National Asian Artists Project Explained

National Asian Artists Project, Inc. (NAAP) is non-profit 501 (c)(3) company who seeks to showcase the work of artists of Asian descent, primarily in the American theater. It was founded in 2004 by Baayork Lee, Steven Eng, and Nina Zoie Lam.^[1]

Work

NAAP employs a multi-faceted approach to serving the community:

• Educational programming, presenting educational opportunities to children at P.S. 124 in New York's Chinatown, via the P.S. 124 Theatre Club which has included participation in iTheatrics Junior Theatre Festival.
• Original productions—the Discover: New Musicals ^[2] series presents new works by emerging artists with companies of actors of Asian descent.
• Revivals of classic musicals, the Rediscover series has included productions of Oklahoma,^{[3] [4]} Carousel,^[5] Hello Dolly!^{[6] [7] [8]} (Directed by Lee Roy Reams), and Oliver!^{[9] [10] [11]}
• The NAAP Broadway Community Chorus provides performance opportunities for established and emerging professional artists, as well as for those with a passion for musical theatre. The chorus performs music from across the Broadway repertoire and beyond, with engagements, and has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.^{[12] [13]} The chorus provides opportunities to collaborate with top Broadway artists, as well as offering vocal, dance and theatre masterclasses to its members.

NAAP in the News

On April 25, 2017, the Tony Awards Administration Committee announced^[14] that Lee will be honored for her longstanding commitment to future generations of artists through her work with the National Asian Artists Project and theatre education programs around the world, as the recipient of the 2017 Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award.

Theatrical Productions

• Oklahoma: October 25, 2010 at the Acorn Theatre
• Carousel in Concert: June 4, 2012 at The Peter Jay Sharp Theater
• Hello Dolly!: April 29, 2013 at The Pershing Square Signature Center
• Oliver!: June 5–7, 2014 at The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theater inside The Pershing Square Signature Center
• 5th Anniversary Gala:^[15] October 5, 2015 at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts—included musical numbers from Broadway shows, highlights from past NAAP productions and current material, as well as what Ms. Lee hopes to stage in the future. With a cast of over one hundred supervised by Ms. Lee and director Richard Jay-Alexander, the evening featured seasoned Broadway professionals—friends and supporters of NAAP—staging many of the numbers.

References

1. Web site: How NAAP Began . NAAP . January 11, 2018.
2. Web site: Jose Llana, Kimiko Glenn Among Cast of National Asian Artists' Discover: New Musicals Playbill. Playbill. 18 May 2011. en. 2017-05-07.
3. Web site: Baayork Lee to Direct All Asian-American Cast of Oklahoma! Playbill. Playbill. 19 October 2010. en. 2017-05-07.
4. Web site: Baayork Lee Directs All Asian-American Cast of Oklahoma! Oct. 25 Playbill. Playbill. 25 October 2010. en. 2017-05-07.
5. Web site: PHOTO CALL: Carousel in Concert, With Ali Ewoldt, Diane Phelan, Steven Eng, Devin Ilaw, Helen Park and More Playbill. Playbill. 6 June 2012. en. 2017-05-07.
6. News: Baayork Lee Is Presenting An All-Asian Version of Hello, Dolly!. Musto. Michael. 2013-04-11. Village Voice. 2017-05-07.
7. Web site: Asian-American Benefit Production of Hello, Dolly!, Directed by Lee Roy Reams, Presented April 29 Playbill. Playbill. 29 April 2013. en. 2017-05-07.
8. Web site: Christine Toy Johnson Will Star in Asian-American Benefit Production of Hello, Dolly!, Directed by Lee Roy Reams Playbill. Playbill. 16 April 2013. en. 2017-05-07.
9. Web site: Steven Eng and Baayork Lee Will Helm National Asian Artists Project's Oliver! Playbill. Playbill. 12 May 2014. en. 2017-05-07.
10. Web site: All-Asian Oliver!, Helmed by Steven Eng and Baayork Lee, Held June 5–7 Playbill. Playbill. 5 June 2014. en. 2017-05-07.
11. News: Special: Baayork Lee's National Asian Artists Project Puts on an OLIVER! To Remember. . Broadway World. 2017-05-07. en.
12. Web site: Top artists to headline June 'After the Storm' benefit at Kennedy Center in DC. Bureau. INQUIRER.net US. globalnation.inquirer.net. 30 April 2014. en. 2017-05-07.
13. Web site: Lea Salonga, Darren Criss, Lou Diamond Phillips and More Headline After the Storm at the Kennedy Center Playbill. Playbill. 15 June 2014. en. 2017-05-07.
14. Web site: Baayork Lee to Receive 2017 Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award. TonyAwards.com. en. 2017-05-07.
15. Web site: Baayork Lee's National Asian Artists Project Plans October Gala Playbill. Playbill. 18 August 2015. en. 2017-05-07.

External links

• National Asian Artists Project website