Yet there was there was something about their musical “The King and I” that had rankled him for years — and he knew he wanted to do something about it.
Two and a half years ago, Mr. Hwang, the only Asian-American playwright to win a Tony, approached another Tony winner, the composer Jeanine Tesori, with an idea. (Mr. Hwang won for “M. Butterfly,” and Ms. Tesori won for “Fun Home.”)