David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s SOFT POWER Begins Previews at The Public

The Public Theater presents Soft Power, with play and lyrics by Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly), music and additional lyrics by Tony Award winner Jeanine Tesori (Caroline, or Change), choreography by Tony nominee Sam Pinkleton (Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812), and is directed by Tony nominee Leigh Silverman (Violet). Soft Power is a co-commission and co-production with Center Theatre Group.

CTG’s SOFT POWER Receives 2019 LA Ovation Award for Best Production of a Musical and Wins for David Henry Hwang, Jeanine Tesori, Alyse Alan Louis, Anita Yavich and David O 

Soft Power begins with a Joseph Papp Free Preview performance tonight in The Public’s Newman Theater and will run through Sunday, November 10. Opening night is set for October 15.

Conrad Ricamora and Francis Jue. Photo Credit: Craig Schwartz

Soft Power stars Francis Jue (M. Butterfly, Thoroughly Modern Millie) as DHH, Conrad Ricamora (The King and I, “How to Get Away with Murder”) as Xue Xing and Alyse Alan Louis as Zoe/Hillary (Amélie, Mama Mia). The cast features Jon Hoche (King Kong) as Chief Justice/Hālǐ Aòhālā/Ensemble, Kendyl Ito (Wild Goose Dreams) as Jing, Austin Ku (Pacific Overtures-Off-Broadway) as Bobby Bob/Ju Ming, Raymond J. Lee (Groundhog Day, Honeymoon in Vegas, Anything Goes, Mama Mia) as Randy Ray/Yáo Tuō/Veep, Jaygee Macapugay (School of Rock) as Betsy/Lóng Lín Kūn, Billy Bustamante (The King and I, Miss Saigon) as Xue Xing Standby and Emily Trumble as Zoe/Hillary standby.  Daniel May(Flower Drum Song), Paul HeeSang Miller (Miss Saigon, The King and I, Mama Mia), Kristen Faith Oei (King Kong, M. Butterfly, The King and I), Geena Quintos (Miss Saigon), Trevor Salter (Here Lies Love), Kyra Smith round out the ensemble with swings Emily Stillings (The King and I) and John Yi.

L-R: Kristen Faith Oei, Raymond J. Lee (obscured), Austin Ku, Daniel May, Geena Quintos, Jon Hoche, Paul HeeSang Miller, Jaygee Macapugay, Billy Bustamante (obscured), Maria-Christina Oliveras and Kendyl Ito. Photo by Craig Schwartz

Soft Power features orchestrations by Danny Troob; music direction and supervision by Chris Fenwick; dance arrangements by John Clancy; scenic design by Clint Ramos; costume design by Anita Yavich; lighting design by Mark Barton; sound design by Kai Harada; sound effects design by Bart Fassbender; video design by Bryce Cutler; hair, wig, and makeup design by Tom Watson; special effects by Lillis Meeh; music contracting by Antoine Silverman; and additional orchestrations by Larry Hochman and John Clancy.

Jon Hoche; Daniel May (facing away); Kendyl Ito; Kristen Faith Oei; Maria-Christina Oliveras (obscured); Raymond J. Lee; Jaygee Macapugay and Geena Quintos. Photo Credit: Craig Schwartz

Hwang and Tesori’s groundbreaking new musical-within-a-play, SOFT POWER, one of the most exciting theatrical collaborations in recent memory, is an exploration of America’s current place in the world, told through an East-West musical from China’s point of view, in which a theater producer from Shanghai forges a powerful bond with Hillary Clinton. SOFT POWER is a fever dream of modern American politics amidst global conversations, asking us all-why do we love democracy? And should we?

Conrad Ricamora, Austin Ku, Francis Jue, Geena Quintos, Billy Bustamante and Raymond J. Lee. Photo Credit: Craig Schwartz

Tickets start at $95 and can be purchased online at www.publictheater.org, by phone 212-967-7555 and in person at the Taub Box Office, located at 425 Lafayette Street.

Conrad Ricamora and Alyse Alan Louis. Photo Credit: Craig Schwartz

Conrad Ricamora and Kendyl Ito. Photo Credit: Craig Schwartz

L-R: Raymond J. Lee, Jaygee Macapugay, Austin Ku, Kendyl Ito and Jon Hoche in the world premiere of David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s “Soft Power” at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre. Photo by Craig Schwartz

Francis Jue in SOFT POWER. Photo by Craig Schwartz

KING KONG’s Jon Hoche Joins David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s SOFT POWER at The Public, September 24 – November 3

Award-winning Broadway Vet Francis Jue Talks about SOFT POWER, KING OF THE YEES, WILD GOOSE DREAMS, “Madam Secretary” and Getting Married

Chatting with Raymond J. Lee about SOFT POWER, GROUNDHOG DAY

Lia Chang. Photo by Garth Kravits. Photo by Lia Chang

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer and a multi-platform journalist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.

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