The Los Angeles-based East West Players, the nation’s first professional Asian American theatre organization, is teaming up with musician AJ Rafael and production company iStage Entertainment for “Crazy Talented Asians, JR Edition.” The event is proudly sponsored by WB Pictures.
CTA JR. will kick off Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and will feature young performers Ella Jay Basco (“Birds of Prey”), Nayah Damasen (“Grey’s Anatomy”), Lucian Perez (“Wonder Woman 1984”), Delphine Huang (“Mulan” 2020), Leela Ladnier (“Mira, Royal Detective”) and more.
This will be the 10th edition of “Crazy Talented Asians,” which Rafael started after being inspired by the box office hit “Crazy Rich Asians.” The live show started at the Rockwell Table & Stage before partnering with East West Players to bring it to The David Henry Huang Theatre. With the pandemic stopping all live shows the past year, the event has moved virtually via Facebook and YouTube.
“When I first had the idea of this show back in 2018, I was thinking about the young people specifically young Asian Americans watching the show, and what it would mean to them to see a lineup full of people who looked like them,” Rafael says. “To now have those young people performing and representing for the next generation on this very stage, even virtually, means a lot to bring to the world, especially right now.”
“Crazy Talented Asians JR.” will be live on East West Players’ Facebook page on Sunday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m. Pacific. It will be hosted by Justine Rafael, and will also include performances by Baby Bares (children of Mama Bares, Broadway veterans Deedee Magno Hall, Jennifer Paz, Joan Almedilla, Ai Cheung) Harmonie He (“Shang Chi”), Araceli Prasarttongosoth, Alicia Clark, Bowen Yu, Isla Renee (daughter of YouTuber/influencer Cathy Nguyen), a special dance number choreographed by Jasmine Rafael, and a special award recognition to “Fresh Off the Boat” cast members Hudson Yang, Forrest Wheeler, and Ian Chen.
Director John M. Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians”) will make a special appearance with a sneak peek of his upcoming film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights.”
The show will raise funds for Stop AAPI Hate efforts and programs via East West Players.
For more information, visit: https://eastwestplayers.org/cta-jr/
To watch the Sunday live stream on Facebook, visit: https://fb.me/e/1OYTuunVU