By Annie Huang
Associated Press Writer

Screen capture of singer Lin Yu-chun as he performs Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” on Super Star Avenue, a talent show (Image from YouTube.com)

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — As a younger man, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-chun sang for hours on end, trying to get his mind off the sneers he endured because of his portly figure.

The round-faced soprano with the bowl haircut never imagined his voice would one day transform him into an international sensation.

Now, he is being compared to Britain’s Susan Boyle, the plain-looking 48-year-old who shot to stardom after singing “I Dreamed a Dream” on “Britain’s Got Talent.” Read the full story

Left: “Namaste Boy” by Cora Edmonds (Photo provided by Shelley Seale); Right: The facade of Cora Edmonds’ ArtXchange Gallery in Seattle

By Shelley Seale
For Northwest Asian Weekly

Sometimes, the smallest moment and a chance  encounter can change the course of your life and lead to an adventure beyond the imagination. For Cora Edmonds, director of the ArtXchange Gallery in Seattle, that moment came in a mountain village in a remote region of Nepal. Read the full story

By Steven Cong
Northwest Asian Weekly

The Tacoma Youth Symphony rehearses at the Broadway Plaza in Tacoma on Jan. 9. Conducting the orchestra, composed of many Asian Americans, is Dale Johnson. (Photo by Steven Cong/NWAW)

“Asians are extremely hard workers in school and in orchestra,” said Jonathan Wu, a Chinese American co-concertmaster at the Tacoma Youth Symphony. Read the full story

By Vivian Luu
Northwest Asian Weekly

Over-reported

Michael Jackson

1. Michael Jackson dies at the age of 50, but you already knew that

Our bodies pulsed to “Thriller.” Our hearts sank for “Billie Jean.” And when Michael Jackson announced his “This Is It” tour, we went bananas.

And then the world mourned his death, after he died from cardiac arrest on June 25 at age 50. Read the full story

By Staff
Northwest Asian Weekly

Read the full story

A monthly column sharing the happenings of Asians and Asian Americans in the entertainment biz

By Ninette Cheng
Northwest Asian Weekly

The new season is here, and there’s a new Asian baby in Hollywood! This month, Katherine Heigl and Josh Kelley adopt a baby from Korea, Tila Tequila continues her quest for attention, and Lisa Ling returns to her roots on “The View.”

Plus, two Asian stars make People Magazine’s Best Dressed list, and a number of Asian actors debut on new television shows. Read the full story

The Massive Monkees members who appeared on MTV, from left to right, back to front: Samnith Ly, JD Rainey, Jerome Aparis (upside down), Timothy Soriano, Marcus Garrison, and Brysen Angeles (Photos provided by MTV.com)

The Massive Monkees, a world-known break dancing crew, can be described in many ways. To one another — they are family. To their students — they are mentors, teachers, and role models. To their fans — they are world champions. After more than 10 years of dancing their way through break dancing competitions, they’ve won countless awards and titles, and  they are recognized leaders in the community. Read the full story

Photos of DARE performances provided by the American Asian Performing Arts Theatre

Read the full story

Jo Koy (Joseph Glenn Herbert). (Photo provided by Jo Koy)

By Leslie Yeh
Northwest Asian Weekly

Tacoma-born comedian Jo Koy (Joseph Glenn Herbert) is used to hearing the sound of laughter. With a natural charisma and a lively stage persona, the Filipino American is a well-known face in the world of stand-up.

On Sept. 25, Koy will unleash a brand new set at The Moore Theater in Seattle, which he guarantees will excite fans. “It’s all new stuff, it touches base on everything … new stories about my son, my mom, and just stuff I’ve experienced on the road,” he said.

The entertainer’s dream of becoming a comedian started when he was a 9-year-old kid watching comedy on television. “When I first saw Eddie Murphy,” he said, “I was like ‘Oh, I got to be him!’” Read the full story

A Javanese gamelan ensemble with two female sindhen (choral singers) during a traditional Javanese wedding in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo by Gunawan K)

By Vivian Miezianko
Northwest Asian Weekly

Do you know what the soundtracks of the sci-fi show “Battlestar Galactica” and the video game “Sonic Unleashed” have in common with certain works of classical music composers John Cage and Lou Harrison?
They all contain the haunting, bell-like sounds of gamelan, an Indonesian musical ensemble. Read the full story

Amy Anderson (Photo by Bill Devlin)

By Jason Cruz
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Three minutes.

This was the length of Amy Anderson’s first standup performance at an open mic night in 1997 on Saint Patrick’s Day in a Minneapolis comedy club. At the end of her three minutes, she had found her passion. Read the full story

Fun at the Seattle Chinatown Seafair Parade 2009

Photo 1: Chris Henggeler plays the part of a police clown and ‘arrests’ Phillip Sit. 2: Miss Chinatown Cynthia Vuong 3: Royalty from the Eastside and Korean community greet parade attendees. 4: Japanese Community Queen Kiana Kobayashi 5: An (unidentified) pirate, arrgh! 6: Yale Wong’s biodiesel parade float 7: Anna Ramos is ‘arrested’ by police clown Chris Henggler. 8: Not all the clowns were scary. A girl chats with one in bright yellow. 9: Ping Chow, husband of the late Ruby Chow, smiles for the camera. He is 94! 10: Parader from Sakura-Con. Photo 1 by John Liu/NWAW. Photos 3 and 7 by Assunta Ng/NWAW. Photos 2, 4-6, and 8-10 by George Liu/NWAW.