Dream of the Red Chamber kicks off China tour

Scene from the English language opera Dream of the Red Chamber Photo: Courtesy of Armstrong Music & Arts-ZEXI

The star-studded English language opera that enchanted San Francisco around this time last year, Dream of the Red Chamber, kicked off its Chinese mainland premiere in Beijing on Friday, returning to the city where the story was first written and published.

Based on the 18th century epic of the same name written by Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) writer Cao Xueqin, the two-act opera was supported by the Minnesota-based Chinese Heritage Foundation and created by a group of prominent Chinese and Chinese-American artists, including MacArthur Fellow Bright Sheng as composer, Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang as co-librettist along with Sheng, Stan Lai as director and Oscar winner Tim Yip as costume and stage designer. 

Imported by the Hong Kong-based Armstrong Music & Arts and the Poly Theater to the Chinese mainland, the show will tour to Changsha and Wuhan, the capital cities of Central China's Hunan and Hubei provinces, over the next two weeks following Beijing.

Find out more at globaltimes.cn

DHH will open Beyond Words: An Evening to Benefit Princeton Public Library

Beyond Words: An Evening to Benefit Princeton Public Library takes place this year on Saturday, Nov. 4. Acclaimed playwright, screenwriter and librettist David Henry Hwang will open the event with a talk at 6 p.m. at Nassau Presbyterian Church. Cocktails, dinner and a silent auction follow at the Library.

At Beyond Words, Hwang will speak on "Transformations of a Butterfly: Identity and Creativity in America Today."

Beyond Words is one of the major fundraising events undertaken each year by the Friends of the Princeton Public Library who work to support the library's materials, public programming and community outreach.

Find out more at NJ.com

Silk Road Rising Presents the U.S. Premiere of the WILD BOAR

Silk Road Rising  is proud to announce the U.S. Premiere of Wild Boar, written by Candace Chong, translated from Chinese to English by Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith, adapted by Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang, and directed by Helen Young. The production will run November 9th to December 17th, 2017 at Silk Road Rising.

Find out more at Broadwayworld.com

Julie Taymor in coming back to Broadway to direct DHH's M. Butterfly

Illustration by Lauren Tamaki

"Julie Taymor can still recall the day nearly 30 years ago when she saw M. Butterfly for the first time. She’d heard about “this fabulous new play by this Asian-American wonderful writer” that was based on a snippet of a true story: A French diplomat in 1960s China, ultimately convicted of espionage, had become entwined in an affair with a Beijing opera singer who wasn’t quite who she appeared to be. Taymor thought the playwright, David Henry Hwang, “had a healthy anger — he had something strong to say about how America treats the East and China in particular. I liked it very much, and that was the end of that."

Read the article at Vulture.com

Hamilton Alum Jin Ha to Join Clive Owen in M. Butterfly on Broadway

Clive Owen and Jin Ha in M. Butterfly Josef Astor

Jin Ha, who recently appeared in the Chicago production of Hamilton, will play Song Liling in the Broadway revival of M. Butterfly. Ha joins the previously announced Clive Owen in the upcoming production, which begins October 7 at the Cort Theatre.

Ha is a recent graduate of the MFA Acting program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Additional credits include the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of Troilus and Cressida.

The Julie Taymor staging of David Henry Hwang's Tony-winning 1988 drama will open officially October 26.

Find out more at Playbill.com.

San Francisco Opera Commission ‘Dream Of The Red Chamber’ To Tour People’s Republic Of China

Photo by Cory Weaver

Dream of the Red Chamber, commissioned by San Francisco Opera from Chinese-American composer Bright Sheng with a libretto by Sheng and playwright David Henry Hwang, will tour to the People’s Republic of China in September 2017. The Opera, which premiered at San Francisco Opera on Sept. 10, 2016, will travel to three Chinese cities in six performances.

Find out more at Operawire.com

VIDEO: David Henry Hwang, Clive Owen and Julie Taymor introduce the M. Butterfly revival

From the L.A. Times: Authenticity in casting: From 'colorblind' to 'color conscious,' new rules are anything but black and white

Edel Rodriguez / For The Times

From the article:

"A study by the Asian American Performers Action Coalition found that white actors were cast in 78% of the roles on New York stages between the years of 2006 to 2015, whereas the U.S. Census estimates the white population of the city to be about 44%. Such discrepancies worry activists who note the slowness of change, even after incidents such as the 1989 London opening of “Miss Saigon,” in which a white actor wore prosthetics to change the shape of his eyes. The resulting protests, partly spearheaded by playwright David Henry Hwang, called out the practice and spurred Hwang to write the satirical play “Yellow Face.”

“For a decade or so I was thinking we sort of won the war even if we lost the battle, because we put producers on notice that there was going to be so much trouble if you cast a white person as Asian that you just wouldn’t do it,” Hwang said. Not so anymore, he said, noting the casting of Emma Stone (in the 2015 film “Aloha”) and Scarlett Johansson (in this year’s film “Ghost in the Shell”) as characters originally written as Asian or part Asian. “For some reason white people really seem to like playing Asians.”

Still, the discussion about who should be cast in which roles has evolved, Hwang said. As the theater grows more aware and diverse, the authenticity discussion has evolved with nuance.

“These debates are healthy,” he said. “I think it represents a society that is attempting to come to grips and move forward into uncharted territory.”

Read the whole article at the LA Times website.

2016 Tony Awards Nab Four Emmy Nominations

The June 2016 broadcast of the 70th Annual Tony Awards, hosted by Tony Award winner James Corden, was honored today with four Prime Time Emmy Award nominations in the categories of Outstanding Special Class Program, Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special, Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Variety Special, and Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special.

The American Theatre Wing's TONY AWARDS are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. At The Broadway League, Robert E. Wankel is Chairman and Charlotte St. Martin is President. At the American Theater Wing, David Henry Hwang is Chairman and Heather A. Hitchens is President. 

Find out more at Broadwayworld.com

Tickets for M. Butterfly are on sale

Clive Owen Photo: Gerhard Kassner)

Tickets are now on sale for the first Broadway revival of David Henry Hwang's drama M. Butterfly, beginning previews at the Cort Theatre on October 7 and opening on October 26. Julie Taymor directs the production starring Oscar nominee Clive Owen.

Find out more at Broadway.com.

Full creative team for M. Butterfly has been announced

The full creative team has been announced for the upcoming Broadway revival of David Henry Hwang's Tony Award-winning play M. Butterfly, directed by Tony winner Julie Taymor. 

The production will feature original music by Academy Award winner Elliot Goldenthal, choreography by Ma Cong, scenic design by Paul Steinberg, costume design by Constance Hoffman, lighting design by Donald Holder, sound design by Will Pickens, wig and hair design by Dave Bova, and makeup design by Judy Chin.

Find out more at Theatermania.com

M. Butterfly Finds a home on Broadway

Photograph by Drew Wiedemann

David Henry Hwang's M. Butterfly has found a home on Broadway at the Shubert Organization’s Cort Theatre. The show opens on October 26, after previews beginning October 7. Julie Taymor (The Lion King; Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark) directs, and Clive Owen will star.

Find out more at Deadline.com.

Aida opens Moonlight Stage Productions' season

Richard Bermudez, Bets Malone and Daebreon Poiema (from left) star in Moonlight Stage Productions' "Aida." (Ken Jacques)

This week, Moonlight Stage Productions in Vista opens its 37th season with “Aida,” the musical based on the 1871 Verdi opera of the same name.

The work started as a 1999 concept album with songs by John and Rice; the subsequent musical, written by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls and David Henry Hwang, went on to win four Tony Awards, including best original score.

Find out more at the San Diego Tribune.

Wild Boar will premiere at Silk Road Rising

Wild Boar  will run November  9-December 17. The play was written by Hong Kong playwright Candace Chong, translated by Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith and adapted by David Henry Hwang. Helen Young will direct the thriller about the investigation that follows a controversial professor's disappearance.

Find out more at Chicagotribune.com

M. Butterfly has an opening date for Broadway

Clive Owen

The upcoming Broadway revival of David Henry Hwang’s Tony-winning drama M. Butterfly will begin previews October 7 at a theatre to be announced. 

The production, starring Clie Owen and directed by Julie Taymor, will officially open October 26.

Find out more at Playbill.com.

An American Soldier will have its world premiere at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

As a part of Opera Theatre of St. Louis' “New Works, Bold Voices” series, audiences will get a chance to see “An American Soldier” in its world premiere. The David Henry Hwang opera will feature Andrew Stensen in his OTSL debut, Wayne Tigges, Michael Christie, and Matthew Ozawa.

Read more at Operawire.com.

Audible announces $5 Million in Grants for Emerging Playwrights - David Henry Hwang joins advisory board

The New York Times has announced that Audiobook company Audible will launch a $5 million fund to commission new works from emerging playwrights. The one or two-person radio plays will be created specially for broadcast via the Audible app, to be listened to on headphones or speakers.

David Henry Hwang will join an advisory board which will also include, Annette Bening (20th Century Women); fellow playwrights Lynn Nottage (Sweat), and Tom Stoppard (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead); and directors Trip Cullman(Significant Other) and Leigh Silverman (Sweet Charity); and artistic directors Oskar Eustis (The Public Theater) and Mimi O’Donnell (Labyrinth Theater Company).

Find out more on Playbill.com.

M. Butterfly announced as part of Everyman 2017/18 season

Everyman Theatre has announced its six-play lineup for the 2017-18 season, featuring works by Lynn Nottage, Eugene O’Neill, and David Henry Hwang. 

The season will open with David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly (Sept. 6-Oct. 8). Inspired by the opera Madame Butterly, the play follows a French diplomat who becomes enchanted with a Peking opera star hiding more than her true identity. Vincent M. Lancisi will direct.

Read more at American Theatre.

Rehearsal images from David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish at Park Theatre

See rehearsal photos from the upcoming production of Chinglish at the Park Theatre at LondonTheatre1.com.

Bid to Meet David Henry Hwang with American Theatre Wing's Centennial Charity Auction

The American Theatre Wing's Centennial Auction is in its final week of bidding at www.charitybuzz.com/thewing, featuring five once-in-a-lifetime prize packages.

"As we celebrate our Centennial, the American Theatre Wing reaffirms our unwavering commitment to make the American Theatre more vital and diverse, and to bring theatre into the lives of young people across the country. This is a crucial time to invest in the future of artists, audiences, and diversity in the arts. Together, we can give children the gift of access to theatre education," said Heather Hitchens, President of the American Theatre Wing.

Read more at Broadway.com