| Asian-American pioneer Alvin Ing (from 'Pacific Overtures,' 'Flower Drum Song') passes away at age 89 | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 01:46 pm EDT 08/01/21 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 01:29 pm EDT 08/01/21 | |
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| BroadwayWorld.com reports that Alvin Ing (1932-2021), the Asian-American veteran of stage and screen, has passed away at 89. Most notably, the Hawaiian-born actor made his Broadway debut as the Shogun's mother in ''Pacific Overtures'' in 1976, serving up the delicious ''Chrysanthemum Tea,'' and reprised that role nearly 30 years later in the 2002 Broadway revival. Ing also appeared in more productions of ''Flower Drum Song'' than any other actor, doing it on tour, summer stock and eventually David Henry Hwang's 2002 revisal on the Great White Way. When Ing began his showbiz career, he says he auditioned many times for Lun Tha in ''The King and I,'' but almost always lost out to Caucasian actors, some of whom were even ''blond and blue-eyed.'' His breakout role would turn out to be Wang Ta, the young romantic lead in ''Flower Drum Song,'' the only show he'd be cast in for years. He says he was still playing Wang Ta, who has the line ''After all, I'm only 21,'' when Ing was 41. (In the Broadway revisal, Ing played the new elder role of Chin, singing ''My Best Love,'' originally written for Keye Luke, but cut from the original.) Ing would go on to perform in national tours (including ''The World of Suzie Wong,'' ''Two Gentlemen of Verona,'' ''City of Angels''); did cabaret shows; appeared on over 3 dozen TV shows (from ''The Doctors'' to ''Hawaii Five-O'') and even competed on ''The X Factor'' in 2013. Ing says he was very grateful and owed his career to two shows: ''Flower Drum Song'' and ''Pacific Overtures.'' (Ing also recalls once helping teach Stephen Sondheim, a lover of games, how to play the Chinese version of mah-jongg, as opposed to the Jewish one that Sondheim knew, and Sondheim won!) Here's video of Ing singing ''You Are Beautiful,'' a Rodgers & Hammerstein gem, at the 50th anniversary celebration of ''Flower Drum Song'' ... |
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| Link | 'Flower Drum Song' 50th anniversary concert: 'You Are Beautiful' with Telly Leung, Rich Ceraulo and Alvin Ing (2009) |
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