung, currently starring as Aladdin in ALADDIN, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA's Ali Ewoldt, who plays Christine, THE LION KING's Rika Nishikawa, who portrays Young Nala, and SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS' Kelvin Moon Loh, who is featured as Perch Perkins. Jason Garcia Ignacio (M BUTTERFLY), Belinda Allyn (ALLEGIANCE), Sam Tanabe (ALLEGIANCE), YoonJeong Seong (THE KING & I, Dallas Summer Musicals). Hansel Tan (PING PONG, The Public Theater), dancers Adam Rogers (AMERICAN IN PARIS) and Tommy Scrivens (ROMAN HOLIDAY), Kai Rivera (SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE NEXT GENERATION), Japanese Taiko Drumming by New York Taiko Aiko Kai, Chinese Lion Dance by Kwan's Kung Fu, and students of UWSDance with Lainie Sakakura, rounded out the evening's performances.
The production team included Musical Director/Pianist Tom Conroy and Percussionist/ Drummer Kory Grossman.
Lainie Sakakura is a 26+ year Broadway veteran, choreographer, director, writer and teaching artist. She was awarded the 2015 Joe A. Callaway Award - Best Choreography for the Off Broadway show, RED EYE OF LOVE in collaboration with co-choreographer Alex Sanchez, directed by Ted Sperling and the 2002 Joseph Jefferson Award - Best Choreography for DAMN YANKEES, Marriott Theatre in collaboration with director/co-choreographer David H. Bell. Nominated for the 2003 Joseph Jefferson Award - Best Choreography for HOT MIKADO, directed by David H. Bell.
Sakakura is currently co-writing the musical adaptation of HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET, the New York Times best seller by Jamie Ford.
Photo Credit: Lia Chang
(Back Row) Tommy Scrivens, Kelvin Moon Loh, Ali Ewoldt, Sam Tanabe, Daniel May, Lainie Sakakura, Telly Leung, YoonJeong Seong, Adam Rogers. (Front Row) Hansel Tan, Rika Nishikawa, Jason Garcia Ignacio
Front Row: Ali Ewoldt, Rika Nishikawa, Jason Garcia Ignacio, Telly Leung, YoonJeong Seong, Daniel May and Kai Rivera. Back Row: Kelvin Moon Loh, Sam Tanabe, Hansel Tan
Lainie Sakakura, with her husband, Alex Sanchez
Telly Leung and Kai Rivera
Ali Ewoldt and Kelvin Moon Loh
YoonJeong Seong
Hansel Tan, Adam Rogers and Tommy Scrivens
Avelina Sanchez, Isabela Sanchez and Sabrina Green
Kai Rivera
Kai Rivera
New York Taiko Aiko Kai
New York Taiko Aiko Kai
Students from UWSDance with Lainie Sakakura
Students from UWSDance with Lainie Sakakura
Students from UWSDance with Lainie Sakakura
Students from UWSDance with Lainie Sakakura
Musical director Tom Conroy
Alex Sanchez and Belinda Allyn
Lainie Sakakura and Percussionist Kory Grossman
Alex Sanchez, Avelina Sanchez, Isabela Sanchez and Lainie Sakakura
Chinese Lion Dance by Kwan's Kung Fu, with Sam Tanabe, YoonJeong Seong, Hansel Tan
Lainie Sakakura, Lia Chang and Alex Sanchez
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