Alvin Y. F. Ing

Alvin Y. F. Ing (May 26, 1932 – July 31, 2021) was an American actor and singer whose career spanned Broadway, film, television, and cabaret. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Ing studied music at the University of Hawaii before continuing his education at Columbia University in New York City. He also served in the United States Army prior to pursuing his professional career.

Ing's Broadway career extended from 1960 to 2004 and encompassed four productions. His debut came in 1976 with Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures, and his performance in that original production was recorded and broadcast on Japanese television. He returned to Broadway in 2004 for a revival of Pacific Overtures, reprising one of his original roles, the Shogun's Mother, a part he had also performed with East West Players in regional productions. His other Broadway credits include Two Gentlemen of Verona, City of Angels, and Flower Drum Song. The 2002 Broadway revision of Flower Drum Song, which featured additions by David Henry Hwang, included Ing in its cast. Before reaching Broadway, Ing appeared in two Off-Broadway productions and was part of the 1966 musical Chu Chem, which closed before making it to Broadway.

No actor performed in Flower Drum Song, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, more than Ing. He played the role of Wang Ta across numerous tours and stock productions, and his association with the piece remained a defining thread throughout his career. In December 2018, Ing joined dozens of other Asian American performers to mark the musical's 60th anniversary by performing its opening number at the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS benefit, an event at which over six million dollars was raised. He also collaborated with Flower Drum Song revival cast member Yuka Takara, an Okinawan-born performer, on a recurring series of concerts called Broadway Night in Okinawa.

Beyond Broadway, Ing performed on tours of Two Gentlemen of Verona, City of Angels, and a stage adaptation of The World of Suzie Wong. During the 1990s he became a frequent presence at East West Players, appearing in productions of Sweeney Todd, Cabaret, Follies, and original works including Canton Jazz Club and Beijing Spring. In 1996, Ing appeared at the Singapore Repertory Theatre in the world premiere of Dick Lee's musical Sing to the Dawn, based on the Minfong Ho book, alongside cast members including Lee, June Angela, and Sala Iwamatsu. In October 2011, he participated in workshops and backers auditions for the musical adaptation of Honeymoon in Vegas, a production that eventually reached Broadway in 2015.

Ing's television work included recurring roles on the soap operas The Doctors and Falcon Crest, as well as guest appearances on Benson, How the West Was Won, Charlie's Angels, Quincy M.E., All-American Girl, Dallas, Dynasty, Fantasy Island, Highway to Heaven, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and the 2010 series Hawaii Five-0. His film credits include The Final Countdown, Stir Crazy, Troop Beverly Hills, and Smilla's Sense of Snow. His largest film role was Mr. Lee, a primary antagonist opposite Mark Wahlberg, in The Gambler. Ing also participated in The X Factor.

His singing career included cabaret performances, benefit concerts, and recordings. He released the album Swing with Ing on CD in collaboration with Betty Loo Taylor, and in 2020 released a second album digitally, Broadway is Still Calling, which featured a collaboration with Takara. Ing was active with the Theater for Asian American Performing Artists during the 1970s, an organization that performed skits and revues and protested stereotypes as a means of advocating for Asian American performing opportunities. He was also an interview subject for a documentary about Flower Drum Song castmate Jack Soo that addressed the struggles of Asian American performers in the context of yellowface and stereotyping.

Prior to his death, Ing gave his Pacific Overtures co-star Francis Jue a suit he had worn at the 1976 Broadway premiere, asking that Jue wear it on the day he won a Tony Award. Jue fulfilled that request in 2025 when he received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in Yellow Face. Ing's final public performance was an open mic rendition of "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught," offered as a protest against the rise in violence against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ing died on July 31, 2021, from cardiac arrest following complications of COVID-19 at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California. He was 89 years old.