Telly Leung’s Tossing Tinsel with Telly
Join host Telly Leung (Aladdin, Glee) for Tossing Tinsel with Telly, as he and some very special friends spill the tea (and maybe a cocktail or two) about their favorite holiday and show biz memories, play a few games, and sing a few tunes. Guests will include Ann Harada (Avenue Q, Shmigadoon), Michael Maliakel (Aladdin), Jaygee Macapugay (School of Rock, Here Lies Love), and Kennedy Kanagawa (Gold Mountain). Alan Muraoka (Sesame Street, Aladdin) directs this entirely Asian American Pacific Islander company. Music direction by Amanda Morton on the piano (KPOP), with Arei Sekiguchi (Curvy Window) on the drums. Guest produced by Christine Toy Johnson.
To get tickets go here;
https://www.lortel.org/tinsel
Interview with Telly Leung:
CORINE:
I saw you in Flower Drum Song and numerous other shows and have always wanted to interview you. You are very talented! Can you tell my readers about your upcoming show?
TELLY:
Thank you so much for the kind words, and being so supportive over the years! I was thrilled when The Lortel asked me to be a part of their TINSEL series. My co-collaborators and I (producer Christine Toy Johnson and director Alan Muraoka) came up with a fun talk-show-like variety show that would gather some of our favorite theater friends from the AAPI community. There will be singing. There will be “tea spilt!” – and there will be lots of tinsel-tossing and holiday fun! We will also probably play some games as well. Amanda Morton will serve as our musical director, and my special guests will be Ann Harada (Avenue Q), Jaygee Macapugay (School of Rock), Kennedy Kanagawa (Gold Mountain) and Michael Maliakel (Aladdin) – and I will be your host! Who knows? Perhaps this will become a yearly holiday tradition!
CORINE:
What will you be singing?
TELLY:
I will surely sing some holiday favorites, but the best part of this show is that you will ALSO hear from my amazing friends: Ann Harada (Avenue Q), Jaygee Macapugay (School of Rock), Kennedy Kanagawa (Gold Mountain) and Michael Maliakel (Aladdin). The music will be led by our maestra Amanda Morton! It will be an AAPI holiday music-fest!
CORINE:
What made you decide to create this holiday show.
TELLY:
I was asked to be the host by our producer, Christine Toy Johnson. She wanted to create something that would not only celebrate the wonderful talent in our AAPI community but also bring us together after a long period of isolation. It is a tight-knit community. After the insane 20 months we’ve all been through (and a very strange holiday season in 2020), I relish these opportunities to be together and make music and merriment with my fellow AAPI artists – and I do not take them for granted. I have a deeper appreciation for the act of gathering.
The next phone call we made was to our dear friend and long-time collaborator Alan Muraoka (of Sesame Street). He’s directed many of my cabaret acts, and we have a long working relationship together. Working with him is pure joy. Alan and I also know Christmas very well after our adventure making a family-friendly virtual musical called THE NICE LIST during the height of the lockdown in 2020, when vaccines didn’t exist yet and there was no date in sight for the return of live theater! We called some of our Broadway friends to play some lovable elves (and Tony-winner James Monroe Iglehart to play Santa). We sent them lights, chroma key screens, music, costumes – and we all filmed it from our homes. The musicians recorded from home, and Alan’s incredible sound and editing team (colleagues from SESAME STREET) put it all together to create something the whole family could enjoy. We were able to raise some money from some generous sponsors and we made it free for everyone to watch. This year, we will re-release it as a fundraiser for FEEDING AMERICA via Broadway on Demand. SO, it isn’t Christmas unless I’m spreading Christmas cheer with Alan!
CORINE: Sounds wonderful!
I heard you played Bobby in Sondheim’s Company in a production Directed by Billy Porter, what was that like and was it taped?
TELLY:
YES! That was my senior musical at Carnegie Mellon University. Billy came back to his alma mater to try his hand at directing, and I was lucky enough to star as Bobby in COMPANY. This was in 2002, so it was before iphones! I’m sure there’s an archival video
somewhere, but I’ve not seen it! (Maybe Billy has one!)
CORINE: OH! Ask and post it!
Will you be singing anything from Company?
TELLY:
I wasn’t going to, but now you have me considering it!
CORINE:
Have you seen the new version before everything shut down?
TELLY:
I adore COMPANY and I can’t wait to see this revival. I had tickets to see it in March 2020, but alas. I hope to catch this version soon.
CORINE:
If you could play any role on Broadway which role would you pick?
TELLY:
I grew up with the big mega musicals from the UK, and I’ve always dreamed of playing The Phantom in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at some point in my career. It would be a childhood dream come true. Fingers crossed I get the chance to do that one day, and sing MUSIC OF THE NIGHT on Broadway!
CORINE: I hope you play The Phantom, why not! I hope it happens for you!
Sounds like a fun night out. I hope to attend December 20th and Maybe some of the others also. Thank you for doing this email interview. I prefer in person but we are in a pandemic!
https://www.lortel.org/tinsel
Corine Cohen
