Eva Noblezada, who is currently Tony Award–nominated for her performance in Broadway's Hadestown, has picked up a different accolade for her work on the big screen ahead of Broadway's biggest night. The stage favorite earned the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival's Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance for the music-driven drama Yellow Rose, according to Variety.
The movie, written, directed, and produced by Diane Paragas, was also awarded Outstanding North American Narrative Feature at the 35th annual festival, which wrapped May 10.
The film follows Rose (Noblezada), a Filipino-American teenager from Texas who dreams of becoming a country music icon. She has to fend for herself, however, when her mother is arrested by ICE, and must choose between following her dreams without her mother or leaving her passions behind. Tony winner and fellow Miss Saigon alum Lea Salonga plays Rose's aunt.
Prior to Hadestown, Noblezada made her Broadway debut as Kim in the revival of Miss Saigon, earning her first Tony nod. She bowed in both shows in London before the respective Broadway transfers. Her additional stage credits include Les Misérables in the West End.
