“Soft Power” begins as a contemporary comedy, set just before the 2016 U.S. presidential election. At that point, “Soft Power” explodes into a musical, set about 100 years in the future as the Chinese are marking the 50th anniversary of a beloved Chinese musical. The stabbing in “Soft Power” parallels a pivotal event in Hwang’s own life. 'SOFT POWER': Why an Asian cast is still a radical idea for American theater »“David has a really great ear,” Tesori says. It’s back and forth all the time.”As Tesori, Hwang and Silverman continued working, they quickly realized “Soft Power” — now with a musical added — would require full orchestration.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 03, 2018 15:00 UTC