Showcasing the work of Asian-American theatre artists through performance, outreach and educational programming
Connie Wong Honorees
Susan Ancheta (Suzi Martinez)
Broadway Tour (1991); Wolfgang Bocksch Concerts' European Tour (1990)
Susan Ancheta (aka Suzi Martinez) Broadway credits include Miss Saigon and Flower Drum Song revival. Performing in the Broadway Tour of ACL earned my equity card! First, in Europe, I learned the show in 7 days under Mitzi Hamilton’s direction. New to NYC, I hadn’t seen the musical, only the movie. So my European debut on stage with Yamil Borges (Morales) and veteran performers felt surreal. Meeting Baayork Lee, I was starstruck. Her welcoming hug, infectious smile and energy were unforgettable and her inspiration continues. Fun fact: On the Broadway Tour, Mark S. Hoebee played Mark beside me on the chorus line. We wound up working together at Paper Mill Playhouse! ACL family is forever. I deeply identified with the role of Connie. Performing on that line helped shape me as an educator for young, aspiring artists. I advocate, “embrace who you are; use your voice and tell your story.”
Sara Chiu
Regional theaters (2022)
Being a part of the ACL community and the community of Connie Wongs is an absolute honor that I do not take lightly. These opportunities I've had to play Connie have connected me with so many beautiful and talented performers who love this art form and represent the drive this story leads with. Those who have gotten to perform in this show greatly inspire me to maintain resilience in this challenging yet rewarding industry.
Francine Espiritu
National tours, Regional theaters, International tours (2018 - 2019)
I had the immense honor of understudying Connie Wong while also serving as the Dance Captain/Assistant Choreographer of the 2018 National/International Tour and New York City Center Production. (Fun Fact is I still have not stood on the line!) Being able to be a part of the legacy of Connie Wong has been fulfilling not only in my professional life but personal life. The sass, humor and tenacity that Connie embodies has influenced who I am and who I strive to be as a human. I admire her strong sense of self and hope to continue to make Connie Wong proud.
Cassandra Hlong
College (2010); National tour (2010 - 2011); Regional tour (2016); International Company - Spain (2019 - 2022
We first meet: College, freshman year. I’m a flautist, encouraged by musical theater friends to audition for the Spring musical.
[ENTER CONNIE]
I get the part!
(Connie remains a steady presence in my career and life ever since).
leads to: my first NYC audition/professional performing experience at 19. (2nd National Tour)
Discovery: Regional, Maggie Winslow - I can sing too?
gift that keeps giving: dancing alongside Antonio Banderas, as Spanish Connie, under the Andalusian sun - I become bilingual. "Un hamburguesa por favor."
Connie also brought me boyfriends. my most cherished friendships. a legendary mentor / beloved friend. belief in myself.
Connie has been the permission slip needed to follow those quiet whisperings of the heart - change the major; yes, you can sing !; learn the Spanish; move abroad.
Now we're out here, chasing dreams, living our best cheetah girl life, in Barcelona, Spain. Mil gracias, Connie. Te quiero!
Jolina Javier
Regional theaters, New York City Center (2013, 2017, 2018)
To be given the opportunity to be in any cast of this iconic show is a gift that keeps on giving. The life long friendships and family you gain being a part of A Chorus Line is something I will cherish forever. The sense of community and camaraderie we have as dancers is why I think I started dancing and then doing a show about us that spotlights our individual stories surrounding our love for dance and challenges of the business is a cathartic and fulfilling experience to witness and perform. Playing the role of Connie Wong has been a role I have been playing even before I was ever cast and performed for an audience. She resonates with me more and more everyday. I am forever grateful that Baayork was born so that Connie Wong could live. I finally was able to see myself on stage and so others could see and connect with me and see themselves. The visibility that the role of Connie Wong has given to so many tiny Asian women is important and meaningful because representation always matters. I may not have grown physically doing this show but I did artistically. It was the first time I ever spoke let alone sang by myself on stage and I don’t think I have ever been more terrified. Being a part of this timeless show not only allowed me to see what I am capable of but also constantly reminds me why I love what I do.
Karin Kawamoto
International tours (1989-1992), Finale: Hollywood Bowl with Marvin Hamlish, Opening of the Aranoff Center, Cincinnati Ohio (late 90s), Regional Theater (1992)
I went to an open call about five months after moving to New York and got the call the week before the tour left, asking if I had a passport and could I go sing for the music supervisor, Michael Kosarin. The first tour was like being shot out of a cannon, because I was working with mostly very seasoned veterans, and many of them had multiple Broadway credits. The second tour was cast with more than half of the closing Broadway cast and the people I'd seen on stage at the Curran Theater in San Francisco when I was 13 and had no idea that there existed a part that I could play. I was working with my idols, some of whom remain my friends today.
I work in a technical field that has nothing to do with show business now, and I stepped away from theater for about 20 years completely. NAAP is part of what brought me back to the community, and there would be no association with NAAP, had I never been a Connie. For years, I would run into Baayork, and she would greet me with "it's a Connie!" and that honestly made me feel like I was having both an out of body experience and being seen. I hire people to do something that requires complex thinking, and I think that those with dance and musical training tend to have a higher aptitude for complex and multivariate thinking.
But, also, being a Connie has eventually led me to wanting to help those who are now getting to do what I believed I would never get to do as a young Asian performer. I enjoy supporting NAAP and am on the board of Prospect Musicals, both of which support people who look like me. It is very important to me to engage with the community and to seek ethnic diversity in the arts.
Nina Zoie Lam
National tours, Regional theaters (1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991)
I got the role of 'Connie Wong' in my first ever A Chorus Line without auditioning! I had just returned to NYC from touring with Taiwan's Cloud Gate National Dance Theater, taking ballet classes with Finis Jhung when one day after class, he asked if I had done any musical theater dancing. I replied that I had, in King and I starring Yul Brynner. He said, "Ok, call the dance captain of ACL immediately, they need a replacement for the role of Connie Wong at The Melody Top Theatre in Milwaukee." So, I called. He asked if I could leave as soon as possible. I said, "Yes!" And off I went, not knowing that rehearsals had already begun. I had never done the show! So when I arrived, it was a bit overwhelming. But, through trial by fire, and gifted with the most loving, supportive cast, I was able to learn the country's first 'in- the- round' production of ACL! Made many lifelong friends there, among them, Connie Wong!
Catherine Ricafort McCreary
National tours (2010)
I booked Connie in A Chorus Line national tour months after moving to NYC—Baayork Lee gave me my big break and Equity card! Initially, I auditioned non-eq, thinking I could be Cassie or Val (still do!). Friends encouraged me to target Connie, and prep by watching Every Little Step. So I wore jazz flats, pigtails, and sang “I Want to Be a Rockette” —Baayork lit up! Casting directors Jay Binder and Nikole Vallins were so nurturing.
Tour life was an adventure—most of us were new, earning Equity cards. My best friend Nathan Lucrezio (Al) and I danced in hotel gyms, learning combos in our free time. Working with Baayork (always the largest spirit in the room!) instilled pride in my Asian-American identity, and opened the door for me to later do eight Broadway shows.
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After Broadway, I became a software engineer, and co-founded Artists Who Code, featured in Forbes and LA Times for helping 300+ artists pivot into tech during the pandemic. I’ve started directing and coaching theater as a creative outlet. Now in Gilbert, AZ with my husband and two beautiful children, I’m living Connie Wong’s dream—“a bunch of kids, dance around my kitchen cooking and enjoy getting fat!”
Suzen Kukana Murakoshi
Original Broadway company, National tours, International tours (1984-1989)
Getting lifted at the White House:
In 1988, Baayork called me to dance with PBS: In Performance at the White House. We were doing the finale on the stage of the South Lawn at the White House. Who could’ve thought?! This woman, Baayork Lee, has introduced me into another world altogether. A world I would’ve never experienced without her!
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The live orchestra on that evening was super pumped and played the tempo way faster than anything we’d ever performed with before. So, during the grapevine circle, I became totally airborne. My feet were not touching the ground, I was flying. I squeezed my partners’ elbows so tight, to make sure I didn’t go flying out of that circle, splat into the White House! Luckily, no one fell, and we made it through. Attached, you can see how fast it was, plus there’s a close-up of Baayork in the house….
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Emma X. O’Loughlin
Regional theaters, International tours (2022 & 2025)
When auditioning for the role of Connie for the first time, Baayork took me and our Zach into a room and shared her life story with us. Afterwards she said “okay, now it’s time to sing!” Needless to say I was terrified and intimidated, having to sing after hearing the incredible legacy she shared with us. A Chorus Line and Baayork have changed my life in countless ways. This show was my first job post grad, and it gave me an absolute gem of a new friend and the most phenomenal mentor, Baayork, as well as lifelong friends in the cast and team. It also provided me with the wonderful opportunity to travel to Japan for the first time. I’m incredibly grateful to be a part of Connie Wong’s legacy; one that has opened so many doors for female Asian actors for the past fifty years.
Yuka Takara
Broadway Revival Cast (2006-2007); Geva Theatre (2005)
My audition process was filmed on the Every Little Step documentary! It was exciting because the show is so iconic and it was my first time auditioning on a Broadway stage! Ms. Baayork Lee, the OG Connie/Mama Connie :) was a part of the creative team and so it was definitely nerve wracking auditioning for her. I really wanted to honor her life and story mixed in with my flava!
Life on Broadway was so rewarding but it was challenging keeping my body, mind and soul healthy during the run. The Broadway show schedule is 8 shows a week and we want to give the audience our 200% each show. A Chorus Line is probably the most challenging show that I’ve been a part of. If I wasn’t at the theatre, I was at physical therapy, napping or eating. :) I really didn’t have time for anything else and my focus was to stay healthy.
Performing on the Tony Awards with the company and Marvin Hamlisch was my highlight during A Chorus Line. I injured my calf and was out of the show for 3 months but my goal was to get healthy and strong enough for the Tony’s. We performed the opening number in front of Radio City Music Hall while Marvin played the piano! It was so exciting to dance on the streets of New York! We were all so excited going up on the elevator stage to perform ONE!!!! It was a thrilling night!
Did I make any lifelong friends? Yes!!!! We are family for life! I love and miss them!
When I was auditioning for ACL and when I got injured during the run, I wrote my 2nd album. I learned a lot about myself during that time. Looking back, I don’t regret getting injured. It’s made me stronger and I also got to make art!
I am so grateful that we were able to learn from Baayork Lee, Bob Avian, Marvin Hamlisch and the dream team. It’s truly an honor to be able to share what I learned from this special show.
Won't forget, can’t regret
What I did for love
How lucky we are
That the gift was ours to borrow
Lauren Tom
Broadway revival, International tours (1979-1980)
I was 17 when ACL came through Chicago, my hometown, and Laura Klein, a friend who was already in the show, insisted I audition for Connie Wong, even though I was the shyest person on the planet and could neither sing nor act.
So I was shocked when I was accepted into the International Company. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I remember thinking to myself, "Even if I never accomplish anything else in my lifetime, I'll always be able to say I was a part of this amazing show."
I toured for a year, then performed another year on Broadway and ended up making lifelong friends whom I cherish to this day. We recently had a reunion in LA, and we all cried our eyes out with joy.
Thank you, Baayork Lee, for creating this role and starting me on my path to my future as a performer.
Alexzandra Sarmiento
Regional theaters, International tours, West End Revival (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015)
Thinking that there was no way we would actually book the job, my friend Matt and I went to an open call for a non-eq international tour of A Chorus Line on a whim (we had just stood next to each other as Greg & Connie in our high school’s production of ACL). We met Baayork for the first time at this audition, and cut to 24 hours later, I was offered the role of Connie! Connie Wong helped me learn the craft of musical theatre, she springboarded my professional career, she helped me travel the world, and most pivotally she helped me discover my current home in London. I have so much to thank ACL for, and I am grateful to the creatives who took a chance on me when I was only a teenager: Baayork Lee, Peter Pileski, Bob Avian, and so many others who have helped to teach the magic that is Michael Bennett’s A Chorus Line – thank you!!!
Bella Villanueva
Regional theaters, International tours (2019, 2022)
Portraying Connie Wong and getting to be a part of A Chorus Line’s legacy has been life changing in so many ways. Being Connie Wong in my first production of A Chorus Line in 2019 helped me develop the confidence in my dancing abilities, which I would need to succeed at NYU Tisch. In 2022, I revisited the material again, both in and out of the classroom. In the classroom, I experienced leadership for the first time as dance captain for NYU’s A Chorus Line’s masterclass, and received my first post-grad professional credit as Standby Connie Wong in the International Tokyo Tour. My favorite gift from being Connie Wong has been passing the torch of A Chorus Line to NYU seniors each year as an assistant instructor and having Baayork Lee as my mentor.
Janet Wong
Original Broadway company, International tours (1977 to 1980)
An Asian friend alerted me that a search was on for a short pushy Asian. "You're perfect!" she claimed. I was hired when Baayork left the LA company. I was at the airport about to board a plane to LA when I heard my name being paged. Peter Von Mayrhauser told me not to get on the plane, that Lauren Kayahara was going to LA, and I was going to be on Broadway. Meanwhile my trunk was en route to LA and I had given up my rent controlled apartment. That real estate sacrifice and missing luggage were well worth it. Doing ACL changed the course of my life and career. Thank you, Baayork.
The Japanese tour was an incredible experience. Being an Asian in Asia was a revelation. I loved it all, especially the food, Kabuki theater, Sumo wrestling, and the Tsukiji fish market. Again, thank you, Baayork.
Lily-Lee Wong
Broadway (1981-1983), International tours (1979-1983)
I had the honor of joining ACL in Miami Florida in the summer of 1979. I had seen the show and auditioned for it in Houston Texas and just knew God I had to get it. Honestly, how many parts would there be like Connie Wong in my future!!! ACL is one of the greatest shows ever written as proven by its longevity and the love that audiences have for it.
I did get hired and did have a fabulous going away party only to be told the girl I was replacing decided to stay! Crushing. But a couple of months later another call came and off I went to Miami, Chicago, Philly, Boston, Orlando, Toronto, Montreal, San Fran, DC and at least a dozen more fabulous USA cities including the exceptionally glamorous and fun of having the privilege of opening the first Broadway production at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas. We were feted, entertained and dazzled by the Sammy Davis Jr, Dionne Warwick, and all the headliners of that time. Sooo so many Vegas stories.
So happy to have been Connie Wong, I like to think it was a door opener to more wonderful young Asian women to play a principal role and just create that job and space for one more woman of Asian descent to have an opportunity to shine. It is a sweet role, just filled with good energy. Thank you Baayork for creating her.
After Vegas, Seattle and finally for me San Fran, I left the Company to head to NYC and within a week ended up in the Broadway Company which was an out of body dream experience. I went on to dance in numerous commercials, industrials, and did Cats for 11 years!!! A real meow wow.
I left the business in 1995 after spending the previous 5 years selling real estate by day and being a kitty by matinee and evening; I did not want to leave without a plan and a pension. I prepared for my NEW LIFE as a real estate agent, wife and mom to two daughters who are the most glorious humans on earth.
I LOVE my years in the theatre, all of it, all the people, the joy, the talent, the closeness, the stage, the orchestra, the management, the crew, the audience – all the parts that made the magic happen. I wish everyone to have the kind of love and joy that comes from performing with such fine artists and creators and good people. Lifelong friends and the best memories possible, theatre makes for a beautiful life.
Jessica Wu
Summer Stock (2003); Broadway Revival (2008); 1st National Revival Tour (2008)
The week before my final audition for the first national revival tour, I ruptured my plantar fascia. The orthopedist put me in a boot and told me to stay off it for 6 weeks. The day of my final callback, I took off the boot, wrapped my foot, and gritted my teeth through the opening combination. Thank god we only had to dance once and then read and sing and “that’s all we need, Jessica”. Feeling like I bombed it, I limped down the street to my agent’s office. As they were putting me in a rolling chair, Jay Binder called with an offer to not only originate Connie on the tour that coming summer, but to also make my Broadway debut next month. There’s still a hard little knot in the arch of my right foot but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. What I did for love.
Susan Zaguirre
Honolulu HI (1979)
I was so blessed and amazingly fortunate to have been cast by Baayork to play the role of Connie in the Honolulu production. I had just come out of a ballet company and had no idea what an Equity card was! It changed my life forever. I am so honored to have shared the stage with such a wonderful cast who had all done the show previously and were so cool to me. I spent the rest of my career living out my dream, on stage dancing, singing and acting. I was so very, very lucky and who knows if I would have ever accomplished it without that fantastic opportunity given to me. Mahalo Baayork!