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| Behind The Scenes: | |
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Concert of Excellence 2004: Idea & Concept (October 2004) |
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Making Tracks - The Origins (September 2004) |
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Concert of Excellence (November 2003) |
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The Wedding Banquet Premiers in the US (September 2003) |
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The Wedding Banquet - On the Road (August 2003) |
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The Wedding Banquet - An Update! (July 2003) |
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The Wedding Banquet - Writing the Songs (June 2003) |
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The Wedding Banquet - Meet the Principals (May 2003) |
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Creating The Wedding Banquet (April 2003) |
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2g Meets Karaoke in a Comedy of Errors (March 2003) |
| Meet The Artist: | |
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Noriyuki "Pat" Morita - Beyond Mr. Miyagi (October 2004) |
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Woody Pak - Composer Extraordinaire (September 2004) |
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Lou Diamond Phillips - COE Honoree (November 2003) |
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Bai Ling - COE Honoree (November 2003) |
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Devanand Janki - Director, Choreographer, Actor (September 2003) |
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Jadin Wong - Dancer, Comedienne, Agent Extraordinaire (August 2003) |
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Steve Park - Comedian At Large (July 2003) |
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John Tillinger (June 2003) |
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Julie Danao (May 2003) |
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Cindy Cheung - An Actress of Many Talents (and Accents!) (April 2003) |
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Diane Paulus - Director and Co-Creator of The Karaoke Show (March 2003) |
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October 2004 Newsletter : :
Behind The Scenes : :
Meet The Artist : :
FAQ
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Few individuals, if any, can boast achievements such as being named one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World," serving as a member of China's People's Liberation Army in Tibet, and garnering critical acclaim as a star of television and film. Bai Ling, however, can lay claim to all three, as well as a host of other accolades. She has gone on to do what few foreign-born actors have been able to accomplish: crossed over and established herself as a force in mainstream American entertainment, bringing recognition to both herself and the Asian community. Bai's unusual combination of accomplishments will be honored by Second Generation (2g) at the annual Concert of Excellence, to be held on December 1, 2003. The Remy X.O. Excellence Awards pay tribute to artists of Asian heritage who have made groundbreaking contributions to the performing arts. Her diverse acting roles, critical success, and celebrity status in an industry with few Asian American faces indeed place her in that category of pioneers. Born in mainland China to parents in performing and teaching (her father is a music teacher and her mother is a stage actress and dancer), Bai has the arts in her blood, but her path to celebrity status in mainstream American film has been anything but typical. Bai was raised primarily by her grandmother until the age of 14. She gained her first exposure to performing when she served a three-year stint in the People's Liberation Army of Tibet as an entertainer for the troops. Her experience led her to a theater group in Beijing and gradually to small roles in Chinese films. Her transition to the US took place in her early 20s, when she arrived in New York City to study acting at New York University and the famed Lee Strasberg Institute. Bai's reason to come to the United States was simple: "Like many Asian actors, I wanted to learn to speak English so I could do western films. The best way is to come to America where you will be forced to learn the language first-hand," she explains. Interestingly, during that time Bai met now-famous Taiwanese film director Ang Lee, who had selected her for the lead role in his film The Wedding Banquet. However, things did not work out: "At that time, Ang Lee was an unknown director and I was a star, so ironically he couldn't afford me. We remained good friends and I dubbed his early films into English," says Bai. The Wedding Banquet went on to become a critical success and the basis for 2g's original stage adaptation of The Wedding Banquet: The Musical. Bai played small film roles in The Crow and Nixon. However, it was the controversial 1997 film Red Corner that landed Bai firmly on Hollywood's map. Bai's lead portrayal as the lawyer defending co-star Richard Gere's character, a journalist accused of murder, garnered her widespread critical acclaim. However, the film cast mainland China in an unfavorable light, and, as a result, the film was banned from the country and Bai found herself the victim of Chinese film contract cancellations as well as the revocation of her Chinese citizenship. Bai has since become a United States citizen and has continued to make her mark on American cinema, with roles in Wild Wild West and the TV drama Point of Origin. Beyond her success as an actress, Bai has managed to generate Hollywood hoopla in other notorious ways as well. For her role in Anna and the King, Bai attracted media attention for shaving her head, lopping off more than a yard of her hair. And as if her hair were not enough of a subject for media frenzy, Bai was also named on of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World," and frequently makes the magazine fashion pages for her inimitable and edgy style. Bai is breaking the stereotypes, winning roles not necessarily intended for Asian American actors. She'll be generating even more buzz in Hollywood when she plays a lead in the upcoming Star Wars Episode III as well as director Spike Lee's She Hates Me. Bai indicates that her next big goal is to play "a white person's role" as the lead of a film. Throughout her rise to Hollywood stardom, Bai has remained true to her culture and heritage, and her work has helped give Asian Americans a presence in today's entertainment field. Thus, for her contributions and efforts in the film and entertainment industry, Bai Ling will accept the Remy X.O. Excellence Award at Lincoln Center's New York State Theater this December 1st. |