Congratulations to Jodi Long who is the first Asian American actress to win the 2021 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Fiction Program for her turn as Ms. Basil E. in the Netflix Holiday Rom-Com DASH & LILY.
Jodi Long. Photo by Lia Chang
Click here to see photos of Jodi on the Winners Walk.
Jodi Long is a veteran of stage, film and television whose regular series work includes co-starring with Valerie Bertinelli in “Cafe American”; playing Margaret Cho’s mother in “All American Girl” and playing Alicia Silverstone’s secretary in “Miss Match” and Okcha in “Sullivan And Son.” Long has had recurring parts on “The Cosby Show”, “Michael Hayes”, “Eli Stone” and “Law and Order: LA”. She is also known as Patty, “the power lesbian,” in an episode of “Sex in The City”. Long’s film work includes Beginnings, with Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer; Paul Schrader’s Patty Hearst; Mike Newell’s Sour Sweet; Striking Distance; Rollover; The Hot Chick;Striking Distance; and Rollover with Jane Fonda. Ms. Long wrote and co-produced the award winning documentary Long Story Short about her vaudevillian parents. Her one woman show, Surfing My DNA, garnered her an Ovation Nomination for Best Solo Performance.
In 2006, Long’s one-woman play, Surfing DNA, was produced at East West Players in Los Angeles and garnered her an Ovation nomination for Best Solo Performance. She went on to write and co-produce a documentary about her vaudevillian parents, Long Story Short, was directed by Christine Choy. The film played numerous film festivals, including the 2008 Hawaii International Film Festival, and it won the 2008 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival’s Audience Award for Best Documentary. In 2008, Long Story Short was voted one of the top ten documentaries by UCLA’s Asia Institute.
Long made her Broadway debut at age 7 in Nowhere To Go But Up, directed by Sidney Lumet, the first of five Broadway shows in which she would appear. As an adult, she has starred in Loose Ends, with Kevin Kline; The Bacchae, with Irene Papas; Stephen Sondheim’s Getting Away with Murder; and the recent revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song, a performance for which she won an Ovation Award at The Mark Taper in Los Angeles.
Numerous off-Broadway productions include Wendy Wasserstein’s Old Money (Lincoln Center), Red and The Wash (Manhattan Theater Club), David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child and Family Devotions (Public Theater); and The Tooth of Crime (LaMama). Long has also performed in the world tour of Phillip Glass and David Henry Hwang’s 90-minute solo piece 1000 Airplanes on The Roof.
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, released new bilingual videos and resources today as part of an ongoing initiative to help families have open and honest conversations with young children around race, provide strategies to cope with racial trauma, and engage allies and advocates to become upstanders against racism as part of its Sesame Street in Communities initiative. The new “ABCs of Racial Literacy” Resources, which are free and available in English and Spanish, can be found at SesameWorkshop.org/ComingTogether.
Alan Muraoka, Wes and Analyn. Photo: Sesame Street Workshop
“Children begin to observe and internalize messages of race at a young age, during a critical time for building one’s identity and sense of self,” said Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice President of US Social Impact, Sesame Workshop. “That’s why it’s important for families to feel equipped to have conversations about race and racism with their children. The new “ABCs of Racial Literacy” resources are designed to give children and caregivers additional tools to cope with the impact of racism and navigate difficult situations together as a family.”
The resources feature 5-year-old Wes and his father Elijah, two Sesame Street Muppets first introduced in March to discuss skin (and fur!) color with Elmo. Wes and Elijah are back to help kids continue to talk about race and provide families of color with strategies to discuss the impact of racism. The new resources, which are part of Sesame Workshop’s Coming Together commitment to racial justice, include:
Alan Muraoka and Wes support Analyn to feel strong and proud of who she is. They sing “Proud of Your Eyes” to help comfort Analyn after someone said something hurtful about her eyes/how she looks. Watch and sing along as we celebrate how our eyes and other features tell the story of ourselves and our families. Find out more about developing children’s positive racial, ethnic, and cultural identities at: https://www.SesameWorkshop.org/Coming…
– Breathe, Feel, Share: Wes, Abby, and Elijah discuss an incident that happened at school – Wes was teased about his lunch, curry chicken. Together, they practice a simple coping strategy.
– Ongoing Video Seriesfor families with new content featuring The Clutes, a Native family, exploring the different ways families can talk to their kids about race, culture, and allyship.
– Professional development webinar and resources for community providers, such as educators, healthcare providers, and social workers (coming soon).
– New materials and music to help families continue the conversation, including Let’s Stand Up for What is Right (Random House), a new book featuring Sesame Street Muppet friends uniting against racism, and a streaming Power of We (Warner Music Group’s Arts Music division) playlist of uplifting and inclusive Sesame songs. Coming Together, Change the World: A Sesame Street Guide to Standing Up for Racial Justice (Lerner Publishing Group) will publish in September.
The “ABCs of Racial Literacy” resources are part of Sesame Workshop’s new Racial Justice educational framework and curriculum for young children. The new resources were developed in close consultation with expert advisors and will be implemented with committed partners, including Abriendo Puertas/Open Doors, the American Psychological Association, the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, and the National Black Child Development Institute. In addition to being freely available to families online, the resources will be distributed through national and community providers as part of Sesame Street in Communities.
Sesame Workshop believes that talking to young children about race and racism is crucial. According to a recent study conducted by Sesame Workshop with children ages 6-11, children themselves have witnessed unfair treatment, and parents report close to half of these children (42%) have personally experienced discrimination of some kind, including nearly two-thirds (62%) of Black children.
“Having open conversations with children about race and racism is critical, not only for building understanding and empathy, but also for beginning the healing process for children who experience racism,” say Anita Gundanna and Vanessa Leung, Co-Executive Directors of Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), who served as advisors on the new resources launching today. “The reality is that many children grow up experiencing racism, including Asian American children who for years have reported high levels of racial harassment—a number exacerbated by heightened xenophobia and scapegoating during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a long history of building trust with families, Sesame Workshop is the ideal organization to engage parents and caregivers in critical conversations with their little ones, help families cope with the harms of racism, and help build solidarity among communities.”
The “ABCs of Racial Literacy” is part of Coming Together, Sesame Workshop’s ongoing commitment to racial justice. Content is released on a rolling basis and available to parents and caregivers at SesameWorkshop.org/ComingTogether.
About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, the pioneering television show that has been reaching and teaching children since 1969. Today, Sesame Workshop is an innovative force for change, with a mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. We’re present in more than 150 countries, serving vulnerable children through a wide range of media, formal education, and philanthropically funded social impact programs, each grounded in rigorous research and tailored to the needs and cultures of the communities we serve. For more information, please visit www.sesameworkshop.org.
Jennifer Barnhart and Alan Muraoka. Photo by Lia Chang
Congratulations to Jennifer Barnhart on her first Daytime Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Limited Performance in a Children’s Program for her work on Sesame Street as Zoe, Charlie’s Mom and Maggie Cadabby, She is competing against Derek Gaines, as Isaac Ice, Helpsters; Lupita Nyong’o, as Self – Storyteller, Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices; Alicia Silverstone, as Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer, The Baby-Sitters Club; and Tom Wilson, as Doug Reynolds, Sydney to the Max.
Jennifer Barnhart was an Original Broadway Company member (Outer Critics Circle Award) of the smash Tony Award-winning hit Avenue Q, and she remained with the show in the role she created for its entire six-year run on Broadway. As a puppeteer, Jennifer has performed on numerous children’s television shows, including the upcoming series “Helpsters for Apple+ TV,” as well as “Between the Lions,” “Bear in the Big Blue House,” “Johnny & the Sprites,” “Julie’s Greenroom” (with Julie Andrews, for Netflix), and “Sesame Street,” where she plays Zoe. Some favorite ‘human’ roles include: Lady Macbeth, Goneril and Veronica in God of Carnage (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), and Officer Randy in Superior Donuts (The Arden Theatre). She has also appeared on Law & Order: SVU (once as a puppeteer) and was the Speaker of the House on Season 5 of “House of Cards”. Most recently, Jennifer starred in All Hallows’ Eve, a wild, eclectic horror musical created by Martin P. Robinson (Little Shop of Horrors) Her voice can be heard on various educational apps, and as a narrator for the YA novel, “The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle” (Penguin/Random House). Website: www.jenniferbarnhart.com Follow on Instagram: #iamjenbarnhart
The news was unveiled Monday by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences as part of its announcement on the nominations for the 48th annual Daytime Emmy Awards in the children’s & animation and lifestyle categories. The awards which will be presented in two live-streamed events on July 17 and 18 on the Emmy® OTT platform at 8:00 p.m. (The Daytime Emmy Awards in several other categories, including daytime drama series, talk show, game show and morning news program, were handed out Friday night.)
The Daytime Emmys are presented to individuals and programs broadcast between 2 a.m. and 6 p.m., as well as certain categories of digital and syndicated programming of similar content.
The Daytime Emmy Awards Children’s Programming and Animation ceremony will be presented in a stand-alone show streaming on the Emmy® OTT platform on Saturday, July 17, 2021 at 8p.m ET.
Awards for individual achievement in animation are selected by a juried panel of peers which selects winners in each of six craft areas without a nomination stage. Accordingly, these winners will be announced at the ceremony on July 17.
NETFLIX’S Holiday Rom-Com Series “DASH & LILY” has received 12 Daytime Emmy nominations including Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Daytime Fiction Program for Midori Francis, Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Daytime Fiction Program for Jodi Long as Mrs. Basil E., Outstanding Young Adult Series, Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Fiction Program, Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Fiction Program, and Outstanding Cinematography.
Liz Coakley, Jacqueline Bensaid and Rebecca Levine won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Makeup for a Drama or Daytime Fiction Program on June 25. Other previously announced nominations include Outstanding Casting for a Drama or Daytime Fiction Program, Outstanding Art Direction/Set Design for a Drama or Daytime Fiction Program, Outstanding Costume Design/STyling for a Drama or Daytime Fiction Program, Outstanding Hairstyling for a Drama or Daytime Fiction Program, Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Daytime Program.
The Holiday Romantic Comedy is Executive Produced by Shawn Levy and Josh Barry’s 21 Laps Entertainment (Stranger Things, Unsolved Mysteries) and Nick Jonas’ Image 32. Joe Tracz is the Series Creator, Showrunner and Executive Producer.
The cast features Austin Abrams ( Dash), Midori Francis (Lily), Dante Brown (Boomer), Troy Iwata (Langston), Keana Marie (Sofia), James Saito (Arthur), Jodi Long (Mrs. Basil E), Glenn McCuen (Edgar Thibaud), Michael Park (Gordon), Gideon Emery (Adam), Jennifer Ikeda (Grace) and Diego Guevara (Benny).
ABOUT DASH & LILY: A whirlwind Holiday romance builds as cynical Dash and optimistic Lily trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations all across New York City, finding they have more in common with each other than they would have expected. The series is based on the young adult book series Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares from the New York Times bestselling authors Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.
The news was unveiled Monday by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences as part of its announcement on the nominations for the 48th annual Daytime Emmy Awards in the children’s & animation and lifestyle categories. The awards which will be presented in two live-streamed events on July 17 and 18 on the Emmy® OTT platform at 8:00 p.m. (The Daytime Emmy Awards in several other categories, including daytime drama series, talk show, game show and morning news program, were handed out Friday night.)
The Daytime Emmys are presented to individuals and programs broadcast between 2 a.m. and 6 p.m., as well as certain categories of digital and syndicated programming of similar content.
The Daytime Emmy Awards Children’s Programming and Animation ceremony will be presented in a stand-alone show streaming on the Emmy® OTT platform on Saturday, July 17, 2021 at 8p.m ET.
Awards for individual achievement in animation are selected by a juried panel of peers which selects winners in each of six craft areas without a nomination stage. Accordingly, these winners will be announced at the ceremony on July 17.
HOLLYWOOD, CA. June 17, 2021 —A new group of entertainment professionals in the categories of Motion Pictures, Television, Live Theatre/Live Performance, Radio, Recording and the newest category Sports Entertainment have been selected to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by the Walk of Fame Selection Panel of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. These honorees were chosen from among hundreds of nominations to the committee at a meeting held on June 14, 2021 and ratified by the Hollywood Chamber’s Board of Directors on June 16, 2021. Ellen K, Chair of the Walk of Fame Selection Panel and Radio personality, announced the new honorees on www.walkoffame.com The Hollywood Walk of Fame Class of 2022 are:
In the category of MOTION PICTURES: Francis Ford Coppola, Macaulay Culkin, Willem Dafoe, Salma Hayek, James Hong, Helen Hunt, Michael B. Jordan, Regina King, Ray Liotta, Ewan McGregor, Adam McKay, Jason Momoa, Tessa Thompson and Carrie Fisher (posthumous).
In the category of TELEVISION: Byron Allen, Greg Berlanti, Ricky Gervais, Peter Krause, Bob Odenkirk, Holly Robinson-Peete, Norman Reedus, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jean Smart, Ming-Na Wen and Kenan Thompson. In the category of RECORDING: Black Eyed Peas, George E. Clinton Jr., Ashanti Douglas, DJ Khaled, Avril Lavigne, Los Huracanes Del Norte, Martha Reeves and Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Asghedom (posthumous). In the category of LIVE THEATRE/LIVE PERFORMANCE:Patti Lupone, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. and Angelica Vale In the category of RADIO: Richard Blade In the category or Sports Entertainment: Michael Strahan
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and its Walk of Fame Selection Panel congratulate all the honorees. Dates have not been scheduled for these star ceremonies. Recipients have two years to schedule star ceremonies from the date of selection before they expire. Upcoming star ceremonies are usually announced ten days prior to dedication on the official website www.walkoffame.com.
Tony winner André De Shields (Hadestown) guest stars as Dale Rustin in “The Legend of Howie Cournemeyer,” the seventh episode of the third season of NBC’s “New Amsterdam,” and the forty-seventh episode overall. It will air on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. (10pm EST)
It’s National HIV Testing Day and Max has offered free care to all HIV+ patients who come to New Amsterdam. Max learns the truth about New Amsterdam’s gay blood ban and resolves to do something about it. Bloom and Reynolds butt heads over their opposing bedside manners. Iggy eagerly awaits the return of a friend. Sharpe discovers that she may need more hands on with her niece.
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields is the triple crown winner of the 2019 awards season, having won the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, and Tony Awards for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his critically acclaimed performance as Hermes in Hadestown. The Actors’ Equity Foundation followed suit with the Richard Seff Award, honoring veteran stage actors’ best supporting performances of the year. In 2020, Mr. De Shields received the 2020 Grammy Award for Musical Theater Album for Hadestown, the 2020 AUDELCO for Lifetime Achievement, an honorary Doctor of Arts Degree from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and the 2020 Red Bull Theater Matador Award for Excellence in Classical Theater. In 2019, he received the 2019 Project1Voice Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2019 SAGE Joyce Warshow Lifetime Achievement Award, The York Theatre Company’s 2019 Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre, and was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. He received the Key to the City of Baltimore from Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young in August, 2019. Prior to his Tony Award win, Mr. De Shields was best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway productions: The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Emmy Award), Play On! (Tony Nomination), and The Full Monty (Tony Nomination). In a career spanning fifty one years, he has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director, and educator, receiving in 2018 the 8th Annual Off Broadway Alliance Legend Award, and the 33rd Annual Bob Harrington Life Achievement Bistro Award. Among his other accolades are the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival’s Living Legend Award and the 2007 Village Voice Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance. His film and TV projects include Anton Ego in Ratatouille: The TikTok Tok Musical, the Algebra Tutor in “John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch” on Netflix, Chubby in “Katy Keene” on the CW, Wyndham on “Almost Family.” He can be heard on the podcasts Live From Mount Olympus as Hermes and One Speckled Hen. He can next be seen as Gavin Plimsoll in Charles Busch’s new film, The Sixth Reel. De Shields is a proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and SDC. andredeshields.com
ABOUT NEW AMSTERDAM
In the wake of the ambulance crash that ended Season 1, medical director Dr. Max Goodwin grieves the death of his wife, Georgia, and learns the difficulties of being a single parent – all the while continuing his commitment to solve systemic health care issues at the hospital. Add in his new responsibilities as a father and with cancer still lingering in the rearview mirror, everyone around Max must wonder how long he can sustain this impossible load. But “How can I help?” is not just Max’s catchphrase, it’s his reason for living. As long as he’s helping others, Max is able to find hope in the most hopeless of places. The cast includes Ryan Eggold, Janet Montgomery, Freema Agyeman, Jocko Sims, Tyler Labine, Anupam Kher, Christine Chang and Daniel Dae Kim.
David Schulner and Peter Horton executive produce along with Michael Slovis, David Foster, Aaron Ginsburg and Shaun Cassidy.
The new series KUNG FU, starring Olivia Liang, Tzi Ma and Kheng Hua Tan, will debut Wednesday, April 7 (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT) on The CW.
A quarter-life crisis causes a young Chinese American woman, Nicky Shen (Olivia Liang), to drop out of college and go on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. But when she returns to San Francisco, she finds her hometown is overrun with crime and corruption and her own parents Jin (Tzi Ma) and Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan) are at the mercy of a powerful Triad.
Nicky will rely on her tech-savvy sister Althea (Shannon Dang) and Althea’s fiancé Dennis (Tony Chung), pre-med brother Ryan (Jon Prasida), Assistant District Attorney and ex-boyfriend Evan (Gavin Stenhouse), and new love interest Henry (Eddie Liu) as well as her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community and bring criminals to justice…all while searching for the ruthless assassin who killed her Shaolin mentor Pei-Ling (Vanessa Kai) and is now targeting her.
KUNG FU stars Olivia Liang as Nicky Shen, Kheng Hua Tan as Mei-Li Shen, Shannon Dang as Althea Shen, Jon Prasida as Ryan, Eddie Liu as Henry Yan, Gavin Stenhouse as Evan Hartley, Vanessa Kai as Pei-Ling Zhang, Tony Chung as Dennis Soong and Tzi Ma as Jin Shen.
Christina M. Kim wrote the pilot episode and serves as executive producer/co-showrunner of the series with Robert Berens. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Martin Gero and David Madden also serve as executive producers. Hanelle Culpepper is directing and co-executive producing the pilot episode. KUNG FU is produced by Berlanti Productions and Quinn’s House in association with Warner Bros. Television and is inspired by the original series created by Ed Spielman.
On Sunday, April 11 (10:00-11:00pm ET/PT), TNT will air an encore presentation of the premiere episode of The CW’s KUNG FU.
“Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” is currently streaming exclusively on Disney+. The beloved televised movie musical stars Brandy in the title role and Whitney Houston as “Fairy Godmother” alongside Whoopi Goldberg (Queen Constantina), Victor Garber (King Maximillian), Natalie Desselle Reid (Minerva), Bernadette Peters (Stepmother), Paolo Montalbán (Prince Christopher), Jason Alexander (Lionel), and Veanne Cox (Calliope).
Jason Alexander, Paolo Montalbán, Brandy Norwood, Whitney Houston, Bernadette Peters, Natalie Desselle Reid, and Veanne Cox in Cinderella (Disney)
Originally premiering on November 2, 1997 to sixty million viewers during “The Wonderful World of Disney” on ABC,“Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” became an instant fan favorite, beloved by critics and audiences alike and earning 7 Emmy Award nominations. Celebrated for its diverse representation, sweeping musical acts, and unforgettable song book, the 1997 film features an incredible array of beloved and original songs by the iconic songwriting duo Rodgers & Hammerstein, including “Impossible,” “In My Own Little Corner,” “Ten Minutes Ago,” “A Lovely Night,” “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?” and more.
Cast members Brandy, Paolo Montalbán, Whoopi Goldberg, Victor Garber, Bernadette Peters, Jason Alexander and Veanne Cox gathered for a Entertainment Weekly reunion to reminisce with Marcus Jones and celebrate the release.
In “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” when Cinderella’s cruel stepmother prevents her from attending the Royal Ball, she gets some unexpected help from her Fairy Godmother. The 1997 movie was directed by Robert Iscove, written by Robert I. Freedman, and choreographed by Rob Marshall. Whitney Houston, Debra Martin Chase, Craig Zadan, and Neil Meron served as Executive Producers. Chris Montan was a Producer and Robyn Crawford was an Associate Producer.
Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. As part of Disney’s Media and Entertainment Distribution segment, Disney+ is available on most internet-connected devices and offers commercial-free programming with a variety of original feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series, and short-form content. Alongside unprecedented access to Disney’s incredible library of film and television entertainment, the service is also the exclusive streaming home for the latest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. Disney+ is available as part of a bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Visit DisneyPlus.com to subscribe and/or learn more about the service.
About Richard Rodgers And Oscar Hammerstein II
After long and highly distinguished careers with other collaborators, Richard Rodgers (Composer, 1902-79) and Oscar Hammerstein II (Librettist/Lyricist, 1895-1960) joined forces in 1943 to create the most successful partnership in American Musical Theatre. Prior to joining forces, Rodgers collaborated with lyricist Lorenz Hart on musical comedies that epitomized wit and sophistication (Pal Joey, On Your Toes, Babes In Arms, and more), while Hammerstein brought new life to operetta and created the classic Show Boat with Jerome Kern.
Oklahoma!, the first Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, introduced an integrated form that became known as “the musical play.” Their shows that followed included Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music. Collectively, the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals have earned Tony, Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, Pulitzer and Olivier Awards. The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization is a Concord Company, www.concord.com.
Todrick Hall has shared his latest YouTube video starring Brandy and featuring the cast of the Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella film adaptation including Victor Garber, Paolo Montalbán, Jason Alexander, Bernadette Peters, Veanne Cox, and Whoopi Goldberg.
Brandy, Paolo Montalbán, Whoopi Goldberg and Victor Garber (l-r) star in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA (Disney+)
The music video is a Cinderella medley to celebrate the release of the film, currently streaming on Disney+.
The beloved televised movie musical stars Brandy in the title role and Whitney Houston as “Fairy Godmother” alongside Whoopi Goldberg as Queen Constantina, Victor Garber as King Maximillian, Natalie Desselle Reid as Minerva, Bernadette Peters as Cinderella’s Stepmother, Paolo Montalbán as Prince Christopher, Jason Alexander as Lionel, and Veanne Cox as Calliope.
Jason Alexander, Paolo Montalbán, Brandy Norwood, Whitney Houston, Bernadette Peters, Natalie Desselle Reid, and Veanne Cox in Cinderella (Disney+)
Originally premiering on November 2, 1997 to sixty million viewers during “The Wonderful World of Disney” on ABC,“Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” became an instant fan favorite, beloved by critics and audiences alike and earning 7 Emmy Award nominations. Celebrated for its diverse representation, sweeping musical acts, and unforgettable song book, the 1997 film features an incredible array of beloved and original songs by the iconic songwriting duo Rodgers & Hammerstein, including “Impossible,” “In My Own Little Corner,” “Ten Minutes Ago,” “A Lovely Night,” “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?” and more.
In “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” when Cinderella’s cruel stepmother prevents her from attending the Royal Ball, she gets some unexpected help from her Fairy Godmother. The 1997 movie was directed by Robert Iscove, written by Robert I. Freedman, and choreographed by Rob Marshall. Whitney Houston, Debra Martin Chase, Craig Zadan, and Neil Meron served as Executive Producers. Chris Montan was a Producer and Robyn Crawford was an Associate Producer.
Check out The Making of – Cinderella Medley Video.
Todrick Hall is a singer, songwriter, dancer, actor, choreographer, producer and social media influencer with over 3 million subscribers and 650 million views.
Hall has released three Number 1 Albums: Straight Outta Oz Deluxe, Forbidden & his most recent album Haus Party which will begin a world tour this October.
His Broadway credits include: Waitress, Kinky Boots, Chicago, The Color Purple and Memphis. Hall is a recurring judge and resident choreographer on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” He has choreographed videos for Beyoncé; written and starred in the Virgin America safety video, was featured in Taylor Swift’s record breaking music video “Look What You Made Me Do” and most recently he starred in/co-executive produced her latest video “You Need to Calm Down.”
Hall can be seen on other television shows, including: “Queer Eye,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Dear White People,” “Bring It,” “Dance Moms,” “Catfish,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “American Idol,” “Muppet Babies” and is the star of the documentary Behind the Curtain on Netflix. @Todrick
In 2018, Emy Coligado landed her dream role as Mary Santos in Mallorie Ortega’s The Girl Who Left Home (formerly Nanay Ko), a musical dramedy film about a Filipino-American who must put her dreams aside to keep her family restaurant from eviction.
The Girl Who Left Home also stars Haven Everly, Paolo Montalban, Liz Casasola, Lora Nicolas Olaes, Russwin Francisco, DonMike H. Mendoza, Toni Katano and Mitch Poulos.
A fan favorite on the Film Festival circuit last year, The Girl Who Left Home received the 2020 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Emerging Filmmaker Award and the 2020 CAAMfest FOWARD Narrative Audience Award. GWLH will stream in 3 more film festivals this year:
Emy Coligado got her start in the business in New York in musical theater and performed on Broadway in Miss Saigon. Coligado later discovered her love for comedy while in sketch comedy shows at Caroline’s Comedy Club and The Duplex. She moved to LA to pursue tv/film, and is best known to television audiences from her recurring roles in the critically acclaimed FOX show, “Malcolm in the Middle” where she played Piama, the wife of the oldest son, Francis; and as Emmy on “Crossing Jordan.”
Emy Coligado and Christopher Masterson in “Malcolm in the Middle”. (FOX)
Other notable tv credits include “Claws,” “Fresh Off The Boat,” and “Shameless.” She has had a number of series regular roles on ABC and NBC pilots. Her films included The Three Stooges and Miss Congeniality 2 to name a few, and she has worked with directors such as the Farrelly Brothers, Wim Wenders & Howard Deutch.
In addition to GWLH, Coligado saw the release of two other films in 2020, Matthew Ya-Hsiung Balzer’s The Catch and Gina O’Brien’s First One In (on Amazon Prime), within a 2 month time span due to COVID. Her latest guest starring roles include the new TV series Run The World (Starz) and Netflix’s Archive 81 series, based on the supernatural horror podcast produced by James Wan’s Atomic Monster.
Emy’s performance in The Girl Who Left Home resonated with me, and she agreed to answer a few questions via email about her slate of indie releases.
Lia: How were you cast for each of the films released in 2020?
Emy: I booked The Catch through my manager and shot my scenes over nine days in Massachusetts in 2018. The Catch was challenging for me because my character, Lily McManus, didn’t have a ton of lines but her presence was very important to the story. Filling up the spaces is really left to the actor’s imagination and the director/cinematographer’s vision. Being comfortable with simplicity and quiet was something new for me.
First One In was exciting because it was a largely female cast with women of different backgrounds, body types, and ages. Having to play tennis and being the weakest player on the team was not a reach for me at all. It was fun because I didn’t have the pressure of having to look skilled. I could still concentrate on trying my best at keeping my eye on the ball and know that my natural lack of talent would come through. Haha! It was also wonderful to shoot in NYC (Long Island specifically) for the first time. I shot over a ten day span in 2019.
I learned about The Girl Who Left Home (GWLH) through Backstage. I later found out that my tape was set aside because I wasn’t the right age range they were looking for. My friend Eymard Cabling knew the writer/director Mallorie Ortega. He recommended me and so they went back into their archives and found my audition.
Haven Everly, Emy Coligado and Paolo Montalban in Mallorie Ortega’s THE GIRL WHO LEFT HOME.
Emy Coligado
GWLH was special to me in many ways. I started my career in musical theater. I stopped singing for something like 15 years and concentrated on my tv/film career in LA. Then 2 years ago, I returned to NY in hopes of doing musical theatre again. GWLH is a musical film. So doing both wasn’t something I planned but was a happy melding of the two. It’s also a Filipino American story. I remember while I was shooting I had a whole new level of happiness. And what I realized was that my happiness was because I finally felt free. I was finally playing a role that was specifically Filipina and a lead role. I had never really had that opportunity in my 25 years of performing. So I guess you could say it was a dream come true that I didn’t dream of. My shooting schedule for GWLH was three weeks in Maryland.
Lia: Was there one particular film that resonated with you more?
Emy: Most definitely GWLH. In the film, Mary loses her husband. The role is particularly special to me because my Dad had just passed away from pancreatic cancer. I moved out of LA and in with my mom to keep her company for 6 months. I had witnessed my own mom mourn her partner of more than 50 years. So loss was very much a part of my life during shooting. Art was imitating life or life was imitating art so to speak. The film is in dedication to Dad and an homage to Mom.
Lia: What was it like to pivot to virtual press and screenings?
Emy: I actually don’t have much experience with independent film to compare it to. But I will say, I enjoy doing interviews online. Getting ready is much easier. You only have to worry about the top half looking good. Commuting in traffic is out the window which I welcome any day. I do wish, however, that we could’ve done physical screenings. I was looking forward to GWLH especially because the cast and crew became so close. I haven’t attended a film festival with one of my own films yet so I hope that will be in my future.
Lia: How have you been managing through the pandemic?
Emy: Business-wise, not knowing when or if you’ll work again is something I have always dealt with. So that part of the pandemic, while not fun is also not new. Thank god for online readings. No, they aren’t the same but it is still a creative outlet & an opportunity to exercise my muscle. Personally, at this very moment I’m anxious. Life again is teaching me (and the world) that health is wealth. I’m not so much worried for my own but for some close people in my life. So I’m sending out good juju to them & anyone who needs it out there. I am so ready for 2021 & am just hoping for a year that is less “exciting.”
The Catch is a Manchester Film Festival official selection. It is available to view online in the UK in March 2021. Visit maniff.com
Lia Chang
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. 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, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs.
Emy: I booked The Catch through my manager and shot my scenes over nine days in Massachusetts in 2018. The Catch was challenging for me because my character, Lily McManus, didn’t have a ton of lines but her presence was very important to the story. Filling up the spaces is really left to the actor’s imagination and the director/cinematographer’s vision. Being comfortable with simplicity and quiet was something new for me.
First One In was exciting because it was a largely female cast with women of different backgrounds, body types, and ages. Having to play tennis and being the weakest player on the team was not a reach for me at all. It was fun because I didn’t have the pressure of having to look skilled. I could still concentrate on trying my best at keeping my eye on the ball and know that my natural lack of talent would come through. Haha! It was also wonderful to shoot in NYC (Long Island specifically) for the first time. I shot over a ten day span in 2019.
