The East West Players, one of the nation’s first Asian American theaters, has announced the winners of its Visionary Awards.
Executive Producers Nahnatchka Khan and Melvin Mar of Fresh Off The Boat will receive the award for their trailblazing hit show which airs Tuesday nights on ABC at 8/7 Central, reports Broadway World (Photo by Lia Chang, Melvin Mar 2nd from right).
Khan also co-created the program.
“As a girl with glasses, I take special pride in receiving the Visionary Award from East West Players. It’s truly an honor to be recognized by this great organization,” said showrunner & executive producer Nahnatchka Khan. “Growing up I had Chinese parents who constantly reminded me how I had to be a doctor to be successful. East West Players represents that a Chinese kid could pursue his dreams in the arts. It’s an honor to be recognized,” said executive producer, Melvin Mar.
Also being recognized is Paula Madison. A longtime executive of NBC News, Madison retired in 2011 and began a journey to trace the footsteps of her maternal Chinese grandfather.
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“I am deeply humbled that the East West Players and AARP would honor me with their Visionary Award. A few years ago, I retired from the corporate world and focused on bridging a gap to connect with my grandfather’s descendants in China after an almost 100-year separation. This award truly recognizes and celebrates this recent chapter in my life’s story. It characterizes what we Hakka Chinese people say in our Hakka dialect, “Chee Gah Ngin” or “Many Places, One People.”
Madison’s story is told in Finding Samuel Lowe: From Harlem to China.
You can read more East West’s Annual Visionary Awards Dinner & Silent Auction on April 20 in Broadway World.
