Soft Power, Signature Theatre, Arlington, VA

 

Grace Yoo (top, center) as Hillary Clinton at America's most famous restaurant in Soft Power at Signature Theatre. Photo credit: Daniel Rader.

Signature Theatre’s current offering, Soft Power, is a musical with book and lyrics by David Henry Hwang (a Tony-winner for M. Butterfly) and music and additional lyrics by Jeanine Tesori (who won Tonys for Fun Home and Kimberly Akimbo). Part satire, part fantasia, even part homage to the classic American musical The King and I, and often based on real-life events, Soft Power defines its own genre. As the program note tells us, “soft power” is a political strategy in which cultural influence is used to achieve diplomatic results. Think, for example, of China lending pandas to American zoos. In this instance, a Chinese theatre producer tries to convince a Chinese American playwright (known in the script simply as “DHH”) to create a show to be staged in a new theatre built in Shanghai’s Fuxing Park. (DHH is a not-very-subtly-drawn stand-in for the author, down to his distinctive hairstyle.)

Producer Xue Xing’s daughter warns him not to go to America, where, she claims, they hate the Chinese. Xue assures his daughter that it is 2016 and things are different.

What ensues involves a play in which Hillary Clinton is running for and sure to be elected president. Xue comes to the U.S. to meet with DHH. DHH was born after his parents came to the U.S., so he feels no real connection to China. He may look Chinese, but he considers himself 100% American, growing up in a household that eschewed all things Chinese, including the language and the celebration of Chinese New Year.

Welcome to America: Daniel May and the company of Soft Power. Photo credit: DJ Corey,

Although at first dismissive, DHH is intrigued, remembering that toward the end of his father’s life, he spoke lovingly of Fuxing Park. We meet Hillary Clinton campaigning at the “most famous restaurant in America” (McDonald’s), where Xue encounters her for the first time. Hillary’s campaign is gaining momentum, but on Election Night, the winner is... NOT Hillary. In fact, it is “the guy who hates China,” who is never called by name.

Hillary is devastated by her loss, lamenting having spent three years campaigning. We get a glimpse of the new administration’s simplistic philosophy for international relations: just be the “Good Guy with a Gun,” in order to keep other nations in line. Still, after it all, Hillary sings her final song, “Democracy,” an anthem to an ideal in which she still believes.

We finally discover that the whole thing has been imaginary, though I won’t disclose the sobering events that lead to that discovery. At the end, the all-Asian cast assembles for an optimistic reprise of “Democracy,” reinforcing that they, too, are Americans, hoping for a future in which they can feel fully a part of this country, accepted by all.

Throughout the play, the differences between the Chinese and the Americans are explored as DHH and Xue try to explain their cultures to each other. Xue explains that for the Chinese, the concept of “face” is important. DHH explains that for Americans, “heart” is significant. Perhaps the ideal is a combination of the two.

“Election Night” is a civics lesson in song, explaining the majesty and mystery of the ballot box. The ballot box gives us choices, though Xue questions why choices are necessary. Explaining the election process seems simple enough, until we move on to “college,” in this instance the Electoral College. This bizarre practice is honestly explained with true but unflattering bits of history: that small and rural states have an outsized role in electing the president, which also means that in the past, its existence allowed the protection of slavery.

The songs vary in tone, from the wistful “Fuxing Park” to “Welcome to America,” delivered as a rapid-fire rap with cultural overtones (one character explains that she can see everything because her eyes are round). Other songs contain echoes of patriotic marches, and even touches of gospel appear. Xue and Hillary’s relationship appears as almost-but-not-quite romantic, but they have a brief, jubilant waltz at one point recreating the iconic dance between the king and Anna in The King and I. (In fact, Soft Power was essentially conceived as an inverted version of The King and I, according to a comment by Hwang noted in the program.)

Grace Yoo and Daniel May having their "Shall We Dance?" moment in Soft Power. Photo credit: Daniel Rader.

As mentioned earlier, the cast is composed entirely of actors with Asian backgrounds. In a previous production of the play, the role of Hillary was played by a White actress, but casting an Asian as Hillary (of course, with a blonde wig) minimizes the “other-ness” of the character and reinforces a unified vision that challenges our conception of what “Americans” look like.

This is the fourth production directed by Signature’s associate artistic director, Ethan Heard, who once again establishes himself as a talented creative force and real asset to Signature. Choreographer Billy Bustamente and designers Chika Shimizu (scenery), Helen Q. Huang (costumes), Oliver Wason (lighting), Eric Norris (sound), and Anne Nesmith (wigs) all contribute to the success of Heard’s concept. Chris Fenwick serves as music supervisor and Angie Benson as music director/conductor. Benson elicits strong performances from the vocalists as well as the nine musicians who join her as members of the orchestra. As usual, the Signature orchestra sounds much larger than it is.

The cast of 12 acquits themselves expertly, though the burden is carried by Steven Eng as DHH, Daniel May as Xue Xing, and Grace Yoo as Hillary Clinton. May is the only one of the three with a previous Signature credit: he made a strong impression in Pacific Overtures in the spring of 2023. May’s Xue is a committed, proud businessman/visionary, self-assuredly pitching to DHH the idea of creating a Chinese production. Based on some of the media appearances I have seen by playwright Hwang, Eng recreates Hwang faithfully, but also with meaningful urgency. Yoo is a bundle of energy and magnetism, letting us in on the “real” Hillary, who realizes that much of campaigning is “putting on a show,” but who also portrays the character’s resolve and commitment.

Daniel Eng as DHH in Soft Power. Photo credit: Daniel Rader.

Given its political nature, Soft Power belongs in Washington, DC, especially in this year of a presidential election and the rise in anti-“other” sentiment in this country. We need only to look at the American Olympians we have just celebrated to be reminded that “American” applies to people from a vast array of groups. Soft Power continues at Signature through September 15.