August 17, 2024
Crazy Talented Asians
Curated and produced by AJ Rafael in partnership with East West Players
Featuring Kimiko Glenn, Juia Harriman, Grlhood, and more
Presented in conjunction with Nisei Week 2024
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Crazy Talented Asians - Nisei Week Edition!
Curated and produced by AJ Rafael in partnership with East West Players
Featuring Kimiko Glenn, Juia Harriman, Grlhood, and more
Presented in conjunction with Nisei Week 2024
Presented at the David Henry Hwang Theater!
ONE NIGHT ONLY: Saturday, August 17, 2024, 7:00 PM
Hot off playing the lead role in Jonathan Larsen’s Tick, Tick… Boom! at Cygnet Theatre in San Diego, Filipino American singer/songwriter and theater performer AJ Rafael brings together a star-studded evening of Musical Cabaret, featuring some of his Crazy Talented Asian friends!
Just in time for Nisei Week and the 140th Anniversary of Little Tokyo, this concert event celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander representation and the Little Tokyo Community that has played host and incubator to so many leading AAPI artists!
Featuring performances from Kimiko Glenn (Orange Is the New Black, Waitress on Broadway), Julia Harriman (Hamilton), Grlhood (Kay Sibal, Leianna Weaver, Justine Rafael & Audrey Crabano), an appearance from members of the Nisei Week Court, and many more to be announced special guests, with AJ on the keys and guitar.
Inspired by the 2018 smash hit film Crazy Rich Asians, CTA is a Cabaret Concert that has featured Broadway vets, EWP Alumni, and a host of AAPI artists and performers who share in a night of song and music. Crazy Talented Asians is the brainchild of AJ, who has racked up more than one million subscribers on YouTube and has performed at EWP in productions such as 2018’s Mamma Mia!
Featuring
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With over 4 million followers across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, AJ Rafael has incredible reach and has worked as a creator with numerous brands and organizations, such as Meta, Verizon, and Disney. As an actor, AJ’s stage credits include productions of Burn All Night, Grease, Spring Awakening, Tick, Tick… Boom!, and in TV/film. He will be seen in various unannounced projects slated for release later this year.
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Kimiko Glenn is best known for her work as Brook Soso on the critically acclaimed Netflix series, Orange Is the New Black, which garnered her three Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series.
Kimiko can most recently be seen on Peacock’s Sacred Lies, ABC’s long-running hit series The Goldbergs, Hulu’s History of the World Part II, Michelle Obama’s Netflix series Waffles & Mochi, and Doug Ellin’s Ramble On opposite Martin & Charlie Sheen and Kevin Connolly.
Kimiko is also one of the hottest voices in animation. She voices the titular role on Nickelodeon's Baby Shark, Disney's Kiff in the title role, a supporting lead in the stunning critically acclaimed feature Over the Moon, and countless other episodic series. Kimiko notably voiced the role of Peni Parker in the Academy Award-winning feature, Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse. She returned as Peni for the sequel, Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse, and will return for the third movie.
In her Broadway debut, Kimiko originated the role of Dawn in the adaptation of the 2007 feature film, Waitress, which was nominated for a 2016 Tony Award for Best Musical as well as a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical, with music and lyrics by award-winning popstar Sara Bareilles. Other theater credits include the first national tour of Spring Awakening as Thea and the title role in The Flaming Lips musical, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, which had its world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse.
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Julia Harriman performed as Eliza Hamilton in the First National and And Peggy tours of HAMILTON, opening in Puerto Rico with Lin-Manuel Miranda, and was a vocalist on Hamilton’s Hamildrop, “First Burn.” She was a co-writer and featured artist on the soundtrack for Netflix‘s The Eddy and voices the role of Ami in the new Netflix animated film, Ultraman: Rising. Julia is a singer-songwriter with music out on all platforms, new music to come, and more exciting news to share at a later date!
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Grlhood is a dynamic quartet of Gen Z Filipina talents based in Southern California. The group—made up of Kay Sibal, Leianna Weaver, Justine Rafael, and Audrey Crabano—quickly became close friends last year and, fueled by their collective creative energy, Grlhood emerged organically when they began sharing clips of them harmonizing on Instagram. What started as impromptu jam sessions soon led to collaborations with FilAm trailblazer AJ Rafael and filming their first music video, set to release later this year. With their shared passion and their natural chemistry, they continue to proudly rep the FilAm community by doing what they love most, singing together.
Tickets
Individual Seating
Insider $100: for super fans who want to sit adjacent to the artists themselves in the balcony
Premium $75: the best views in the orchestra
Regular $40: the sides and rear of the orchestra and first two rows of the balcony
Access $20: to ensure the arts remain accessible for all, but are limited in number
VIP On-Stage Cabaret Seating
See the CTA artists strut their stuff and wow the crowd from an exclusive, on-stage cabaret. Buy one seat or a table for four. Just 16 VIP tix will be sold, and each includes 2 complimentary drink coupons to redeem at our cash bar.
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