Thursday April 1st -- NYC

Asian American Idol III

Calling all karaoke heads! Cheer on your favorite performers at this popular annual karaoke competition and fundraiser for the Coalition for Asian American Children and Famlies (CACF), the nation's only pan-Asian children's rights nonprofit. Winners are decided by a live audience, and attendees can enter a raffle for karaoke prize packages. MC'd by Taiyo Na, with a panel of celebrity judges, including Liz Casasola, Koo Chung, and Neah Lee.  Includes a special performance by Raymond Lee, currently a Broadway performer in Mamma Mia! More info here.

6:30 pm

BLVD

199 Bowery St, New York

$20 pre-sale tickerts here / $25 at door

Thursday April 1st -- San Francisco

MATCHA: Shanghai Jazz

This edition of MATCHA -- the Asian Art Museum's monthly mixer -- focuses on jazz in Asia, with special guest Coco Zhao (dubbed the "Boy Billie Holiday") performing an intimate set of original works and old favorites. Includes art activities, a talk on the vibrant jazz scene in Asia in the 20s and 30s, and docent conversations around the special exhibit Shanghai. 

5 to 9 pm

Asian Art Museum

200 Larkin St, San Francisco

$ 10 (includes entry to Shanghai exhibit)

Saturday April 3rd to Sunday April 25th -- San Francisco

Macho Bravado

The Asian American Theater Comany (AATC) opens its 2010 Season with the world premiere of Macho Bravado, a new play by Alex Park and directed by Alan S. Quismorio. Macho Bravado follows a Korean American soldier who returns from fighting in the Middle East to find a greater battle at home over his love, his identity, and his masculinity. This is a story that goes beyond the post-traumatic stress that a soldier and his wife experience, and ventures deep into their journey to forgive themselves and to forgive each other.

Thurs--Sat at 8pm

Sundays at 5 pm

Thick House

1695 18th St, San Francisco

$10-$25; tickets here

Friday April 2nd -- Berkeley

Transnational Poetics Panel

The Transnational American Studies Working Group and the Xican@ Culture Working Group present a reading and conversation with writers Arturo Dávila, (Hyphen's own)
Barbara Jane Reyes, and Javier O. Huerta. More info here.

3 to 5 pm

Barbara Christian Room

554 Barrows Hall, UC Berkeley

Friday April 2nd -- NYC

Little Moth Screening

As part of its "China's Past, Present, Future on Film" series, Asia Society presents a screening of the award-winning "Little Moth", about an impoverished rural couple that buy a crippled girl to beg on the city streets for income. More info and film clips here.

6:45 to 8:30 pm

Asia Society

725 Park Avenue, New York

$11 general/$9 students & seniors/$7 members; tickets here

Saturday April 3rd -- Philadelphia

Artists Exchange Ensemble

The Asian Artis Initiative (AAI) presents a collaborative new work-in-progress from by a collective of artists from around the country. A culmination of AAI's "Home: Far and Near" Festival of Asian American Performance.

7:30 pm

Asian Arts Initiative

1219 Vine St, Philadelphia

$ 15; tickets here

                                                                Opportunities

Asian Pacific Islander TV Pilot Shootout

Mavericks of Asian Pacific Islander Descent (MAPID) announces the 1st Asian Pacific Islander TV Pilot Shootout, sponsored by FOX Diversity. The winner will receive the opportunity to pitch to a TV executive at FOX. Writers will submit a synopsis, logline, sample pages from a completed original television pilot script, and a video of a two-minute pilot pitch. The top five ideas chosen by judges will be matched with directors who will also be selected by submisiion process. Directors will be given seed money and work with the writer to develop a one-minute teaser. Actos and production crew are also encouraged to apply for projects. The five completed teasers will premiere at the Japanese American National Museum's ID Film Fest on October 10, 2010. Complete instructions here. Submission deadline: June 9, 2010.

Lantern Review Poetry Contest

Lantern Review, a new online literary magazine and blog about Asian American poetry, is holding a mini-contest of short poetry prompts. To enter the contest, readers can leave a comment on the contest announcement here, including their poetry prompt and contact info. One winner and three runners-up will be featured during the last four Fridays of April, and the winner will also receive a signed copy of Monica Youn's newest collection Ignatz.

Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (TRAIFF) Call for Submissions

The TRAIFF is a showcase of contemporary Asian cinema and work from the Asian diaspora, to take place November 9-14, 2010. TRAIFF is now seeking submissions in a variety of genres. Rules, entry forms, and festival info here. Early deadline: April 1, 2010. Final deadline: June 1, 2010.