Leung has appeared on Broadway in Flower Drum Song, Rent, Pacific Overtures and Godspell. He also starred in the Old Globe's production of the Broadway-bound musical Allegiance.
Screen work includes "Glee," "Deadbeat" and "Law & Order."
Full given name: | My Chinese name is Leung Hau Tai. |
Where you were born/where you were raised: | Born and raised in New York City. Bay Ridge, Brooklyn - where my parents still live today! |
Zodiac Sign: | Capricorn |
What your parents did/do for a living: | Mom is a seamstress and works in the fashion industry. Dad used to work in the restaurant business - but he's retired now. |
Siblings: | I’m an only child. I think it's why I pursued a career in theater. I always wanted siblings when I was a kid. Joining a cast is instant brothers and sisters. |
Current audition song/monologue: | "Being Alive" has always been a lucky "go to" song for me. Got me my first two Broadway shows. |
Special skills: | I speak Cantonese and I play the piano. |
Something you're REALLY bad at: | Where to begin? SO MANY THINGS! First one that pops into mind: any kind of skating or skateboarding. |
First Broadway show you ever saw: | It was Cats. And it was magical. Got to see the incredible Laurie Beechman sing "Memory." |
If you could go back in time and catch any show, what would it be? | GOSH! So many!! First one that pops to mind: I wish I could have seen Company. |
Current or recent show other than your own you have been recommending to friends: | Go see Beautiful! |
Favorite showtune(s) of all time: | Such a hard question. Changes all the time. Today, it's "Before the Parade Passes By" from Hello, Dolly! |
Some favorite modern musicals: | Rent (of course), Into the Woods, Company, Pippin |
Some favorite classic musicals: | Gypsy (in my opinion the perfect musical), West Side Story, Anything Goes |
Broadway or screen stars of the past you would have most loved to perform with: | Judy Garland, Ethel Merman, Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Madeline Kahn |
Your personal performance idols, living or dead: | Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Billy Porter, Betty Buckley, Meryl Streep, Lea Salonga, Luciano Pavarotti, Luther Vandross, Chita Rivera |
The one performance – attended - that you will never forget: | Patti LuPone's concert at the Walter Kerr in the 90's - when Act 2 was one "11 o'clock number" number after another! "Meadowlark," "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," "I Dreamed a Dream," "As Long As He Needs Me"... one after another! |
Music that makes you cry, any genre: | Anything by Miles Davis. Always gets me. He play with so much pain. |
MAC or PC? | MAC! |
Most played song on your iPod: | I never work out without music and the song that gets me going is "Step By Step" (Whitney Houston - my favorite singer) |
Most-visited websites: | Playbill.com - of course! |
Favorite Tweeters: | Recently, I've been obsessed with Laura Benanti's hysterical tweets. Also love reading tweets by my friend Sara Chase! |
Last book you read: | "Bossypants" by Tina Fey |
Must-see TV show(s): | "RuPaul's Drag Race," "Scandal," "Orange Is the New Black," "House of Cards," "Modern Family" - and of course, "Glee." |
Last good movie you saw: | "Wolf of Wall Street" was fantastic. |
Some films you consider classics: | "Moonstruck" (my favorite movie of all time!), "Amelie," "Sunset Boulevard," "Sound of Music," "Mary Poppins" |
Pop culture guilty pleasure: | "RuPaul's Drag Race" (team Bianca del Rio!) and "Hell's Kitchen" |
Three favorite cities: | New York (my hometown), London (where I dream to work on the West End one day!) and Tokyo |
Favorite sport/team/player: | What's "sports?" |
First CD/Tape/LP you owned: | Mariah Carey's debut album |
Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager: | My first time on a stage was playing Lewis in Pippin my freshman year of high school. My entrance involved jumping onstage shirtless and kissing my biceps. It was "memorable" alright! |
Moment you knew you wanted to perform for a living: | When I saw the original cast of Rent on Broadway, from my $20 rush seat in the front row. Imagine what a "full circle" moment it was for me to join the company in 2006. |
How you got your Equity card: | The Muny in St. Louis. The artistic director at the time, Paul Blake, continues to be a show biz mentor of mine. He gave so many people their Equity card. |
Favorite pre-/post- show meal: | There's something so "Broadway" about going to Joe Allen's for a drink and a bite after the show. Also love the Glass House Tavern (which was a favorite Godspell hang out!). |
Favorite liquid refreshment: | Coconut water |
Pre-show rituals or warm-ups: | I swear by my vocal warmups. Liz Caplan (my voice teacher) is a life saver. |
Most challenging role you have ever played: | Sam in Allegiance at the Old Globe |
Worst flubbed line/missed cue/onstage mishap: | The first time I ever went on for Angel in Rent, my headband fell off my head and my eyelashes had too much glue - so I basically did a blind jump on the table during "Today 4 U" |
Worst costume ever: | At The Muny, I was in the ensemble of The Wizard of Oz and played a green poppy. In a unitard. In 100 degree heat. Yuck. |
Worst job you ever had: | I did telemarketing once. Never wanna do that again. |
Craziest audition story: | Xanadu. See above under what I'm NOT good at! Enough said. |
Leading man role you've been dying to play: | The Phantom |
Leading lady role you'd like a shot at: | Who DOESN'T wanna shot at Mama Rose? |
If you could trade roles/tracks with anyone in the show for a week, who would it be? | I wanna play Rizzo! |
Something about you that surprises people: | I still get stage fright and nervous before a performance. |
Something you are incredibly proud of: | Being in the final company of Rent |
Something you're embarrassed to admit: | I'm addicted to coffee. I drink A LOT of coffee. |
Career you would want if not a performer: | I LOVE to teach. I actually see myself retiring a teacher and not a performer - but I'm not done YET! |
Three things you can't live without: | Coffee! (See above!) |
Words of advice for aspiring performers: | Never stop studying and being a student. There's always SOMETHING new to learn. |