OperaWire’s Top 10 Must-See Operas In 2020 / January 7, 2020 by David Hwang

The year 2019 offered up its fair share of amazing opera experiences. As the calendar changes to 2020, OperaWire is taking a look at some of the most hotly anticipated performances that the New Year will have to offer for audiences. Without further ado, here are the top 10 opera productions of 2020 that we are most excited for(This list only includes productions that have been announced).

M. Butterfly – Santa Fe Opera

Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang world premiere their new work for the Santa Fe Opera. The opera will be directed by James Robinson and will star David Bizic, Kangmin Justin Kim, Hera Hyesang Park, Kevin Burdette, and Joshua Dennis. Xian Zhang conducts the premiere.

Performance Dates: August 1-26, 2020

FEATURE: Top 10 of 2019 / January 7, 2020 by David Hwang

By my count, I’ve attended 234 performances of theatre, dance, music, opera, and cabaret during 2019. Out of a field that large, it’s hard to pick just ten, but nevertheless, here are my top ten (ok, eleven) favorite shows I saw:

“Soft Power” (The Public Theater)
David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s new “musical-within-a-play” premiered in New York following two west coast engagements in 2018. This clever examination of the “disaster” of American democracy following the 2016 presidential election is a reverse version of “The King and I”, in which a Chinese film executive falls in love with a post-election Hillary Clinton, teaching her lessons from China’s perspective. A successful experiment in dramatic convention—what starts as a play becomes a musical dream—this smart and poignant show is notable for the economy of its storytelling, the tautness of its writing, its incisive interrogation of American politics and culture, and its nearly all-Asian cast. Read my review. Listen to my podcast episode. (closed 11/17)

The top ten theater productions of 2019 / January 7, 2020 by David Hwang

This year, for the first time since I began compiling these best-of-the-year lists in 2003, no Broadway shows at all have made the top ten. In part, that's an accident of timing; two shows that opened on Broadway this year, Oklahoma! and Slave Play, were on my 2018 top ten list for their earlier Off Broadway runs, and What the Constitution Means to Me was an honorable mention. Still, it speaks to a general truth of theatergoing in New York City: That much of the most exciting work is happening in smaller venues—including original musicals, of which there are four on this year's list. And it's been an especially strong year for Playwrights Horizons and the Public Theater, two longtime pillars of the Off Broadway world. Here are my picks for the best theater of 2019.

Soft Power (Public Theater, closed Nov 17)
At its best, David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s feverish musical offered a brilliant deconstruction of classic Broadway storytelling by projecting it through a Chinese lens.

Don Shirley's theatrical highlights of 2019 / January 7, 2020 by David Hwang

Looking for a New Year's resolution? Try seeing more LA theater in 2020. It might be necessary to show some resolve in the face of the growing number of distractions.

Beyond the usual complaints about LA distances, traffic and the price of tickets, LA theaters currently face competition from the increasingly urgent televised drama from Congress, the White House and the upcoming most-important-election-ever. And then there are the proliferating temptations of streaming movies and TV. Even stage devotees might be lured to sprawl on the sofa for the wonderful Canadian theater-centric TV series "Slings and Arrows" -- instead of going to see actual LA theater.

Still, for those of us who believe in that live-person-to-person alchemy that happens on stages but can't happen on screens, Los Angeles continues to offer enviable opportunities.

"M. Butterfly." Speaking of the ever-growing conversation about gender ambiguity (see "IAMA," above), it was a great idea for South Coast Repertory to bring us David Henry Hwang's revival of his landmark play, somewhat re-written for the current times. Desdemona Chiang's direction was the first time the play was staged by an Asian-American woman.

Playwrights Are Finding ‘Television Money’ Helps Pay the Bills / January 7, 2020 by David Hwang

Courtney Baron speaking with playwriting students taking her television writing class at the New School in Greenwich Village. More drama programs are offering instruction geared to TV.Credit...Joe Carrotta for The New York Times

More top playwriting programs are preparing students to write for the small screen. And TV writers’ rooms are scouting those classrooms for new talent.

At Columbia, students can now take upper level classes like TV Revision, because when David Henry Hwang took over the program five years ago, he said one of his goals was to expand the TV offerings available to playwrights.

After all, even some of the most successful playwrights out there were writing for television. Hwang is one of them: a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and a Tony Award winner for “M. Butterfly,” he spent four years as a writer for Showtime’s “The Affair.”

David Henry Hwang guests on BBC's The Way I See It / January 7, 2020 by David Hwang

David Henry Hwang on Martin Wong's Stanton near Forsyth Street.

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art. Today's edition features playwright, librettist and screenwriter, David Henry Hwang. He chooses a painting by the artist Martin Wong - Stanton near Forsyth Street (1983).

Listen to the interview at BBC

2019’s top advice from leading theatremakers / December 24, 2019 by David Hwang

“A certain amount of luck is a huge factor in this business, “ - Playwright David Henry Hwang.

Theatre Communications Group Will Honor David Henry Hwang and National Black Theatre Festival at 2020 Gala / December 24, 2019 by David Hwang

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, has announced the 2020 TCG Gala: Our Stories will be held on Monday, February 3, 2020 at The Edison Ballroom (240 W 47th Street). The Gala will honor the National Black Theatre Festival of Winston-Salem and David Henry Hwang and will include festive performances, inspiring speakers, and a celebratory dinner with theatre leaders, celebrities, and enthusiasts. A 6:00pm cocktail reception will be followed by a 7:00pm seated dinner, with entertainment beginning at 7:20pm. Additional programming will be announced soon.

David Henry Hwang will be honored at Theatre Communications Group's 2020 gala on February 3 at the Edison Ballroom. / December 24, 2019 by David Hwang

Welcome to TheaterMania's Weekend Report, where you'll find recent news stories from the New York theater scene and beyond.

The Best Theater of 2019: Little to Sing About, Plenty to Praise / December 24, 2019 by David Hwang

While this year’s musical scene was underwhelming, new plays, revivals and first-class talent gave theatergoers lots to enjoy.

On Broadway and across America, it’s the same old story: Large-scale musicals are in a long-term slump. I saw only two new musicals of quality, “Hadestown” and “Soft Power,” this past year, and both of them were distinctly unconventional small-scale productions.

Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang speaks of Chinese-American relations, fragility of American democracy at panel on “Soft Power” / December 12, 2019 by David Hwang

Photo by SARAH-JAYNE AUSTIN COLUMBIA DAILY SPECTATOR

“Asian American performers never walk onto an empty stage.”

“That space,” professor of English and comparative literature Denise Cruz went on to say, still quoting from New York University associate professor Karen Shimakawa’s book, “National Abjection,” “is always already densely populated with phantasms of orientalness through and against which an Asian-American performer must struggle to be seen.”

On Tuesday, Dec. 3, Tony Award-winning playwright and associate professor in playwriting at Columbia’s School of the Arts David Henry Hwang spoke in Kent Hall about the creation of his musical “Soft Power,” with composition and additional lyrics by Jeanine Tesori, BC ’83, which premiered at New York’s The Public Theatre in fall 2019. The event was sponsored by the department of East Asian languages and cultures.

Celebrate 61 Years of Flower Drum Song / December 6, 2019 by David Hwang

The Richard Rodgers-Oscar Hammerstein II classic, directed by Gene Kelly, opened at the St. James Theatre December 1, 1958.

Nine years after South Pacific opened on Broadway and seven years after The King and I, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II saw their Flower Drum Song premiere on Broadway at the St. James Theatre December 1, 1958. A musical about life in San Francisco's Chinatown, the cast included Pat Suzuki, Juanita Hall, Ed Kenney, and Jaco Soo.

“Flower Drum Song was what Oscar Hammerstein II referred to as a ‘lucky hit,’" says Ted Chapin, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Chief Creative Officer. "It was contemporary, sassy, and in its 1958 way, bold. Those associated with the original production have become a family and have often gathered in reunions. When the revival was done in 2002, new members of the family were welcomed in. It’s nice to feel such warmth still emanating from the show. I wish it a very happy anniversary.”

Adapted into a film in 1961, the show wasn't revived on Broadway until 2002, in a heavily revised production written by David Henry Hwang and starring Lea Salonga and Jose Llana.

AN EVENING WITH DAVID HENRY HWANG / December 6, 2019 by David Hwang

In a public reading by David Henry Hwang, the playwright opens with, “If you don’t fail from time to time, you’re not working hard enough…every success has some drops of poison in it and every failure comes with gifts.” Students and faculty members gathered and filled the Crystal Cove Auditorium to enjoy a night of paying homage to the timeless Asian American playwright on Nov. 14. With this, our Asian American Theatre Company on campus, Theatre Woks, performed a stage reading of selections from some of Hwang’s most famous writings, including: “M. Butterfly,” “F.O.B” and “Chinglish.”

Camille A. Brown Joins Upcoming Aida Revival / November 30, 2019 by David Hwang

The developmental presentation will be directed by Schele Williams, who was part of the original cast.

Tony-nominated choreographer Camille A. Brown, currently represented Off-Broadway with the critically acclaimed revival of for colored girls... at The Public Theater, has joined the creative team for a developmental presentation of the Disney musical Aida.

The presentation will be helmed by Schele Williams, associate director of Motown the Musical, who was part of the original Broadway production of Aida (originating the role of Nehebka and part of the ensemble), with choreography by Brown.

Aida, which features a book by David Henry Hwang, Linda Woolverton, and Robert Falls, music by Elton John, and lyrics by Tim Rice, premiered on Broadway in 2000. Falls directed the production, which starred Heather Headley in a Tony-winning performance.

Jeanine Tesori and David Henry Hwang's Soft Power to Record Cast Album / November 30, 2019 by David Hwang

The recording will feature the cast of The Public Theater's Off-Broadway premiere, led by Conrad Ricamora, Francis Jue, and Alyse Alan Louis.

Soft Power, which recently completed its Off-Broadway debut at The Public Theater, will record a cast album, to be released by Ghostlight Records in spring 2020.

Co-commissioned and co-produced with Los Angeles' Center Theatre Group, Soft Power features a book and lyrics by David Henry Hwang and music and additional lyrics by Jeanine Tesori.

Jeanine Tesori and David Henry Hwang Marc J. Franklin

The album will feature the performances of the complete Off-Broadway cast, led by Conrad Ricamora as Xuē Xíng, Francis Jue as DHH, and Alyse Alan Louis as Zoe and Hillary. Rounding out the company are Billy Bustamante, Jon Hoche, Kendyl Ito, Austin Ku, Raymond J. Lee, Jaygee Macapugay, Daniel May, Paul HeeSang Miller, Kristen Faith Oei, Geena Quintos, Trevor Salter, Kyra Smith, Emily Stillings, Emily Trumble, and John Yi.

Aida Revival to Receive Developmental Lab in Spring 2020; Camille A. Brown Signs On as Choreographer / November 30, 2019 by David Hwang

A new production of Disney's Aida just might be written in the stars. A revival staging of the early-2000s musical will get a developmental lab presentation from March 9-20, 2020, according to an Equity casting notice. The previously reported revival is to be directed by original cast member Schele Williams; Tony nominee Camille A. Brown has newly joined the creative team as choreographer.

Featuring a Tony-winning score by Elton John and a book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls and David Henry Hwang—based on the opera by Giuseppe Verdi—Aida centers on the love triangle between the Egyptian captain Radames, his fiancée Princess Amneris and her enslaved handmaiden, the Nubian princess Aida, whom Radames loves but does not believe he can be with.

Photo Flash: Asia Society And The Santa Fe Opera Present David Henry Hwang And Huang Ruo's M. BUTTERFLY Opera Working Rehearsal / November 30, 2019 by David Hwang

tn-500_2-2019-11-20M.ButterflyPhotobyLiaChang-310.jpg

Asia Society's inaugural Contemporary Art Triennial of Asia, in partnership with the Santa Fe Opera, kicked off its pre-opening programming on Nov 20, 2019 with a sold-out exclusive world preview of the much anticipated new opera M. Butterfly.

Executive Chair of the Art Triennial, Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang and her husband, Oscar Tang, a trustee of Asia Society, hosted a pre-performance reception for a delegation of board members from the Santa Fe Opera at the Asia Society in New York. Many board members from the Met Opera and Asia Society, including Betsy Cohen, Met Opera Treasurer and Asia Society Vice Chair, and her husband Ed Cohen, the President and CEO of the New York Philharmonic Deborah Borda, Met Opera's Assistant General Manager Diane Zola, and President of the Juilliard School, Damian Woetzel, were also in attendance.

Odds & Ends: New Musical Soft Power Will Receive Original Cast Album & More / November 30, 2019 by David Hwang

New Musical Soft Power Will Receive Original Cast Album
The cheered new musical Soft Power, which recently concluded a twice-extended run at off-Broadway's Public Theater, will be preserved on an original cast recording, Ghostlight Records announced today. Featuring a book and lyrics by David Henry Hwang and music/additional lyrics by Jeanine Tesori, the musical centers on a Chinese executive who is visiting America and falls in love with a good-hearted U.S. leader. The musical's cast was led by Alyse Alan Louis, Conrad Ricamora, Billy Bustamante, Kendyl Ito, Francis Jue, Austin Ku, Raymond J. Lee, Jaygee Macapugay, Daniel May, Paul HeeSang Miller, Geena Quintos, Trevor Salter, Kyra Smith, Emily Stillings, Emily Trumble, Jon Hoche, Kristen Faith Oei and John Yi. The cast album will be released in spring 2020.

David Henry Hwang and The Democracy Project at Federal Hall / November 30, 2019 by David Hwang

Guggenheim’s Spring 2020 Works & Process Series to Preview Revivals of West Side Story and Company, Intimate Apparel Opera, More.

The Guggenheim has unveiled its slate of offerings for the spring 2020 Works & Process Series, including a sneak peek at the upcoming Broadway revivals of West Side Story (directed by Ivo van Hove) and the Marianne Elliott-helmed Company.

In addition, a February performance will highlight the new chamber opera adaptation of Intimate Apparel from Lynn Nottage (Sweat) and Ricky Ian Gordon (Morning Star). A moderated panel ahead of the premiere of The Metropolitan Opera’s Agrippina will provide insights from the production by the creative team and cast.

Inside the Making of the Deeply Meta Choreography for Off-Broadway’s Soft Power / November 20, 2019 by David Hwang

Alyse Alan Louis and the Cast of Soft Power (Joan Marcus). — Alyse Alan Louis and the Cast of *Soft Power* (Joan Marcus).

Tony-nominated choreographer Sam Pinkleton shares the YouTube videos, dance labs, and rehearsal room tactics that built the flashy old-school style for the musical within a play.

To say Sam Pinkleton’s process of choreographing Soft Power was unconventional would be an understatement. Then again, when has Pinkleton, a Tony nominee for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, ever been conventional? And yet, he packs the dance in the Public Theater’s new “play within a musical” with gobs of conventional musical theatre movement.

That’s because Soft Power is a subversive, ambitious new piece of theatre using American musical tradition to question cultural appropriation, the relationship between East and West, and democracy’s worth. The satire follows the fictional David Henry Hwang, who is writing the book to an American-style musical set to premiere in China, and the Chinese producing executive Xue Xíng, who wants him to make that musical more Chinese. When David is stabbed, he enters a dream state where he instead writes a musical about the run up to and immediate aftermath of the 2016 Presidential election. We enter that musical world, a show in which Chinese newcomer Xue Xíng tries to teach Hillary Clinton about democracy (much like, say, Mrs. Anna teaches the King of Siam about ruling his East Asian kingdom).