Video: Go Inside Rehearsals & Learn About Signature Theatre's Revised SOFT POWER

Go inside rehearsals and learn more about Signature Theatre's DC premiere of Soft Power. Soft Power is a musical fantasia with music by Jeanine Tesori (Kimberly Akimbo, Fun Home) and book and lyrics by David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly, Yellow Face).

David Henry Hwang speaks a bit about the history of the production, stating "My original idea was that there would be this Chinese person who would come to America and, Anna-like, teach an American ruler something important about civilizing their country. I thought that this Chinese person would teach President Hillary Clinton to solve the problem of gun violence. We did a reading of that version on election day in 2016, and the next morning, I remember calling our director, my frequent collaborator Lee Silverman, and saying, 'Okay, I think this is going to be bad for the country, but it could be good for our musical.'"

This newly revised production is directed by Signature's Associate Artistic Director Ethan Heard (Signature's The Bridges of Madison County, Pacific Overtures), with choreography by Billy Bustamante (Lincoln Center's Suites by Sondheim, Utah Shakespeare Festival's Gold Mountain), music supervision by Chris Fenwick (Kimberly Akimbo, The Public's Soft Power), and music direction by Angie Benson (Signature's HAIR, Pacific Overtures). Performances run August 6 – September 15, 2024 in Signature's MAX Theatre. Tickets start at $40 and are available at SigTheatre.org.

Soft Power is a visionary musical fantasia by Tony Award winners David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori. After the 2016 election, when a Chinese American playwright is attacked by an unknown assailant, he hallucinates a Golden Age musical comedy about a Chinese theater producer and Hillary Clinton falling in love. Hilarious and biting, this political satire dares to ask: Does American Democracy still work? And is it worth believing in? An exhilarating ride through political absurdity with a faceoff between Chinese and American exceptionalism, Soft Power makes an electric debut in the nation's capital. 

The production stars Steven Eng (Classic Stage Company's Pacific Overtures, Utah Shakespeare Festival's Gold Mountain) as DHH, Daniel May (Signature's Pacific Overtures, Broadway's Flower Drum Song) as Xue Xing, and Grace Yoo (Broadway's Hadestown, Hollywood Bowl's Into the Woods) as Hillary Clinton. The cast of Soft Power is rounded out by Eymard Cabling (Signature's Pacific Overtures, National Tour of Miss Saigon) as Randy Ray & others, Andrew Cristi (Signature's Pacific Overtures, Broadway's A Christmas Story) as Chief Justice & others, Jonny Lee Jr. (Signature's Pacific Overtures, Utah Shakespeare Festival's Gold Mountain) as Bobby Bob & others, Quynh-My Luu (Signature's Pacific Overtures, A Little Night Music) as Waiter & others, Christopher Mueller (Signature's Pacific Overtures, She Loves Me) as VEEP & others, Ashley D. Nguyen (Signature's King of the Yees, Olney Theatre Center's Dance Nation) as Jīng & others, Chani Wereley (Signature's Sweeney Todd, Ford's Theatre's Little Shop of Horrors) as Betsy Ross & others, Nicholas Yenson (Signature's King of the Yees, Pacific Overtures) as Holden Caulfield & others, and Sumié Yotsukura (Keegan Theatre's Merrily We Roll Along, Olney Theatre Center's Fiddler on the Roof) as Flight Attendant & others. Olivia Clavel-Davis (Skyline Theatre Company's Little Women), Brian Dauglash (Toby's Dinner Theatre's A Chorus Line), Emily Song Tyler (Utah Shakespeare Festival's Gold Mountain), and Joey Urgino (Flint Repertory Theatre's Spring Awakening) are swings.

The creative team for Soft Power includes Scenic Design by Chika Shimizu (Signature's Pacific Overtures, Irish Rep's Belfast Girls), Costume Design by Helen Q. Huang (Signature's King of the Yees, Pacific Overtures), Lighting Design by Oliver Wason (Signature Theatre's Pacific Overtures, Heartbeat Opera's Fidelio), Sound Design by Eric Norris (Signature's Where the Mountain Meets the Sea, HAIR), and Wig Design by Anne Nesmith (Signature's HAIR, Private Jones). Danny Troob is the Orchestrator, Russ Anixter is the Copyist, and Alexander Greenberg is the Music Assistant and Keyboard Programmer. Ka-Ling Cheung is the Dialect Coach and Casey Kaleba is the Fight Choreographer. Casting is by Jorge Acevedo. New York Casting is by Geoff Josselson, CSA. Kerry Epstein is the Production Stage Manager, Joey Blakely and Taryn Friend are the Assistant Stage Managers, Aria Velz is the Associate Director, Vicky Anh Pham is the Playwright's Assistant, Olivia Clavel-Davis is the Assistant Choreographer, Ashlynne Ludwig is the Associate Costume Designer, Bailey Hammett is the Assistant Costume Designer, Dominic DeSalvio is the Assistant Lighting Designer, Di Carey is the Assistant Sound Designer, and Danna Rosedahl is the Assistant Wig Designer.

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