Sarah LaDuke and David Henry Hwang
On October 3, 2011, Chinese-American Army Pvt. Danny Chen was found dead in a guard tower at his base in Afghanistan. The opera “An American Soldier” is based on his story and the ensuing courts-martial of Chen’s fellow soldiers.
“An American Solider” is having its New York City premiere at PAC NYC May 12-19 in a new 2024 version co-commissioned by PAC NYC and Boston Lyric Opera.
Composed by Huang Ruo, “An American Solider” features a libretto by our guest, David Henry Hwang.
Hwang’s work includes the plays ”M. Butterfly,” “Chinglish,” “Yellow Face,” “Golden Child,” “The Dance and the Railroad,” and “FOB,” as well as the Broadway musicals “Aida,” ”Flower Drum Song” and Disney’s “Tarzan.” His newest musical, “Soft Power,” written with composer Jeanine Tesori, opened in 2019 at New York’s Public Theatre, where it received four Outer Critics Honors, a 2021 Grammy Nomination, and was a Finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Drama.