News
June 2023
After three long years, it was so wonderful to be able to reunite with National Asian Artists Project and perform with their Broadway Chorus at their 2023 Gala entitled, The Corner of Chinatown and Broadway Returns. The evening honored the contributions of Asian-American performers, Lori Tan Chinn (Nora from Queens), Virginia Wing, and Henry Yuk. The event also celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar and our founder Baayork Lee's involvement with the film, which we commemorated by singing a short medley composed by Dan Pardo.
To read Broadway World's coverage of the event, please click here.
May 2023
Thank you so much to Good Morning America and NY1 Focus for featuring Model Majority on your shows!
May 2023
With the epic wins from the cast and crew of Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, Model Majority had a lot to celebrate during our annual AAPINH Show, Model Majority: AAPI History 401. Some of our other sketches parodied the new Barbie movie, the Kim Loo Sisters, and the Physical 100, which I especially enjoyed since it allowed me to revisit my past as a gymnast. We were especially thrilled to have Model Majority Alumni, Dylan Adler from The James Corden Show join us for this event!
October 2022
For its 4th Annual Birthday show, Model Majority produced a special musical-themed sketch show entitled Model Majority: Not on Broadway. Needless to say, I was incredibly thrilled to able to combine my two biggest passions of music and comedy. Like a lot of Asian-Americans in musical theatre, I've often found myself waiting for either the next production of The King and I, Miss Saigon or Flower Drum Song. However, this sketch show gave me the opportunity to poke fun at some of the shows and characters that Asian performers don’t usually get considered for by presenting them with an Asian/American twist. Some of the shows we got to parody included Annie, A Chorus Line, Beauty and the Beast, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Wicked.
May 2022
With the continuing violence against Asian Americans, our community desperately needed a laugh this AAPI Month more then ever. Fortunately, our sketch team was more than happy to deliver with our annual AAPI History Month Show. For this show, we made it a point to celebrate all the achievements that Asian American celebrities have made to pop culture, like Anna May Wong, Olivia Rodrigo, Anderson Paak, Bruno Mars and the cast of Disney's Pixar film, Turning Red.
February 2022
Just when we thought we were in the clear, the Pandemic hit us with yet another twist: Omicron. Still, the show must go on... Determined not to let this latest variant damper our spirits, Model Majority proceeded with our Lunar New Year show as planned, even if it meant returning to the Zoom platform. Our show explored a wide variety of Lunar New Year Traditions, while also paying homage to 2022's Zodiac Animal, the Tiger!
October 2021
This past October marked Model Majority's 3rd Birthday and after two years of being away from the stage, I can't imagine a better way to celebrate than performing in front of a live audience again, especially for such a fun show. This show's theme was "Movie Night," which gave us an opportunity to reimagine our favorite films and film genres with an all-Asian cast. Some of the popular films we parodied included The Sound of Music, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Star Wars. Big thanks to Time Out NYC for naming us one of Top 10 Things to Do This Weekend!
May 27,2021
What's better than recognition by one of comedy's major powerhouses? How about two?! Special thanks to the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival for naming my sketch, "A Diver's Guide to Poolside Safety" as one of your "Must See Videos" for the month of May and to Elizabeth Banks for selecting Model Majority's AAPI History 201 Comedy Show to be a part of WhoHaha's AAPIHM Playlist!
To view these articles, please click the following links:
May 1, 2021
As many Asian Americans will tell you, life since the beginning of this Pandemic has been difficult. There had been an alarming increase in both the xenophobia and hate crime rates against our community. And even worse, our cries of outrage against hate crimes, such as the horrific murders in Atlanta, has been met with gaslighting and apathy. It is for these reasons that this year’s Model Majority AAPI History Show held an extra special significance. For this year’s show, we wanted to remind our audiences of the many contributions that Asian Americans made to this country, so we chose to focus our sketches on the amazing AAPI historical figures that US history often erases. I was particularly proud to write about and portray a lesser known icon named Vicki Manalo Draves, the first woman (specifically Filipina-American) to win two Olympic gold medals in diving during a time when athletes of color endured relentless discrimination and bigotry. It is my hope that the people watching our show will understand that Asian-American History IS US History.
February 2021
After all the chaos that 2020 brought us, I think we were more than a little ready to jump into 2021. So, to ring a brighter and safer New Year, Model Majority produced its Third Annual Lunar New Year Show in honor of the “Year of the Ox.” According to the Chinese Zodiac Lore, the Ox represents inspiration and reliability, which frankly all of us could use a little more of in our lives. The online show gathered us a lot of press, including a mention in Time Out New York and an interview in DC Metro Arts by the wonderful, Deb Miller.
To read our press coverage, please click the links below:
July 2020
Thank you, New York Times, for naming Model Majority as one of this weekend's Top 8 Things to Do This Weekend! Click here to read the full article. You can find us mentioned under the "Comedy" section.
May 2020
From the closing of theatres to the halting of film and TV production, there's no doubt that the entertainment industry has been hit really hard by the Covid-19 Pandemic. Fortunately, we performers are a hardy breed and it's tough times like these that can propel us to new levels of creativity. On May 16th, Model Majority aired its first live show. While it was difficult at first to adapt our usual stage productions for the Zoom platform, I'm incredibly proud of how my team stepped up to the challenge. Not only did this experience give us a deeper insight into film production, but it also enabled us to reach an audience beyond the NYC community.
March 6, 2020
This week has been living proof that fairy tales can come true. On Monday, I had the distinct pleasure of performing Off- Broadway in the chorus of National Asian Artists Project's Rediscover production of Cinderella. In keeping with its mission to promote Asian representation, this enchanting production was directed by Sesame Street's Alan Muraoka and its all-Asian cast featured many of Broadway's most talented Asian performers, including (Ann Harada of Avenue Q, Ali Ewoldt of Phantom of the Opera, Josh De La Cruz of Aladdin and Blues Clues.) To be able to perform alongside so many of the actors I have admired for so long, in a production that allowed Asian-Americans to finally see themselves taking center-stage as princes and princesses, was nothing short of a dream come true and this experience is one I will always cherish.
To read Broadway World's coverage of our production, please click here.
February 2020
2020 has certainly started off with a bang! Thanks to all the coverage that our sketch team received in Time Out New York and The New York Times, Model Majority performed its annual Lunar New Year Show to a sold-out house at the PIT. The show offered a humorous take on Chinese New Year traditions and poked fun at this year's Lunar New Year animal, the rat.
To read the featured articles about us, please click the links below:
December 2019
As 2019 draws to a close, I'm delighted to say that this year ended on a high note for me. This past September, I had the good fortune to join the cast of "Model Majority," NYC's first comedy all-Asian comedy sketch team. Our team has graced a variety of venues across the city and most recently has performed at both the Magnet Theater's King of Shows and the Asian American Arts Alliance's Comedy Town Hall.
While we as a race are rarely known for our sense of humor, Asian-Americans have been making strides in the field of stand-up and sketch comedy thanks to the likes of the hilarious Ali Wong and hysterical Bowen Yang of SNL. So, I am thrilled to be a part of the Asian Comedy Movement that is striving to change that stereotype.
June 12, 2019
A few weeks ago, I had the distinct privilege of making my debut as a member of the NAAP (National Asian Artist's Project) Broadway Chorus. Directed and choreographed by Tony award-winning Baayork Lee, this chorus comprised entirely of New York's most talented Asian-American singers presented an enchanting evening of music by Alfred Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. In addition to performing in the choreographed ensemble numbers, I was featured as the Paint Your Wagon soloist and received the opportunity to sing one of my dream roles.
June 2, 2019
The only thing more rewarding than helping develop an original musical is being able to rejoin its incredible cast and creative team as it continues to the next stage of its journey, which is why I was so excited to hear that "The Monkey King" would be returning to Roosevelt Island for a one-night only rock concert at this year's Figment Festival! This remounted version of the show not only revisited the original score, but also featured several new songs. I was particularly thrilled to reprise my role as the Jade Emperor's Herald and take over an additional role as Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy.
Photo Credit: Irina Island Imagery
September 2018
This past September, I had the pleasure of taking part in a reading of Julia Chang's short film, Over You, at the Ma-Yi Theatre. It was presented by Asian Cinevision as a part of the Asian American Film Social's Fall Reading Series. The event was covered by a local Chinese news network, NDTV.
July 2018
My latest project is a developmental lab performance of "The Monkey King." Composed and written by Jonathan and Kimbirdlee Fadner, this exciting new musical is a masterful rendition of the Ancient Chinese folktale with a fun and modern twist. It is directed by Lucille Lortel Nominee and NAAP co-founder, Steven Eng. Yours truly will be originating the role of the Jade Emperor's Herald. Upcoming performance venues on this tour include the Howe Theatre and the Queens Theatre.
Photo Credit Irina Island Images
Photo Credit: Irina Island Images
December 2017
Several months ago, I had the good fortune of collaborating with the talented actor and director, John Wu on a comedic short, entitled When Asian Actors Audition for Commercials. This sketch offers a humorous look at the racial stereotypes that my fellow Asian-American performers and I often encounter in this industry. Below is the finished version for your enjoyment!
Year of Production: 2017
Running Time: 6:46 min
Director: John Wu
BH20 Productions