Soft Power
77

Soft Power NYC Reviews and Tickets

77%
(149 Ratings)
Positive
79%
Mixed
16%
Negative
5%
Members say
Ambitious, Clever, Entertaining, Thought-provoking, Relevant

About the Show

Tony Award winners David Henry Hwang ("M. Butterfly") and Jeanine Tesori ("Fun Home," "Caroline, or Change") bring their new musical-within-a-play to The Public for its New York premiere.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (149)

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314 Reviews | 186 Followers
99
Queen and i, American patriotism at core, Full house standing ovations, Multi-layered parody, Creators have guts!

See it if You ever concerned about American’s future post-election; High-energy parody drives audience into constant laughter; discuss Sino-American

Don't see it if .. relationship in a witty way; could be offensive to some - Queen (Hilary) & I, Book of ‘Merica; 2 hrs with 1 intermission; Ends 11/10;

257 Reviews | 26 Followers
97
Beautiful music, Clever, Entertaining, Refreshing, Intelligent

See it if you love off-beat musicals with a gorgeous score; you enjoy poking fun at Hillary Clinton and presenting #45 in a poor light;

Don't see it if you prefer a more traditional musical.; you have no interest in a play told from a Chinese viewpoint

96 Reviews | 27 Followers
95
Thought-provoking, Must see, Great writing, Entertaining, Ambitious

See it if you love clever, ironic writing, and want to see some amazing representation on a stage. And cmon, Jeanine Tesori music!

Don't see it if You don't like political themes, having mirrors turned back at problems you may be a part of

140 Reviews | 24 Followers
93
Enchanting, Refreshing, Great acting, Great staging, Great singing

See it if You want to see something original. This upbeat show features a hugely talented Asian American cast, making fun of politics and musicals.

Don't see it if You want to see a traditional musical with mostly Caucasian actors. The show doesn’t follow a simple narrative.

NS
273 Reviews | 200 Followers
91
Confusing at times, Informative, Outspoken, A s t o n i s h i n g ! ! !

See it if First act found me open mouthed, laughing at one amazing scene after another. Outspoken about status of Asian Americans in US, political

Don't see it if you want a traditional musical, non-challenging, ruffles no feathers. Questions US China, our system, heroes, Lies of equality in this land

261 Reviews | 70 Followers
90
Great writing, Funny, Entertaining, Clever, Absorbing

See it if Funny satirical & earnest all at once exploration of cultural identity/confusion/appropriation filtered through 2016 election and musicals

Don't see it if It’s wild and divergent and tone shifts at all points but so bold and clever and big hearted it’s worth a try

101 Reviews | 11 Followers
90
Entertaining, Thought-provoking, Relevant, Clever, Great singing

See it if you want to see an inventive topical musical. Very clever and very creative. Excellent cast

Don't see it if You didn’t like musicals or you are looking for a straight play

73 Reviews | 21 Followers
90
Thought-provoking, Resonant, Relevant, Refreshing, Ambitious

See it if supporting AAPI voices in theater. ur a musical theatre nerd, SO many callbacks for u. Nuanced subtext on the mixed bag of mixed identity.

Don't see it if uncomfortable with the satirical focus being turned on USA, and unwilling to wrestle with the messy and imperfect pillars of our society.

Critic Reviews (24)

The New York Times
October 15th, 2019

"In the Musical ‘Soft Power,’ China Whistles the Tune: A complex look at democracy from an Asian perspective turns 'The King and I' inside out."
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Time Out New York
October 15th, 2019

"The awkward first 30 minutes of 'Soft Power' aren't musical at all, and we can tell from all the throat-clearing that the team feels hesitant about jumping into such a wild-spirited spoof…When Tesori's lush music starts, the play sighs with relief: Nothing, it turns out, buoys your post-2016 spirits like an orchestra in full swoon."
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New York Magazine / Vulture
October 15th, 2019

"Flipping the Classic Musical Script in 'Soft Power'"
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The Wall Street Journal
October 24th, 2019

"Singing China’s Praises: The new David Henry Hwang-Jeanine Tesori musical tackles cultural diplomacy in the age of Trump in a smart and touching fashion."
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Variety
October 15th, 2019

"The American musical — and America — are reconsidered in this powerfully smart and entertaining show."
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The Hollywood Reporter
October 15th, 2019

"Tony Award winners David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori collaborate on a 'musical-within-a-play,' satirizing American-Chinese relations and featuring a post-election Hillary Clinton as a major character."
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The Observer
October 15th, 2019

"Directed with the right balance of dry wit and shameless razzmatazz by Leigh Silverman, 'Soft Power' boasts one of the most appealing and hard-working ensembles onstage today."
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The Washington Post
October 15th, 2019

"Ever wondered how China sees America? ‘Soft Power’ offers amusing ideas."
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