REVIEW: Soft Power (Signature Theatre)
Welcome back to Sig’, everybody — and take a look at their snazzy new branding! I’ll dive more into my thoughts down in the Viz section later, but boy-oh-boy am I glad to see their new look to go along with their 24-25 season, which kicked off this week with 2019’s Soft Power.
Book/Music
Signature’s one-act edition of this is actually a revision of the earlier, two-act 2019 piece; as you can imagine, a lot has happened since then, especially in the Asian-American community. Playwright David Henry Hwang (book and lyrics) began to write this semi-autobiographical piece after he fell victim to a hate crime in 2015, in which he lost more than a third of his blood. His self-insert, written as “DHH”, suffers a similar fate to kick things off. In his recovery, DHH dreams of a fictional Chinese-produced musical rendition of America before and after the 2016 election. Xue Xing, a Shanghainese producer looking to expand China’s cultural footprint, becomes the main character as he arrives in a vehemently anti-Chinese America where everyone totes guns and McDonald’s is haute cuisine. He quickly is introduced to Hillary Clinton, a hyper-feminized culture queen that demands attention and is said to have an 85% chance of winning at the ballot box (which, ostensibly, does not lie.) Their dynamic plays well into a measured comparison of Chinese and American government, each with motivations that contrast but never feeling like one steps on another’s toes thanks to Hwang’s clever writing. Composer Jeanine Tesori’s hallmark sound is here, too, but with some East Asian influences hidden in the reeds. Nonetheless you can clearly find her fairy-tale stylings that are prevalent in her prior works. It makes for a textured listening experience, where the campiness of the over-the-top Americana is indulged with big band flair for a resoundingly positive outcome. 8/10
Acting
If you liked Pacific Overtures or King of the Yees, great news: several favorites from their 2023 productions are back, including Daniel May (Xue), Jonny Lee Jr. (Bobby Bob), and Nicholas Yenson (Holden Caufield). Signature has continued their excellent track record of fostering unique perspectives with exceptional casts. May is compelling as Xue’s conflicted persona who sees the greener side of the grass, but still prides in his homeland; joining his duality is the charming Steven Eng in his Signature debut who is charming and witty as the writer himself. Grace Yoo is the name to remember, though; with lustrous vocals, she makes one hell of a turn as Hillary Clinton, and with it a healthy degree of pep in her step. Her numbers are electric — between each roaring belt, charismatic jig, and humorously contorted expression, the only thing I could think was: “How do we convince her to stay here in the DC theatre scene?” 9/10
Production
Ethan Heard’s production is sparse, slightly unbefitting of a show with as much chutzpah as this. Yet, excitable set pieces (such as mounted deer heads with MAGA hats) by Chika Shimizu and Helen Q. Huang’s patriotic dressing keep things interesting when you’re not being wooed by the performances. Plus: who can deny the challenges of a McDonald’s-themed dance number (Billy Bustamante’s jazzy work shines here) with four costume changes and french fry batons? 6/10
Viz
They did it! Signature actually did it! They revamped their brand identity!! After reviewing dozens of shows at the Arlington playhouse, the consistent thing I dropped points for was their 2000s-era branding that I felt cheapened how a show showcased itself. The lowercase black Arial was a boring typeface, and many of its marketing materials relied on cheap Photoshop jobs that only barely exuded a vibe to match the show (which even then was often cartoonish). In their 2024-25 season announcement, they unveiled a swanky update, which drops the stout sans serif in place of a taller, rounder one, and upgraded their wordmark to a playfully nouveau 20th century design — It. Rules. There’s so much more personality and room for pizzazz for each production, and FINALLY creates a canvas appropriate for the caliber of theatre they produce. And despite the drab scrim which is a dingy black screen with some New York billboards and a desk, the new era is here and is shown off well via the crimson program for Soft Power, featuring a Chinese businessman wrapped around with illustrative iconography from the United States and China. There’s motion and bolder art direction at work; in other words, we’re sooooo back. 8/10
Verdict
Signature opens up their season with flair in Soft Power, a short but memorable othering of the American experience that coasts to glory on its terrific ensemble. 31/40
