“Koichi Asano” – 1999

Here is a link to an interview about the show: shorturl.at/nBFR3

Review Excerpts

“’MAJORITY OF ONE’ IS STILL A WINNER’…. Phyllis Newman… helps us see just what a well-made play ‘Majority’ actually is. Instead of proving dated, ‘Majority’ is really about prejudice–a theme that, sadly, continues to speak to our era….If Newman has pulled this play out of the dramatic attic, removed the mothballs and proven it to be a sturdy, heartwarming comedy with her subtle and finely shaded performance, she is not alone in rehabilitating its reputation. Randall Duk Kim is marvelously understated yet wise and charming as Asssano–a role previously played with embarrassing results by both Cedric Hardwicke and Alec Guinness posing as Asians….”
   –David Kaufman, NY DAILY NEWS (1/25/1999)

“‘A GRACEFUL RETURN TRIP TO TOLERANCE’ SLOW DOWN’….Phyllis Newman–that rare star actress who has allowed herself to age naturally–plays the central role of Mrs. Jacoby, a Jewish widow who leaves her modest Brooklyn apartment to travel to Japan with her daughter and son-in-law,…she meets a Japanese widower and, much to her surprise–since her son was killed by Japanese soldiers during World War II–develops a warm friendship. The millionaire manufacturer, Mr. Asano, is now played by Randall Duk Kim (‘Golden Child,’ ‘The King and I’), who is not only of Asian descent but a wonderful match–in graciousness, wit and romantic sparkle–to Newman’s level-headed but quietly sensual Mrs. Jacoby….”
–Aileen Jacobson, NEWSDAY (1/25/1999)

“…Randall Duk Kim, last seen locally as Belarius in the Central Park Cymbeline. Kim’s the best transformative actor in America, equally wonderful as Puck, Hamlet, or Walt Whitman. A lonely Japanese tycoon is almost too easy an assignment; he immerses himself in it so thoroughly that I expect to see him on TV next week, announcing the collapse of another Tokyo bank.”
     –Alexis Soloski, VILLAGE VOICE (2/2/1999)

“‘A MAJORITY OF ONE’ Attend the Jewish Repertory Theatre’s revival of Leonard Spigelgass’s quaint 1959 play A Majority of One, and you’ll receive a lesson in how Broadway drama was handled two score years ago….the pre-PC casting of the day was typically atrocious. Sir Cedric Hardwicke played Asano on Broadway, and a fellow Knight of the Realm, Sir Alec Guinness, played him in the subsequent movie. Luckily, JRT has cast more aptly. Randall Duk Kim cuts a dignified figure as Asano. Exhibiting fine comportment and diction, which has something to do with his character and everything to do with his talent, he injects the old man with equal parts decorum and personality. Phyllis Newman, as Jacoby, at time seems a bit off her footing, but there’s little denying she’s perfect for the role….The evening’s chief attraction, however, remains Kim, who valiantly crafts a genuinely noble figure out of the honorable but hackneyed Asano. It’s a nice piece of artistic alchemy.”
           –Robert Simonson, TIMEOUT NEW YORK (2/4-11/1999)

“‘A MAJORITY OF ONE’…In kind, Kim (Golden Child, The King and I) gives Mr. Asano an infectious joyfulness. Here is a successful businessman, suffering the loss of a wife for the last two years, who bumps into a woman grieving for her dead husband. Both have a pride and dignity that is quite noble….”
           –Ricky Spears, IN THEATER (2/8/1999)

“”A MAJORITY OF ONE’ TRANSCENDS ITS GENRE AND TIME PERIOD’ ‘A Majority of One’ by Leonard Spigelgass, the heartwarming story of a widow who finds romance in the autumn of life, is currently enjoying the final week of its run at The Ogunquit Playhouse….While many plays of that era have retained only a niche market of older theater goers, ‘A Majority of One’ is an exception. The themes of this story transcend the limitations of its genre. Juxtaposed are the pain of losing a child to war, the resultant prejudice, and ultimately the resiliency of the human spirit. The message is uplifting….Stage veteran Phyllis Newman brings a quietly assertive edge to the role of Mrs. Jacoby….Randall Duk Kim, who plays Mr. Asano, is quite simply, splendid. Kim’s Mr. Asano is dignified and charming. Yet, even while he projects an amazing gentleness of spirit, his stage presence is disarmingly powerful. The result is mesmerizing….”
 –MaryAnn Robertson, SPOTLIGHT (7/29/1999)

“‘A MAJORITY OF ONE’ Forty years ago, Leonard Spigelgass wrote a warm, funny and very brave play that won four Tony nominations. He called it A Majority of One. Just fourteen years after the end of World War II, Spigelgass broached the possibility of a romance between a widowed Jewish mother from Brooklyn (who lost a son in the Pacific campaign during the War) and an equally mature Japanese widower. The play has returned to the New York stage in a production that is likely to be admired not by a majority of one, but of everyone….The play is grounded and made particularly compelling by the luminous and unerring performance given by Phyllis Newman. Never once does she stoop to turning Mrs. Jacoby into a Jewish mother caricature. Instead, Newman gives one of this year’s most natural, understated, yet fiercely alive performances. It is a study in subtlety. She is ably abetted by Randall Duk Kim, who plays her gentlemanly Japanese love-interest, Mr. Asano….”
             –Scott & Barbara Siegel, SHOW BUSINESS (2/3-9/1999)

“‘A MAJORITY OF ONE’ The Jewish Repertory Theatre is now offering a revival of Leonard Spigelgass’ ‘A Majority of One,’ starring Phyllis Newman and Randall Duk Kim. In this feel-good play East meets West, and love may or may not conquer all. An elegant Japanese gentleman and an attractive Jewish widow, who meet on shipboard, reach out to each other, and cross cultural borders….Moreover, this is a smoothly-staged production, under Richard Sabellico’s able direction. What makes it extraordinary is Newman’s performance. With her considerable stage presence, she carries the show on her ample shoulders. The play could get slushy, but she never lets it descend into cheap sentimentality. Whether clad in a kimono and sipping tea in a Japanese home, or serving gefilte fish to her Japanese suitor at a Sabbath dinner, she makes it all seem right, natural, and believable. The beauty and strength of her performance is well matched by Kim as her suitor. Though small of stature, Kim is an equally imposing and dignified, presence….”
           –Irene Backalenick, BACK STAGE (2/5-11/1999)

“‘A MAJORITY OF ONE’…Phyllis Newman gives an at first over-restrained performance that warms to the task; Randall Duk KIm is fine as Koichi, even when he forgets to turn his l‘s into r‘s….”
       –John Simon, NEW YORK MAGAZINE (2/15/1999)

“‘SWEET COMEDY POKES GENTLE FUN AT RACISM’…Newman’s plainspoken Jewish widow is handsomely partnered by Randall Duk Kim, who was so effective as a the paterfamilias of that bickering household in last season’s ‘Golden Child.’ Investing his businessman with quiet charm and a flavorful Japanese accent, Kim plays his iron-willed gent with a subtle twinkle of humor….”
     –Michael Sommers, THE STAR-LEDGER (1/28/1999)

“‘JRT’s ‘A MAJORITY OF ONE’–ACTORS MAKE DATED SHOW WORTHWHILE’ What’s not to love about Mrs. Bertha Jacoby–quintessential Jewish mama with a formula for eternal vigor that involves disciplined recourse to ‘hot water and lemon?’ As played by the irrepressible Phyllis Newman, Mrs. J. is a delight and the most compelling reason, along with an elegant and heartwarming performance by co-star Randall Duk Kim, to catch the Jewish Repertory Theatre’s current revival of A Majority of One….If only the rest of Majority of One had half the zip, self-mocking humor and quiet wisdom that characterize Newman’s and Kim’s polished performances. If truth be told, the creaks abound in this dated, formulaic script. (Imagine a character actually announcing to his mother-in-law’s yenta neighbor, ‘The only way you can stop prejudice is to stop it in yourself!’)…”
               –Naomi Siegel, NEW JERSEY JEWISH NEWS (2/4/1999)

“”A MAJORITY OF ONE:’ CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL’…we’ll never forget Randall Duk Kim’s gentle humor, bemused intelligence, dignity and grace in an exquisite award caliber performance. What a wonderful actor he is!…By its conclusion, we’d become so fond of the wise, compassionate human beings crafted by Ms. Newman and Mr. Duk Kim it would have been a joy to really share sake and conversation with them….”
               –Arlene Epstein, SOUTH SHORE RECORD (2/4/1999)

“‘A SATISFYING REMINDER OF PLAYS OF PAST’…Her scene in the Japanese businessman’s home is especially effective as she begins to grasp not only the differences but also the similarities between their cultures. A real magic begins to take place as he changes the subject from her son-in-law’s trade negotiations to his interest in a possible romance. The scene is touching and there is a sense of chemistry between Ms. Newman and Randall Duk Kim, who plays the Japanese. He is a fine actor and his portrayal of the businessman is effectively understated playing….”
               –Martin Gottfried, NEW YORK LAW JOURNAL (1/29/1999)

“‘A MAJORITY OF ONE IS DELIGHTFUL COMEDY WITH A SERIOUS MESSAGE’…The Hawaiian-born Randall Duk Kim, an Obie Award winner for ‘sustained excellence of performance,’ gives another of his polished performances as the dignified Mr. Asano. He manages an excellent Japanese accent, one that is clearly understandable yet with the right enunciation (no small feat); he also produces elaborate Japanese-style bows, considerable wit, and a traditional Japanese daughter-in-law enacted with élan by AKO as Ayako Asano….”
     –Rose Safran, THE YORK WEEKLY (7/21/1999)

“”MAJORITY’ IS A WINNER, HANDS DOWN’ Watch the hands! No, not those on a clock, but those of Randall Duk Kim and, especially, Phyllis Newman, the two leads in the Ogunquit Playhouse production of Leonard Spigelgass; A Majority of One, as play that still resonates with meaning 40 years after it was written….”
               –Gaetano Santa Lucia, JOURNAL TRIBUNE (1999)

“‘OGUNQUIT PLAYHOUSE’S A MAJORITY OF ONE IS SMOOTH AS ORIENTAL SILK’…Randall Duk Kim steals the show as Koichi Asano. He is so restrained that his hands rarely leave their position clasped behind his back. An endearing vulnerability radiates from him in spite of his wealth and power. Desperately lonely, he has lost both his children in the war and is a recent widower. Mrs. Jacoby lost her son in the war and is a recent widow….”
      –Carol Standish, TOURIST NEWS (7/22/1999)

“”A MAJORITY OF ONE’ IS ROMANTIC, TIMELESS STAR VEHICLE’ OGUNQUIT–Fans who remember the great plays and great stars of Broadway in the 1950s and ’60s have a rare chance to see both in ‘A Majority of One’ at Ogunquit Playhouse….Directed as a faithful period piece by Richard Sabellico, ‘A Majority of One’ is oddly timeless, probably because Spigelgass’ characters are drawn believably. The role of the mother can be a focus-pulling turn, but Newman doesn’t play it that way. Instead, she offers a shaded, dignified portrait of a warm, plausible woman who sees the funny side of life and gets the joke along with the rest of us. As her admirer, Randall Duk Kim has a mature sexiness and dignified bearing; the closing scene where he and Newman sit down to dinner and a new beginning is full of romantic tension and therefore a wonderful payoff for the audience who has come to care for these two….”
               –Cathy Nelson Price, PORTLAND PRESS HERALD (7/21/1999)

“‘DON’T BE LEFT OUT OF A MAJORITY OF ONE’ A Majority of One, now on stage at the Ogunquit Playhouse, is one of the theater’s best productions of the season. It was well performed, directed and the visuals are top-notch. The script itself, which hits some pretty weighty subject matter, does so with a light story–and yet manages not to trivializing the issue. It’s entertainment with a point–minus the heavy hammer….Randall Duk Kim, as Mr. Asano, simply stole the show. This man is an exceptional performer. He has incredible charm, that special je ne sais quoi that makes an actor stand out for more than their obvious talent. Each time he walked on stage everything jumped to life including the audience’s interest. This play is a good solid piece, well worth getting out to. This man makes it a shame to miss–a reason to even see it twice….Director Richard Sabellico plays this show true to script. The characters are all who they should be. Appropriately there is nothing fancy here, just clean, interesting, well-paced action. A fine job….”
   –Jeanné

McCartin, FOSTER’S SHOWCASE (7/29-8/4/1999)