Hwang-Tesori dream team brings Sino-futurist musical ‘Soft Power’ to SF

Conrad Ricamora and Kendyl Ito took the stage for the world premiere of David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s "Soft Power." It's headed to San Francisco's Curran next for a June 20-July 8 run. (Craig Schwartz Photography)
David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s "Soft Power" heads for San Francisco Curran for June 20-July 8 run. The show is directed by Leigh Silverman and choreographed by Sam Pinkleton. (Craig Schwartz Photography)
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 in the world premiere of David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s SOFT POWER. Directed by Leigh Silverman and choreographed by Sam Pinkleton, SOFT POWER is performing at the Curran June 20 - July 8, 2018. (Craig Schwartz Photography)
L-R: Maria-Christina Oliveras (obscured), Geena Quintos, Billy Bustamante, Conrad Ricamora, Jaygee Macapugay, Jon Hoche and Daniel May in David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s "Soft Power." Directed by Leigh Silverman and choreographed by Sam Pinkleton, the show plays at the Curran in San Francisco from June 20-July 8, 2018. (Craig Schwartz Photography)
L-R: Conrad Ricamora, Austin Ku, Francis Jue, Geena Quintos, Billy Bustamante and Raymond J. Lee in the world premiere of David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s SOFT POWER. Directed by Leigh Silverman and choreographed by Sam Pinkleton, SOFT POWER is performing at the Curran June 20 - July 8, 2018. (Craig Schwartz Photography)
L-R: Conrad Ricamora and Francis Jue in the world premiere of David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s SOFT POWER. Directed by Leigh Silverman and choreographed by Sam Pinkleton, SOFT POWER is performing at the Curran June 20 - July 8, 2018. (Craig Schwartz Photography)

PUBLISHED: June 14, 2018 at 4:30 p.m. | UPDATED: June 15, 2018 at 4:23 a.m.

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The first collaboration of the theatrical dream team of great American playwright David Henry Hwang (“M. Butterfly,” “Yellow Face,” “Chinglish”) and versatile composer Jeanine Tesori (“Fun Home,” “Shrek the Musical,” “Caroline, or Change”), “Soft Power” is billed as “a play with a musical” with a predominantly Asian American cast. Coming to the Curran in San Francisco, fresh from its world premiere in Los Angeles, it starts as a contemporary comedy and then shifts into a full-blown musical.

Set during the 2016 election, the first part of the play features a fictionalized Hwang — portrayed by Francis Jue (who played Hwang’s father in TheatreWorks’ 2009 production of “Yellow Face”) — meeting with a Chinese producer about a possible TV show and also involves an encounter with Hillary Clinton. Then we jump about a century into the future to the 50th anniversary of a popular Chinese musical in their somewhat bizarre version of the American style, featuring a strangely mythologized version of these same events and how they changed the world.

It all promises to be completely bonkers and, if the artists’ track record is any indication, quite possibly amazing.

Details: June 20 through Jul. 8 at The Curran, 445 Geary St., San Francisco; $29-$175; www.sfcurran.com