Tony award winner Lea Salonga and Miss Saigon alum Eva Noblezada are set to hit the screens instead of the stage this time as they both headline their first feature film in the new musical movie Yellow Rose.
The film follows the story of 17-year old Filipino-American Rose, played by Noblezada, whose Texan background inspires her dream of becoming a country musician. However, when her mother is suddenly arrested by ICE, Rose must choose between pursuing her musical passion or risk deportation back to the Philippines by saving her mother with her aunt, Salonga, by her side.
Salonga has long carved her name in Western entertainment, making her international debut as Kim from the 1990 London debut of Miss Saigon, which led her to become the first Asian woman to win a Tony. Similarly, Noblezada made her debut as Kim in the revival of Miss Saigon which also ran in London, and she later reprised her role in the American running of the show which earned her a Tony nomination for her performance.
In addition to Salonga and Noblezada, the cast also includes country singer Dale Watson, and introduces newer faces such as Liam Booth and Gustavo Gomez. Diane Paragas is set to direct and she also composed the soundtrack to the movie. According to Playbill, Paragas commented, “With the increased demand for diverse Asian-American stories in Hollywood… I can’t think of a better time to develop this film.”
The fifteen year indie project just finished production in Texas. No release date has been set yet, but considering the film is already in its post-production stage, we can expect it to come within the next year.
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