I was delighted to chat with Kelvin about his career and his thoughts on the challenges facing Asian American performers. Born and raised in New York, he identifies himself as American and doesn't feel much "Asianess." "But sometimes all they see is my different skin color and features." he explains, "auditioning, for a male Asian American, is extremely hard because there are so many filters before we are considered for certain roles. I'm lucky to have played few stereotypical characters." Having just finished the tour, Kelvin is in full on fighting mode for upcoming projects. "It was a great experience because I got to express the emotions and messages as a character created without ethnic labels." Recently he was a part of the workshop production of Madam Fury's Travelling Show, in which he plays Mother Earth, a character performed by two actors for its two sides: Fury and Conscience. He was able to explore a complete different skill set than being a punk rocker.

"Before realizing my true passion in acting, I wanted to become a lawyer. I was a natural public speaker, and have always been interested in politics." One of his shining moments at school was winning delegation award representing Papua New Guinea at a Model UN Conference. However, during high school, the one thing he looked forward to the most every year was the spring musical. "I would do everything that didn't require me to be at school for the show." He recalls sketching costumes and crafting set pieces and that his father helped with the sets and drew illustrations for the programs.

Through Kelvin, I was introduced to Alison Lea Bender: a diva, a belter, a dreamer and most importantly, a sweetheart. A 12-year-old Alison asked her musical theater camp director, "Which character has the most lines? I want that!" And that was how she got her musical theater debut role: Adelaide in Guys and Dolls. From a little girl who liked to sing in the shower growing up in Tampa, Florida, to a bubbling New Yorker leading a high-pressured life, loving everything romantic and beautiful in life, Alison has done countless musicals along the way: Miss Saigon, Flower Drum Song, Carousel and Hair.

"When I get my equity card, I'm auditioning for Wicked right away," says Alison. She knows her art and is confident about what she's good at, "I'm sure I'll get seen. Maybe I'll start from ensemble and understudy Elphaba." When asked why not consider Glinda, she said: "I will never get seen as Glinda because she's set as Caucasian." She explains that there are certain limitations for the roles she can take, "It doesn't matter what your skill set is, you just don't get considered at all." Of course, Alison is proud of her Asian background. She enjoys her uniqueness and isn't afraid to try anything exciting and new.

Kelvin and Alison both expressed the wish to be seen for their skills rather than their ethnicity. That's something we need to keep in mind, not only for Asian Americans, but for all actors.