NEW YORK -- 2024 is shaping up to be a great year for Filipinos on Broadway.

From iconic Broadway musicals like "Hamilton," "Aladdin" and "Chicago" to the newest hit musicals like "Merrily We Roll Along" starring Daniel Radcliffe (Charley Kringas) and Jonathan Groff (Franklin Shepard), Filipino actors are making a mark on Broadway as well as Off-Broadway.

Some even made history.

Red Concepcion recently became the first Filipino to join the cast of "Chicago" in the supporting role of Amos Hart. New fans even come up to Concepcion for selfies and autographs after watching him perform Hart’s heartfelt "Mister Cellophane" number. Before this, Concepcion played the iconic role of Engineer in the UK tour of "Miss Saigon."

Marc Dela Cruz is the first Filipino to perform the role of Alexander Hamilton on Broadway. Dela Cruz continues to perform key roles in Hamilton: Aaron Burr, King George, John Laurens/Philip Hamilton, Marquis De Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson including as standby for the lead role Alexander Hamilton.

Karla Puno Garcia was the very first Filipino to join the diverse cast of "Hamilton" on Broadway. She also made history as the first ever Filipino American, first woman of color to choreograph the 76th Annual Tony Awards’ opening number and the tribute to Joel Grey and John Kander. She has choreographed other hit musicals like "Rent" and the Netflix film "Tick, Tick... Boom" which was directed by Lin Manuel Miranda.

Others were given the chance to create and develop their own take on characters in musicals such as Disney’s "Aladdin" where Adam Jacobs originated the role of Aladdin and Don Darryl Rivera created the funniest villain on Broadway, Iago.

Today, Filipino-Americans continue to make Disney magic on the "Aladdin" stage. Aaron Albano rejoins the cast, fresh from "Here Lies Love," as Henchman and Ensemble. Zare Anguay and Mathew DeGuzman perform challenging swing roles where they have to know pretty much all the other characters so they can play those roles at any moment’s notice as swings.

Eva Noblezada originated the role of Eurydice in "Hadestown." In March, she will be back on stage at the Broadway Theater as the enigmatic Daisy Buchanan in "The Great Gatsby" alongside Jeremy Jordan as Jay Gatsby, previewing on March 29 and opening on April 25. She played the title role of Kim in the hit musical revival of "Miss Saigon: in 2017 at the Broadway Theater -- where Lea Salonga also played the title role of Kim in its original run in 1991.

Eva Noblezada *(Source: The Great Gatsby)*

From "Miss Saigon" to "Here Lies Love," Broadway Theater has been home to many Filipinos who made their Broadway debuts at this iconic theater.

"Hadestown" will once again be on the radar of Filipino-Americans as Jon Briones will join the cast as Hermes beginning March 19. Playing the title role of Eurydice is his daughter Isa Briones, who will be the second Fil-Am to play this role on Broadway. Rejoining the cast is another Fil-Am, Kay Trinidad, who is reprising her role as Fate. The Fates (Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos) are Greek goddesses who design the fates of men. In "Hadestown," the Fates serve as the “conscience” of the main characters: Orpheus, Eurydice, and Hades. "Hadestown" also stars Jordan Fisher as Orpheus.

Jeigh Madjus, fresh from his outstanding performance in "Here Lies Love" rejoins the cast of "Moulin Rouge" with Boy George as the fabulous Harold Zidler.

When it comes to Off-Broadway revivals, "The Little Shop of Horrors" will have the second Fil-Am to play Seymour. Darren Criss joined Skid Row in January and will be performing with the man-eating plant until March.

Conrad Ricamora stepped into Seymour’s "Little Shop of Horrors" in 2022. Today, the two-time Grammy nominee and star of "How To Get Away Murder," "Soft Power," "The King and I" and "Here Lies Love" is playing Abraham Lincoln in an Off-Broadway production of Oh, Mary!

The thing is, the Pinoy rush on Broadway is just beginning. There are still a few Broadway-bound productions that have Fil-Ams in their pre-Broadway cast.

Melody Butiu, fresh from her acclaimed performance as Estrella Campos, Imelda Marcos’s childhood BFF, in "Here Lies Love" co-stars with Kristin Chenoweth in the pre-Broadway run of "The Queen of Versailles" in Boston and is expected to open on Broadway soon.

Another Broadway-bound musical "Boop! The Musical" with music by David Foster has finished its short Chicago run where "America's Got Talent" finalist Angelica Hale made the cast as Trisha, Betty Boop’s human BFF.

Fingers crossed, these Filipino Americans will reprise their roles when these musicals make their Broadway run sometime soon.

But the most exciting part is yet to be announced!

Nicole Scherzinger’s hit West End musical, "Sunset Boulevard," is coming to Broadway. Broadway insiders confirm that Scherzinger’s acclaimed "Sunset Boulevard" is Broadway-bound for sure, but production dates and final casting will be announced hopefully soon.

The biggest question now is, will Stephen Sondheim’s hit musical “Old Friends” starring Bernadeth Peters and Lea Salonga ever make it to Broadway?

That is the question, rather, the biggest wish, in the minds of many Broadway fans including Filipino Americans.

If these two musicals, "Sunset Boulevard" and "Old Friends" make it Broadway, then it’s game over! 2024 will definitely be the year that the Great White Way was truly Pinoy-powered!

Here is a comprehensive list of Broadway and Off Broadway shows that are Pinoy-powered.

BROADWAY SHOWS

HAMILTON

MARC DELACRUZ

Standby for Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, King George, John Laurens/Philip Hamilton, Marquis De Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson

(First Filipino American to play the role of Alexander Hamilton on Broadway)

CHICAGO

RED CONCEPCION as Amos Hart (Broadway Debut)

(First Filipino cast member and first to play the role of Amos Hart in Chicago Musical)

ALADDIN

DON DARRYL RIVERA – Iago (Originated the role of Iago on Broadway for Disney)

AARON J. ALBANO as Henchman, Ensemble

ZARE ANGUAY - Swing

MATTHEW DEGUZMAN - Swing, Dance Captain, Fight Captain

SIX THE MUSICAL

JASMINE FORSBERG as Jane Seymour

SIERRA FERMIN as Alternate *Broadway Debut

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG

LEANA RAE CONCEPCION as Claudia, Newscaster, Auditionee, Understudy for Beth Shepard *Broadway Debut

JAMILA SABARES-KLEMM as Dory / Evelyn / Pianist / Understudy Mary Flynn & Gussie Carnegie *Broadway Debut

WICKED

KRISTINA DOUCETTE - Ensemble

LISSA DEGUZMAN – Elphaba Standby

MOULIN ROUGE

JEIGH MADJUS rejoins the cast as Baby Doll / Ensemble

BACK TO THE FUTURE

AARON ALCARAZ as Dave McFly/Ensemble

DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES (Closing April 28)

Choreography by KARLA PUNO GARCIA

(First Filipino American cast member of "Hamilton" on Broadway / First Filipino American to Choreograph Tony Awards opening number)

THE WHO’S TOMMY (Previews begin March 8 / Opening March 28

ADAM JACOBS as Captain Walker

THE OUTSIDERS Previews Mar 16 / Opening Apr 11

DARYL TOFA as Two-Bit Matthew

HADESTOWN

JON BRIONES as Hermes (Performances begin March 19)

(First Filipino to play the role of Hermes on Hadestown)

ISA BRIONES as Eurydice, role originated by another Fil-Am Eva Noblezada

Briones is the second Filipino to play Eurydice in Hadestown (Performances begin March 19)

KAY TRINIDAD – Fate, OG Hadestown Broadway who rejoined the production

THE GREAT GATSBY Previews March 29 / Opening April 25, 2024

EVA NOBLEZADA as the enigmatic Daisy Buchanan

(Grammy winner / First Filipino American to play Daisy Buchanan on Broadway/ Tony nominee for 'Miss Saigon')

SUFFS MUSICAL (Previews March 26 / Opening April 18)

JAYGEE MACAPUGAY as Mollie Hay / Ensemble

THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL (Previews March 29)

ROBERT PENDILLA - Ensemble

ORVILLE MENDOZA as Fjord

ZOE JENSEN as Paige

OFF-BROADWAY SHOWS

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

DARREN CRISS – As Seymour

(Emmy Award Winner + 1 Emmy Nomination, Golden Globe Award winner)

OH, MARY!

CONRAD RICAMORA as Abraham Lincoln / Mary’s Husband

(Two-Time Grammy Nominee)

JELLY’S LAST JAM (Through March 3)

CLINT RAMOS - Producing Creative Director

(Tony Winner + 3 other Tony Nominations)

COMFORT GIRL

LITO VILLAREAL – as Voice

& JULIET / DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES

STEVEN CUEVAS – Theater Musician / Pit Musician

PEOPLE POWER DISCO HOUR @ Lincoln Center TBA

DJ CYNTHIA CHERISH MALARAN

BROADWAY-BOUND MUSICALS

Casting for Broadway has not been announced but I am hoping these Fil-Ams will make it to the Broadway production maybe this year or next.

THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES

Starring Kristin Chenoweth and MELODY BUTIU as Sofia Flores

BOOP THE MUSICAL

ANGELICA HALE as Trisha, Betty Boop’s friend

EDUCATOR ON BROADWAY

DEVIN ILAW - Vocal Coach, Adjunct Faculty, NYU Tisch School of the Arts / Songbook Academy Vocal Coach

First posted in: https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2024/3/1/pinoy-power-on-broadway-and-off-broadway-2024-953

The Magazine

Pinoy power on Broadway and Off-Broadway 2024: A comprehensive list of all shows with Filipinos

BROADWAY SHOWS

OFF-BROADWAY SHOWS

BROADWAY-BOUND MUSICALS

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