The ‘Don’t Miss’ List / May 9, 2018 by David Hwang

International relations are the topic du jour when Soft Power takes the stage at the Ahmanson Theatre. The world premiere is a collaboration between Tony Award winners David Henry Hwang (best known for M. Butterfly and Flower Drum Song) and Jeanine Tesori (of Fun Home fame), and concerns a budding romance between a Chinese business executive, played by Conrad Ricamora (shown here), and a U.S. leader named Hillary Clinton (don’t tell Bill… or Donald).

It all takes place in the wake of the 2016 presidential election. Prepare for a steady dose of laughter with a dash of cultural complexity in this theater/musical hybrid. Opening day is May 16 and preview performances this week are Tuesday-Saturday, May 8-12, at 8 p.m., with additional shows Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. At 135 N. Grand Ave. or centertheatregroup.org.

The Tonys' fear of the new and TV's take on Boyle Heights' art fight / May 9, 2018 by David Hwang

Outside a Manhattan rehearsal studio, Francis Jue is seated on the floor, alone, script in hand. The actor who's playing the character DHH — David Henry Hwang — is going over new lines for "Soft Power," and soon a sea of Asian American faces surrounds him in the hallway as cast members spill out of rehearsal for their break.

"I can't tell you how proud I am, after a year and a half of development of 'Soft Power,' finally to be getting to the point where people get to see these Asian American performers onstage," he later says of the production, which opens May 16 in Los Angeles. "It's something I never saw when I was young."

For David Henry Hwang, conflicted feelings about 'The King and I' inspire the ambitious 'Soft Power' / May 9, 2018 by David Hwang

For as long as he can remember, playwright David Henry Hwang loved “The King and I.”

The 1951 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and subsequent film adaptation tell the story of Anna, a white schoolteacher who is brought to Siam to tutor the king’s children and, in the process, helps to modernize the country known today as Thailand. Generations of Americans have been entranced by the exotic setting and lush melodies of such songs as “Getting to Know You” and “Shall We Dance.”

“When I saw the most recent revival, I became more aware than I have in previous iterations of the show the degree to which some aspects of the premise are sort of questionable — particularly the central premise portraying Anna as the central force who helps the king bring his country into the modern age,” Hwang says.

First-time theater collaborators exercise "Soft Power" over a beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein classic / May 9, 2018 by David Hwang

Two and a half years ago, the playwright David Henry Hwang approached the composer Jeanine Tesori with an idea for a show. Hwang had seen a recent revival of "The King and I" at Lincoln Center, which got him thinking about how much he loved that classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical (the songs, the story, the moment the king dies, which never failed to make him cry), and yet, how much he didn't (the play's history of showing a mostly white cast in yellowface, its implicit racism).

How ‘Soft Power’ director Leigh Silverman has built her theatrical village. / May 9, 2018 by David Hwang

Leigh Silverman burst on to the Broadway theater scene in her early 30s and swiftly earned a Tony nomination—and with it, the cred to direct world premieres by established playwrights. And every time, she makes her success seem almost inevitable.

This spring she helms Soft Power at the Ahmanson Theatre. The contemporary comedy, with book and lyrics by David Henry Hwang and music by Jeanine Tesori, reconsiders recent U.S. political history through the lens of a Chinese executive.

5 L.A. theater productions you should see this May 2018 / May 9, 2018 by David Hwang

We wonder if the creators of this world premiere production were prescient or just watching world headlines when they came up with the idea for a musical meshing American politics and stereotyping of China and the Chinese. With its book and lyrics by David Henry Hwang, music by Jeanine Tesori and direction by Leigh Silverman, we may hear references to our favorite classic musicals, along with innovations its creators are known for.

Soft Power
Ahmanson Theatre, May 3–June 10

15 Incredible Broadway Performances That Were Snubbed By The Tony Awards This Year / May 9, 2018 by David Hwang

In the original production of M. Butterfly, the reveal of Song Liling's gender identity was a major twist. In the revival, playwright David Henry Hwang revised the play to make it clear that Song was a man from the beginning, but the character was as richly complex as ever. Jin Ha was a striking and commanding presence as an enigmatic opera singer moving between two worlds, displaying an irresistible allure that captivated Gallimard — and the audience.

Conrad Ricamora stars in David Henry Hwang’s ‘Soft Power’ / May 1, 2018 by David Hwang

Conrad Ricamora and other Filipino American actors are part of the cast of Center Theatre Group’s world premiere of “Soft Power.” Ricamora plays a Chinese executive who visits the US and falls in love with an American leader as the power balance between the two countries shifts after the 2016 US election. This “play with a musical” is written by David Henry Hwang with music composed by Jeanine Tesori and directed by Leigh Silverman.

A Sneak Peek at the World Premiere of David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s Soft Power / April 16, 2018 by David Hwang

The production, directed by Leigh Silverman and choreographed by Sam Pinkleton, will begin performances in Los Angeles May 3.

The world premiere David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s new “play with a musical” Soft Power is set to begin performances at The Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles May 3. The show, directed by Leigh Silverman and choreographed by Sam Pinkleton, rewinds America's recent political history and plays it back through a future Chinese lens.

Multimedia: Sneak Peek of CTG’s World Premiere of David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s SOFT POWER / April 16, 2018 by David Hwang

I got a sneak peek of the world premiere of David Henry Hwang (play and lyrics) and Jeanine Tesori’s (music and additional lyrics) “Soft Power” at the New 42 Street Studios in New York today, where the cast performed a selection of songs from the new piece.

This play with a musical will be produced by Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre in association with East West Players from May 3 through June 10, 2018. Directed by Leigh Silverman and choreographed by Sam Pinkleton, the opening of “Soft Power” is set for May 16. Following its run at the Ahmanson, “Soft Power” will play San Francisco’s Curran from June 20 through July 8, 2018

Watch Raymond J. Lee and Conrad Ricamora in David Henry Hwang's Soft Power / April 15, 2018 by David Hwang

Soft Power, a new musical collaboration from Tony Award winners David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly) and Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home), will have its world premiere this summer in California, but the coproduction by Center Theatre Group and the Curran recently offered a press preview in New York. In the work, a "Chinese executive finds himself falling in love with a good-hearted U.S. leader, as the power balance between their two countries starts to shift and a new world order arrives." Watch Raymond J. Lee, Conrad Ricamora, and more take on this topical work in new footage from the performance.

Watch the video at Theatremania.com

365 Prince Songs In A Year / April 15, 2018 by David Hwang

To celebrate the incredibly prolific, influential and diverse body of work left behind by Prince, we will be exploring a different song of his each day for an entire year with the series 365 Prince Songs in a Year.

"Come" always felt like a terminating line between two worlds for Prince, and not just because it was the first song on the last album of all-new material he released under his original Warner Bros. contract. This was the point when his insurrection – begun the year before when Prince famously changed his name – became real.

Center Theatre Group Hosts SOFT POWER Teen Youth Summit / April 15, 2018 by David Hwang

Center Theatre Group invites current high school students to attend Reimagine Your American Dream, a teen youth summit inspired by David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori's "Soft Power." The free event will take place on Friday, May 4, 2018, from 4:30 - 10:30 p.m. (includes performance time for "Soft Power") at The Music Center Annex and the Ahmanson Theatre in Downtown L.A.

KCET's Soft Power Ticket Giveaway / April 10, 2018 by David Hwang

A contemporary comedy explodes into a musical fantasia in the first collaboration between two of America's great theatre artists: Tony Award®winners David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly, Flower Drum Song) and Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home). Soft Power rewinds our recent political history and plays it back through a Chinese lens: a future, beloved East-meets-West musical.

Enter to win a pair of tickets to the May 9 performance of Soft Power at the Ahmanson Theatre.

South Coast Rep Announces 10-Show Season for 2018-19: M. Butterfly / April 5, 2018 by David Hwang

COSTA MESA, CALIF.: South Coast Repertory has announced its 2018-19 season, which comprises 10 shows, as well as 3 offerings for young audiences and the annual Pacific Playwrights Festival.

The slate ranges from Jane Austen to Karen Zacarías, from Anna Ziegler to David Henry Hwang, from Culture Clash to Mo Willems.

“We’re enthusiastic about what next season has to offer,” said SCR managing director Paula Tomei in a statement. “The range of work is both compelling and entertaining and we look forward to the experience that our audiences and artists will have when they join together.”

At the theater, eager anticipation for 'Soft Power' / April 5, 2018 by David Hwang

The biggest opening in L.A. this spring is a work by two veterans that defies categorization — playwright David Henry Hwang and composer Jeanine Tesori’s “Soft Power,” which blazes its own trail between musical and dramatic genres.

The State of the Art: David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori / March 20, 2018 by David Hwang

Show and Tell Series welcomes two of theater’s most unique and contemporary artists join us in a conversation about creating, collaborating, and the genesis of their exciting new work, SOFT POWER. They provide a rare peek behind the curtain that will show us what it really takes to get plays and musicals from Idea to Opening Night.

This Month In Theatre History; M. Butterfly / March 15, 2018 by David Hwang

BD Wong and John Lithgow in the original 1988 Broadway staging of "M. Butterfly."

30 YEARS AGO (1988)
M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang opens on Broadway at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre (after bowing at Washington, D.C.’s National Theatre). The play is inspired by the true story of a French diplomat’s affair with a young male Chinese opera singer, whom he believed to be a woman. The production, directed by John Dexter and originally starring John Lithgow and BD Wong, will run for more than 700 performances and win the Tonys for best play, best featured actor in a play (Wong), and best direction of a play.

Cast Announced for SOFT POWER / March 10, 2018 by David Hwang

The cast has been announced for the upcoming world premiere of "Soft Power" by David Henry Hwang (play and lyrics) and Jeanine Tesori (music and additional lyrics). This play with a musical will be produced by Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre from May 3 through June 10, 2018. Directed by Leigh Silverman and choreographed by Sam Pinkleton, the opening of "Soft Power" is set for May 16. Following its run at the Ahmanson, "Soft Power" will play San Francisco's Curran from June 20 through July 8, 2018.

Guggenheim Museum hosts Opera Theatre of Saint Louis: An American Soldier: David Henry Hwang and Huang Ruo / March 3, 2018 by David Hwang

March 18, 2018, 7:30–8:45 pm

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Excerpts are performed from this new two-act opera based on the true story of Danny Chen, proud American and son of Chinese immigrants residing in Manhattan’s Chinatown. After enlisting in the U.S. Army, Chen is welcomed in boot camp, but in Afghanistan, his own base becomes enemy territory as military hazing turns deadly, posing powerful questions about what it means to be an American. Librettist David Henry Hwang and composer Huang Ruo discuss their collaboration with Nancy Yao Maasbach, president of the Museum of Chinese in America, prior to the opera’s premiere in Saint Louis.