This ambitious “play with a musical” needs so much work I don’t know where to begin. Even the premise is all over the map. It deals with the 2016 election, Chinese use of soft power (uses ideas to change the world), immigration identity, Chinese communism, the electoral college, and letting down your guard to accept and give love. The brain can only absorb so much in 2 and ½ hours. Oh did I mention Hilary Clinton is one of the characters (don’t ask!). The cast acts, dances and sings as though they knew exactly what the author David Henry Hwang was searching for. If only the audience was this lucky. Jeanine Tesori does wonders with the music but the lyrics fall short. The liberal politics preach to the theater with only one unique thought. The Chinese character explains that democracy is broken in America whereas in China they were able to wipe out homelessness and poverty. He purports that their “democracy” with Chinese properties solve problems despite being a Communist Dictatorship. The show moves to San Francisco after the Los Angeles production ends and then possibly to Broadway. It will be a miracle if that happens.

https://www.centertheatregroup.org/tickets/ahmanson-theatre/2017-18/soft-power/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3InYBRCLARIsAG6bfMRaKhOMvBN0pPwFFn9FSBlUxma3ThI8wcCXkinwxdbDJkxIBWSBWzwaApwpEALw_wcB