An Exciting East-Meets-West Musical Fusion
A brand new take on the east-meets-west musical is set to premiere at San Francisco's historic and newly refurbished Curran Theatre, as part of a groundbreaking inaugural season of bold new works. Written by Tony Award-winning creative team David Henry Hwang, the playwright behind hit musical M. Butterfly, and Jeanine Tesori, the composer behind Broadway smash Fun Home, Soft Power sifts through recent political events from a stunningly original point of view.
Set against the backdrop of China's rise to ruling world power, the thought-provoking production lovingly lampoons the West's exaggerated portrayals of Asia and asian culture. Underpinning its provocative comedy is a vibrant fusion of traditional asian music and the glimmering nostalgia of the golden era of the Broadway musical.
What Is Soft Power About?
Beginning in the present day, the story gathers a fast pace, exploding 150 years into the future amidst culture clash, confusion and a thoroughly modern romance. A Chinese government executive finds himself falling for a kind-hearted US leader just as China takes the lead on the world stage. As the power dynamic begins to shift, the pair must walk a cultural tightrope as conflict and misunderstanding loom.