David Henry Hwang’s acclaimed play will be captured during the final week of performances at the Todd Haimes Theatre
Today Great Performances has announced it will capture the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of David Henry Hwang’s Yellow Face for premiere on PBS. Starring Daniel Dae Kim (“Lost,” “Hawaii Five-0”) and directed by Leigh Silverman (“Violet,” “Suffs”), Great Performances: Yellow Face will be recorded live from Broadway during the final week of performances November 21-23. The Great Performances premiere on PBS will be announced at a later date.
Kim stars 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 that “builds to a climax of startling power” (Daniel D’Addario, Variety). A New York Times “Critic’s Pick,” the “relevant, insightful, and very funny” (Greg Evans, Deadline) play is a is-he-or-isn’t-he comedy of identity, show business, and (perhaps) autobiography.
The company of Yellow Face also features Kevin Del Aguila as “Actor A,” Ryan Eggold as “Marcus,” Francis Jue as “HYH & Others,” Marinda Anderson as “Actor B,” Greg Keller as “Reporter,” and Shannon Tyo as “Leah & Others.”
“We are delighted to partner with Roundabout Theatre Company to capture Yellow Face to bring this powerful play to a national audience,” says Great Performances Executive Producer David Horn. “It’s thought-provoking, relevant, and showcases the artistic excellence we value at Great Performances.”
“As a longtime fan and supporter of both PBS and Great Performances, I couldn’t be happier for my production company, 3AD, to be collaborating with them to bring new life to Yellow Face,” says Daniel Dae Kim. “I am deeply grateful to David, Leigh, Roundabout, our exceptional cast and crew, and everyone who supported our efforts to bring this important and entertaining play to an even wider audience.”
Yellow Face is playing limited engagement on Broadway through November 24, 2024, at the Todd Haimes Theatre on Broadway.
The creative team for Yellow Face includes Arnulfo Maldonado (Set Design), Anita Yavich (Costume Design), Lap Chi Chu (Lighting Design), and Caroline Eng and Kate Marvin (Sound Design & Original Music), and Yee Eun Nam (Projection Design).
For more than 50 years on PBS, Great Performances has provided an unparalleled showcase of the best in all genres of the performing arts, serving as America’s most prestigious and enduring broadcaster of cultural programming. Showcasing a diverse range of artists from around the world, the series has earned 67 Emmy Awards and six Peabody Awards. The Great Performances website hosts exclusive videos, interviews, photos, full episodes and more. The series is produced by The WNET Group. Great Performances is available for streaming concurrent with broadcast on PBS.org and the PBS App, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.
A co-production of The WNET Group and Roundabout Theatre Company, Great Performances: Yellow Face is directed for television by Annette Jolles. For Great Performances, Mitch Owgang is producer, Bill O’Donnell is series producer and David Horn is executive producer. For Roundabout Theatre Company, Sydney Beers is Executive Producer.