Anna May Wong grew up in Los Angeles while Hollywood was still being built. She saved her lunch money for the nickelodeon and dreamed of the screen. Against her father’s wishes, she left the family laundry to become an actress, and then ran into Hollywood’s racial casting. The studios kept casting her as the “dragon lady” or the “butterfly.” At home, people criticized how she portrayed her culture. Yellow Frosted Willow follows her search for acceptance from Hollywood, from the American public and from her own heritage.

This new musical has book by Angela Wong and music & lyrics by Stewart Yu, with music direction by Minhui Lee at the piano. It will be presented in concert for one night only in the Brick Room at Don’t Tell Mama.

Featuring: Kai An Chee, Marina Kondo, Noi Maeshige, Bart Mather, Charles Romaine, Sam Tanabe, James Wong and Xiaoqing Zhang

When: Monday, November 23, 2026 at 7:00 PM (doors 6:15 PM)
Where: Don’t Tell Mama, Brick Room, 343 W. 46th St (between 8th & 9th Aves), New York, NY
Tickets: $25 cover + $20 minimum (2 drinks); the minimum is cash only
Reservations: https://shows.donttellmamanyc.com/show/yellow-frosted-willow-a-new-musical-in-concert/
Website: yellowfrostedwillow.com
Instagram: @yellowfrostedwillow
Run time: 60 minutes