Colbert’s Late Show Lights Up Dome For AANHPI Heritage Month

If you watched The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Wednesday night, you may have noticed the dome of the Ed Sullivan Theatre adorned with images of several dozen people, and wondered (to borrow a phrase from another favorite late-night show): “What up with that”? 

The show was celebrating the start of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month in partnership with the Asian American and Pacific Islander cultural collective Gold House. Those faces encircling the dome were all honorees on this year’s A100 list, which recognizes Asian Pacific leaders who have impacted American culture and society in the last year

Among the biggest names on this year’s A100 are Dev Patel, Keanu Reeves, Charli XCX, Steve Aoki, and Celine Song.

The Ed Sullivan Theatre’s dome is the centerpiece of the Colbert show’s 2015 restoration of the landmark New York theater. Hidden for decades behind lighting rigs and other studio equipment, the palatial plaster dome was completely restored and fitted with sound panels and a state of the art digital projection system that’s used to superimpose colorful stained glass-inspired images that match the grandeur of the space with the whimsical spirit of Colbert’s humor.

The dome has also frequently been used to recognize individual people and groups. In addition to last night’s display for AANHPI Heritage Month, past efforts have honored  Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and GLAAD Spirit Day.