DROKU: You moved around a lot as a child; how do you think that has impacted you as a person and as an entertainer?
Ray Lee: I think growing up an army brat definitely helped me as an entertainer because it taught me how to adapt to my surroundings.  As an actor you don’t have that constant work space that you go to every day. Your surroundings are always changing, as well as the people you work with, which keeps life very exciting. As a person, moving around a lot made me very introverted at first, but forced me to figure out my own personality and to be able to put that out there for people to vibe with.

DROKU: Do you still have opportunities to play the violin?
Ray Lee: The only time I take my violin out from under my bed is whenever an audition dictates it!

DROKU: Who or what inspired you to go into music and acting?
Ray Lee: I have to say that I am an absolute Disney freak.  Growing up as an all American kid, I watched all the classic Disney movies (Cinderella, Aladdin, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty….should I keep going?).  I remember thinking once “Hey, there are people that actually do the voices in these movies and get to sing these songs and maybe I could do that one day.”  It was the idea that I could be in a Disney movie that inspired me to start singing along and dabbling in acting.

DROKU: What was it like moving to New York and working for MTV?
Ray Lee: I think moving to New York was one of the scariest decisions I have ever made because it was so unknown, but I knew that it was the right decision for me and I have never looked back and regretted it.   MTV was an AMAZING experience.  I mean for a kid that grew up watching everything MTV, to finally be working there and to have my first project be VMAs was a huge dream come true.  I learned a lot at MTV and still have good friends there.

DROKU: Can you tell us a little bit about your experience being a finalist on “Fame”?
Ray Lee: “Fame” was my first professional performing gig, believe it or not.  I was so green when I was on the show but wow did I learn a lot.  First of all, I came away from that experience with so many amazing friendships and we all still keep in touch with one another and call each other “Fame-ily.”  Being on the show was like being in boot camp.  Every day was filled with dance and singing rehearsals, and we also took dance class at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.  “Fame” was probably the best kick in the butt and the best professional training I could have asked for.   I owe a lot to the show, especially because my current NY agents saw me on the show and invited me to meet with them during my senior year of college.

DROKU: You’ve been in Broadway productions like Mamma Mia! and Anything Goes; how did you first get the opportunity to work on Broadway? What has the experience been like for you?
Ray Lee: The Broadway community is one of the most generous, caring, and talented communities I could ever be honored to be a part of. I joined the company of Mamma Mia! after several rounds of callbacks.  Basically music theater auditions comprise of singing your own song, attending a dance call, and then reading sides for the role you are going in for.  I remember getting the news from my agents that I would be making my Broadway debut with Mamma Mia! and it was one of the most exciting days of my life because Broadway had always been a huge dream of mine. Broadway will always be my second home.  The theater community here in NY treats one another like family and as cheesy as it sounds, I have gained so many brothers and sisters through both shows.  Anything Goes has also been an amazing experience because we recently performed on The Tony Awards which was another huge dream of mine, and we took home three Tony Awards home as well (Best Revival, Best Choreography, and Best Actress in a Musical – Sutton Foster).

DROKU: Have you encountered many other Asians on Broadway?
Ray Lee: There is a big Asian American theater community here in New York.  We all support each other and go see each other in shows.  It’s funny because I always look forward to doing an Asian project because you know during lunch we’ll all go out to get soup dumplings or eat some Korean BBQ.  Although Broadway doesn’t have enough roles for all the talent to be on stage at once, times are definitely changing.

DROKU: You were featured alongside Tamlyn Tomita and Yuri Tag, amongst others, in the independent film The Mikado Project. Can you tell us more about that and what it was like filming that?
Ray Lee: The Mikado Project was my first feature film and I have to thank EVERYONE involved in the film for making it such a wonderful learning experience and allowing this green theater kid to really figure out how to be on set and how to act in front of the camera (Shout outs to Quan Phung, Chil Kong, and Erin Quill).  Theater acting and on-camera acting are two very different skills. Filming was FAST and very quick.  I believe we shot the entire movie in a month and then had pick-ups for a couple days.  Working with Tamlyn Tomita was just pure joy.  In my eyes, she is the definition of a movie star, but yet is so humble and so warm.  We bonded over food and food shows like Top Chef.  And I had just seen Yuri on America’s Best Dance Crew and was in awe of her.  This was her first film as well and we bonded, being the “newbies” in this amazing cast of actors.

DROKU: What kind of challenges have you experienced throughout your career?
Ray Lee: I think one of the biggest challenges I experienced throughout my career was my parents not being very supportive of what I wanted to do in life.  They, of course, wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer and once I gave up on those two jobs, I think they saw me going into the arts as “playing.”  I love my parents very much but we come from two very different backgrounds.  It was definitely hard being the only kid who had to ask his parents to come see Mamma Mia instead of having them there on my opening night. Another big challenge is the lack of principal Asian American roles in American music theater, film, and television.  However, I do think times are changing and we are starting to see more Asian faces out there.

DROKU: Besides appearing in Anything Goes, other work or projects are you involved in?
Ray Lee: I will always be a behind-the-scenes kind of guy, in addition to appearing on stage and on-camera.  I am currently working on a couple of screenplays and am also the proud co-creator of the webseries “THANK YOU, NEXT” which just won Outstanding Mockumentary Series at this year’s LA Web Festival.  You can check it out at www.thankyounextseries.com

DROKU: Do you have any upcoming things we can be looking out for?
Ray Lee: We just recorded our cast album for Anything Goes (check out our website at www.anythinggoesonbroadway.com) and cannot wait for the album to drop at the end of the summer.  Besides that, I am planning on releasing some more YouTube covers and hopefully you’ll see me on TV or the film screen very soon!

DROKU: What is one of your most proud moments so far?
Ray Lee: One of my proudest moments this past year was making my Tony Award debut.  It had always been a dream of mine and to have made my debut tap-dancing to Cole Porter on CBS was just an absolute dream come true.  I remember watching the Tony Awards ever since I was a little kid and just wishing and hoping that I could be on that stage one day.  So that goes to all of you out there – DREAM DREAM DREAM and work hard for it cause if this kid can be on Broadway so can you!

DROKU: What do you hope to accomplish in the future? Do you have any ultimate goal or dream?
Ray Lee: I would love to work steadily between film, television, and theater, but would also like to have my own production company and produce/write/direct for film, television, and theater.  I have a lot of stories in my head that I would like to bring to the forefront.  My ultimate dream is to live on the beach (I watch a LOT of HOUSE HUNTERS on HGTV).  I absolutely love the ocean and feel rejuvenated by it and hope to travel back and forth for work.  And my ultimate ultimate dream is to be a father and adopt.  I think adoption is extremely important because there are so many children out there that need good homes and good parents.

DROKU: What advice do you have for any young people who want to follow in your footsteps?
Ray Lee: I would say that hard work, humility, and a smile will get you far in this career.  Also know that it is never too late to start in this business, and that you never stop learning.

DROKU: Who is your favorite Kpop artist?
Ray Lee: I freaking LOVE Kpop! H.O.T. was the first CD I bought (the one with Candy).  I might be outdating myself but I still listen to Jinusean, SES, Cool, S#arp, and of course….the Wonder Girls.

DROKU: What do you have on your iPod or iTunes playlist?
Ray Lee: I have one of the most ADD collections of songs on my iPod.  Right now my pop playlist includes Jordin Sparks, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Jessie J, Jay Sean, David Archuleta, and Sara Bareilles.  However I also listen to musical theater, classical musical, and of course KPOP!!!

DROKU: What is your favorite food?
Ray Lee: Korean Food all the way!!!

Check out Raymond J. Lee’s website at www.raymondjlee.com. Be sure to follow him on Twitter for updates about his journey. Also, subscribe to his YouTube page for covers!