Digital Program
Creative Team
Book/Music/Lyrics: Jason Ma
Co-Directors: Billy Bustamante & Chongren Fan
Music Direction: Minhui Lee
Stage Manager: Merrick A.B. Williams
Assistant Director: Haoyi Wen
Stage Direction Reader: Victoria Pommalath
Cast
Ensemble: Bebe Browning
Auntie Xian: Liz Casasola
Auntie Han: Emy Coligado
Ensemble: Andrew Cristi
Madam Hua: Ali Ewoldt
Auntie Bei: Alex Humphreys
Jian Ping: Steven Huynh
Mulan: Claire Kwon
Li Long Xiang: Jimmy Nguyen
Ji Ping: Elijah Ramos
General Hua: Sam Simahk
Ensemble: Emily Song Tyler
Ensemble: Viet Vo
Ensemble: Haoyi Wen
Yangtze Repertory Theatre Staff
Artistic Director: Chongren Fan
Executive Director: Sally Shen
Resident Dramaturg: Bindi Kang
Producing Associate: Yining Cao
About The Creative Team
Jason Ma (馬智培) (Book/Music/Lyrics) is the son of an immigrant family, a grateful descendant of a long line of those who were able to persist, overcome, and succeed on their way to becoming Americans. He made his Broadway debut in 1989 and has been a multi-hyphenate citizen of the theater in New York City ever since. Along with a decades-long career as a performer, he is an award-winning writer/composer, including the ASCAP Foundation Cole Porter Award for his work as a composer/lyricist and a Harold Adamson Award for his musical theater lyrics. He wrote the book, music and lyrics for Gold Mountain, which received its world premiere in the fall of 2021, presented by the Utah Shakespeare Festival . As board president at Prospect Musicals, he is an active supporter of new work in the American musical theater and an advocate for expanding the canon to include more stories that reflect the vast array of communities that are the great American melting pot and highlight the shared history that has made and shaped our country. Most recently, Jason was a part of the lead producing team for the out-of-town tryout of the original musical The Hello Girls.
Billy Bustamante (Co-Director) is a New York-based director, choreographer and photographer. His work in theatre includes, as director / choreographer, Here We Are at The National Theatre and The Shed; FINN for the Kennedy Center; Soft Power for Signature Theatre (Helen Hayes nomination); Notes from Now for Prospect Theatre Company; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for Virginia Stage Company; Whisper House for The Civilians; Gold Mountain for Utah Shakespeare Festival; The Wild Party and The Adding Machine for B-Side; and Here Lies Love on Broadway; and as actor, The King and I at Lincoln Center; The Last Goodbye at the Old Globe; Tulipomania for Arden; Cabaret for Arena Stage; Pacific Overtures for North Shore Music Theatre;Sweet Charity for Media Theatre; and Miss Saigon on Broadway. Billy Bustamante is the co-founder of Broadway Barkada and is on teaching faculty at Jen Waldman Studio and Circle in the Square Theatre School. billybustamante.com
Chongren Fan 范崇人 (Co-Director) is a New York-based bilingual stage director. Hailing from Shanghai, he is the Artistic Director of OBIE Award winning theatre company Yangtze Repertory Theatre. Off-Broadway: Citizen Wong and The Emperor’s Nightingale (Pan Asian Rep); Romulus the Great, 410[GONE] and Behind the Mask (YZ REP); Regional: Quixotic Professor Qiu(InterAct Theatre Company); The Dragon King’s Daughter (Kennedy Center/Helen Hayes Nomination); Tiger Style! (TheatreSquared); Shanghai Sonatas in Concert (The Wallis); International: China Premiere Stones in His Pockets (Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre). Chongren was the Deputy General Manager of China Performing Arts Agency overseeing large scale live performances from China to USA from 2015-2020. He was a Jonathan Alper Directing Fellow at Manhattan Theatre Club and Resident Artist at Mabou Mines. He has been a guest lecturer at Barnard College and Yale School of Drama. Proud member of SDC and Off-Broadway League’s EDIJ committee. www.chongrenfan.com
Minhui Lee (Music Direction) is a NYC based music director and composer. Her select Music Direction credits include Baby (Conductor/Associate MD; Drama Desk Nominee), Caroline, or Change (Audelco Winner), Kinky Boots (Associate MD; Fulton Theatre), United States v. Gupta (world premiere), The Apple Boys (Associate MD; Bucks County Playhouse), and Misaeng (HoriPro; world premiere). MFA: NYU Tisch. A proud member of the Dramatist Guild and Local 802 AFM.
Merrick A.B. Williams (Stage Manager) Broadway: The Book of Mormon, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. NY City Center: Call Me Madam (Encores). Off-Broadway: Dakar 2000 (Manhattan Theatre Club); Sanctuary City, Othello, Dreaming Zenzile, An Ordinary Muslim (NYTW); Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes, The Disappear, Good Enemy (Minetta Lane); The Apiary, Somebody’s Daughter, The Layover, Invisible Thread, The Other Thing (Second Stage); Gently Down The Stream, Sweat Mobile National, Measure for Measure Mobile (The Public); Daphne’s Dive (Signature). Regional: Cambodian Rock Band (Alley Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Arena Stage, ACT Seattle); Last of the Red Hot Mamas, Anastasia (Bucks County Playhouse); Seder (Hartford Stage); 10x10 2016 (Barrington Stage); On the Town (Boston Pops).
Haoyi Wen (Assistant Director) is a performer, director, and educator based in New York. A graduate of the University of Michigan’s Musical Theatre program, Haoyi is passionate about storytelling that bridges cultures and celebrates identity. Recent work includes directing and developing new projects that explore cross-cultural narratives. He’s thrilled to be part of Mulan and to help bring this powerful story to life.
Victoria Pommalath (Stage Direction Reader) is a New York City–based actor and content creator who graduated from CAP21’s Musical Theatre program in 2025. She approaches performance as a form of therapy and believes storytelling can be a path toward healing and human connection. Recent credits include First Sight: A Queer Indonesian Love Story (Off-Broadway, Sari), The Gifted Prince (workshop, Zhihao), The Wild Party (Lippa, Dolores), and Macbeth (Macbeth). She is deeply grateful to join Hua Mulan and to share the space with such an inspiring community of powerful Asian artists.
About The Cast
Bebe Browning (she/her) (Ensemble) Off-Broadway: See What I Wanna See (Out of the Box Theatrics), Penelope… (The York Theatre Company), Ola Nā Iwi (Roundabout’s Refocus Project). Regional: Into the Woods (Cinderella, Oregon Shakespeare Festival), World premiere of Larry: The Musical, First Date (Masonstreet Warehouse), The Evolution of (Henry) Mann (American Theater Group). TV: Succession, Manifest. BFA in Musical Theatre, University of Michigan. www.bebebrowning.com | IG: @bebebrowning
Liz Casasola (Auntie Xian) is an actor/singer/producer based in NYC. She is a Co-Founder of Broadway Barkada, which provides a community for Filipino artists that cultivates our talents, educates our audiences, and elevates our global impact. She is so grateful to Jason Ma for writing this piece, sharing the experience of family love and loyalty, and the importance of community.
Emy Coligado (Auntie Han) Jason Ma & Emy Coligado worked together in Miss Saigon in the 90s. Emy is excited to reconnect working on his newest project, Hua Mulan. Her future projects include the reboot of Malcolm in the Middle (Disney+), short film Get Your Story Straight screening at the Lincoln Center (Diversity & Inclusion Film Festival), & a new musical Yoko's Husband's Killer's Japanese Wife, Gloria. Thank you, Jason & Yangtze Rep!
Andrew Cristi (Ensemble) BROADWAY: A Christmas Story, The Musical! OFF-BROADWAY: The Public: Miss You Like Hell; Encores! City Center: Big River, The Golden Apple; New World Stages: Freckleface Strawberry; Prospect Musicals: American Morning. REGIONAL: Signature Theatre (VA), American Repertory Theater, Geva Theatre Center, Paper Mill Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Berkshire Theater Group. TV: ABC, Manhattan Love Story, Disney/ABC Talent Showcase. EDUCATION: NYU/Tisch: BFA. www.andrewcristi.com. IG: @hello_drewby.
Ali Ewoldt (Madam Hua) is always delighted and honored to be part of a Jason Ma piece. She has appeared on Broadway in The Phantom of the Opera (Christine), Les Miserables (Cosette), and The King and I. Other credits include: The Fantasticks Off-Broadway (Luisa), She Loves Me (Amalia, Signature, Helen Hayes nomination), Camelot (Guenevere, Barrington Stage), Great Comet… (Natasha, PTC), Gold Mountain (Yook Mei, Utah Shakes), Honor (Kiku, Prospect Musicals), Secret Garden (Rose, CTG), Ask For The Moon (Charlotte, Goodspeed), Titanic (City Center Encores), Chicago (Mary Sunshine, The Muny), Guys and Dolls (Sarah, Sacramento Music Circus). Concert work includes: NY Pops at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Houston Symphony, Kaohsiung Symphony and The Boston Pops. Her TV/Film credits include "The Michael J. Fox Show," Yield, and the short films Mia and The Cactus. Ali has a BA in psychology from Yale University. @aliewoldt
Alex Humphreys (Auntie Bei) is honored and overjoyed to join this fresh retelling of a timeless story. Previous credits include-Broadway: Dear Evan Hansen; New York City Center Encores!: The Light in the Piazza; Off-Broadway: Monte Cristo (The York Theatre); Regional: South Pacific (Goodspeed Opera House), The Hello Girls (Syracuse Stage). Graduate of the University of Michigan, BFA, Musical Theater. Deepest gratitude to the extraordinary creative team and cast of AAPI artists, and endless love to Jason Ma! @alexhumphreyss
Steven Huynh (Jian Ping) Grateful to be here! Thank you Chongren, Billy, and Jason for the opportunity to be part of this story. Broadway: Maybe Happy Ending. Off-Broadway: Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas. Regional: Emmet Otter…, Little Shop of Horrors, A Funny Thing…Forum. Readings/Workshops: Crazy Rich Asians, The Lost Boys, The Turning. Television: "The Good Fight", "Blue Bloods". @shuynh_ing
Claire Kwon (Mulan) is so excited to join this wonderful cast in this beautiful rendition of Hua Mulan! She is currently a vacation standby for Claire at MAYBE HAPPY ENDING on Broadway! Broadway: ALMOST FAMOUS (Band-Aids/Swing), Off-Broadway: TEETH (Promise Keeper Girl Swing), Regional: GALILEO (Berkeley Rep), LIFE AFTER (Goodman), Workshops: A FAMILY ALBUM (La Jolla Playhouse), YOKO’s (O’Neill), DIVE (Julia Riew). Rep: Soffer Entertainment, Northwestern ‘22 alum! Follow her journey @clairekwon_
Jimmy Nguyen (Li Long Xiang) is a Vietnamese-American actor and has worked at various theatre institutions across the country including The Kennedy Center in D.C., Hope Repertory Theatre in MI, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. He is happy to be a part of this new work after working on the world premiere of another musical, Gold Mountain, also written and composed by Jason Ma. Jimmy trained as an actor at Doane University and the Dell’Arte School of Physical Theatre, where he learned various styles of movement, mask, and clowning. His identity as an Asian-American guides his practice and how he approaches his craft. As a kid, he saw Asian-Americans in the media repeatedly portrayed as school nerds, gas station clerks, laundromat workers, cab drivers, etc. Through his work, he continues to challenge that narrative and continues to ask himself what it means to be an Asian-American actor.
Elijah V. Ramos (Ji Ping) is a Filipino-American singer, actor, and dancer, currently in his senior year studying musical theatre at Manhattan School of Music. Regional: Camelot (Barrington Stage Company), Newsies (Interlakes Theatre). Concerts: Maybe Happy Ending at Broadway Sessions (Green Room 42), BroadwayWorld's Next On Stage Competition (54 Below), The Little Mermaid (Disney Theatrical). Elijah was recognized as a Top 3 finalist in BroadwayWorld’s 2025 Next On Stage Competition—a showcase of the country's most promising collegiate musical theatre performers. He is represented by blocNYC. Elijah is very grateful to be involved in Hua Mulan, and extends a heartfelt thank you to Jason Ma, the entire cast and creative team, and Yangtze Repertory Theatre for this opportunity! @elijahvramos | elijahvramos.com
Sam Simahk (General Hua) is thrilled to be working on Hua Mulan with so many old and new friends from the NYC AAPI theatre community. Fun fact: his onstage history with the Mulan story goes back to his senior in high school, when he played Captain Shang in the Disney/MTI workshop of Mulan Jr.! Sam recently returned to NYC, having spent a couple of months in Syracuse playing the curmudgeonly military man Joseph W. Riser in the out-of-town tryout of The Hello Girls, by Cara Reichel and Pete Mills. Broadway: Into the Woods, Carousel. National Tours: Into the Woods, My Fair Lady, The King and I. Off-Broadway/Regional: See What I Wanna See (Out of the Box Theatrics); Gatsby: an American Myth (American Repertory Theatre); West Side Story, The King and I (Lyric Opera of Chicago), A Little Night Music (Huntington Theatre Company). Education: BFA Musical Theatre, Emerson College.
Emily Song Tyler (Ensemble) is beyond honored to be a part of Hua Mulan! Previous credits include: Soft Power (Signature Theatre), Gold Mountain (Utah Shakespeare Festival), Titanic The Musical (North Shore Music Theatre), Water By The Spoonful (Cygnet Theatre), Cinderella (Geva Theatre Center), Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival), A Chorus Line (Broadway Palm). Film/TV: Paw Patrol Live At Home (Paramount+), “That Damn Michael Che” (HBO). Huge thanks to Jason, Billy, Chongren, and Minhui for bringing this beautiful story to life.
Viet Vo (Ensemble) Off Broadway: SUMO (The Public) Romeo and Bernadette, Fishing For Wives. National Tour: Miss Saigon (Limited) Regional: SUMO (La Jolla Playhouse) VIETGONE (The Alley Theatre & The Guthrie & CincinnatiPlayhouse), GOLD MOUNTAIN The Musical (Utah Shakespeare Festival), Miss Saigon (Casa Manana), A Christmas Story (The Engeman Theatre). TV/FILM: CUPIDS (Tribeca Film Festival), The Blacklist (NBC) TALES OF THE CITY (Netflix), MANIFEST (Netflix), LOST (ABC), A Huge Mahalo nui loa Cast and Crew. Mahalo Nui Loa to Jason, Billy, Chongren, Shelly and our beautiful team. 사랑해요 빙수
Haoyi Wen (Ensemble) is a performer, director, and educator based in New York. A graduate of the University of Michigan’s Musical Theatre program, Haoyi is passionate about storytelling that bridges cultures and celebrates identity. Recent work includes directing and developing new projects that explore cross-cultural narratives. He’s thrilled to be part of Mulan and to help bring this powerful story to life.