Joan Almedilla is an actress based in NYC. After competing on Amateur Nights at The Apollo, an executive producer scouted her and brought her aboard her first professional contract. Now, Almedilla’s starred on Broadway as Kim inMiss Saigon, Lady Thiang on the first National Tour ofThe King and I, and the first Asian Fantine on theLes MisNational Tour, and co-starred in Peacock’sBupkis, Netflix’sGriselda, Hulu’sPam & Tommy, and FX’sMayans, However, her favorite role to date is that of mother to her son, CJ (who also performed with her onThe King and Itour for two years in America and Canada)! Offstage, she’s a huge supporter of Honolulu Broadway Babies (organized by her friend Kristian Lei), “whose mission is to provide continuing education to individuals with disabilities after high school through the arts. Almedilla’s advice to young artists? “Understand yourself first before you try to understand other people… work more, talk less.” Read on to learn more about Joan Almedilla and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Christine Heesun Hwang is an actress, playwright, and lyricist based between NYC and Seattle. Entering the entertainment industry in high school purely by chance, Hwang is currently working on Les Misérables and a new play (confirm me) in development with Leviathan Lab, and was commissioned by YES Theatre to pen the book and lyrics to the new musical, renewal. Between writing and performing, she found that discovering and prioritizing a work/life balance preserved her identity, allowing her to dedicate her best self to all she does. Hwang advises young artists to focus on their “why” and feed their love for their passion. Read on to learn more about Christine Heesun Hwang and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Stephanie Mieko Cohen is an actress and singer based in New York City! She made her Broadway debut as Young Cosette in Les Miserables, a role she also performed on the national tour! Stephanie also enjoys workshopping new works, having performed in the premiere of the musical Solana by Michael Heitzman and Ilene Reid! Having struggled with Trichotillomania since the age of twelve, Stephanie started an Instagram account called @Stephcoandherhats highlighting her journey and dedicated to mental health awareness. Read on to learn more about Stephanie and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Ali Ewoldt is a singer and actress based in New York City! She was the first Asian American and BIPOC actress to star in the role of Christine in “Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway...
Elena Juatco is a musical theatre and TV actress based in Toronto, Canada! She got her start in the arts world when she made it into the Top 6 in Season 2 of Canadian Idol and since then has...