NAAP's Rediscover Series Casts The Music Man With All-AANHPI Company at NYC's Ailey Citigroup Theater

The National Asian Artists Project is actively casting its upcoming concert production of The Music Man, the beloved Meredith Willson classic, for a two-performance run at The Ailey Citigroup Theater in New York City this October 2026. Rehearsals are set to begin October 5, with performances on October 18 and 19. For performers and theater professionals of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander descent, this is one of the more distinctive opportunities on the calendar right now: a fully professional concert staging by one of New York's most respected organizations dedicated to AANHPI artists.

The production is part of NAAP's ongoing Rediscover Series, which has built a strong reputation over the years for reimagining canonical American musicals with professional AANHPI casts. Previous entries in the series have included concert and staged productions of Carousel, Hello, Dolly!, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Into the Woods, and Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, among others. The series has become a meaningful proving ground for Asian American theater talent, and this iteration of The Music Man continues that mission by casting all characters as AANHPI identifying. Proceeds from the performances support NAAP's year-round nonprofit programs, giving the project cultural and philanthropic weight beyond the stage itself.

The creative team attached to this production carries real institutional credibility. Director Steven Eng brings theatrical experience to a project that demands both comedic precision and musical sweep. Choreographer Baayork Lee is a genuine legend of American musical theater, perhaps best known as one of the original cast members of A Chorus Line, in which she originated the role of Connie, and she has since become one of the most respected director-choreographers working in regional and concert theater. Her involvement alone signals that this production is aiming for something polished and substantive, not a casual showcase. Music Director Alexander Tom rounds out the leadership trio, with Associate Director Cassey Kikuchi Kivnick and Associate Choreographer David Grindrod supporting the production's movement and staging work. Assistant Choreographer Andrew Winans is also on board.

Casting is being handled by Michael Cassara, CSA, and Andrea Zee, a team well-known in New York theater circles. Michael Cassara's office has cast a wide range of productions across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theater, and his involvement here is a strong signal that the casting process is being conducted with professional rigor. Performers seeking to be seen for this production should make contact through appropriate submission channels now, as concert productions with compressed rehearsal periods typically move quickly from audition to offer once the process opens up.

The venue is a fitting choice. The Ailey Citigroup Theater, located on West 55th Street in Manhattan, is the home stage of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and a well-regarded midsize venue in New York's performing arts landscape. With a capacity suited to intimate concert-style productions, it provides the kind of focused, acoustically supportive environment that lets the musicality of a Willson score breathe. For New York-based performers and theater technicians, this is a hometown opportunity with no relocation required.

As a concert production rather than a full Broadway-scale mounting, the production footprint is appropriately focused. That said, concert productions of classic musicals at this level still require strong music and sound departments, lighting design suited to a concert format, and a wardrobe or styling approach that complements the concert aesthetic. Theater professionals in those departments, particularly those with experience in concert stagings or benefit productions in New York, should take note. The scale here is intentionally contained, which means the team being assembled will be tight, experienced, and working with a clear artistic vision shaped by the Rediscover Series' established identity.

With rehearsals still well over a year away, the production is squarely in its casting and early pre-production phase, which means the window to get involved, whether as a performer or a collaborator, is genuinely open right now. ProductionList.com carries the full listing for NAAP's The Music Man, including production contacts and scheduling details. If this production aligns with your background and community, now is exactly the right time to make yourself known to the team.

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