DANIEL DAE KIM, ASHLEY PARK
AND AARON TVEIT
ANNOUNCED AS FURTHER HEADLINE ARTISTS FOR
“MY FAVORITE THINGS:
THE RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN
80TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT”
WITH 40-PIECE ORCHESTRA
AT LONDON’S THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE
FOR TWO PERFORMANCES ONLY ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2023
Today, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization announced television, film and stage actor Daniel Dae Kim (Lost, 24, Lincoln Center Theater’s Broadway production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I); Tony Award®, GRAMMY® and Critics Choice Award® nominee Ashley Park (Netflix’s Emily in Paris, Lionsgate’s Joy Ride, Lincoln Center Theater’s Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I); and Tony Award winner Aaron Tveit (Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Apple TV+’s Schmigadoon!, Les Misérables film) will also headline the previously announced My Favorite Things: The Rodgers & Hammerstein 80th Anniversary Concert. Owing to phenomenal public demand a matinee performance has been added; tickets are available from £40.
They join the previously announced Emmy®, two-time GRAMMYand six-time Tony Awardwinner Audra McDonald; Olivier Award® nominee Julian Ovenden; Olivier Award nominee Marisha Wallace; and two-time Tony, two-time Golden Globe® and Emmy Awardnominee Patrick Wilson.Additional headliners will be announced shortly.
Both Kim and Park starred, respectively, as the King of Siam and Tuptim in the most recent Broadway revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I at Lincoln Center Theater. In addition, Kim’s’s 3AD production company is currently working with Concord Originals and Janet Yang Productions on a new film re-imagining of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song.
Featuring a 40-piece orchestra, the gala will be presented for two performances only onTuesday, December 12, at London’s newly restored Theatre Royal Drury Lane – the same venue that premiered the original West End productions of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific and The King and I.
Directed and staged by Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Christopher Gattelli, the celebration of the historic partnership of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II will feature the Rodgers & Hammerstein Concert Orchestra, conducted by Simon Lee, along with a West End chamber choir, dance ensemble and surprise guest appearances. Artist lineup subject to change.
Tickets are currently on sale at RH80Concert.com.
Presented by The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, the concert is produced by Concord Originals, Concord Theatricals, Kilimanjaro Live/JAS Theatricals and Trafalgar Entertainment.
BIOGRAPHIES
Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II
After long and highly distinguished careers with other collaborators, Richard Rodgers (Composer, 1902-79) and Oscar Hammerstein II (Librettist/Lyricist, 1895-1960) joined forces in 1943 to create the most successful partnership in American Musical Theatre. Prior to joining forces, Rodgers collaborated with lyricist Lorenz Hart on musical comedies that epitomized wit and sophistication (Pal Joey, On Your Toes, Babes In Arms and more), while Hammerstein brought new life to operetta and created the classic Show Boat with Jerome Kern. Oklahoma!, the first Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, introduced an integrated form that became known as “the musical play.” Their shows that followed included Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music. Collectively, the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals have earned Tony, Oscar, GRAMMY, Emmy, Pulitzer, and Olivier Awards. The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization is a Concord Company, www.concord.com.
Daniel Dae Kim is an actor, director, producer and social advocate widely known for his work in ABC’s “Lost,” CBS’s “Hawaii Five-O,” Netflix’s “Stowaway,” and Disney’s “Raya And The Last Dragon.” He is excited to be celebrating the legacy of Rodgers & Hammerstein, having last appeared as the King of Siam in Lincoln Center Theater’s 2017 production of The King and I.
Early next year, Kim will star as the villainous Fire Lord Ozai in the live-action adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” for Netflix. Also in 2024, Daniel will head to South Korea to star in a new spy series that he and his company, 3AD, will produce for Amazon Studios. Currently, Kim can be seen on streaming platforms in BJ Novak’s FX series “The Premise,” Nat Geo’s “The Hot Zone: Anthrax,” and Apple TV+’s “Roar.” As a producer, Kim and 3AD executive produce the series “The Good Doctor,” set to enter its seventh season on ABC, as well as 2023’s multi-award-winning documentary feature film, Bad Axe.
His theater credits include the recent, critically acclaimed production of Peter Pan Goes Wrong at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles, as well as productions with London’s Royal Albert Hall, New York’s Public Theater, Theater For A New Audience, East West Players, Pan Asian Rep and NAATCO. New York is also where Daniel received his training, earning his MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Kim’s advocacy for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is longstanding. His testimony in front of Congress helped lead to the passage of the “Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act,” and he currently serves on the White House’s Commission for Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. He also serves on the Board of Gold House, with whom he partners, along with the Asian American Foundation on the Sunrise Collective, the first ever official AAPI centered House at the Sundance Film Festival.
Ashley Park is a Tony Award nominated actress, currently starring as “Mindy” in the hit television series “Emily in Paris” opposite Lily Collins. The show, which received a 2021 Golden Globe Nomination and is helmed by Emmy-Award-winning creator Darren Star, is one of the most popular comedy series streaming on Netflix. Park previously received a Critics’ Choice Nomination for “Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series” for her performance, becoming the first Asian American Actress to receive a nomination in the category. In Season 2, Park covered BTS’ “Dynamite,” which garnered extremely favorable reactions from BTS members RM and V. She also collaborated with Freddy Wexler on an original song for the season’s finale, “Mon Soleil,” which amassed over 2M+ streams in the first two weeks of release. “Emily in Paris” season 3 was released on Netflix on December 21, 2022.
Park was seen earlier this year starring in Point Grey and Lionsgate’s feature film Joy Ride from director Adele Lim. The project follows four Asian American women as they travel through Asia in search of one of their birth mothers. Along the way, their experience becomes one of bonding, friendship, belonging, and no-holds-barred wild debauchery that reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are. The film premiered on Friday, March 17th at the 2023 SXSW festival and was released on July 7, 2023. Park received praise for her role in the film, with The Wrap calling her “a strong central lead” and The New York Times claiming “If there is any justice, Park will soon be a marquee name.”
This Spring, Park was seen in Netflix’s “Beef,” the Emmy nominated dramedy from Lee Sung Jin. Park appears opposite Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, David Choe and Patti Yasutake. The series follows two people who let a road rage incident burrow into their minds and slowly consume their every thought and action. “Beef” premiered at the 2023 SXSW Festival on Saturday, March 18 and was released on Netflix on Thursday, April 6. Park received a 2023 HCA Award Nomination for her role in the series.
Park was most recently seen in Season 3 of Hulu’s critically acclaimed “Only Murders in the Building,” in which she appeared as Kimber, a Broadway ingenue. Park appeared opposite Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Meryl Streep, Paul Rudd, and Jesse Williams. The season premiered on August 8, 2023 on Hulu.
Park will also appear in Paramount Pictures’ upcoming Mean Girls movie. The film directed by Arturo Perez and Samantha Jayne and written by Fey is based on Fey’s musical adaptation of the 2004 hit film.
In Summer 2022, Park appeared in Bleecker Street’s feature Mr. Malcolm’s List opposite Freida Pinto and Sopé Dirisu, based on Suzanne Allain’s novel of the same name. The film follows a young woman in 1800s England as she helps her friend get revenge on a suitor who rejected her for failing a requirement on his list of qualifications for a bride. The film was released on July 1, 2022.
On stage, Park is best known for originating the role of “Gretchen Wieners” in the Broadway production of Tina Fey’s Mean Girls. In addition to her Tony nomination, she received Drama League, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Chita Rivera Award nominations for her performance. In the same season, she garnered critical acclaim for starring as “Mwe” in KPOP, for which she won the esteemed Lucille Lortel Award for Lead Actress in a Musical and was nominated for her second Drama League and Drama Desk Awards of the season. Park starred as “Jess” opposite James Cromwell, Jane Alexander, and Michael Urie in the Broadway production of Bess Wohl’s Grand Horizons, directed by Leigh Silverman. She reprised the role she originated the previous summer at Williamstown Theatre Festival. After making her Broadway debut in the hit musical Mamma Mia!, she went on to originate the role of stepsister “Gabrielle” in the national tour of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella; starred as “Tuptim” opposite Kelli O’Hara and Ken Watanabe in Lincoln Center Theater’s Tony-Award-winning revival of The King and I, which also received a GRAMMY nomination for “Best Musical Theater Album”; starred as “Marian” in the World Premiere production of Hood; and appeared opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford in the recent Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George.
On television, Park reunited with Tina Fey for Peacock’s hit series “Girls5eva” in a recurring role opposite Sara Bareilles, Renee Elise Goldsberry, and Busy Phillips. She was previously seen opposite Laura Linney and Ellen Page in the critically-acclaimed Netflix limited series “Tales of the City.” Other television credits include Apple TV+’s “Helpsters” and PopTV/Lionsgate Television’s “Nightcap.”
Park is the proud recipient of Actor Equity Association’s 2018 Clarence Derwent Award, and in 2019 was honored at the inaugural Marin Mazzie Award for Empowerment by the Cancer Support Community. Her outreach as a social activist and a cancer survivor has stayed important to her through her dedicated work and support of service organizations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the DoSomething organization, Prison Creative Arts Project, Michigan Performance Outreach Workshop, SeriousFun Camps for Kids, Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS.
Park graduated from the University of Michigan with a BFA in Musical Theater.
Aaron Tveit is a Tony-winning American theatre, television and film actor. He earned a 74th Annual Tony Award leading the cast of the world premiere production of Moulin Rouge! The Musical. A stage adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s critically acclaimed film, the GRAMMY-nominated show premiered on Broadway in the summer of 2019. Tveit also received an Outer Critics Circle honor for his performance.
In July 2021, he was seen in Apple TV+’s new series “Schmigadoon!” Also starring Cecily Strong, Keegan Michael-Key, Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth and more, the show follows a couple who on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship when they discover a magical town in which everyone acts as if they’re in a musical from the 1940s. They then discover that they can’t leave until they find “true love.” He also appears in Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Stories,” and Audible and Broadway Video’s podcast “Hit Job,” alongside Keke Palmer, Pete Davidson and more.
Television audiences know him from USA network series “Graceland”; the CBS comic-thriller “Braindead,” where he played the male lead of Gareth, opposite Mary Elizabeth Winstead; and the Emmy Award-winning television musical Grease: Live, where he played Danny Zuko opposite Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens. Most recently, Tveit was seen in Hallmark’s One Royal Holiday, opposite of fellow Broadway star Laura Osnes. He will next be seen in Apple TV+’s upcoming, untitled musical comedy series, produced by Lorne Michaels. He has also held numerous guest starring roles on “The Good Fight,” “Gossip Girl,” “The Good Wife,” “Ugly Betty” and “Law and Order: SVU.”
Tveit’s film credits include Les Misérables (where he was seen portraying the character Enjolras alongside Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe), Out of Blue, Created Equal, Better Off Single, Undrafted, Premium Rush, Howl and Ghost Town.
On Broadway, he starred in Catch Me If You Can, in the role of Frank Abagnale Jr., and also created the role of Gabe in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical Next to Normal, which he developed off-Broadway at the Second Stage Theatre and debuted on Broadway.
In addition to Wicked and Hairspray on Broadway, he starred in the national tours of Hairspray and Rent. He is featured on the cast recordings for Catch Me If You Can and Next to Normal, as well as his solo album The Radio in My Head: Live at 54 Below.
Tveit has received numerous honors for his work in theatre including the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Supporting Performance in Next to Normal and the Actors Equity Association Clarence Derwent Award for Most Promising Actor. Nominations include Distinguished Performance from the Drama League, Best Male Dancer from the Fred and Adele Astaire Awards, and Outstanding Featured Actor from the Outer Critics Circle Awards, all for his work in Catch Me If You Can.
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