In the year of the monkey, in
a little place called Houston, Texas, Jason Yau was born.
Being a proud Asian American in the south, Jason was raised
eating chicken feet one day and fried chicken the next. In
addition to teaching him that you don’t eat fried chicken
with chopsticks, Jason’s loving parents and older brother
provided him with a nurturing environment to grow up in.
After watching their two year old reenact scenes from The
Sound of Music (complete with cardboard scenery and handmade
goat puppets), Jason’s parents knew their quirky,
loud-mouthed son would not follow into the Asian stereotype
of engineering or medicine.
Throughout early childhood,
Jason had numerous opportunities to pursue and develop his
musical talents. He starred in his church Christmas pageant
and also competed in various piano concerto competitions at
the age of nine. A few years later, he was accepted into the
prestigious Fort Bend Boys Choir which enabled him to travel
and have the experience of being a professional performer.
During his high school years,
Jason continued to work on his craft. Performing at Carnegie
Hall and playing Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls would mark
a few of the many highlights of his high school term. As
high school came to an end, Jason considered many options
for his future and ultimately decided on vocal performance
at the University of Texas at Austin.
Along with the grind of
classes and pursuing a minor in business, Jason was
determined to obtain professional theatre experience on the
side. During his freshman year, he landed a contract in his
first equity production at Zachary Scott Theatre. To this
day, many Broadway directors come to Zachary Scott to
reinvent musicals and work new plays. It was this
experience that helped mold Jason into a professional actor.
The turning point in Jason’s
career presented itself as an invitation to audition in New
York City. Jason spent three days auditioning non-stop to
find out if he had what it took to succeed. Ten callbacks
and five offers later, Jason knew that he had to pack his
bags and head to the Big Apple! Jason immediately began
working, barely having time to settle into his new
surroundings. After working in several major regional
productions, Jason was asked to be part of the North
American Tour of Miss Saigon. Directed by Broadway’s
creative team, the production was nothing short of
spectacular and Jason felt honored and privileged to be a
part of the tour.
Jason feels proud, yet humbled
by the experiences he has had so far in his journey from
Texas to New York. He continues to pursue his dream and is
always ready for the challenges and surprises ahead.
