February 10, 2026 by David Hwang

Check out our top shows for Winter 2026 in San Francisco / Bay Area

San Francisco / Bay Area is never lacking outstanding theatre, whether epic Broadway shows, engrossing dramas or bold fringe offerings. BroadwayWorld is rounding up our top recommended theatre every month.

We understand the importance of choosing the perfect show, especially for new theatregoers. That's why our experienced editorial team meticulously reviews a wide range of productions each month. We consider various factors including a producer's track record, audience reviews, and overall production value, to bring you the very best recommendations for the following month.

See what the experts recommend! Check out our editorial team's top picks for the best shows to see in San Francisco / Bay Area for Winter 2026.

Read more at Broadway World

Woodie King Jr., Founder of New Federal Theatre, Dies at 88 / February 6, 2026 by David Hwang

Woodie King Jr., founder of New Federal Theatre and a prolific producer and director for over five decades, died on January 29 at the age of 88, following emergency heart surgery.

Born in Bladon Springs, Alabama, he began his career as an arc welder at the Ford Motor Company, before working for the city of Detroit as a draftsman. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Lehman College in New York City, an an M.F.A. from Brooklyn College. In 1965, King joined Mobilization for Youth, where he spent the next five years as cultural director.

King founded New Federal Theatre in 1970, aiming to give voice to Black playwrights, actors, directors, designers, and young people. Its mission was “to integrate artists of color and women into the mainstream of American theater by training artists for the profession and by presenting plays by writers of color and women to integrated, multicultural audiences.”

To date, New Federal Theatre has produced over 450 plays, including works by the likes of Ntozake Shange, Amiri Baraka, Leslie Lee, David Henry Hwang, Ron Milner, and countless others. Among the now-famous actors who got early career opportunities with the company are Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Samuel L. Jackson, Laurence Fishburne, Leslie Uggams, S. Epatha Merkerson, Garrett Morris, Glynn Turman, Phylicia Rashad, Robert Downey Jr., Ruby Dee, and Chadwick Boseman.

David Henry Hwang’s The Dance and the Railroad premiered at the New Federal Theatre in 1981.

‘M. Butterfly’ still asks unsettling questions about race, power and desire / February 6, 2026 by David Hwang

It really happened: In 1986, a French diplomat convicted of espionage claimed he was unaware that the Peking opera singer who’d seduced and entrapped him over two decades was actually a man.

The punch lines wrote themselves and “M. Butterfly,” now in a San Francisco Playhouse production, begins with allusions to them. But David Henry Hwang’s Tony Award-winning script inspired by those true events is much more interested in what they say about centuries of racism, sexism and imperialism.

San Francisco Opera’s 2026-27 season underscores a new reality / February 6, 2026 by David Hwang

San Francisco Opera will again mount a six-opera season in 2026-27, reinforcing that the reduced schedule — now in its third consecutive year — has effectively become the company’s new normal.

The Opera is seeing significant, positive audience trends. The 2024-25 season sold at 82% of capacity and the 2025-26 season is expected to match that. Among the company’s biggest draws last fall was its world premiere of Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang’s “The Monkey King” — with Shilvock reporting they sold out of “every single seat, before we even opened the first curtain.”

East West Players' Revised Flower Drum Song / January 31, 2026 by David Hwang

The production will use David Henry Hwang’s newly updated 2026 book.

Casting and creative team information has been revealed for the East West Players production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song, featuring Tony Award winning-playwright David Henry Hwang’s newly updated 2026 book. The musical will run at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center’s (JACCC) Aratani Theatre April 16-May 31, with an official opening night set for April 23.

The cast will include Grace Yoo (Hadestown) as Mei-Li, Emily Kuroda (Gilmore Girls) as Madame Liang, Marc Oka (The King and I, Flower Drum Song) as Wang, Scott Keiji Takeda (Sumo 相撲) as Ta, Gedde Watanabe (Pacific Overtures) as Chin, Krista Marie Yu (Last Man Standing) as Linda Low, Kenton Chen (The Sing-Off) as Harvard, and Cooper Bennett as Chao. Further casting is to be announced.

8 Things To Do In Northern CA If You Don't Care About The Super Bowl / January 31, 2026 by David Hwang

The Super Bowl is Sunday, Feb. 8, and will be hosted in Santa Clara. But it’s not the only event competing for attention in Northern CA.

We’ve rounded up eight events in the Bay Area to appeal to a variety of tastes, including plenty of non-football related events such as comedy shows or plays to attend. Plus we threw in a couple of tailgates and watch parties for those interested in the game.

San Francisco Playhouse presents “M. Butterfly”

When: Sun, Feb 8, 2026 at 2:00 PM

Where: San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post St, SF, CA, 94102

Details: The San Francisco Playhouse will present the Tony Award-winning drama, "M. Butterfly," by David Henry Hwang, known for works like "Chinglish" and "Yellow Face." Inspired by the real-life trial of Bernard Boursicot, the play captivatingly reinterprets Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” through the story of a French diplomat's two-decade affair with a Chinese opera singer, exploring complex themes of cross-cultural relations, gender identity, illusion, desire, and radical politics. The production is directed by Bridgette Loriaux, who was the movement director for the Playhouse’s "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," and stars Dean Linnard as the diplomat, Gallimard, opposite Edric Young as the opera singer, Song Liling.

Grace Yoo, Emily Kuroda and More to Star in Updated FLOWER DRUM SONG at East West Players / January 31, 2026 by David Hwang

East West Players has revealed the principal cast and creative team for the world premiere of Tony-winner David Henry Hwang’s newly updated 2026 book for Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song.

Helmed by EWP Artistic Director Lily Tung Crystal, this reimagined golden-age musical will open April 2026 at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center’s (JACCC) iconic Aratani Theatre, serving as the grand finale of EWP’s 60th Anniversary Diamond Legacy season and the final production before the 880-seat venue undergoes a major renovation.

Read more at Broadway World

GRAMMY NOMINATIONS 2025: BEST OPERA RECORDING / January 24, 2026 by David Hwang

The 2025 GRAMMY nominations are here and we're going to help you to untangle it all right up until the big event, continuing with the Best Opera Recording category.

Take a listen to the nominated recordings below--who do you think will win?

See the full list of nominees in every category here.

San Francisco Playhouse presents “M. Butterfly” / January 24, 2026 by David Hwang

San Francisco Playhouse will present the Tony Award-winning “M. Butterfly”, written by David Henry Hwang (“Chinglish”, “Yellow Face”, “Soft Power”, and operas “The Monkey King”, “Dream of the Red Chamber”). Inspired by the real-life trial of Bernard Boursicot, this breathtaking drama reimagines Puccini’s opera “Madama Butterfly” through the story of a French diplomat’s 20-year affair with a Chinese opera singer. This trailblazing and poignant play illuminates the radical politics of cross-cultural relations, gender identity, illusion, and desire. Bridgette Loriaux, who provided movement direction for last season’s hit production of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” at San Francisco Playhouse, returns to direct this production. Dean Linnard stars as French diplomat Gallimard opposite Edric Young as Chinese opera singer Song Liling.

Four 2025 book releases for theater lovers / January 24, 2026 by David Hwang

As the year closes, four publications from the fall and winter of 2025 offer exciting reading for lovers of entertaining and significant theater. They include the books of two recent productions that garnered both critical acclaim and awards, a trilogy of works presenting the culture, history, and perspectives of Indigenous people – all published by Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the largest independent publisher of dramatic literature in North America – and a research volume of the bloodiest shows from the early history of Broadway.

Yellow Face – The latest 2024 Broadway production from Tony winner, Pulitzer Prize finalist, Grammy recipient, and the most produced living American opera librettist David Henry Hwang, which debuted Off-Broadway in 2007, takes a hilarious, quasi-autobiographical, self-deprecating look at the debacle that ensued when the thinly fictionalized character DHH inadvertently cast a white actor in the lead Asian role in his 1993 play Face Value, a send-up of anti-Asian stereotypes inspired by his public protest of the controversial “yellowface” casting in the 1991 Broadway transfer of the London production of Miss Saigon.

Photos: M. BUTTERFLY at San Francisco Playhouse First Look / January 24, 2026 by David Hwang

The production stars Dean Linnard and Edric Young.

San Francisco Playhouse will present the Tony Award-winning M. Butterfly, written by David Henry Hwang (Chinglish, Yellow Face, Soft Power, and operas The Monkey King, Dream of the Red Chamber). Get a first look at photos of the production here!

Inspired by the real-life trial of Bernard Boursicot, this breathtaking drama reimagines Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly through the story of a French diplomat’s 20-year affair with a Chinese opera singer.

This trailblazing and poignant play illuminates the radical politics of cross-cultural relations, gender identity, illusion, and desire. Bridgette Loriaux, who provided movement direction for last season’s hit production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at San Francisco Playhouse, returns to direct this production. M. Butterfly will perform February 5 – March 14, 2026 at San Francisco Playhouse.

Opening on Broadway in 1988, M. Butterfly catapulted Hwang onto the national scene, receiving immediate critical acclaim, and winning three Tony Awards including Best Play, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play, and a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Read more at Broadway World

Back to Nubia: Stories from the Making of AIDA After 25 Years / December 16, 2025 by David Hwang

Aida opened on Broadway on March 23, 2000 after out-of-town tryouts in Atlanta and Chicago. The musical ran for 30 previews and 1,852 performances on Broadway before its final bow on September 5, 2004.

In honor of the show’s 25th anniversary, BroadwayWorld spoke to stars Heather Headley (Aida), Adam Pascal (Radames), Sherie Rene Scott (Amneris), Schele Williams (Nehebka), as Thomas Schumacher (original producer and Disney Theatrical Group chief for its first three decades), lyricist Tim Rice, and book writer David Henry Hwang to compile an oral history of the show’s early days, transition to Broadway, and legacy beyond the boards.

Read more at Broadway World

The Monkey King, beloved figure from Chinese mythology, swings onto the stage in San Francisco / December 8, 2025 by David Hwang

The Dramatists Guild Presents: TALKBACK with David Henry Hwang / December 8, 2025 by David Hwang

Christine talks to another fellow Guild Council member and pioneer, David Henry Hwang. In this episode they discuss how naming some of his characters after himself changed David's perspective on telling his own story, breaking the cycle of Asian Americans portrayed as “perpetual foreigners” on Broadway, writing for ourselves, and how the Guild is fighting for us.

Playwright, librettist and screenwriter David Henry Hwang is a Tony Award winner and four-time nominee, Grammy Award winner and two-time nominee, and three-time Pulitzer finalist His award-winning works include: YELLOW FACE, M. BUTTERFLY, AIDA, SOFT POWER, and the opera AINADAMAR.

*Note: You can watch the filmed version of the Roundabout's Broadway production of YELLOW FACE at pbs.org.

Listen to podcast at the Broadway Podcast Network.

San Francisco Opera’s The Monkey King is a thrilling landmark in cultural exchange / December 8, 2025 by David Hwang

This timeless Chinese folk tale retold as an opera is a sumptuous feast for the eyes and ears that provides a showcase of Chinese culture.

San Francisco Opera’s premiere of The Monkey King is a visually enchanting retelling of the timeless Chinese folk tale and a thrilling landmark in cultural exchange.

With music by Huang Ruo and libretto by David Henry Hwang, this new opera follows the mischievous antics of Sun Wukong, the macaque born from a rock, who discovers this simple truth on his path towards enlightenment and immortality: “You cannot find the land of bliss with a leap and a bound.”

Behind the Curtain Tour: San Francisco Opera's The Monkey King / November 25, 2025 by David Hwang

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang makes multimillion-dollar commitment to S.F. Opera / November 25, 2025 by David Hwang

Jensen and Lori Huang appeared with San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock to announce an annual $5 million donation to the San Francisco Opera on Thursday night at the premiere of “The Monkey King.”
Kristen Loken/San Francisco Opera

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will donate $5 million annually to support the San Francisco Opera at a perilous time for the organization that has shortened its season amid financial uncertainties.

This year’s $5 million commitment will help underwrite composer Huang Ruo and librettist David Henry Hwang’s “The Monkey King,” a production that follows a mythical Chinese character who comes to understand Buddhist teachings through comic escapades. The Opera said in a statement that future annual donations will support creative efforts, including main stage operas, young artist training and community programming, though it is unclear how many years the ongoing donation will span.

A Chinese Classic Comes to Spectacular Operatic Life / November 21, 2025 by David Hwang

Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang’s “The Monkey King,” based on “Journey to the West,” brings an old superhero to the opera stage.

Underestimate the Monkey King at your peril. Part trickster and part savior, he can tame the oceans and threaten the power of heaven itself. He is, basically, a superhero.

And as superheroes go, he’s one of the oldest, with a story preserved in the thousands of pages of “Journey to the West,” a classic Chinese novel from the 16th century. Over time, he has appeared in comics and graphic novels, TV shows and movies. Even in video games.

Now, his tale has been turned into a spectacular new opera by Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang, “The Monkey King,” which premiered on Friday at San Francisco Opera. It’s a production that has been given resources to pull off a jaw-dropping feat of music theater, making a thrilling case for the vitality and potential of opera on a grand scale. And everyone can see it: The Nov. 18 performance will be streamed live online and available on demand later.

S.F. Opera’s ‘The Monkey King’ delivers a brilliant fusion of East, West and wow / November 21, 2025 by David Hwang

Dancer Huiwang Zhang as the title role in Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang’s “The Monkey King.”
Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

From a visual and theatrical standpoint alone, composer Huang Ruo and librettist David Henry Hwang’s superb new opera “The Monkey King,” drawn from a 16th-century Chinese novel, immediately ranks among the San Francisco Opera’s most thrillingly inventive offerings in decades.

Under the guidance of director Diane Paulus and a large production team, the stage is a riot of color and movement. The video projections, costumes and lighting give evidence of many, many imaginations working overtime to find the perfect effect or the most off-the-wall design.

Even if “The Monkey King,” which had its triumphant commissioned world premiere at the War Memorial Opera House on Friday, Nov. 14, had somehow lacked a score or libretto, it would still have been a magnificent spectacle. But come on — an opera without a score or libretto? Those are the best parts.

School of the Arts Celebrates its 60th Anniversary Gala / November 21, 2025 by David Hwang

Dean Sarah Cole poses with the evening's faculty tributes, Anne Bogart (left) and David Henry Hwang (right). Photo by Diane Bondareff.

With the 60th anniversary year of the School of the Arts drawing to a close, nearly 250 guests gathered under a swirling night sky—projected on the magnificent dome of Columbia University's Low Library—to celebrate the school and its incredible legacy at its Gala celebration.

The star-studded evening—which raises funds for critical student scholarships—boasted the attendance of several titans of the art world, including award-winning film director Jennifer Lee '05 (one of the night's honorees) and her actor husband Alfred Molina, playwrights Lynn Nottage and David Henry Hwang (another of the evening’s tributes), theatre director Saheem Ali '07, Broadway star Danny Burstein, and many more, all of whom came out to enjoy a special evening celebrating the importance of artmaking and arts education.