Soft Power
OFF SALE
May 3 – Jun 10, 2018
World Premiere
“Smart, splashy and wonderfully funny. There's never a dull moment onstage. A meeting of dauntingly innovative theatrical minds. You’ve never seen a musical like 'Soft Power.'” --Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times
“A form-busting examination of the American dream. Has its finger on the pulse of this exact moment. Conrad Ricamora is a revelation!” -- Entertainment Weekly
“Might be the most creatively ambitious new musical of the year!” -- The Hollywood Reporter
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. A Chinese executive visiting America finds himself falling in love with a good-hearted US leader—Hillary Clinton—as the power balance between their two countries shifts following the 2016 election. As original as it is topical, Soft Power overflows with the romance, laughter, and cultural confusions of the golden age of Broadway. Hwang and Tesori have created one of the most eagerly anticipated new works of the year.
soft pow·er (noun) a persuasive approach to international relations, typically involving the use of cultural influence.
Produced in association with East West Players and the Curran.
Creative Team
Play and Lyrics by David Henry Hwang
Music and Additional Lyrics by Jeanine Tesori
Choreography by Sam Pinkleton
Directed by Leigh Silverman
Scene design by David Zinn
Costume design by Anita Yavich
Lighting design by Mark Barton
Sound design by Kai Harada
Orchestrations by Danny Troob
Dance arrangements by John Clancy
Music supervision by Chris Fenwick
Music direction by David O
Hair and wig design by Tom Watson
Make-up design by Angelina Avallone
Casting by Heidi Griffiths, CSA, Kate Murray, CSA
cast
Billy Bustamante
Kara Guy
Jon Hoche
Kendyl Ito
Francis Jue
Austin Ku
Raymond J. Lee
Alyse Alan Louis
Jaygee Macapugay
Daniel May
Paul HeeSang Miller
Kristen Faith Oei
Maria-Christina Oliveras
Geena Quintos
Conrad Ricamora
Trevor Salter
Emily Stillings
News
For David Henry Hwang, conflicted feelings about 'The King and I' inspire the ambitious 'Soft Power' by Lisa Fung, Los Angeles Times. Center Theatre Group bets big on the playwright behind "M. Butterfly" and the composer behind "Fun Home." Their new project's audacious story: 100 years in the future, China has stepped up to the lead the world because America has collapsed. Read More
2 Tony Winners Try to Upend Rodgers and Hammerstein by Robert Ito, The New York Times. How David Henry Hwang teamed up with the composer Jeanine Tesori for "Soft Power," a play with music—or maybe a play that becomes a musical. Read More
Listen on Podcasts: David Henry Hwang & Artistic Director Michael Ritchie In Conversation
Season Sponsor: BANK OF AMERICA
Official Airline Sponsor: DELTA
OFF SALE
Previews begin May 3. Opens May 16. Through June 10, 2018,
Regular Performances (May 17 – June 10): Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. No Monday performances.
Ticket Prices: $30 – $130 (Ticket prices are subject to change.) Tickets are available online at CenterTheatreGroup.org, by calling Audience Services at (213) 972-4400 or in person at the Center Theatre Group Box Office. Groups: (213) 972-7231.
Deaf community: Information and charge, visit CenterTheatreGroup.org/ACCESS.