Chinglish: new comedy coming to B'way

The Broadway premiere of Chinglish, the new comedy by Tony Award-winning and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist David Henry Hwang ('M. Butterfly),' is to arrive in the fall, directed by Leigh Silverman.

Producer Jerry Frankel said, "This is a very funny, very timely play. Jeffrey Richards and I are thrilled to bring David Henry Hwang back to Broadway."

The design team includes: Set Designer David Korins ('Lombardi,' 'Passing Strange'), Costume Designer Anita Yavich ('Anna in the Tropics') and Lighting Designer Brian MacDevitt ('The Book of Mormon,'' Fences,' Goodman: Long Day's Journey into Night). Cast, dates and a theater are to be announced in the coming weeks.

Chinglish is about the unpredictable complications that ensue when an American businessman, despite his self-possessed cultural ignorance, seeks to expand his market by forging a relationship with government officials in a major Chinese city. Although he has hired an Australian entrepreneur who has lived in China to assist him, he soon finds that the complexities of such a venture far outstrip the expected differences in language, customs and manners - and calls into questions even the most basic assumptions of human conduct.

The world premiere of Chinglish is currently running at Goodman Theatre where it opened on 27 Jun 2011, following previews from 18 Jun 2011, and is running through 24 Jul 2011.

The Goodman Theatre production, also directed by Leigh Silverman, stars Jennifer Lim, Angela Lin, Christine Lin, Stephen Pucci, James Waterston, Johnny Wu and Larry Zhang. Chinglish opened to mostly excellent reviews: "Splendidly savvy and entertaining new work" (Variety); "Shrewd, timely and razor-sharp comedy" (Chicago Trubine); "Very Funny and compelling (Time Out Chicago); "One of the funniest plays in memory" (Chicago Sun-Times) and "Recommended! An endless supply of laughs" (New City).

The Broadway production will be produced by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Roy Gottlieb, Barry & Carole Kaye and David and Barbara Stoller in association with Goodman Theatre. Chinglish has been developed in association with The Public Theater.

Bios:

David Henry Hwang's plays include 'M. Butterfly '(1988 Tony Award, 1989 Pulitzer Prize Finalist), 'Golden Child' (1998 Tony Award nomination, 1997 OBIE Award), 'Yellow Face' (2008 OBIE Award, 2008 Pulitzer Prize Finalist), 'FOB' (1981 OBIE Award), 'The Dance and the Railroad,' 'Family Devotions' and 'Bondage.' He wrote the libretti for the Broadway musicals Elton John and Tim Rice's 'Aida' (co-author), Rodgers & Hammerstein's 'Flower Drum Song' (revival, 2002 Tony Award nomination) and Disney's 'Tarzan.' In opera, his libretti include four works with composer Philip Glass: 'The Voyag'e (Metropolitan Opera), '1000 Airplanes on the Roof,' 'Sound and Beauty' (seen in Chicago at the Court Theatre), and 'Icarus at the Edge of Time'; as well as Osvaldo Golijov's 'Ainadamar' (two 2007 Grammy Awards), Unsuk Chin's 'Alice in Wonderland' (Opernwelt 2007 "World Premiere of the Year") and Howard Shore's 'The Fly.' Hwang penned the feature films "M. Butterfly," "Golden Gate" and "Possession" (co-author), and co-wrote the song "Solo" with Prince.

Leigh Silverman's previous Broadway credits include Lisa Kron's 'Well.' Recent world premieres: 'In The Wake' (Center Theatre Group/Berkeley Repertory Theatre and The Public Theatre; OBIE Award, Lortel Nomination); 'Go Back To Where You Are' (Playwrights Horizons: OBIE Award); 'From Up Here' (MTC); 'Coraline' (MCC/True Love); 'Beebo Brinker Chronicles' (Hourglass Group/ 37 Arts); 'Creature' (New Georges/P73); 'Hunting and Gathering' (Primary Stages); 'Well' (The Public Theater, The Huntington Theatre and ACT); 'The Retributionists' (Playwrights Horizons); 'Blue Door' (Playwrights Horizons and Seattle Repertory Theatre); 'Oedipus At Palm Springs' (NYTW); 'Jump/Cut' (Woolly Mammoth Theatre/Theater J and Women's Project); also 'Danny and the Deep Blue Sea' (Second Stage Theatre). West End: 'Wit' (Vaudeville Theatre). This marks Leigh's second premiere production of a work by David Henry Hwang having previously directed 'Yellow Face' at the Center Theater Group and The Public Theater.