East West Players (EWP), the nation’s premier Asian American theatre, celebrates its Golden Anniversary at their Annual Visionary Awards Dinner & Silent Auction. The Visionary Awards laud the achievements of individuals who have raised the visibility of the Asian Pacific American (APA) community through their craft. The fundraising event will take place on Monday April 20, 2015 at the Universal Hilton. Proceeds from the gala will benefit East West Players’ educational and artistic programs.
Jeff Imada has amassed over 400 credits in feature films, TV shows, commercials, and music videos as a 2nd Unit Director, Stunt Coordinator, Fight Choreographer, Technical Advisor, Stuntman, and/or Actor. His most recent work can be seen in Fast and Furious 7. Besides acting, another passion in Jeff’s life is the martial arts. In 1973, he met the legendary Dan Inosanto (Bruce Lee’s protégé and colleague) and has been training with him ever since in numerous styles. Jeff currently holds the rank of Senior Instructor with Inosanto and is one of the few certified instructors in Jeet Kune Do and the Filipino/Indonesian martial arts. I saw Imada last week at the Big Trouble in Little China screening and cast reunion at JANM’s Tateuchi Democracy Forum.
A Big Trouble in Little China reunion with Peter Kwong, screenwriter Gary Goldman, James Lew, George Cheung, James Hong, Lia Chang, Gerald Okamura, Jeff Imada, Joycelyn Lew, Al Leong and Eric Lee at JANM’s Tateuchi Democracy Forum in LA on April 8, 2015. Photo by Tami Chang.
Confirmed to host the event is actor Parvesh Cheena (TV’s “Outsourced” and “Arrested Development”; “Barbershop” film franchise). “I am excited to be hosting the gala on such a huge anniversary for East West Players,“ Cheena notes. “I’m also thrilled that everyone will be able to get a sneak peek at The Who’s Tommy, that opens in May!”
Also confirmed to attend are Randall Park and Constance Wu, stars of the hit TV Comedy “Fresh Off the Boat.” They are scheduled to present honorees Nahnatchka Khan and Melvin Mar with their awards.
![Parvesh Cheena, Emcee, "The Who's Tommy"]()
- Parvesh Cheena, Emcee, “The Who’s Tommy”
![Randall Park, "Fresh Off the Boat"]()
- Randall Park, “Fresh Off the Boat”
![Constance Wu, Presenter, "Fresh Off the Boat"]()
- Constance Wu, Presenter, “Fresh Off the Boat”
Including Imada, the 2015 Honorees are:
Paula Williams Madison. Madison (Chairman and CEO of Madison Media Management LLC)
Receiving the EWP/AARP Real Possibilities Visionary Award is Paula Williams Madison. Madison is Chairman and CEO of Madison Media Management LLC, a Los Angeles based media consultancy company with global reach.
In 2011, Madison retired from NBCUniversal, where she had been Executive Vice President of Diversity as well as a Vice President of the General Electric Company (GE), then the parent company of NBCU. During her 22 years with NBCU, she held a number of successful leadership roles, including President and General Manager of NBC4 Los Angeles, Los Angeles Regional General Manager for NBCU’s Telemundo TV stations and Vice President and News Director of NBC4 New York.
Her career as a journalist led to a 1996 Peabody Award for NBC4 New York’s investigation, “A License to Kill. Madison’s continued dedication to quality journalism helped NBC4 Los Angeles earn numerous Emmy, Golden Mike and Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards.
Madison is the executive producer and subject of Finding Samuel Lowe: From Harlem to China, a compelling documentary that chronicles her journey to her maternal grandfather’s homeland in China and the reconnection of her family with his 300 descendants. HarperCollins will publish a memoir on the journey, Finding Samuel Lowe China, Jamaica, Harlem in April 2015.
“I am deeply humbled that the East West Players and AARP would honor me with their Visionary Award. A few years ago, I retired from the corporate world and focused on bridging a gap to connect with my grandfather’s descendants in China after an almost 100-year separation. This award truly recognizes and celebrates this recent chapter in my life’s story. It characterizes what we Hakka Chinese people say in our Hakka dialect, “Chee Gah Ngin” or “Many Places, One People.”
Nahnatchka Khan (Creator/Executive Producer “Fresh Off the Boat”). Photo by Karen Neal
East West Players also honors Nahnatchka Khan and Melvin Mar. Nahnatchka Khan is the creator for television/Executive Producer and Melvin Mar is Executive Producer for the new comedy Fresh Off the Boat, which airs Tuesdays on ABC and is produced by FOX.
“As a girl with glasses, I take special pride in receiving the Visionary Award from East West Players. It’s truly an honor to be recognized by this great organization,” said showrunner & executive producer Nahnatchka Khan.
Nahnatchka Khan is creator for television and executive producer of Fresh Off the Boat. Prior to that, she was the creator and executive producer of Don’t Trust the B—- In Apartment 23, which aired for two seasons on ABC, from 2011-2012. Before creating her own series, she served as an executive producer on the Fox animated show American Dad.
Eddie Huang, Hudson Yang, Melvin Mar and MSNBC anchor Richard Lui during the talkback at the #FreshOffTheBoat Viewing Party at The Circle NYC on February 4, 2015. Photo by Lia Chang
Melvin Mar (Executive Producer, “Fresh Off the Boat”)
Melvin Mar began his career at Dreamworks SKG and then at Scott Rudin Productions, where he built a solid relationship with Orange County director Jake Kasdan. They’ve worked together since on The TV Set, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Bad Teacher,New Girl and Sex Tape. Besides serving as executive producer on Fresh Off the Boat, he is also executive producer for the upcoming Fox series Weird Loners.
“Growing up I had Chinese parents who constantly reminded me how I had to be a doctor to be successful. East West Players represents that a Chinese kid could pursue his dreams in the arts. It’s an honor to be recognized,” said executive producer, Melvin Mar.
Current major sponsors (as of March 18) of the gala include: PLATINUM CIRCLE – AARP, CBS Corporation, Comcast NBC Universal, The Walt Disney Company; SILVER CIRCLE – IW Group, Sony Pictures Entertainment; BRONZE CIRCLE – Tim Dang & Darrel Cummings, HBO, Robert M. Kawahara and Martie Quan, Mattel (3), Sanrio Inc., Lynn Waggoner.
MSNBC anchor Richard Lui, #FreshOfftheBoat executive producer Melvin Mar, star Randall Park and Jeff Yang at the #FreshOffTheBoat Viewing Party at The Circle NYC on February 4, 2015. Photo by Lia Chang
Award-winning composer Nathan Wang (Beijing Olympics/Shaolin Monks, Steven Spielberg’s Oscar Award-winning film The Last Days) will serve as the evening’s Musical Director.
East West Players’ Golden Anniversary Visionary Awards Dinner and Silent Auction will be held on Monday, April 20, 2015 at the Hilton Universal City, 555 Universal Hollywood Drive, Universal City, CA 91608. The VIP Reception for table sponsors will begin at 5pm. No-host reception and silent auction will start at 6pm. The dinner and awards program will start at 7pm. Individual tickets are $200- $1,500. Full table sponsorship packages are also available. For more information on East West Players’ Golden Anniversary Visionary Awards Dinner and Silent Auction, please visit eastwestplayers.org or contact East West Players at (213) 625-7000 or Development Manager Monika Ramnath at mramnath@eastwestplayers.org
Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon and Taxman. She has guest starred on “One Life to Live,” “As the World Turns,” and “New York Undercover.” Lia starred as Carole Barbara in Lorey Hayes’ Power Play at the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C., with Pauletta Pearson Washington and Roscoe Orman. She is profiled in Jade Magazine.
#FreshOffTheBoat Articles
East West Players’ Honors Paula Madison of Madison Media Management LLC and “Fresh Off The Boat” Executive Producers Nahnatchka Khan and Melvin Mar on April 20
KoreAm Feature on the FRESH OFF THE BOAT Viewing Parties Across the Country
Mar. 10: Also-Known-As, Inc. Hosts FRESH OFF THE BOAT Viewing Party and Talkback at Taj
FRESH OFF THE BOAT Community Screening and Talkback with Hudson Yang, Jeff Yang, Jen Kwok, Ray Rahman and Jen Chung at the Time & Life Building
The Greene Space at WNYC presents Preview Screenings of ABC’s FRESH OFF THE BOAT; Conversation with Amy Chua, Awkwafina & Jay Smooth, moderated by Jeff Yang
Photos: Hudson Yang, Randall Park, Eddie Huang, Richard Lui, Lori Tan Chinn and More at #FreshOffTheBoat Viewing Party at The Circle NYC
vulture.com: Watching Fresh Off the Boat With 999 Asian-Americans
nbcnews.com: ‘Today, We’ve Arrived': Fresh Off the Boat Makes TV History
slate.com:“It Takes More Than Lunchables to Assimilate” Arthur Chu, Jennifer Lai, and Phil Yu discuss the Fresh Off the Boat premiere.
asamnews.com: An Inside Look at The Fresh Off the Boat Launch Party in New York
takepart.com: ‘Fresh off the Boat’ Made People Uncomfortable Before It Even Aired
latimes.com: ABC sitcom ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ is a satire that works
ew.com: Fresh Off the Boat’s showrunner talks joking about race (without being racist)
Feb. 4: “Fresh Off the Boat” Live Viewing Party at THE CIRCLE NYC with Hudson Yang; ‘Fresh On The Air’ by Jeff Yang and Louie Chin
ABC’s “Fresh Off the Boat” starring Randall Park, Constance Wu, Hudson Yang, Forrest Wheeler, and Ian Chen, Premieres on February 4 & 10
Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Photos: Inside THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE CD Release Concert with André De Shields, Kevin Mambo, Adam Chanler-Berat, Michael Friedman and More
David Henry Hwang, Laura Poitras, Amitav Ghosh, Deeyah Khan, Bill Rauch, Robert Battle, Carrie Mae Weems named among 13 Ford Foundation “Art of Change” Fellows
Photos: The Public Theater Presents Tony Award-winner Lemon Andersen’s TOAST starring Tony Nominees Keith David and John Earl Jelks, Hill Harper and more, April 21 – May 10
A Sumptuous View of Ken Watanabe, Kelli O’Hara, Ruthie Ann Miles, Ashley Park, Conrad Ricamora, Jon Viktor Corpuz, Paul Nakauchi and More in Lincoln Center Theater’s Revival of The King and I
Joe Mantegna receives Lifetime Achievement Award for Film and Television from The Riverside International Film Festival
Production Photos: Tam Mutu, Kelli Barrett, Tom Hewitt, Lora Lee Gayer & Paul Alexander Nolan in DOCTOR ZHIVAGO on Broadway; Opens April 21
Hamilton tops Lucille Lortel Award Nominations along with Into the Woods, Between Riverside and Crazy, The Invisible Hand, The Nether and The Fortress of Solitude
The Women in the Arts & Media Coalition, Inc.: 2015 Collaboration Award recognizing Women Working with Women Open Call
Sinatra: An American Icon Exhibit on View through September 4 at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
“Matthew Weiner’s Mad Men” on view at Museum of the Moving Image through June 14; Required Viewing: Mad Men’s Movie Influences Film Series Screenings through April 26
Disney Developing Live-Action ‘Mulan’
Kenny Leon Helmed ‘The Wiz’ Set as NBC’s Next Live Musical to air on Dec. 3; Broadway Revival Slated for 2016-17
Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion Exhibition on view at New-York Historical Society through April 19; Photos of An Evening with Amy Tan
“Water to Paper, Paint to Sky: The Art of Tyrus Wong,” – Retrospective of Disney Legend at MOCA through September 13
Dining out at élan with Artist Arlan Huang; New Paintings on view at Trestle Gallery
Award Winning Actor Raul Aranas Talks THE BLACKLIST, NAAP’S OLIVER!, Songwriting and the Zen of Cycling
Tony Award Winners Chita Rivera and Roger Rees, Jason Danieley, Mary Beth Peil, David Garrison & More in Terrence McNally’s THE VISIT
Photos: David Byrne, Alex Timbers, Jaygee Macapugay, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Adam Guettel, Sarah Saltzberg and More Celebrate Jose Llana’s Lincoln Center American Songbook Debut
Signature Theatre Company’s Founding Artistic Director James Houghton To Step Down After 2015-16 25th Anniversary Season
Apr. 20: Garth Kravits joins Laura Benanti, Lena Hall, Scott Alan and more for BROADWAY SINGS TORI Concert to Benefit RAINN at (le) poisson rouge
Jerome Preston Bates, Michael Chenevert, Stephanie Berry, Terria Joseph, Kim Weston Moran, Tony Sallemi and Count Stovall set for World Premiere of Richard Wesley’s AUTUMN at Crossroads Theatre in New Brunswick, April 23 through May 3
April 23-30: The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) Lineup includes EVERYTHING BEFORE US, KTOWN COWBOYS, Shonali Bose’s MARGARITA, WITH A STRAW, Jennifer Phang’s ADVANTAGEOUS, Arthur Dong’s FORBIDDEN CITY, U.S.A. and THE KILLING FIELDS OF DR. HAING S. NGOR
The 31st Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) presents Jennifer Phang’s ADVANTAGEOUS Featuring Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Kim, Jeanne Sakata, Jennifer Ikeda and Matthew Kim at the Aratani Theatre on April 24
April 26: The 31st Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) Artist Spotlight- Arthur Dong’s FORBIDDEN CITY, U.S.A. and THE KILLING FIELDS OF DR. HAING S. NGOR
May 1: A/P/A Institute at NYU presents Remembering SlutForArt: Tseng Kwong Chi with Muna Tseng, Ping Chong, and Bill T. Jones
15th Annual New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) Lineup includes Shonali Bose’s MARGARITA WITH A STRAW & Aparna Sen’s SAARI RAAT; May 4-9
Photos: Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Spring Exhibition, CHINA: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, May 7–August 16
Tony Award® Nominees Omar Metwally and Arian Moayed to star in Rajiv Joseph’s GUARDS AT THE TAJ, helmed by Amy Morton, at Atlantic Theater Company, May 20-June 28
World Premiere Musical HAMILTON Transfers to Broadway; Previews begin July 13
Photos: National Black Theatre Festival 2013; NBTF runs August 3-8, 2015 and will include Act III – A Celebration of Life Reception saluting the late theatre icon Garland Lee Thompson, Sr.
Photos: John W. Kuo, Jessica Hagedorn, and Neal Katyal Receive AALDEF 2015 Justice in Action Awards
Suzan-Lori Parks’ FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS, PARTS 1, 2 & 3 is the 2015 Winner of the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History
Crafting a Career
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2015 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com
