NEW YORK (May 11, 2022) -- The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) is thrilled to announce that Tony-nominated and Grammy-winning performer Eva Noblezada will be our featured guest at our Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month event Up Next: A Celebration of AAPI Voices for Change on May 23 at Second Floor NYC.

“Throughout her career, Eva has explored themes of identity, belonging, and migration in her work,” said CACF’s co-executive directors Anita Gundanna and Vanessa Leung. “We were delighted to honor Eva with our Catalyst for Change award in 2019 and are so happy to welcome her back to CACF on May 23 as we celebrate New York City’s vibrant AAPI community.”

Currently the star of the hit Broadway musical Hadestown, Noblezada also played the lead for director Diane Paragas in the acclaimed Sony Pictures film Yellow Rose. Noblezada originated the lead role of Eurydice in Hadestown, a role in which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role and for which she won a Grammy. It was the second Tony nomination in her first two Broadway roles, following her earlier nod in the title role in Miss Saigon in 2017. She previously starred in Hadestown at the National Theatre in London after being a lead in the West End revivals of Miss Saigon and Les Miserables.

"After being introduced to CACF it is truly impossible to ignore the impact they are making on the Asian American community,” said Eva Noblezada. “Being Filipino, I am extremely empowered to be a part of this event that’s led by people with an unstoppable drive to make change. It continues to be difficult and heartbreaking after seeing what we’ve had to endure over the last few years. So, I am excited to celebrate for the evening and raise up voices in our community."

In addition to Noblezada’s special appearance, Up Next: A Celebration of AAPI Voices for Change will feature a performance by Brooklyn Raga Massive, an acclaimed music collective dedicated to creating cross-cultural understanding through the lens of Indian classical music.

“BRM is excited to present a night of unity through music in support of CACF and their essential work connecting community organizations, advocating on behalf of the AAPI community, and building solidarity between Asian communities,” said Brooklyn Raga Massive executive director Praveen Ramamurthy. “We are honored to illustrate the power of pan-Asian collaboration in a performance bringing together traditional and contemporary music of South Asia, Japan, Korea and America.”

Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will be served.

For tickets and sponsorship information, please head here. Photos and quotes from Up Next will be available shortly after the event.