David Hwang

David Henry Hwang to receive 2025 Dramatists Guild award for lifetime achievement / April 4, 2025 by David Hwang

David Henry Hwang (Credit: Courtesy of David Henry Hwang)

The playwright of “Yellow Face” and “M. Butterfly” will be honored on April 28.

The Dramatists Guild of America has named playwright David Henry Hwang as the recipient of its 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award. The Dramatists Guild, the professional association for playwrights, librettists, lyricists and composers, will honor the Tony Award winner at the organization’s annual award ceremony on April 28.

Hwang’s theatrical oeuvre comprises plays, as well as both musical and operatic libretti. Hwang won the 1988 Best Play Tony Award for his Broadway debut, the drama “M. Butterfly.” Hwang received subsequent nominations for Best Play in 1998 for “Golden Boy” and Best Book of a Musical for his contributions to the 2002 revival of “Flower Drum Song.” Hwang’s other works include the book and lyrics for the musical “Soft Power,” books of the musicals “Aida” and “Tarzan,” the libretti for the operas “The Monkey King,” “Ainadamar,” “An American Soldier” and “Circus Days and Nights,” as well as the plays “Chinglish” and “Yellow Face,” the latter which received a Roundabout Theatre Company-produced Broadway premiere in fall 2024. Hwang is a three-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

David Henry Hwang Named Recipient of Dramatists Guild's 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award / April 4, 2025 by David Hwang

The award is presented in recognition of distinguished lifetime achievement in theatrical writing.

Tony winner David Henry Hwang has been named the recipient of The Dramatists Guild of America's 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award. The award will be presented to Hwang at the Guild’s annual awards ceremony April 28.

"Over the last four-and-a-half decades, David's ever-increasing body of work endures as one of the great contributions to the American theatre canon,” says Samuel D. Hunter, co-chair of the awards committee, in a statement. “I couldn't be more thrilled that we are celebrating David with the Guild's highest honor. His generosity, grace, humor, craft, and deep intelligence has profoundly influenced entire generations of theatre artists, myself included. I'm thrilled to see what lies ahead for him."

Read more at Playbill

Yellow Face on Great Performances / April 4, 2025 by David Hwang

Yellow Face

Premiere: 5/16/2025
PBS • PBS App

Enjoy Tony winner David Henry Hwang’s comedy starring Daniel Dae Kim as an Asian American playwright who protests “yellowface” casting in the musical “Miss Saigon” only to mistakenly cast a white actor as the Asian lead in his own play.

Exclusive: Daniel Dae Kim to appear at 43rd CAAMFest / April 4, 2025 by David Hwang

Daniel Dae Kim stars in “Yellow Face,” a filmed performance of a Broadway play by David Henry Hwang.

“Lost” and “Hawaii Five-0” actor Daniel Dae Kim is scheduled to appear in person as part of the closing night festivities at CAAMFest, the nation’s oldest celebration of Asian American and Asian-themed films.

Director of Programs Don Young also told the Chronicle that this year’s festival — cut down to four days, running May 8-11 — is returning to the AMC Kabuki, which had long been featured in the festival’s identity, for the first time in seven years.

Despite the abbreviated festival length, Young noted roughly 40 programs on the schedule amount to about the same as last year when the festival was spread out over 11 days. The difference is films will start earlier and the festival will last later into the night.

What’s Happening: San Francisco Playhouse unveils 2025-26 Season / April 4, 2025 by David Hwang

M. Butterfly, February 5-March 14

Come February, the tone shifted. David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly took center stage, exploring cultural perception and personal identity through a decades-long relationship built on illusion. The story is deeply personal and unsettling—and remains, as The New York Times put it, “urgently relevant.”

Playwright David Henry Hwang to Receive the Dramatists Guild of America's Lifetime Achievement Award / April 4, 2025 by David Hwang

The Dramatists Guild of America will present its 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award to playwright and three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist David Henry Hwang (Yellow Face, M. Butterfly, Soft Power). "Over the last four-and-a-half decades, David's ever-increasing body of work endures as one of the great contributions to the American theatre canon”, says Samuel D. Hunter, co-chair of the awards committee. “I couldn't be more thrilled that we are celebrating David with the Guild's highest honor. His generosity, grace, humor, craft and deep intelligence has profoundly influenced entire generations of theatre artists, myself included. I'm thrilled to see what lies ahead for him."

Golijov's Ainadamar / April 4, 2025 by David Hwang

Apr 5, 2025

From WQXR

Listen Saturday, April 5th at 1 pm.

Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.

Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.

The Metropolitan Opera’s 2024-25 season of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues on April 5 with Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar, in a performance from the Met premiere run last fall. The opera—with a libretto by David Henry Hwang, translated into Spanish by the Argentine composer—explores the legacy of the great Spanish writer Federico García Lorca, an icon of personal, artistic, and political freedom. Soprano Angel Blue stars as Lorca’s muse, the actress Margarita Xirgu, who flashes back to their friendship while preparing to go onstage and carry on his message. Mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack plays the idealistic young Lorca, martyred at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. They’re joined by soprano Elena Villalón as Xirgu’s student Nuria and flamenco singer Alfredo Tejada as the politician Ramón Ruiz Alonso. Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducted the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in Golijov’s rich and dynamic score.

David Henry Hwang's YELLOW FACE to Air on PBS This May / March 5, 2025 by David Hwang

The production was recorded last November during its limited Broadway run.

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Great Performances filmed the recent Broadway production of David Henry Hwang’s Yellow Face to premiere on PBS. Now, PBS has confirmed that the live capture of the show will air on Friday, May 16, at 9 p.m. ET.

The Roundabout Theatre Company’s production stars Daniel Dae Kim as an Asian American playwright who protests yellowface casting in the blockbuster musical “Miss Saigon,” only to mistakenly cast a white actor as the Asian lead in his own play. The repercussions resonate in this farce about the complexities of race. Directed by Leigh Silverman, Yellow Face is an “is-he-or-isn’t-he” comedy of identity, show business and autobiography.

BTC's 2025 Building the Change Gala Held March 3 / March 5, 2025 by David Hwang

The second annual event is again being held at the Rainbow Room in NYC.

BTC, formerly the Black Theatre Coalition, hosts its second annual Building the Change Gala March 3 at the Rainbow Room.

The event celebrates inclusion in the arts with the presentation of several awards. Luis A. Miranda will receive the Poitier-Belafonte Award for Cultural Activism, with the Chadwick Boseman Change Maker Award going to Brooklyn-based non-profit Girl Be Heard, and the Lynn Nottage Bold Beacon Award to Phylicia Rashad. Newly being awarded this year is the Visionary Ally Award, which will be presented to The John Gore Organization.

“Once we identified just how vast the disparity is between the perceived inclusivity on stage and the utter dearth of Black professionals off stage, we began outlining ways in which we could address and ultimately eradicate this invisible disparity," BTC founders T. Oliver Reid, Warren Adams, and Reginald "Reggie" Van Lee said in an earlier joint statement. "This outline provided a clear path forward for our organization and our entire industry. It’s high time to end this ‘illusion of inclusion’ by reshaping the theatrical ecosystem for those who have been marginalized by systematically biased power structures that have endured since the dawn of the American theatre.”

This year's host committee comprises David Belafonte, George Faison, Irene Gandy, David Henry Hwang, Hugh Jackman, Alicia Keys, Sade Lythcott, Jonathan McCrory, Alex Newell, Gigi Pritzker, Clint Ramos, Lauren Reid, Cody Renard Richard, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Rhonda Ross Kendrick, and Thomas Schumacher.

Read more at Playbill

Yellow Face Sets PBS Air Dates / March 5, 2025 by David Hwang

The Roundabout production was the long-awaited Broadway premiere of Hwang's semi-autobiographical play.

PBS' series Great Performances has set air dates for filmed performances of Broadway's Yellow Faceand Girl From the North Country, and London's Kiss Me, Kate.

David Henry Hwang's Yellow Face, filmed in the final weeks of the Roundabout Theatre Companyproduction, will begin premiering on local PBS stations May 16 (check local listings), and will be available for nationwide streaming on PBS.org beginning at 9 PM ET. Directed by Leigh Silverman, Yellow Facestars Daniel Dae Kim as DHH, Kevin Del Aguila as Actor A, Ryan Eggold as Marcus, Francis Jue as HYH, Marinda Anderson as Actor B, Greg Keller as Reporter, and Shannon Tyo as Leah. Casting is by Carrie Gardner and Jilliam Cimini. Inspired by real events, the playwright's fictionalized doppelgänger DHH (Kim) leads protests against yellowface casting in Miss Saigon, but then mistakenly casts a white actor as the Asian lead in one of his own plays.

Read more at Playbill

Shaw College's Distinguished Visiting Scholar; David Henry Hwang / February 23, 2025 by David Hwang

San Francisco Opera Reveals 2025–26 Season Lineup / February 10, 2025 by David Hwang

Keystones of the 2025–26 Season are the world premiere of The Monkey King by composer Huang Ruo and librettist David Henry Hwang, and a new production of Richard Wagner's Parsifal. The Monkey King centers around the mythic hero from China's classic novel Journey to the West, whose popularity has exploded through film, television, animation and, most recently, the 2024 blockbuster video game Black Myth: Wukong.

David Henry Hwang and Huang Ruo’s The Monkey King Sets World Premiere at San Francisco Opera / February 10, 2025 by David Hwang

Diane Paulus will direct the opera, based on the novel Journey to the West.

San Francisco Opera has announced that The Monkey King, a new opera by playwright David Henry Hwang and composer Huang Ruo, will have its world premiere November 14-30, as part of the company’s 2025-26 season. The opera, based on the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, will incorporate puppetry, dance, Peking opera, and Buddhist sutras. Get a first listen to the opera here.

Tenor Kang Wang will star as the Monkey King, alongside tenor Konu Kim as the Jade Emperor, soprano Mei Gui Zhang as Guanyin, baritone Jusung Gabriel Park as Subhuti/Buddha, bass Peixin Chen as Supreme Lord Laozi, baritone Joo Won Kang as Lord Erlang/Ao Guang, and mezzo-soprano Hongni Wu as Crab General/Venus Star. Tony-winning director Diane Paulus (Waitress, Pippin) will direct the production, which will feature puppets and scenic design by Basil Twist, choreography by Ann Yee, costumes by Anita Yavich, lighting by Ayumu “Poe” Saegusa, and projections by Hana S. Kim. Carolyn Kuan will conduct, making her San Francisco Opera debut.

Read more at Playbill

“M. Butterfly” published in Persian / February 1, 2025 by David Hwang

TEHRAN- “M. Butterfly”, a play by American playwright David Henry Hwang has been published in Persian.

Nariman Publications is the publisher of the book translated by Mahsa Akbarabadi.

“M. Butterfly” intertwines the story of the opera “Madama Butterfly” with the real-life relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a Beijing opera singer. Premiering on Broadway in 1988, the play received critical acclaim, winning the Tony Award for Best Play and becoming a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1989.

Works & Process: San Francisco Opera: THE MONKEY KING / February 1, 2025 by David Hwang

Go behind the scenes with composer Huang Ruo, librettist David Henry Hwang, and director Diane Paulus as they discuss their newest collaboration, THE MONKEY KING(猴王悟空), with moderator Ken Smith. Commissioned by the San Francisco Opera, the work is drawn from an episode in Journey to the West (16th c.), a Ming dynasty novel that is widely considered one China’s greatest literary classics. THE MONKEY KINGfollows the ambition of its title character, who wreaks havoc on the heavens in a bid for immortality. Hear excerpts ahead of the production’s world premiere as part of San Francisco Opera’s fall 2025 season.

Spring 2025 Opera Series made possible by Eugene and Jean Stark.

Works & Process Will Host San Francisco Opera: THE MONKEY KING by Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang With Diane Paulus / February 1, 2025 by David Hwang

Works & Process at the Guggenheim will present San Francisco Opera: THE MONKEY KING (猴王悟空) by Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang with Diane Paulus, on March 9, 2025 at the Peter B. Lewis Theater, 1071 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10128 at 7pm.

Go behind the scenes with composer Huang Ruo, librettist David Henry Hwang and director Diane Paulus as they discuss their newest collaboration, THE MONKEY KING (猴王悟空), with moderator Ken Smith. Hear excerpts ahead of the production's November 2025 world premiere at San Francisco Opera.

Commissioned by San Francisco Opera in partnership with the Chinese Heritage Foundation of Minnesota, the work is drawn from the opening chapter of Journey to the West (16th c.), a Ming Dynasty novel widely considered one of China's four greatest literary classics. THE MONKEY KING follows the ambition of its title character, who once born from a stone, wreaks havoc in the heavens in a bid for immortality. Through cleverness and determination, he wins battles against warriors and proves himself to the gods who doubted him. In recent years the mythic hero's popularity has exploded through movies and animated film, television and video games.

10th annual ‘BroadwayCon’ coming February 7-9, at the New York Marriott Marquis / February 1, 2025 by David Hwang

Now in its tenth year, BroadwayCon – the must-do annual convention for Broadway and theater superfans – will offer a full weekend of more than 100 hours of in-depth programming from February 7-9, at New York Marriott Marquis. Featuring live performances and interviews with the stars and creators, panel discussions, first looks at new shows of the season, a Star To Be talent competition, interactive activities including singalongs, cosplay, and trivia contests, an exhibition marketplace of arts and crafts, musicians and teachers, and Broadway businesses of all types and sizes, and such add-on experiences as autograph and selfie sessions, the event, as advertised, is sure to be “a Broadway-lover’s dream come true.”

Shows in the spotlight, presenting songs, excerpts, and conversations with members of the casts and creative teams, will be A Wonderful World, Real Women Have Curves, & Juliet, Redwood, Seussical the Musical, SIX, and Saw. Numbering among the convention’s special guests will be Lin-Manuel Miranda, Joe Iconis, David Henry Hwang, Lynn Ahrens, James Monroe Iglehart, Jenn Colella, Danny Burstein, Francis Jue, Lesli Margherita, Anthony Rapp, Florencia Cuenca, Jaime Lozano, Dionne Figgins, Darlesia Cearcy, Julie Halston, Grey Henson, Liam Pearce, Thom Sesma, Jennifer Sanchez, Ephraim Sykes, Bartlett Sher, Jennifer Ashley Tepper, and many more in the still growing roster.

For the full list of stars and events, visit the online schedule.

Daniel May on Maybe Happy Ending, Soft Power, and everything in between / January 12, 2025 by David Hwang

Daniel May is returning to Broadway after many years away in Maybe Happy Ending. Daniel made his Broadway debut in the 2002 revival of Flower Drum Song starring Lea Salonga and has been working as a theater artist his whole life. Most recently Daniel played the lead role of “Xūe Xíng” in a newly envisioned production of David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s Soft Power at Signature Theatre and has been with the piece since the world premiere in Los Angeles at Center Theater Group and then The Public Theater in NYC which received nominations for both the Pulitzer Prize for drama and Grammy Award in 2020. Ashley Ha is a 19-year-old Taiwanese American performer, content creator, and activist. She is most known as the founder of the widely recognized Broadway Instagram account broadway_corner. Ashley also attends Boston Conservatory where she is majoring in musical theatre. She is an advocate for representation onstage, onscreen, and in the media. Thanks for listening! Daniel's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielmayof... Jeff's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yang_cheon_... If you've been a subscriber for a while, thanks for sticking around. If you're new here, hi! Let's connect: website: https://ashleylaurenha.wixsite.com/as... instagram: / broadway_corner tiktok: / broadway_corner youtube: / @ashleylaurenha email: broadwaycornerig@gmail.com

See more at Youtube.com

The best of classical music in 2024 / December 11, 2024 by David Hwang

The NSO’s European tour, a one-man “Figaro” and a musical conversation with Simone Leigh are among the year’s highlights.

As usual, my retrospective list of the “best” classical and opera offerings of the year has a lot more to do with lasting impressions than definitive rankings. This was a year of big tours and bold experiments, ambitious premieres and painful losses — among them: Sarah Gibson, Peter Schickele, Seiji Ozawa, Ewa Podleś, Maurizio Pollini and Richard Dyer.

What follows are some of my favorite musical memories from the past year. But if I can inspire you to remember just one thing from 2024, let it be my prediction that the Beyoncé trilogy will conclude with an opera. I’m very invested in being right about this.

2. Lorca came alive at the Metropolitan Opera’s ‘Ainadamar’

Opera aspires to be everything at once, and Deborah Colker’s dreamlike vision of Osvaldo Golijov’s 2003 portrait of Federico García Lorca aspired to pure poetry. Soprano Angel Blue soared in the role of Catalan actress Margarita Xirgu, and mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack was an appropriately haunting Lorca. But what brought this “Ainadamar” to life was its ceaseless, sinuous movement, carried atop a current of flamenco sounds. With the Met going all-in on contemporary opera, this production feels like an instant classic.

David Henry Hwang’s ‘Yellow Face’ to be filmed for PBS / December 10, 2024 by David Hwang

Star Daniel Dae Kim’s production company, 3AD, will partner with PBS on the capture.

The Roundabout Theatre Company (RTC) production of “Yellow Face” will be preserved in a live capture for PBS. The David Henry Hwang play will be filmed during performances on Nov. 21 through 23 at Broadway’s Todd Haimes Theatre. “Yellow Face” will air as part of PBS’ “Great Performances,” a five-decades-long series which captures all disciplines of the performing arts on film.

This announcement comes in advance of the limited engagement’s Nov. 24 closing date. Featuring direction by Leigh Silverman, “Yellow Face” began previews on Sept. 13 and opened on Oct. 1. Daniel Dae Kim stars as DHH, an Asian-American playwright who objects to the act of yellow-face casting in a musical, only to mistakenly cast a white actor in an Asian role in his own play. Kim’s production company, 3AD, will partner with PBS on the capture.