East West Players, the nation’s premier Asian American theater, will introduce its new artistic director, Snehal Desai, and celebrate its next chapter at “One Night Only: The Future Is Bright” on Saturday, Aug. 20, at 120 Judge John Aiso St. in Little Tokyo.

Enjoy a buffet dinner al fresco catered by Spice Affair Beverly Hills in the Aratani Courtyard and enjoy an evening of music and laughter in the David Henry Hwang Theatre hosted by Suzy Nakamura (ABC’s “Dr. Ken”) with special performances by:

? Jon Jon Briones (“Miss Saigon,” EWP’s “La Cage Aux Folles”) and his son Teo Briones;

? Parvesh Cheena (NBC’s “Outsource” and EWP’s “The Who’s Tommy”);

? The Mama Bares, an all-female group of four “Miss Saigon” alumni – Joan Almedilla, Ai Goeku Cheung, Deedee Magno Hall, and Jennifer Paz —?who will perform “Once Upon a Play Date” from Aug. 25 to Sept. 4 at EWP;

? Actor/singer Manu Narayan (ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” EWP and Pasadena Playhouse’s “Come Down in Time”);

? Araceli Prasarttongosoth, a 6-year-old who mad her professional theatrical debut with EWP’s “The Who’s Tommy”;

? Internationally acclaimed Japanese drumming group TaikoProject;

? Actor Forrest Wheeler (ABC’s “Fresh Off the Boat”).

Proceeds of benefit the artistic and educational programs of East West Players.

Registration and complimentary bar start at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m. and performance at 7:30 p.m., followed by a dessert reception.

Individual tickets are $100 (balcony), $150 (general) and $250 (VIP). Sponsorship levels are Ruby ($1,000), Emerald ($3,000), Sapphire ($5,000) and Diamond ($10,000).

For more information, contact Development Manager Monika Ramnath at [email protected] or visit www.eastwestplayers.org.

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