Pardon my focus on the SQUIP's suffering recently but I really like how Stewart Clarke does the SQUIP's deactivation scene.
Like Christine drinks the MTN dew red, everybody starts screaming as all the SQUIP's get deactivated, as wonderfully done and standard
THEN the SQUIP, quickly left alone on stage as everybody rushes out, goes "nonononoNONONO-" in the most frantic, desperate way (sounding almost like that one Punisher meme) because his plans are royally fucked and he's going to die painfully
Now alone on stage, he calls Jeremy's name in that same desperate tone, like he can somehow get Jeremy to undo his fate
Of course that's not happening but for that split second the SQUIP hopes that maybe, just maybe
That second passes. He then laughs maniacally, like a full on villain laugh like his desperation is washed away by some cruel humor at his impending doom
Then, probably my favorite part of the performance, he calls Jeremy's name in a sing-songy, upbeat way, like when a character tries to do damage control and act all buddy-buddy with the other characters after betraying them
Like "HAHA Jeremy come on now buddy!!!"
Or perhaps like his deactivation is some big joke. The way he says Jeremy's name is like he finds it so funny
Then, finally, he screams Jeremy's name in rage and agony because after everything he did to help Jeremy he goes and kills him, he discards him like he was nothing also because it's probably really painful
Then he sings "I am from Japan" in Japanese (I think that's what the SQUIP says?), propels back with an agonized scream (like holy shit) sings "I am from Japan" again with a rising tone that ends with another scream as he deactivates
watching bmc London and having the opposite experience of when you hear musical songs out of context and interpret stuff that's not actually in the text
not only it is THERE but there's even more in the dialogue
I have learned that Stewart Clarke, who played the SQUIP in the London runs of Be More Chill, is currently playing Javert in the London production of Les Misérables. I find this to be very delightful.
Thought not AAPI specifically, there was a Japanese production of Be More Chill and there were specific performances of Be More Chill Broadway that were important in terms of AAPI representation on Broadway.
For the Japanese production, it was an official production of the show in Japan with the same creative team as Broadway and London. It was almost entirely in Japanese and used the 4.0 script from the London run. It had an entirely Japanese cast.
Be More Chill has 4 leads, Jeremy, Michael, Christine and the SQUIP. During its Broadway run, 3/4 of those were usually played by actors of AAPI descent (George Salazar, Stephanie Hsu, and Jason Tam). Then one performance when Troy Iwata, another AAPI actor, went on as the understudy for Jeremy, Be More Chill became the first show on Broadway, that was not specifically about being Asian, that had all 4 of its leads be played by actors of AAPI descent (if the specifics of this are wrong someone please correct me).