Interview with Nolan Williams, Jr. Composer, Producer, Lyricist, Playwright, and Cultural Creator
Conducted by Jordan Wright
October 6, 2024
Multi-disciplinary artist and long-time DC resident Nolan Williams, Jr. has already achieved more than most people do in a lifetime. At 55 years old the Oberlin College grad is at the top of his game with a slew of media awards from his career as a composer, producer, playwright, lyricist, director, and cultural creator. We first met at the premiere of his 2022 production, “Grace, The Musical” at Ford’s Theatre, when I was reviewing the show that later garnered 11 Broadway World Washington, DC awards, and I have been following his career like a hound dog ever since.
As the inaugural Social Practice Resident at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Williams, Jr. is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including the Kennedy Center’s National Performing Arts Committee’s 2019 Arts Advocacy Award.
He is known for composing emotionally stirring, inspirational and uplifting music influenced by musical theatre, gospel, classical music, jazz, R&B, soul and roots music featuring choral and orchestral works.
Many of his works have been performed at the Kennedy Center and are star-studded artistic collaborations with Aretha Franklin, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Denyce Graves and Ladysmith Black Mambazo as well as local award-winning artist Nova Y. Payton. He has also collaborated with Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Leslie Odom, Jr., Natalie Cole, Raul Esparza, and more.
Williams, Jr. has recently released the PSA “Rise Up & Fight” (click here to watch the award-winning PSA) produced by his NEWorks Productions media company as part of their Freedom Advances campaign. This animated music video and civic anthem is designed to encourage Blacks and minorities to register and vote as well as ‘Post’, ‘Share’ and ‘Like’. It emphasizes the importance of voting to achieve power and change for Black communities in America and has already earned six international film awards, including Best Lyrics Video in the International Music Video Competition, three Awards of Excellence in the Best Shorts Competition and, this past week, the PSA became an Official Selection of the New York Film & Actors Awards.
Previous PSAs include the 2020 multi award-winning social impact video, “I Have a Right to Vote” and the America Song Project, which garnered over 2 million and 1.3 million global hits, respectively. Williams has also produced, directed and co-written the celebrated documentary, “Becoming Douglass Commonwealth,” in commemoration of DC Emancipation Day 2021. This DC Statehood video—which has won ten media prizes—reviews the history and evolution of DC and its search for statehood status. The video features historians, scholars, business leaders, legal scholars, DC leaders, Congressional Representatives, former and current DC Mayors, as well as community activists.
This week I had a chance to talk with this über-creator about his life, his accomplishments and his dreams.
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JW: Does your inspiration come because of the need to connect with the culture or is it the need to educate to impact social change?
NWJ: It’s both. Cultural connection is very important to me because I see great value in our cultural expressions. I’m always looking for ways to lift up our history, culture, practices and traditions. At the same time, I understand the impact music and the Arts have in educating and uplifting our community. I’ve been doing this impact work for 21 years through my company NEWorks.
What haven’t you done yet that you’d like to?
I have other musicals currently in development. And, I want to do a musical recording of the social justice songs I’ve composed – a comprehensive album. I have written many of these songs during my 20-year tenure as Music Producer for Let Freedom Ring, the annual MLK Birthday concert jointly presented by Georgetown University and the Kennedy Center. I want to accomplish that in the next few years.
What’s on the horizon?
We will soon be making announcements about “Grace, The Musical”. I have been retooling it with Nikkole Salter [co-book writer] for the past two years, figuring out what the show wants to be. This past Spring, we did a work session at Arena Stage and a private reading at the Kennedy Center.
I am also excited about my collaborations with the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in Orlando. I have revamped their “6th & Jazz” program, which annually reaches over 16,000 sixth graders in Osceola County—and we’re now looking to expand. And, I have been appointed the first Artist Director outside of the UK for a project called “STROKESTRA”, an organic initiative of music-making that pairs world-class musicians with stroke survivors and their caregivers. It was invented by the Royal Philharmonic in the UK a decade ago. The Dr. Phillips Center is now leading a residency of the project in collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic and Advent Health. It’s a beautiful program purposed to build the spirits of those involved and to facilitate healing and wholeness.
Lastly, in early November, I’ll be in London to witness two of my works being premiered on that side of the pond by the London Symphony under the baton of Maestro Andre Thomas.
How does the music come to you?
In different ways. I find it best to write when I’m inspired by something I read or see. There needs to be some kind of catalyst.
Sometimes it’s a lyric in search of a tune, other times it’s a tune awaiting a lyric. I’ve been very intentional in recent years about not writing as much at the piano, relying more on what I’m actually hearing. At some point I’ll use the piano to refine concepts.
What cultural figures most influenced you as a child?
I was influenced by artists that were writing music that had value beyond entertainment. Like Stevie Wonder who wrote about being “born in hard time Mississippi”. His social commentary stood out to me, and the way in which he used rhythms and harmonies was interesting and novel. He was very much an architect in music.
During my student days at Oberlin College, I saw Gil Scott-Heron in concert. He was the anti-entertainment industry artist. It was clear, a few bars in, this dude writes about what he wants to say. He was not concerned about being commercial. I’ve come to realize how deeply moving that is. That’s part of what has inspired me to leverage the power of music and the Arts for social good – the mission of my company NEWorks – and the hallmark of the collaborative work we’ve been doing for 21 years with countless artists and arts organizations.
Like Wonder and Scott-Heron, I create and produce art to help shape the world I want to see. I’m hopeful enough to believe music has the power to reach at least one person and that, when it does, it touches the heart.
Who are you most inspired by today?
By this emerging generation of young creatives, many of whom are not household names but are creating art boldly. They are more open to ideas that are different. They are open to collaboration and not hung up by the -isms that most often divide us. With our recent project, Freedom Advances, we are inviting young creatives around the country to manipulate and sample two of our civic anthems, creating new ways to reach their peer groups. We’re calling it our “Rise Up Song Challenge”. We have already received numerous submissions showing how gifted, smart, savvy and creative these young artists are in using technology that is compelling as well as entertaining. I draw inspiration from them.
Would you ever write a modern opera?
It’s funny you should ask that. I have given some thought to the idea. I am open to it. When I traveled to the Met to see Fire Shut Up In My Bones written by Terence Blanchard, who is amazing, I thought, opera is something I’d consider writing.
When you’re composing a piece, at what point does the full orchestration come to you?
It depends. Sometimes ideas will just start to take shape. Other times it’s on the back end. I also love collaborating on my orchestrations because I love how my circle of colleagues help to refine ideas.
How can viewers find your PSA videos? How are they promoted?
My company www.NEWorks.us is the best place. Also, we have a great team that pushes out our projects on the web. We rely on collaboration. We put out our work, then friends tell friends who tell friends. We also use grassroots means to reach people. Schools, regional theaters, artists and community organizations are sharing our videos. We’ve garnered millions of views.
I know you’ve collaborated with celebrity chef Carla Hall on several projects, but what are your favorite foods and favorite local restaurants?
First, I love Carla—she is an amazing friend and supporter.
I like salmon. In our region my favorite version is the blackened salmon at Busboys and Poets www.BusboysandPoets.com although right now, Lydia On H www.LydiaOnHDC.com is my jam. Their Caribbean food is amazing!
Who would you most like to collaborate with on your next project?
It’s a long shot and a dream, but working with Stevie Wonder would be amazing.
And if I’m really dreaming, I’d love to work with Shonda Rhimes because I love her inventiveness – the way in which her concepts and productions showcase her love of the culture, the universality of her work’s appeal, and her standard of excellence.
What haven’t we touched on that you’d like to talk about?
Our “Rise Up & Fight” civic anthem and the commemoration of ‘Freedom Summer’. It’s so important that we focus on the history and significance of that event, especially in this election year.
Sixty years ago, three young civil rights workers – James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner – gathered with other volunteers in Mississippi to do important work in a state that was riddled with the plagues of racism and hatred. These volunteers had the courage to go into rural counties and register African American voters and to launch freedom schools that provided supplemental educational opportunities for children. But Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner were arrested on trumped up charges and then released into the hands of the KKK, who abducted and murdered them.
The “Rise Up & Fight” anthem honors these three men and the sacrifices they made with their lives. And it’s a reminder that those of us who believe in freedom must be relentless in our efforts to advance it. We must be engaged in the voting process.
This interview has been condensed and lightly edited.
2024 Pulitzer Prize Winning Play Primary Trust Triumphs at Signature Theatre
Primary Trust
Signature Theatre
Jordan Wright
September 21, 2024
Special to The Zebra
 Julius Thomas III (Kenneth), Frank Britton (Bert) and Craig Wallace (Clay) in Primary Trust at Signature Theatre. (Photo/DJ Corey Photography) “This is the story of a friendship,” explains Kenneth in the opening line of Primary Trust. He’s speaking directly to us, the audience, eager to recount his personal journey. He’s awkward, shy, anxious, struggling to get the words out. We soon meet his friend, Bert. Everyone should have a life coach like Bert. He comforts Kenneth, encouraging him, advising him and guiding him to make the right choices, to say the right things. Bert is Kenneth’s drinking buddy at Wally’s, a small-town Hawaiian-themed tiki hut outside of Rochester, New York where they chug Mai Tais at Happy Hour. Just a couple of bros bonding, until we discover that no one sees Bert except Kenneth. Bert is Kenneth’s imaginary friend. “I don’t want a real friend,” he tells Bert. The servers play along.
 Julius Thomas III (Kenneth) (Photo/DJ Corey Photography) We soon learn that Kenneth was an orphan shuffled from foster home to foster home where his only friend was his case worker Bert whom he admired, fashioning imaginary friend Bert’s persona after the social worker’s compassion. The death of Kenneth’s mother when he was a child appears to have caused a psychotic break that has followed him into adulthood when he finds a soft landing in a small bookstore with owner, Sam, who indulges his quirks. When Sam decides to retire, Kenneth, who has worked there for two decades, must find a job outside his comfort zone. A random convo with Carrina, a sweet waitress at Wally’s, reveals an opening at the local bank where Bert’s advice during the interview helps him land the job.
Bank manager, Clay, takes a liking to Kenneth, and despite Kenneth’s chats with the invisible Bert and the occasional freakout with difficult customers, he keeps him on. Kenneth’s surprising propensity for selling banking services to new clients, soon propels him to top salesman.
 Julius Thomas III (Kenneth) and Yesenia Iglesias (Corrina) (Photo/DJ Corey Photography) Throughout his journey, our compassion and fascination with this tortured man grows deeper. He is as unlikely a hero as one could imagine and yet his beautiful soul resonates despite his struggles. Kenneth speaks to everyone’s life’s choices for better or for worse. When a random meeting with Carinna turns into a drink at a fancy restaurant, he reveals his life’s story, and we learn how his young life took a one-eighty.
This tender and beautifully acted play walks a delicate balance as precarious as a tightrope. We fear for Kenneth’s future as fiercely as we seek to defend his choices. His frailty and hopefulness are an irresistible dichotomy. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Eboni Booth, has written a classic filled with dark humor and pathos. Primary Trust shows us who we are – flaws and all – with a message that finds us rooting for Kenneth to find his place in the world. He does and we do when we empathize with our fellow humans.
A touching and exquisitely mounted triumph that will stand the test of time. Highly recommended!
 Julius Thomas III (Kenneth) and Frank Britton (Bert) (Photo/DJ Corey Photography) Starring Julius Thomas III as Kenneth; Frank Britton as Bert; Craig Wallace as Sam/Clay & Others; and Yesenia Iglesias as Corrina & Others.
Directed by Taylor Reynolds; Scenic Design by Misha Kachman; Costume Design by Danielle Preston; Lighting Design by Venus Gulbranson; Sound Design & Original Music by Frederick Kennedy; Casting by Jorge Acevedo; New York Casting by Geoff Josselson.
Through October 20th at Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Street, in Shirlington Village, Arlington, VA 22206. For tickets and information call the box office at 703 820-9771 or visit www.SigTheatre.org.
Warp Speed Slapstick Marks Comedy of Errors from Shakespeare Theatre Company
Comedy of Errors
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Jordan Wright
September 19, 2024
Special to The Zebra
 The cast of Comedy of Errors. Photo by Teresa Castracane Photography.
With the clang of a massive ship’s bell and the cry, “Stowaway!”, Director Simon Godwin’s Comedy of Errors begins. An august gentleman, Egeon (Timothy Stickney), a merchant from Syracuse, has been arrested and is being questioned by Duke Solinus (Eric Hissom), nay, threatened with beheading if he doesn’t pay a hefty fine for trespassing. He explains he nearly lost his life in a tempest at sea. But rules are rules, the Duke explains, and Egeon must find money to satisfy the law. He has his life, for now, but has lost his wife Emilia (Amanda Naughton), twin boys and their twin servants.
In the terror of the storm, they became separated. That’s the setup. Antipholus needs to find his brother, father, wife and mother and come up with the dough (ducats) to spare his father’s life. Bear in mind there are twin sons and their respective twin servants – all operating separately – and unbeknownst to one another, the bizarre fact they had all washed up on the Ephesusian shore.
 Shayvawn Webster and Cloteal L. Horne in Comedy of Errors. Photo by Teresa Castracane Photography. Sheer madness and near-terminal mistaken identity abound at supersonic speed. If you don’t know the plot going in, you’ll be spinning your wheels to keep up with these wacky doings. Other characters and side plots help ratchet up the action. At times I wondered if I was watching a mashup of Buster Keaton meets Steve Martin meets Lucy and Ethel in all their slapstick glory. Deliciously clever! Switcheroo at its highest and best use.
Hats off to Composer Michael Bruce for the interludes played by a delightful group of musicians – I noted a mandolin, guitar, piano, banjo and accordion who roamed the stage singing an amalgam of musical ditties between the rapid-fire comings and goings of the players. An intercom doorbell scene and the goofy beatings of the servant Dromio had the audience roaring, as did many of the prickly puns and nutty shenanigans.
 Eric Hissom, Shayvawn Webster, Cloteal L. Horne, Kimberly Dodson, and Ralph Adriel Johnson in Comedy of Errors. Photo by Teresa Castracane Photography. Magic, spirits and mystifying encounters factor into many of Shakespeare’s plays and this early farce of his is no exception. When crazed conjurer Pinch (Eric Hissom in this dual role) arrives all hell breaks loose in a whirlpool of Vaudevillian confusion and absurd props (forceps!!!) meant to break the spell and find love lost. He does and they do. Deep sigh…
Comic timing is everything and this cast was on fire. If your head is not spinning after this marvelously choreographed mayhem, you need to have it examined.
Highly recommended!!!
 Alex Brightman and David Fynn in Comedy of Errors. Photo by Teresa Castracane Photography. With Ralph Adriel Johnson as Antipholus of Ephesus; Christian Thompson as Aintipholus of Syracuse; David Fynn as Dromio of Ephesus; Alex Brightmanas Dromio of Syracuse; Shayvawn Webster as Adriana; Cloteal L. Horne as Luciana; Pearl Rhein as Angela; Kimberly Dodson as Thaisa; Paige Rammelkamp as Marina; Camilo Linares as Sergeant/Officer; Ro Boddie as Balthazar; and Jacob Brandt as Roderigo.
Choreography by Nancy Renee Braun; Scenic Design by Ceci Calf; Costume Design by Alejo Vietti; Lighting Design by Stacey Derosier; Sound Design by Christopher Shutt; Fight Choreography by Robb Hunter; Wig & Hair Design by Charles G. Lapointe; Dramaturg Drew Lichtenberg.
Through October 20th at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre, 450 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information call the box office at 202 547-1122 or visit www.ShakespeareTheatre.org.
A Visit to Jaja’s African Hair Braiding Salon Brings Non-Stop Hilarity at Arena Stage
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Arena Stage
Jordan Wright
September 13, 2024
Special to The Zebra
 Bisserat Tseggai (Miriam) and Mia Ellis (Jennifer) in Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. (Photo/T. Charles Erickson Photography) Full Disclosure: I have never experienced the mysterious realm of an African hair braiding salon. In this comedy, the employees of Jaja’s salon come from Sierra Leone, Jamaica, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria – a veritable polyglot of personalities. That’s the frame.
The larger story here plays out in the sisterhood of these braiders – their shared struggles, their families, their dreams and how they strive to keep it together against all odds, some of those odds being the men in their lives. As immigrants – some are legal, some not – all are vulnerable, hardworking and super street stylish.
Groundbreaking, Ghanaian American playwright Jocelyn Bioh invites us to enter this wildly hilarious immigrant microcosm situated in one small, candy-colored, Harlem-centric salon. I’m hooked. The audience is hooked too. Many nodding and laughing with the recognition of the perils and pleasures of locs, twists, box braids, cornrows, spiraled ends and all manner of intricate braiding styles. (N. B. There is actual braiding going on during the play.)
 (Photo/T. Charles Erickson Photography) Conflicts and professional jealousies clash in this small space. Stealing clients is definitively a no-no. How the politics and precarious balance of these fraught relationships work, is a mystery to me. Yet within this glorious bird’s eye view of a Black hair salon lies humor – tons of it – and that proves to be the glue to secure the ladies’ camaraderie as well as the braids.
Jaja (Victoire Charles) is the glamorous owner of this petite enclave. She enters like a queen oozing style and spunk in equal measure. We don’t meet her until the second act, but her essence hangs over the salon where her daughter, college valedictorian Marie (Jordan Rice), manages the day-to-day operation. There’s Miriam (Bisserat Tseggai) fighting for her new-found identity; Aminata (Tiffany Renee Johnson) who caves to her abusive husband but stands up for Bea (Awa Sal Secka), and Ndidi (Aisha Sougou) who is a temporary hire until her own salon can be rebuilt. Ndidi’s talents are more in demand than Bea’s which fires up Bea, the pot-stirrer, giving her yet another reason to start a fight. She’s a regular gladiator swiping and posturing and throwing her weight around the salon, bent on intimidating everyone. Jennifer (Mia Ellis) is Miriam’s client for the day. A sober-minded journalist who’s never had braids before and is clueless how long the process takes. “I feel like I’ve moved in for the day!” she exclaims. She has.
 Tiffany Renee Johnson (Aminata) and Colby N. Muhammad (Vanessa/Sheila/Radia) in Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. (Photo/T. Charles Erickson Photography) The four stylists and a few of their clients, bicker, tease and diss each other, although they all seem inured to the back-and-forth verbal jousting. I’m content to be far away from the claws and paws. I’ll take it as normal, a snapshot of a braiding salon. Is it called a “salon”? No matter. It’s wildly entertaining. So is the shop’s TV on which runs soap operas from Africa and snippets of Beyoncé’s music videos. It’s complicated, also non-stop hilarious. The audience is falling out of their seats laughing.
What results is a kaleidoscope of zany bits – heightened and condensed into a wonderland of characters. It seems I’ve gone down a rabbit hole and I like it. It’s impossible to single out any one actor in the cast, because each one is superb, as are those playing the clientele whose entrances and exits are as surprising as their crazy, well-drawn characters.
Highly recommended! Could there be a sequel?
 Awa Sal Secka (Bea), Jordan Rice (Marie), Tiffany Renee Johnson (Aminata), and Bisserat Tseggai (Miriam) in Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. (Photo/T. Charles Erickson Photography) With Melanie Brezill as Michelle/Chrissy/LaNiece; Yao Dogbe as James/Franklin; Colby N. Muhammad as Vanessa/Sheila/Radia.
Directed by Whitney White, Set Design by David Zinn, Costume Design by Dede Ayite, Lighting Design by Jiyoun Chang, Original Music and Sound Design by Justin Ellington, Video Design by Stefania Bubarella, Hair and Wig Design by Nikiya Mathis, Dialect and Vocal Coach Yetunde Felix-Ukwu.
Through October 13th at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth Street, NE, Washington, DC 20024. For tickets and information call the box office at 202 488-3300 or visit www.ArenaStage.org.
The Explorers Club
The Little Theatre of Alexandria
Jordan Wright
September 6, 2024
Special to The Zebra
 Lucius Fretway (Michael Townsend) tries to catch a drink from blue-skinned bartender Luigi (Omar Quintero) at The Explorers Club (Photo/Matt Liptak) When Lucius Fretway (Michael Townsend), a handsome young botanist, puts up a pretty female explorer for membership in the exclusive all-men’s club, all hell breaks loose in this nifty farce. The old codgers in The Explorers Club whose past conquests and ongoing research are decidedly questionable, rail against the mere hint of a woman in their tony club. Biblical scholar and serial misogynist, Professor Sloane (Richard Fiske), calls her a “harlot” for violating her feminine station and the doddering adventurer Sir Harry Percy (John Henderson), who claims to have discovered the “East Pole”, agrees wholeheartedly, that is until the lovely Phyllida Spotte-Hume (Rachel Hubbard) arrives, and he begins to challenge Fretway for her attentions. Professor Cope (Ricardo Padilla), a herpetologist whose snake has a mind of its own, is determined to keep her out.
The indelibly charming and brilliant explorer, Phyllida, has recently returned from the discovery of the lost city of NaKong where she has discovered a tribe of feral natives. Naturally, she brings back one of the savages whom she fondly calls Luigi (Omar Quintero). He is totally blue, as in skin color, as opposed to his daffy disposition.
 Professors Walling (Steve Rosenthal). Cope (Ricardo Padilla) and Sloane (Richard Fiske) speak no evil, hear no evil and see no evil (Photo/Matt Liptak) Phyllida has figured out how to tame Luigi by learning his language and recognizing that a common spoon represents his god. With this insight she plans to present him to Queen Victoria who has agreed to an audience – a fortuitous and equally absurd opportunity. You will love the puns and rapid-fire hilarity delivered by a crack cast who speak Brit Wit in upper crust British accents thanks to Co-Producer and Accent Coach, Carol Strachan.
Things go sideways (frequently!) as when the club receives Sir Bernard Humphries (Meghan Mohon), an emissary from the palace, to seek redress after a club member has slandered the Irish who send a well-armed contingent to destroy the club. To settle the naysayers, Luigi fills in as the club’s absentee barman serving drug-laced cigars and drinks which brings howls from the audience.
 Sir Bernard Humphries (Meghan Mohon), Beebe (Michael J Fischer), Professor Sloane (Richard Fiske) & Sir Harry Percy (John Henderson) relaxing over “brandy and cigars (Photo/Matt Liptak) The period costumes by Michelle Harris are spot on as is a gob-smacking set design by Tom O’Reilly. Huge props to Hubbard, Quintero and Townsend who take things over the top.
Playwright Nell Benjamin (award-winning playwright of the musical Legally Blonde and lyricist for Mean Girls and Because of Winn Dixie) sets this corker in Victorian London when women were relegated to rearing children while highborn gentlemen spent their time and money garnering support for far-flung adventures while exploiting the natives.
With Hubbard also playing Countess Glamorgan and Michael Fisher as Beebe and Irish Assassin.
Directed by Adam Konowe; Co-Produced by Alan Wray; Lighting Design by Myke Taister; Sound Design and opening musical number composed by William Chrapcynski; Hair and Makeup by Robbie Snow.
Highly recommended!
Through September 21st at The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For tickets and information call the box office at 703 683-0496 or visit www.TheLittleTheatre.com.
An All-Asian Cast in Signature Theatre’s SOFT POWER Brings Song and Dance to an American Story of Racism in America
Soft Power
Signature Theatre
Jordan Wright
August 19, 2024
Special to The Zebra
 Grace Yoo (Hillary Clinton) and Daniel May (Xue Xing) in Soft Power at Signature Theatre. (Photo/Daniel Rader) Written by Playwright and Lyricist David Hwang and Composer and Lyricist Jeanine Tesori, Soft Power is a musical reflecting the zeitgeist of the 2016 U.S. presidential election when Hillary Clinton was the expected winner running against Donald Trump. The musical didn’t premiere until Trump was in the White House and the nation wondered what the heck happened.
The story is played out in fantasy couched in political reality. In New York City Chinese American playwright DHH (Steven Eng) takes a meeting with a successful Chinese American theatre producer, Xūe Xíng (Daniel May). Xíng implores DHH to write a Broadway musical comparable to the King and I. DHH, aka David, begs off the absurd context of trying to compare the draconian politics of China with the democratic ideals of the U.S. They banter about the two countries philosophies – Chinese are dutiful and don’t need democracy claims Xíng. If this sounds confusing, it is, since the show was written before the outcome of the election then later rewritten. But you’ll soon get the hang of it.
 Grace Yoo (Hillary Clinton, center) and the cast of Soft Power at Signature Theatre. (Photo/Daniel Rader) Leaving the meeting, David is stabbed in the streets by two MAGA thugs, Bobby Bob (Jonny Lee, Jr. and other roles) and Randy Ray (Eymard Cabling and other roles). Bobby feels badly and tells David he will protect him from further racist attacks. And he does – up to a point.
While in hospital, David imagines a better scenario where Hillary Clinton (the amazing and hilarious, Grace Yoo) comes to him as a lover. Though framed in the politics of that fraught period, the show has its humorous moments as when Hillary gives a stump speech at McDonald’s while giant dancing burger and fries bracket her appearance in the song, “I’m With Her”. Later preppy Trumper Holden Caulfield (Nicholas Yenson in several roles) of Catcher in the Rye fame accosts Clinton and a stroller full of cats in rose-colored glasses explain the Electoral College voting system in the song, “Voting”.
 Daniel May (Xue Xing) and Grace Yoo (Hillary Clinton) (Photo/DJ Corey Photography) The salient focus is the racism against the Chinese as fostered by Trump’s allies and believers and David’s dreamlike fantasy to live in a better, safer world as he tries to process his conflicted feelings to return to China, the land of his ancestors.
For levity, there are a host of goofy characters on the Trump side of the issues, Trump’s Veep (Christopher Mueller in several roles) makes an appearance as a gun-toting country boy, but the main thrust is the struggle for Chinese Americans who fear for their security in this fraught new American culture under the fired-up Trumpers. Fourteen numbers backed by a 10-piece band, amplify the polarization of the country since the election and the difficult future faced by Chinese Americans.
 Daniel May (Xue Xing), Chani Wereley and the cast of Soft Power (Photo/DJ Corey Photography) With Andrew Cristi as Chief Justice and others; Ashley Nguyen as Jīng and others; Quynh-My Luu as Waiter and others; Chani Wereley as Betsy Ross and others; and Sumié Yotsukura as Flight Attendant and others.
Directed by Signature Theatre’s Artistic Director Ethan Heard, Choreographed by Billy Bustamante, Music Directed by Angie Benson, Music Supervised by Chris Fenwick, Scenic Design by Chika Shimizu, Costume Design by Helen Q. Huang, Lighting design by Oliver Wason, Sound Design by Eric Norris, Wig Design by Anne Nesmith, Orchestrations by Danny Troob.
Through September 15th at Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Street in Shirlington Village, Arlington, VA 22206. For tickets and information call the box office at 703 820-9771 or visit www.SigTheatre.org.
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