David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s Soft Power Begins Off-Broadway September 24 / September 26, 2019 by David Hwang

The musical-within-a-play starts previews at The Public Theater with a cast including Conrad Ricamora and Francis Jue.

The Off-Broadway premiere of Soft Power, a new musical-within-a-play co-written by Tony winners David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly) and Jeanine Tesori (Caroline, or Change), begins performances at The Public Theater September 24 ahead of an October 15 opening.

Soft Power rewinds recent political history and plays it back, a century later, through the Chinese lens of a future East-meets-West musical. The recently extended show, scheduled through November 10, is helmed by Tony-nominated director Leigh Silverman (Violet) with choreography by Tony nominee Sam Pinkleton (Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812).

Read more at Playbill

Photo Coverage: See the Stars Come Out to Celebrate Jonathan Larson's Legacy at the American Theatre Wing 2019 Gala / September 20, 2019 by David Hwang

Last night was the American Theatre Wing's 2019 Gala, celebrating Jonathan Larson!

The evening's entertainment featured the work of composers and lyricists who have been the recipients of the Jonathan Larson Grants, including Obie Award winner Kirsten Childs, Tony Award nominee Joe Iconis, Michael R. Jackson, Academy Award, Grammy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Tony Award winners Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, Shaina Taub, and, of course, Pulitzer Prize and three-time Tony Award winner Jonathan Larson. Many of the artists made appearances to speak about their role in the Larson Legacy.

14 Plays and Musicals to Go to in N.Y.C. This Weekend / September 20, 2019 by David Hwang

‘SOFT POWER’ at the Public Theater (previews start on Sept. 24; opens on Oct. 15). A metatheatrical exploration of politics and culture and a riff on “The King and I” as seen through a trick mirror, David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s musical of a sort arrives at the Public. It conjures a world in which a Chinese businessman meets Hillary Clinton at a campaign fund-raiser, an experience that inspires a hallucinatory blockbuster show. Leigh Silverman directs.
212-967-7555, publictheater.org

American Theater Wing Celebrates 102nd Anniversary with Say “Yes to the Artist Gala” / September 20, 2019 by David Hwang

David Henry Hwang on the Red Carpet at the American Theater Wing Gala- Say Yes to the Artist Photo By Brian Hester

The American Theater Wing celebrated its 102 years of service to the American Theater by remembering and honoring the legacy of Jonathan Larson and the Larson family with an event dubber “Say Yes to the Artist Gala” at Cipriani W 42nd Street. The event, featuring larger than life musical performances from some of Broadways biggest starts matched perfectly with the larger than life venue. Enjoy some photos from tonight’s Red Carpet.

Arthur Dong Tackles 'Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Feature Films' / September 20, 2019 by David Hwang

Oscar-nominated and triple Sundance award-winning filmmaker, author and curator Arthur Dong will discuss his book, “Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Feature Films,” and sign copies on Thursday, October 24, at Vroman’s Bookstore, located at 695 E. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena.

Dong’s narrative is enhanced by extensive interviews with Hollywood actors, directors, and producers, including Ang Lee, Nancy Kwan, Justin Lin, James Hong, Joan Chen, Wayne Wang, and David Henry Hwang, and writer Amy Tan. The book is published by Angel City Press.

7 Performances You Missed at The American Theatre Wing’s 2019 Gala Honoring Jonathan Larson and Family / September 20, 2019 by David Hwang

Jonathan Larson kept all of his rejection letters “as fuel,” according to his sister, Julie. Yet the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation finds its fuel in its power to “Say ‘Yes’ To Artists”—the theme of the September 16 American Theatre Wing Gala.
The night honored Larson's legacy and family and all of the vital “yeses” they have given through the Jonathan Larson Grants since 1997. The Grants have been administered by The Wing since 2008, and are only one piece of the Wing’s 102-year record of supporting artists in the American theatre.

Larson knew the importance of these grants, as he applied for many during his lifetime. In fact, in a highlight of the evening, Wing Chairman David Henry Hwang read from Larson’s application for the Kleban Prize:

My goal as a lyricist-composer is to take the best aspects of traditional American Musicals and combine them with current themes, aesthetics, and music. I believe theatre should (and could) again be a source of Pop Music, which would attract a new audience.

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The Opera Is Having a Woke Renaissance / September 20, 2019 by David Hwang

M Butterfly opens at the Santa Fe Opera, August 2020. Learn more here

From a modern Madama Butterfly to new commissions by female composers, the future of opera—and what might be the art form’s saving grace—is political, relevant, and multidimensional.

When the virtuosic Arturo Toscanini presided over Milan’s La Scala at the end of the 19th century, the majority of the company’s repertoire comprised music written during the prolific past two decades, from Verdi’s Otello to Puccini’s La Boheme. “It was a living, breathing thing,” says Michael Capasso, general manager of the recently revived New York City Opera.

David Henry Hwang to Discuss Soft Power at Public Theater's Fall Forum / September 16, 2019 by David Hwang

Off-Broadway's Public Theater has selected a lineup of acclaimed theater veterans to take part in its 2019 Fall Public Forum. The series of events will launch on October 21 at 7:00pm with Public Forum: World Stage, a conversation with playwright David Henry Hwang, book writer and lyricist of the Public's upcoming Soft Power.

The Public Announces Fall Public Forum and Public Shakespeare Initiative Line-Up / September 16, 2019 by David Hwang

The Public Theater announced today the Public Forum and Public Shakespeare Initiative fall line-up that will explore the intersection of art, ideas, and action and illuminate the study and performance of Shakespeare's works. Highlights of the upcoming season include a conversation with playwright David Henry Hwang, political scientist Joseph S. Nye, Jr., and former United States Ambassador to the Netherlands Cynthia Schneider; a closer look at acting in Shakespeare's plays with actress Lily Rabe; a gathering inspired by Ntozake Shange's groundbreaking choreopoem for colored girls... featuring Ifa Bayeza, Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi, Erika Dickerson-Despenza, Camille A. Brown, and Dianne McIntyre; an in-depth discussion of Shakespeare's stories of disruptive female desire and resistance withprofessor Jenny C. Mann and actors Lily Santiago and Aneesh Sheth; the continuation of monthly Civic Salon gatherings; and more.

The 14 Shows You Must Catch This Fall / September 12, 2019 by David Hwang

As if there weren’t enough theater to keep up with all summer, here comes the fall. Students head back to school, people reevaluate their cool-weather wardrobes, and theaters across the city get a ton of new shows ready for the public. For Broadway producers and companies on a traditional theater calendar, fall marks the boom time of the first half of the season. It often brings thoughtful dramas, some transferring from London, but a lot of them homegrown. In our autumn short list, below, we’ve aimed for a mix of new American plays, new musicals (drawn from song catalogs by Tina Turner, David Byrne, and Alanis Morissette), and a sprinkling of foreign work.

Soft Power

Veteran playwright David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly) and brilliant composer Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home) collaborate on a musical satire that weaves together the 2016 national election, Eastern and Western cultural values, and details from Hwang’s own life—including a random stabbing that he survived near his home in Brooklyn.

A CONVERSATION WITH DAVID HENRY HWANG / September 12, 2019 by David Hwang

China meets America and a play meets a musical in David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s SOFT POWER, which examines American ideology and dramatizes how art can advance political agenda. The co-commission between The Public Theater and Center Theatre Group makes its New York premiere at The Public this fall. Theater arts writer Yan Chen speaks with playwright and lyricist David Henry Hwang.

Exeunt NYC Recommends: September 2019 / September 12, 2019 by David Hwang

As the fall theater season begins in earnest, an onslaught of new productions have our critics humming. From British imports on Broadway to experimental art downtown, Exeunt NYC recommends it all and more this September.

Soft Power (Public Theater) (September 24-November 3): I follow the works of playwright David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly and Yellow Face) due to their fascinating interrogation of Asian identity. For a fraught Trumpian era, his new musical Soft Power questions the love of American democracy with an interesting exploration of East-West relations. Jeanine Tesori’s (Fun Home and Caroline, or Change) musical involvement also amplifies my interest. (Caroline Cao).

David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori's Soft Power Releases Rehearsal Photos / September 12, 2019 by David Hwang

The Public Theater has rehearsal photos from the New York premiere of Soft Power, running September 24-November 10.

A co-commission and co-production with Center Theatre Group, Tony nominee Leigh Silverman directs this new musical-within-a-play featuring a book and lyrics by Tony winner David Henry Hwang and music and additional lyrics by Tony winner Jeanine Tesori, with choreography by Tony nominee Sam Pinkleton.

White Plains Performing Arts Center to Present Newsies, Aida, More in 2019 Fall Season / September 12, 2019 by David Hwang

Aida will run at the Westchester venue October 11–27. Based on the Verdi opera of the same name, the musical features a score by Elton John and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang.

Read more at Playbill

Jeanine Tesori & David Henry Hwang's New Musical Soft Power Gets Extension at Public Theater / September 12, 2019 by David Hwang

Off-Broadway's Public Theater has announced a one-week extension to the upcoming New York premiere staging of Soft Power. Originally announced to run through November 3, the production will now conclude its limited off-Broadway engagement on November 10. The new musical is scheduled to begin previews on September 24 and officially open on October 15.

Tarzan comes to Peoria Players Theatre / September 12, 2019 by David Hwang

Based on Disney’s 1999 animated musical take on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ archetypal feral child, this touring production features music by Phil Collins and a book by Tony Award-winning playwright, David Henry Hwang.

What’s Coming to Off-Broadway Fall 2019? / September 12, 2019 by David Hwang

September 24: David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori's new musical-within-a-play, Soft Power, begins previews at the Public Theater. Directed by Leigh Silverman with choreography by Sam Pinkleton, the show rewinds recent political history and plays it back, a century later, through the Chinese lens of a future, East-meets-West musical.

Read more at Playbill

Roundabout Announces Winners Of Columbia@Roundabout's 2019 New Play Reading Series / September 9, 2019 by David Hwang

Roundabout Theatre Company and Columbia University School of the Arts have announced the winners of Columbia@Roundabout's 2019 New Play Reading Series. As part of the collaborative partnership between Roundabout Theatre Company and Columbia University, the reading series awards three playwrights from the current MFA program and recent alumni with a cash prize as well as a reading in Roundabout's Rehearsal Hall, followed by a post-reading reception. Five finalists have also received cash prizes in recognition of their exceptional work. No other collaborative partnership in the New York area brings together an esteemed Ivy League MFA program with a Tony Award-winning, not-for-profit theatre. The reading series is made possible by a grant from The Tow Foundation.

Playwrights featured in the fourth annual Columbia@Roundabout New Play Reading Series include Matt Barbot (The Venetians), Gordon Penn (Black Garden) and Gina Stevensen (The Colony). Finalists include Melis Aker (Field, Awakening), Elisabeth Frankel (2076), Dayoung Jeong (Sweet Pee), Devon Kidd (Not Even God) and Adam North (Spin).

Jeanine Tesori & David Henry Hwang's New Musical Soft Power Gets Extension at Public Theater / September 9, 2019 by David Hwang

The Best and Biggest Theater Performances to See This Fall: Soft Power, The Inheritance, Jagged Little Pill / September 9, 2019 by David Hwang

After an August that seemed to bring the closing of nearly every Broadway show in quick succession, the New York theater world is gearing up once again for a season that feels simultaneously cautious and offbeat. On Broadway, there are fewer big-gamble musicals than last season, with producers opting for a steady supply of jukebox, from Tina Turner to Alanis Morrissette, but there are also straight play imports from London and summer theater festivals, as well improv rap, just to mix things up. Elsewhere, you’ll find intriguing revivals, directors taking big swings, and of course, many gestating movie-to-musical adaptations.