Conrad Ricamora, on the provocative, political 'Soft Power' / May 19, 2018 by David Hwang

He's a heavy breather, he snuffles like a piglet and he's an incorrigible face-licker. His name is Wilbur, and he's actor Conrad Ricamora's French bulldog. He's also a regular presence on set during rehearsals for Ricamora's show "Soft Power," which opens Wednesday at the Ahmanson Theatre.

The hair and make-up department keeps treats for Wilbur, and the cast and crew have come to rely on him for emotional support and comic relief. Workshopping a new musical from a powerhouse creative team at L.A.'s highest profile theater is not exactly easy.

Passion and Politics in a Musical Hybrid: Soft Power / May 19, 2018 by David Hwang

The 2016 Election, China and Romance Come Together in David Henry Hwang’s World Premiere ‘Soft Power’

DTLA - The 1951 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I is known for lavish dance numbers and heartbreaking songs, such as “Shall We Dance,” about the burgeoning romance between Western tutor Anna and the King of Siam. In the decades since its debut, however, it’s been criticized for patronizing, Western-centric politics and a history of casting white actors as Asian figures.

Arts Pop: Opera Theatre ready to begin 2018 season / May 18, 2018 by David Hwang

ST. LOUIS - Opera Theatre St. Louis continues to make opera fun and approachable to all. There are pre-show picnics and post-show cocktails with the casts. Plus, the 2018 Festival Season includes the world premiere of the two-act version of Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang’s "An American Soldier."

Soft Power: David Henry Hwang's "Political Fantasia" Envisions Democracy's Demise / May 18, 2018 by David Hwang

By some strange coincidence, white people visiting exotic lands in movies often wind up counselors to local leaders, ultimately introducing civilizing principles that help pave the way to a better future. It occurs in The King and I, The Last Emperor, Seven Years in Tibet and others; often enough to raise suspicions. It’s an example of “soft power,” strong U.S. cultural and intellectual influences delivered via popular entertainment.

When playwright David Henry Hwang saw Broadway’s recent revival of The King and I, in which the recalcitrant King of Siam is made amenable through his relationship with an English tutor, the ending moved him nearly to tears, even though many of the show’s narrative elements struck him as factually inaccurate.

Lover, traitor, soldier, wife: Opera Theatre tells an exciting range of stories in its 43rd season / May 16, 2018 by David Hwang

It's almost here: Opera Theatre of St Louis presents its 27th world premiere, the two-act version of “An American Soldier” by Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang.

Center Theatre Group hosts a teen youth summit exploring the topics in ‘Soft Power’ / May 16, 2018 by David Hwang

Center Theatre Group hosted a teen youth summit for high school students on May 4. Students had the opportunity to participate in workshops, interview American playwright David Henry Hwang, and watch the premiere of Hwang’s latest play, “Soft Power” at the Ahmanson Theatre.

Inaugural Columbia University School Of The Arts Announces International Play Reading Festival, 6/1517 / May 16, 2018 by David Hwang

Columbia University School of the Arts is thrilled to announce its inaugural International Play Reading Festival, set to take place in the new Lenfest Center for the Arts from June 15 to 17, 2018. Organized by Dean Carol Becker and David Henry Hwang, the festival will present readings of three plays by living international playwrights that were not originally written in English:

BWW Interview: SOFT POWER's Francis Jue On Representing David Henry Hwang & Fellow Asian-Americans / May 12, 2018 by David Hwang

SOFT POWER, the first collective creation of Tony Award winners David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori, will world premiere at the Ahmanson under the auspices of Center Theatre Group, in association with East West Players and the Curran, opening May 16, 2018. A look back from the future, SOFT POWER rewinds our current political events and presents it through the eyes of a visiting Chinese executive.

David Henry Hwang Gives First Look at Soft Power / May 12, 2018 by David Hwang

Center Theatre Group recently invited donors, board members and press to a luncheon and talkback with David Henry Hwang in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion ballroom overlooking downtown Los Angeles. After lunch, Center Theatre Group Artistic Director, Michael Ritchie, moderated a conversation with Hwang on his collaboration with Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home), a new play with a musical called Soft Power.

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