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Dream of the Red Chamber /  by David Hwang

Libretto by David Henry Hwang and Bright Sheng
Music by Bright Sheng
Based on the book by Cao Xueqin

The company of Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver for the San Francisco Opera.

The company of Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver for the San Francisco Opera.

Based on the book by 18th-century Qing Dynasty writer Cao Xueqin, Dream of the Red Chamber (also known as The Story of the Stone) is one of the four great classical Chinese novels, considered by many to be the pinnacle of  Chinese literature.  Dream of the Red Chamber was commissioned by San Francisco Opera and premiered there in 2016, directed by Stan Lai, in a coproduction with the Hong Kong Arts Festival, which presented the work in spring 2017, prior to a fall tour of Mainland China.

Yijie Shi and Pureum Jo. Photo by Cory Weaver for the San Francisco Opera.

Yijie Shi and Pureum Jo. Photo by Cory Weaver for the San Francisco Opera.

An American Soldier /  by David Hwang

AN AMERICAN SOLDIER

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Libretto by David Henry Hwang
Music by Huang Ruo

On October 3, 2011, Chinese-American Army Pvt. Danny Chen was found dead in a guard tower at his base in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Based on his story, and drawing from the ensuing courts-martial of Chen's fellow soldiers, An American Soldierexplores what happens when the very people who are supposed to protect you in a combat zone become your enemy.

An American Soldier was commissioned by the Washington National Opera, and premiered as a one hour-long work, performed in English in 2014, directed by David Paul. The full-length version premiered in 2018 at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, directed by James Robinson.

Icarus at the Edge of Time /  by David Hwang

ICARUS AT THE EDGE OF TIME

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Libretto by David Henry Hwang and Brian Greene
Music by Philip Glass
Film by AL + AL

Based on the novella by renowned theoretical physicist Brian Greene, Icarus at the Edge of Time re-imagines the well-known Greek myth as a space age story of a boy who goes against authority by flying too close to a black hole. Icarus at the Edge of Timepremiered at Lincoln Center as part of the World Science Festival, in 2010, directed by Jude Kelly. It was presented at the Southbank Centre in London that same year, and has toured internationally.

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The Fly /  by David Hwang

THE FLY

Daniel Okulitch as Seth Brundle in The Fly. Photo by Robert Millard for the Los Angeles Opera, 2008

Daniel Okulitch as Seth Brundle in The Fly. Photo by Robert Millard for the Los Angeles Opera, 2008

Libretto by David Henry Hwang
Music by Howard Shore    

The opera is loosely based on David Cronenberg's 1986 film The Fly, which was based on the short story of the same name by George Langelaan.

The Fly is an exploration of the physical and psychological transformation in which a brilliant scientist begins to mutate into a hybrid of man and fly after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong. The Fly premiered in Paris at Théâtre du Châtelet and in the United States in at the Los Angeles Opera in 2008, in a production directed by David Cronenberg. It was co-commissioned by both companies.

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Alice In Wonderland /  by David Hwang

ALICE IN WONDERFUL

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Libretto by David Henry Hwang and Unsuk Chin
Music by Unsuk Chin

Based on Lewis Carroll's novel, Alice in Wonderland premiered at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich in 2007, in a production directed by Achim Freyer. In a survey of the German music magazine Opernwelt’s opera critics, the opera was hailed as the "World Première of the Year”.

Ainadamar /  by David Hwang

AINADAMAR

© Ken Howard for Santa Fe Opera, 2005.

© Ken Howard for Santa Fe Opera, 2005.

Libretto by David Henry Hwang            
Music by Osvaldo Golijov

Ainadamar tells the story of playwright Federico García Lorca and his producer and muse, Catalan actress Margarita Xirgu, including Lorca’s murder by the Falange. The male Lorca is played by a woman as a “trousers role,” adding another dimension to the exploration of sexuality and gender.

Ainadamar premiered at Tanglewood Music Center in 2003, directed by Chay Yew. A revised version was later presented at the Santa Fe Opera in 2005, directed by Peter Sellars, and has been performed extensively throughout the world. Its recording on Deutsche Grammophone won two 2006 Grammy Awards, for Best Opera Recording and Best Classical Contemporary Composition.

Photos from the Santa Fe Opera production, 2005.

Production reel from Opera Parallèle production, 2013

The Sound of a Voice /  by David Hwang

THE SOUND OF A VOICE

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Libretto by David Henry Hwang
Music by Philip Glass

Based on Hwang’s play of the same name, The Sound of a Voice explores intimacy between people who have lived in seclusion. In the first part, an aging Japanese warrior arrives at the home of a mysterious woman who lives like a hermit deep in the woods. Has he come as her suitor, or her assassin? In the second part, an elderly Japanese writer visits a mysterious brothel, which caters to men near the end of their lives by providing them with a means to relive their youth.

The Sound of a Voice premiered in 2003 at Boston’s American Repertory Theatre, directed by Robert Woodruff, produced in association with the Court Theatre in Chicago.

The Silver River /  by David Hwang

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THE SILVER RIVER

Libretto by David Henry Hwang
Music by Bright Sheng

Based on an 4,000-year-old Chinese folktale about the creation of night and day, The Silver River tells a story of a forbidden love between a Goddess Weaver and a mortal man.

The Silver River was commissioned by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, where it premiered in 1997, directed by Lisa Peterson. An expanded version opened at the Spoleto Festival in 2002, directed by Ong Keng Sen, in a coproduction with the Lincoln Center Festival in New York City.

The Voyage /  by David Hwang

THE VOYAGE

The Voyage at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Photo by Winnie Klotz.

The Voyage at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Photo by Winnie Klotz.

Libretto by David Henry Hwang
Music by Philip Glass

Alternating between the exploration of space, and Columbus’ exploration of the seas, A Voyage is a general study of exploration - of the oceans, of space and time and of the mind.

The Voyage was commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and premiered there in 1992, directed by David Poutney.

1000 Airplanes on the Roof /  by David Hwang

1000 AIRPLANES ON THE ROOF

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Text by David Henry Hwang
Created with Philip Glass & Jerome Sirlin

1000 Airplanes on the Roof is the story of “M.,” a New Yorker who is abducted by aliens, probed and questioned, then returned to Earth and told to forget the event. The ambiguity of M.’s experience – was it real or hallucinated? – is never fully resolved; it is a parable on contemporary’s man’s search for identity in a bewildering world. 

Originally presented in the Vienna Airport, Hanger #3 in 1988, directed by Philip Glass. Subsequent national and international tours, including an engagement at New York City’s Beacon Theatre, recreated the original production, including Jerome Sirlin’s holographic “visual libretto” projections.

Disney's Tarzan /  by David Hwang

DISNEY’S TARZAN

The Cast of TARZAN®_ photo by Joan Marcus. ©DISNEY 2006.

The Cast of TARZAN®_ photo by Joan Marcus. ©DISNEY 2006.

Music and lyrics by Phil Collins
Book by David Henry Hwang

Adapted from Disney's epic animated musical adventure and Edgar Rice Burrough's Tarzan of the Apes, Hwang wrote the book for this world renowned musical which was scored by rock legend, Phil Collins. Telling the classic story of a boy washed up on the shores of West Africa, and raised by jungle animals, the musical explores the love story between Jane and Tarzan, and the ways in which his animal upbringing clash with his human instincts.

Tarzan opened on Broadway in 2006, and ran over a year before going on to numerous regional and international productions. The German production has been running since 2008.

The German production ran from 2008-2018 and was voted most popular long-running musical three times.

A revival opened in 2023 and is currently running at the Stage Palladium Theater Stuttgart.

Purchase Tarzan (book),  (music)

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Flower Drum Song /  by David Hwang

Lea Salonga (center with bag) and company members of Flower Drum Song at the Mark Taper Forum. Photo by Craig Schwartz

Lea Salonga (center with bag) and company members of Flower Drum Song at the Mark Taper Forum. Photo by Craig Schwartz

FLOWER DRUM SONG

(revival)
Music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
Book by David Henry Hwang

This “revisical" of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic featured a completely new book by Hwang, while retaining the much beloved score. This updated version attempted to remain more true to the spirit of the novel by C.Y. Lee on which the show was based.

When it premiered at the Mark Taper forum in Los Angeles in 2001, it became the first show at the Taper to extend its scheduled run. The show then moved to Broadway, and in 2002 it was nominated for three Tony awards, including Best Book for a Musical.

Purchase Flower Drum Song (book), (music)

Chinglish /  by David Hwang

James Waterston. Photo by Eric Y. Exit for the Goodman Theatre, 2011

James Waterston. Photo by Eric Y. Exit for the Goodman Theatre, 2011

Chinglish follows a white American businessman who travels to China, desperate to score a lucrative contact for his family's firm, only to discover how much he doesn't understand. Named for the unique and often comical third language that evolves from attempts to translate Chinese signs into English, Chinglish explores an evolving U.S. – China relationship where neither side is exactly what it pretends to be.

Chinglish premiered in 2011 at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, directed by Leigh Silverman, where it won a Jefferson Award for Best New Work. Opening on Broadway later that year, it received a 2012 Drama Desk Nomination for Best Play.

Purchase Chinglish 

Production photos from the Goodman Theatre production. Photos by Eric Y. Exit.

The Dance and the Railroad /  by David Hwang

William Yuekun Wu and Ruy Iskandar. Photo by Joan Marcus for Signature Theatre, 2013

William Yuekun Wu and Ruy Iskandar. Photo by Joan Marcus for Signature Theatre, 2013

Set against the backdrop of the Chinese American railroad workers’ strike of 1867, The Dance and the Railroad rejects the stereotype of submissive immigrant laborers, and depicts assertive men who demanded their rights despite great personal risk. The play compares the optimistic and idealistic Ma to the pragmatic and independent Lone, and juxtaposes the hard labor of working on the railroad with the dream to practice traditional Chinese Opera.

The Dance and the Railroad premiered at the New Federal Theatre in 1981, directed by John Lone, before moving to the Public Theater, and received a 1982 Drama Desk Nomination for Best New Play. It was revived at Signature Theatre in 2013, directed by May Adrales, in a production which received its Chinese premiere at the Wuzhen Festival later that year.


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Photos from the 2013 revival at Signature Theatre. Photos by Joan Marcus.