EMI YASUO
- ACTRA-Apprentice
- Height: 5’0″ (153cm)
- Hair: Black
- Eyes: Dark Brown
- Language(s): English, Japanese
- Range: Soprano.F#3~C6
Emi Yasuo is a Japanese theatre artist currently living in Toronto, Canada. Her main work includes theatre, musical theatre, film, commercial and voice-over. Emi was born in Yokohama Japan, but also spent several years of her childhood in Puerto Rico. Her experience living abroad gave her a taste of adventure! That adventure led her to experience her first Broadway musical and from that moment on, she knew she had found her passion. For Emi, it was the emotional impact of hearing the performer’s vocal quality and story-telling ability that made her realize that she wanted to be a performer.
Since then, Emi followed her passion and laid the foundation to become a theatre artist. She joined drama clubs at school and within her community after returning to Japan where she expanded craft in writing, directing, and producing plays. Although she loved all forms of theatre, she soon realized her ultimate goal was in musical theatre.
Emi enrolled in the Musical Theatre program at the prestigious Butai Geijutsu Gakuin to learn the fundamentals of musical theatre performance. It was during this time at University when Emi fully immersed herself in musical theatre with performance, Directing, teaching and even landing the lead roles in many original musicals such as: “Dream Drop” and “OVER”.
She started her professional career while she was in university. She worked in a variety of capacities in theatre such as experimental theatre, straight play, and musical theatre. After graduating, Emi worked as an Assistant Director alongside with Tony nominee director, Amon Miyamoto and both an Assistant Director and translator in opera theatre division of New National Theatre Tokyo. As a performer, she also toured Japan as a chorus singer to Japanese actor/ singer, Keiko Matsuzaka.
After building her career in Japan, she noticed that what she wanted was to go abroad. Considering between New York and other countries, she decided to go to Canada where she was able to work since getting job abroad was her ultimate goal in her journey. Thankfully, she met many incredible friends in Canada and also got many opportunities to work as an actor. She wanted to delve even deeper in the North American Musical Theatre Pedagog.
After considering many academic institutions, she decided to enter the Randolph College for Performing Arts in Toronto, Canada. Now graduated, and a permanent resident, Emi feels excited to continue her journey in Canada, her new permanent home!
During COVID-19 outbreak, Emi decided to use her voice acting skills to help parents with their kids. She is currently releasing a Japanese bedtime story podcast called “Oyasumi Story” that includes breathing exercises and calming music to soothe children’s body and gently leading them to a healthy and good night’s sleep. She is grateful to share her love all over the world through her work. Emi feels blessed to be on this journey adventuring through life guided by her passion for the performing arts.