Soft Power NYC Reviews and Tickets

77%

(148 Reviews)

Positive

79%

Mixed

16%

Negative

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.

From the show:

One of the most exciting theatrical collaborations in recent memory, SOFT POWER is an exploration of America's current place in the world, told through an East-West musical from China's point of view, in which a theater producer from Shanghai forges a powerful bond with Hillary Clinton. SOFT POWER is a fever dream of modern American politics amidst global conversations, asking us all – why do we love democracy? And should we?

Featuring the choreography of Tony nominee Sam Pinkleton (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812), Tony nominee Leigh Silverman (Violet, Yellow Face, Wild Goose Dreams) directs this exhilarating new show The Los Angeles Times calls “smart & wonderfully funny. A meeting of dauntingly innovative theatrical minds.”

Member Reviews (148)

Banal, Aimless, Uneven, Confusing, Lost

See it if some nice tunes derivative of known Broadway musicals. Nice sets. Ricamora is the only saving grace.

Don't see it if Other than Ricamora, the acting is really not great. This is aimless and all over the place. What is the plot? Read more

Chaotic, Unfocused, Unconventional, Uneven

See it if You want to see an original musical. It's well intentioned.

Don't see it if Show was all over the place. First Act has some strange musical numbers like the Hillary Clinton burlesque number in McDonalds... Strange.

Quirky, Overrated, Fluffy, Banal

See it if If you want to see something original at the public. It gets confusing at times to what they try to portray in the show.

Don't see it if If you dont like light weight. It's nothing great. As lite as Hillary and the Hillary at Mc Donalds.

Repetitive, Cultural, Quirky, Lush, Biting

See it if Musical satire showing a warped version of US culture from a Chinese perspective. Lush music w/full orchestra & strong vocals.

Don't see it if No real plot; a collection of SNL-like sketches. Repeated themes get tiresome: guns, democracy, romantic love vs familial duty. Read more

Uneven, Ambitious, Disappointing, Lightweight, Indulgent

See it if u want to see a very meta geopolitical musical that takes on Hwang's very real personal trauma & America's very real political drama.

Don't see it if u hope for a new work of genius from this powerhouse creative team; ur not prepared to accept an overstuffed but half-baked work-in-progress Read more

Resonant, Thought-provoking, Great staging, Disappointing, Ambitious

See it if Tesori's lush score, Silverman's robust staging & Ramos' lavish designs all conspire to strengthen Hwang's interesting but overstuffed drama

Don't see it if A horrible opening segment gradually opens up to reveal a panoramic view of America & it's discontents Political & personal never quite gel

Satirical, Relevant, Great staging, Clever, Ambitious

See it if Grand is the musical-play that seeks to engage the target audience it singles out to indict:USA leads culture after rescuing the unaware.

Don't see it if Meta multi-genred yellow perspective of the white worldview using accepted Asian cliches are deterrents to serving both involved parties. Read more

Great staging, Confusing, Clever, Ambitious, Absorbing

See it if you are a fan of original musical theatre pieces. This is not based on a movie from the 80's or 90's.

Don't see it if you are easily confused. There is a lot going on, so concentration is imperative. Read more

Critic Reviews (24)

"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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"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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"Flipping the Classic Musical Script in 'Soft Power'"
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"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 American musical — and America — are reconsidered in this powerfully smart and entertaining show."
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"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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"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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