Watch Yellow Face on PBS

Enjoy Tony winner David Henry Hwang’s comedy starring Daniel Dae Kim as an Asian American playwright who protests “yellowface” casting in the musical “Miss Saigon” only to mistakenly cast a white actor as the Asian lead in his own play.

Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang’s comedy from Roundabout Theatre Company stars Daniel Dae Kim (“Lost,” “Hawaii Five-0”) as an Asian American playwright who protests yellowface casting in the blockbuster musical “Miss Saigon,” only to mistakenly cast a white actor as the Asian lead in his own play. The repercussions resonate in this farce about the complexities of race. Filmed in November 2024 and directed by Leigh Silverman (“Violet,” “Suffs”), “Yellow Face” is an “is-he-or-isn’t-he” comedy of identity, show business and autobiography.

Watch Yellow Face at PBS

Enjoy Broadway at home with these new TV and album releases

Recent and upcoming releases in TV and audio recording formats of four multi-award-nominated Broadway shows of the 2024-25 season are making performances of two plays available for viewing at home and the scores and songs of two musicals accessible for listening, if you weren’t able to make it to the theater to see them live, or if you loved them and can’t wait to revisit them again and again.

Yellow Face – A sidesplitting and thought-provoking Broadway revival of the 2007 quasi-autobiographical comedy by three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony winner David Henry Hwang (the first Asian American playwright to receive the award) starred Daniel Dae Kim as an Asian American playwright who protests “yellowface” casting in the musical Miss Saigon, only to mistakenly cast a white actor as the Asian lead in his own play and then suffer the repercussions. The critically acclaimed show, for which Francis Jue has already received an Outer Critics Circle Award for his featured role as the playwright’s father, ran for a limited engagement with Roundabout Theatre Company through Sunday, November 24, 2024, at the Todd Haimes Theatre. A live stage performance was filmed for PBS that month, made its broadcast debut on Friday, May 16, and is available now through June 30, for free streaming on the PBS website and app, so be sure to see this hilarious and timely look at racial identity, artistic freedom, political correctness, and media frenzy while you still can.

Read more at DC Arts

The Dramatists Guild Honors Clarence Coo ’10 with Horton Foote Award

Playwriting alum Clarence Coo ’10 was presented with the Horton Foote Award at the Dramatists Guild’s annual awards ceremony on April 29, 2025, at the Broadway restaurant Green Fig.

"It was such an honor and a delight to receive this award the same evening David Henry Hwang received a Lifetime Achievement Award. David was my thesis mentor when I was a playwriting student at [the School of the Arts],” Coo said in a statement.

The Horton Foote Award recognizes dramatists whose work “seeks to plumb the ineffable nature of being human,” according to the Dramatists Guild. This year’s Horton Foote Award was given to Coo and playwright C. A. Johnson. Last year’s recipient was Sanaz Toossi, whose play English was just nominated for the 2025 Tony Award for Best Play.

Read more at Columbia.edu

Hwang’s ‘Yellow Face’ Earns Tony Nominations

NEW YORK — The nominations for the 2025 Tony Awards, including three for “Yellow Face,” were announced on May 1.

The awards show, hosted by Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked”), will be held at Radio City Music Hall on June 8 at 8 p.m. ET and will air on CBS and Paramount+.

David Henry Hwang’s “Yellow Face” was nominated for Best Revival of a Play along with “Eureka Day,” “Romeo + Juliet,” and “Thornton Wilder’s Our Town.”

Francis Jue was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play along with Glenn Davis for “Purpose,” Gabriel Ebert for “John Proctor Is the Villain,” Bob Odenkirk for “Glengarry Glenn Ross,” and Conrad Ricamora for “Oh, Mary!”

Daniel Dae Kim was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play along with George Clooney for “Good Night and Good Luck,” Cole Escola for “Oh, Mary!,” Jon Michael Hill for “Purpose,” Henry Lennix for “Purpose,” and Louis McCartney for “Stranger Things: The First Shadow.”

In Hwang’s semiautobiographical play, DHH (Kim), an Asian American playwright, protests yellowface casting in the blockbuster musical “Miss Saigon,” only to mistakenly cast a white actor as the Asian lead in his own play. The repercussions resonate in this farce about the complexities of race. Jue plays DHH’s father, HYH.

Read more at Rafu Shimpo

Yellow Face Airs the PBS Ethnicity Game

David Henry Hwang’s identity crisis 

David Henry Hwang’s play Yellow Face exemplifies the diversity-inclusion-equity (DIE) games that no doubt will continue at the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) even after federal funding is withdrawn.

Hwang, the Chinese-American playwright of M Butterfly — the stone-faced, gender-bending update of Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly — has cemented his reputation for political correctness by specializing in racial (ethnic) discourse. Yellow Face debuted in 2007, was revived to much acclaim in 2024, and recently received several Tony Award nominations. PBS is now airing a recorded performance of the show.

The national exhibition of Yellow Face confirms Hwang’s grasp of progressive dramaturgy — a skill akin to writing successful grant proposals — in which personal experience is prized as political testament. The semi-autobiographical play recounts DHH’s own struggle session when he attacked the Broadway musical blockbuster Miss Saigon in 1990 for casting a white actor (Jonathan Pryce) as its Eurasian lead character.

Hwang’s vainglorious campaign underscores his later experience producing his next play, Face Value, and facing the death of his father, Henry Yuan Hwang (HYH), a patriotic immigrant and founder of Far East National Bank. Yellow Face suits PBS through its acronyms and coded blackout sketches that generate notions about ethnic identity. It’s Hwang’s satire of demoralized patriotism. His disillusionment perpetuates DIE ideology in one convenient package.

Read more at the National Review

Go Inside an Industry Screening of the Tony-Nominated Play Yellow Face

David Henry Hwang, Leigh Silverman, Francis Jue, and Daniel Dae Kim (Ghina Fawaz)

David Henry Hwang's play, starring Tony nominees Daniel Dae Kim and Francis Jue, is streaming now on PBS.

While Tony Award voters have to go to the theatre to see this season's Tony-nominated shows, there is one production they can watch from their homes: Yellow Face by David Henry Hwang—which is currently up for three Tonys, including Best Revival of a Play. The play, which closed last fall after a limited engagement, has been filmed by PBS and can be streamed until June 30 on PBS.org. For the industry folks who would rather see it in a theatre, Hwang and the show's stars have been hosting a number of screenings of the Yellow Face film.

At a May 18 screening at the Whitby Hotel, which also featured popcorn in Yellow Face containers, Hwang introduced the film by noting the play's historical significance: "I'm very grateful to the [Tony] nominators and everybody, because this is the first play in Broadway history in which East Asians are being centered as Americans." Indeed, musicals and plays set in Asia are fairly common on Broadway, but works about Asians living in America aren't as prevalent (though Hwang previously worked on a revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song, set in San Francisco).

Read more at Playbill

Daniel Dae Kim making history at the Tony Awards and pushing for Asian representation on Broadway

The first monologue Daniel Dae Kim ever performed was by David Henry Hwang.

He had to do one for his college summer program at the National Theater Institute in Connecticut. Kim chose a scene from “FOB," Hwang's play about the assimilation struggles of a Chinese American. So, it's fitting that 35 years later Hwang — the first Asian American to win the Tony Award for best play — would be the one to bring Kim into the Tony spotlight.

Known for TV series such as “Lost” and “Hawaii Five-0,” Kim, 56, is the first Asian nominee in the category of best leading actor in a play in the Tonys’ 78-year history for his work in a Broadway revival of Hwang’s “Yellow Face.”

“I can imagine a lot of things, but I did not imagine this scenario with David,” Kim said. “That I would be in a play with him, that we would both be nominated for Tony Awards and we would be able to call each other friends.”

In the semi-autobiographical show, which ran last fall at the Roundabout Theatre Company, Kim played a satirical version of Hwang. The show also scored nods for best play revival and best performance by a featured actor in a play for first-time nominee Francis Jue, an original 2007 cast member.

Read more at San Francisco Chronicle

Tonys 2025 Predictions: Who Will Win? And Who Should?

Best Play Revival

★ “Eureka Day”

“Romeo + Juliet”

“Our Town”

✓ “Yellow Face”

In this season’s death match between “Our Town,” the quintessential American drama, and “Romeo + Juliet,” the everlasting English tragedy, the Thornton Wilder revival won by a knockout. (Nobody really seemed to die in the Shakespeare.) But “Yellow Face,” by David Henry Hwang, complicating its story about colorblind casting with piquant ironies, will likely defeat them both. Still, I’d go for Jonathan Spector’s “Eureka Day,” a satire of vaccination politics that skewers both sides: anti-science know-nothings and trip-on-your-tongue progressives. It lets every kind of American cringe.

Read more at The New York Times

Broadway on TV

Two Tony-nominated plays from the current Broadway season are being broadcast on television. Both of them originated decades ago, and have gained new relevance because of the current political landscape.

David Henry Hwang’s Yellow Face starring Daniel Dae Kim debuted on PBS’ Great Performances on Friday and will be streaming through June 30 on pbs.org/gperf and the PBS app. (which helps explain why Great Performances is one of the recipients of the 2025 Tony Award for Excellence in the Theater.)

Read more at New York Theater.me

PBS Celebrates Broadway’s Best With a Star-Studded 2025 Lineup

PBS is once again spotlighting theater’s finest with its annual Broadway’s Best series, airing Fridays in May as part of Great Performances. The 2025 lineup brings four acclaimed stage productions to viewers nationwide, showcasing powerful stories, legendary music, and award-winning talent.

The season kicked off last week with Next to Normal, the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical about a suburban mother grappling with bipolar disorder and a haunting family past. Starring Caissie Levy and filmed during its West End transfer from the Donmar Warehouse, this raw and intimate production offers a gripping portrayal of mental health and resilience.

Tomorrow night, May 16, PBS presents Yellow Face, David Henry Hwang’s autobiographical comedy about a playwright who accidentally casts a white actor in an Asian role while protesting similar casting choices in the industry. Featuring Daniel Dae Kim and produced by Roundabout Theatre Company, the play cleverly explores identity, race, and the complexities of representation in theater.

Read more at Filmed On Stage

Great Performances: Behind the Curtain of “Yellow Face”

Go behind the curtain of the Tony nominated play “Yellow Face” with the cast and David Henry Hwang.

Yellow Face, Starring 2025 Tony Nominees Daniel Dae Kim and Francis Jue, Airs on PBS May

David Henry Hwang's semi-autobiographical play was filmed live during its 2024 Broadway run.

The 2024 Broadway production of David Henry Hwang's Yellow Face begins premiering on PBS stations nationwide May 16 (check local listings), and will be available for streaming on PBS.org beginning at 9 PM ET.

The play was filmed in the final weeks of its run at the Todd Haimes Theatre, part of the Roundabout Theatre Company's season. The production is currently up for three 2025 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play.

Also up for Tony Awards are cast members Daniel Dae Kim as DHH and Francis Jue as HYH.

Read more at Playbill

Theater to Stream: The Tony-Nominated ‘Yellow Face,’ ‘Vanya’ and More

Watch the Tony nominee Daniel Dae Kim in David Henry Hwang’s comedy, and take in cabaret at 54 Below, all from your living room.

At this year’s Tony Awards ceremony, on June 8, the PBS series “Great Performances” will be honored for excellence in theater. Its spring slate alone should remind everybody why “Great Performances” has been a theater gateway for so many people. Already available is a 2024 recording of Roundabout Theater Company’s recent revival of the acidic David Henry Hwang comedy “Yellow Face,”starring Daniel Dae Kim and Francis Jue — both nominated for Tonys this year.

Read more at NY Times

Watch: Francis Jue and David Henry Hwang in Conversation About Yellow Face

Yellow Face, the Tony-nominated comedy by David Henry Hwang, airs on PBS tonight, May 16, beginning at 9pm. Here, playwright Hwang and Tony nominated star Francis Jue discuss the production and celebrate how they’ve made history in having brought it to Broadway.

Read more at Theatremania

GREAT PERFORMANCES: Yellow Face

Premieres Friday, May 16, 2025 at 8 p.m. on KPBS 2 / PBS app

Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang’s comedy from Roundabout Theatre Company stars Daniel Dae Kim (LOST, HAWAII FIVE-0) as an Asian American playwright who protests yellowface casting in the blockbuster musical “Miss Saigon,” only to mistakenly cast a white actor as the Asian lead in his own play.

Please read more KPBS

The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) will host its 2025 Heritage Summit and Awards Dinner

May 21-22 in New York City, marking a major celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) identity and influence during AANHPI Heritage Month.

The two-day event will bring together leaders from across entertainment, business, public service, and community organizing. The summit aims to elevate conversations around identity, inclusion, and intergenerational progress, while highlighting the achievements and power of the AANHPI community.

Honorees at this year’s awards dinner include actor and director Lucy Liu, Oscar-nominated actor and producer Stephanie Hsu, and Vivek Ranadivé, owner and chairman of the Sacramento Kings. Attendees will also get a special preview of Monkey King, a new production by David Henry Hwangand composer Huang Ruo.

In addition to Hwang, key participants at the event include Tan France, Poorna Jagannathan, Tati Gabrielle, Juju Chang, and Pablo Torre. The agenda features panels on media representation, fireside chats with prominent AANHPI figures, and more.

Read more at Joy Sauce

Daniel Dad Kim becomes first AAPI Tony nominee for Lead Actor in a play; record 7 Asian acting bids

With today's announcement of the Tony Awards nominations, Daniel Dae Kim has made history as the first AAPI nominee in the Lead Actor in a Play category. Kim was recognized for his performance in the revival of Yellow Face, where he plays a satirical version of playwright David Henry Hwang. Kim's nomination is also part of a record-setting year for Asian representation at the Tonys.

BD Wong was the first actor of Asian descent to score a Tony. Coincidentally, his 1988 win for Featured Actor in a Play came courtesy of another Hwang play, M. Butterfly.

Read more at MSN

To Daniel Dae Kim and Francis Jue, Yellow Face's Broadway Success Shows How Far Asian Americans Have Come

Daniel Dae Kim Heather Gershonowitz

The play by David Henry Hwang, nominated for three Tony Awards, will be available to stream on PBS beginning May 16.

Daniel Dae Kim has been a beloved household name for two decades, having been in Lost and Hawaii Five-O. But his 2025 Tony Award nomination for his performance in Yellow Face is the first time the actor has been recognized by a major awards body for his work. With his nomination in the category of Lead Actor in a Play, Kim is the first Asian American actor to be recognized in that category—it's a history-making moment the actor is not taking lightly.

"When I think about the fact that I'm the first Asian-American to be nominated in this category, that feels especially significant," he tells Playbill the morning he found out he was nominated (when he was getting ready to get on a plane to shoot Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix). "I remember how many Asian American actors there were before me who never received any kind of recognition despite the incredible work and hard work that they were doing for generations earlier...It says a lot about where we are now as a community, and it's meaningful. It's more meaningful for that reason than it is for me as an individual achievement."

Read more at Playbill

Daniel Dae Kim Making History

Daniel Dae Kim Tricia Baron

This year's nominations were filled with surprises and welcomed industry trends.

If the Tony Awards are the theatre Super Bowl, then the Tony Awards nominations day can be considered the play-offs (pun very much intended). This morning, theatre fans gathered at their screens to see which of our favorite teams or players will get to make it to Broadway biggest night.

While there was a number of overlooked artists, there were also some illuminating surprises and trends—all of which showcased one of the strongest (and highest-grossing) Broadway seasons in recent memory. Here's what we noticed about this year's Tony nominees.

Daniel Dae Kim and English Make History

This year included a large amount of first-time nominees (more on that later), but a notable one on the list was Daniel Dae Kim. Kim is now the first Asian actor to be nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Play (B.D. Wong, the first Asian actor to win an acting Tony, was in the Featured category for M. Butterfly). But Kim wasn't alone in making Tonys history. Sanaz Toossi is the first Iranian-American playwright to be nominated for Best Play, for English; and that show's cast members Tala Ashe and Marjan Neshat are the first Middle Eastern actors to be nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play. 

Read more at Playbill

Tony Nominations

In a robust season with 14 new musicals, three tied for the most nominations, with 10 each: “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Death Becomes Her” and “Maybe Happy Ending.” And Audra McDonald, who has already won a record six competitive Tony Awards, set another record: she picked up her 11th nomination for her role in “Gypsy,” making her the most-nominated performer ever.

The nominations were announced at the end of the most robust Broadway season since the pandemic. Box office grosses are approaching prepandemic levels amid a bumper crop of 42 show openings. Several productions have drawn much-desired young audiences, and the season featured a mix of quirky and original shows alongside big-brand spectacle. But the industry faces challenges too: Ticket prices, especially for the hottest shows, have become out-of-reach for many, and fewer shows are turning a profit as the cost of producing has risen.

Four new takes on classic shows were nominated for best musical revival, including “Gypsy,” “Pirates! The Penzance Musical,” “Sunset Boulevard” and “Floyd Collins.” The four nominees for best play revival are “Eureka Day,” “Our Town,” “Romeo + Juliet” and “Yellow Face.”

Daniel Dae Kim made history as the first Asian American ever nominated as best leading actor in a play, for his performance in “Yellow Face,” according to the Asian American Performers Action Coalition. Asian Americans have historically been significantly underrepresented on Broadway, and this season was noteworthy for the relatively high number of Asian American performers, producers and members of creative teams.

Read more at the New York Times