• You Don't Know The Other Generation

    Oct 11, 09:41 PM by administrator

    Program 11: The Other Generation

    Sun. Nov. 8th, 4:00 PM

    YOU DON’T KNOW JACK tells the fascinating story of a pioneering American entertainer Jack Soo, an Oakland native who became the first Asian American to be cast in the lead role in a regular television series VALENTINE’S DAY (1963), and later starred in the popular comedy show BARNEY MILLER (1975-1978). He was also cast in a breakthrough role of Sammy Fong in the theatre and film productions of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s FLOWER DRUM SONG. A production of this 1958 musical was recently mounted locally by Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre and the short documentary FLOWER, DRUM AND SONGS, follows their journey. This program opens with THE GOLDEN SPIKE: THE CHINESE CONTRIBUTION TO THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD and closes with a lively panel discussing how far or little we, as North American Asian creators and performance artists, have come since 1958 and how FLOWER DRUM SONG influenced our progress.

    You Don’t Know Jack: The Jack Soo Story



    Director/Writer/Producer: Jeff Adachi
    Documentary | DigiBeta | Colour, Black & White | 2009 | 60 min | USA

    Featuring rare footage and interviews with Jack Soo’s co-stars and friends, including actors George Takei, Nancy Kwan and Max Gail, comedians Steve Landesberg and Gary Austin, and producer Hal Kanter, YOU DON’T KNOW JACK traces Jack’s early beginnings as a nightclub singer and comedian, to his breakthrough role as Sammy Fong in Rogers and Hammerstein’s Broadway play and film version of The Flower Drum Song. The film also explores why Soo, a former internee who was actually born Goro Suzuki, was forced to change his name in the post WWII era, in order to perform in clubs in the mid-west. Because of his experiences, throughout his career in films and television, Soo refused to play roles that were demeaning to Asian Americans and often spoke out against negative ethnic portrayals. YOU DON’T KNOW JACK reveals how Jack Soo’s work laid the groundwork for a new generation of Asian American actors and comedians.

    CANADIAN PREMIERE

    Previous Screenings/Awards: 2009 San Francisco Int’l Asian American Film Festival, 2009 Chicago Asian American Showcase, 2009 Asian American Int’l Film Festival

    Flower, Drum And Songs: More Than A Musical



    Director/Writer/Producer: VAFF
    Documentary | Beta SP | Colour | 2009 | 20 min | Canada

    This past summer, the Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre produced Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical FLOWER DRUM SONG, which recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary. Originally produced in 1958, it was the first Broadway musical to feature an entire cast of American Asian characters. This documentary follows the process of staging such a large all Asian production from its early casting calls to its opening night performance. As the audience watches the production take shape, interviews with main characters address many of the predominant issues faced by artists of Asian heritage struggling to break through the stereotypes of mainstream media that have and have not changed from the 1950s.

    WORLD PREMIERE | FILMMAKER IN ATTENDANCE

    preceded by:

    The Golden Spike: The Chinese Contribution To The Transcontinental Railroad



    Director/Co-Writer/Producer: Amy Y. Chan | Co-Writer: Jim Choi
    Documentary | Beta SP | Colour | 2009 | 8 min | USA

    The Golden Spike seeks to redress history’s omission of the Chinese contribution to the creation of the transcontinental railroad which was completed in 1869 and formed a reliable connection between west and east coasts. The film illustrates the importance of Chinese migration to the construction of one of the most transformative events in U.S. history. It also showcases the lives of Chinese laborers whose contribution was integral to the creation of the railroad.

    WORLD PREMIERE

    Panel Discussion to Follow

    Flower Drum Song Panel

    FLOWER DRUM SONG – a mid-20th Century story about Asian North Americans written by an Asian North American, co-opted by both Broadway and Hollywood for its entertainment value, and “reclaimed” by a latter-generation Asian North American playwright. Commercially successful but critically less well received throughout its history, what is the artistic and political relevance of this “cultural artifact” in the context of today’s North American entertainment industry? Does producing such work help or hinder the development of Asian North American artists and performers today, in terms of how they are received and perceived? Is commercial value a good enough excuse to encourage production of what some call a “minor” musical with limited artistic merit, that reinforces stereotypes current generations of Asian North Americans no longer identify with – or is any exposure, good exposure?

    The Panelists

    Joyce Lam

    Joyce Lam is the co-founder and Artistic Producer of the Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (VACT). Recently she produced Rodgers & Hammerstein’s FLOWER DRUM SONG – as a full production, and Neil Simon’s THE ODD COUPLE with an Asian cast, with Chinese surtitles. She has produced comedy sketch segments for AZN Lifestyles TV on CityTV; coordinated a Vancouver meeting for Asian Canadian writers with Kelly Edwards, Vice President of NBC’s diversity initiative; and was twice nominated for the NAAAP’s Spotlight on Leadership. Joyce has produced over 30 productions.



    Ronin Wong

    Ronin has worked in music, film, and theatre for almost 20 years. Roles include ROMEO MUST DIE, ALONG CAME A SPIDER, KUNG FU: THE LEGEND CONTINUES, THE OUTER LIMITS, MILLENNIUM, DA VINCI’S INQUEST, COLD SQUAD, SECRET OF GIVING, and THE SPRING. In theatre, Ronin has been active as an actor, composer, music director, and sound designer. Other highlights include two instrumental CDs, INSPIRATIONS and A COMET’S TALE. Currently, Ronin is developing his one person play, GENERATION 6, which tells the story of six generations of Chinese-Canadians, and their frustrated musical and life
    ambitions.



    Andrew Chung

    Andrew Chung is Vancouver based screenwriter for film and television. He graduated from the Vancouver Film School screenwriting program with honours and was a screenwriter for the short film, WORD, an official selection of the Philadelphia Asian American International Film Festival 2008 and Palm Beach International Film Festival 2008. He also wrote and created MILLIONS, a TV pilot with an entirely Asian cast, currently in development. He was story editor for the short film GOODBYE KARRIE distributed with Ouat Media, and has written two original feature length screenplays.



    Charlie Cho

    Charlie Cho co-wrote TWISTING FORTUNES, a play he co-produced along with three others. He worked at the CBC in current affairs radio for almost 10 years. Now he works for the web, TV and radio as intake associate producer for CBC News Vancouver. He has been editor and a longtime contributor of Ricepaper magazine. He acted as VAFF’s president in 2000. He was a member of the sketch comedy troupe Hot Sauce Posse and two others. Charlie is 36.



    Grace Chin

    Moderator: Grace Chin is the producer of the Mighty Asian Moviemaking Marathon (MAMM).



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