The Orphan of Zhao To Open in SF

[Frankly Rich]

Gay actor and Tony Award winner (M. Butterfly) B.D. Wong will star in The Orphan of Zhao, opening next week at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater.

B.D. Wong

http://playbill.com/images/photo/1/D/1D9F051354B64463809809BB73073F2D.jpg

 

Playbill.com reports: James Fenton's adaptation of the Chinese legend will continue through June 29 at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater.

 

Directed by Carey Perloff, the cast includes Marie-France Arcilla (Stuck Elevator, Working), Stan Egi (Golden Child), Philip Estrera (A Christmas Carol), Nick Gabriel (Napoli!), Cindy Im (Stuck Elevator, 4000 Miles), Orville Mendoza (Peter and the Starcatcher, Miss Saigon), Paolo Montalban (Pacific Overtures, The King and I), Brian Rivera (Yellowjackets, Macbeth), Sab Shimono (Pacific Overtures, Mame), Julyana Soelistyo (Golden Child), Daisuke Tsuji (King Lear, Dralion) and Tony winner Wong (M. Butterfly, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit").

 

Here's how the production is billed: "In the aftermath of a political coup, a country doctor is forced to sacrifice his own son in order to save the last heir of a noble and massacred clan. Often described as the Chinese Hamlet, this enduring tale was the first Chinese play to be translated in the West nearly 300 years ago and has inspired countless operas, plays, and movies."

 

Read more: http://playbill.com/news/article/191876-US-Premiere-of-The-Orphan-of-Zhao-Starring-Tony-Winner-BD-Wong-Begins-ACT-Run

[Frankly Rich]

I followed Bradd Wong's career from his role in the touring company of La Cage aux Folles, where he played several minor roles with gusto. He changed his name to B.D. Wong to make the audience guess his gender in M. Butterfly and has stuck with it since. He's a San Francisco native, so he's back home for this one. Unlikely though that I will get to see it, even though I will be in SF that weekend..

[Frankly Rich]

BD Wong profiled in his hometown newspaper: http://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/BD-Wong-returns-to-his-hometown-for-Orphan-of-5526105.php?cmpid=hp-hc-entertainment

[Frankly Rich]

Well, just goes to show that you never know. I did get a ticket to see this show next weekend. I have to say that I hated the last show (Herringbone)I saw Wong in, so surely I will like this one. The last show isn't even listed on his Wikipedia page. At least I know he won't need to pee during the show as he listed this in his pre-show prep:

 

"Preparation before a show: shower, pee, brush teeth, electrolyte water, sit-ups, pee, incessant texting: “I’m turning the phone off now…” Pee. "

[+ WilliamM]

I was almost certain that I saw B.D. Wong in a revival of Sondheim's "Pacific Overtures." But, the production Wong was in had a short run in New York, according to Wikipedia. Guess it was just "M. Butterful" and TV. Strange, Sondheim revivals usually last longer, wonder what happened?

[Frankly Rich]

M. Butterfly!

 

I did not see Pacific Overtures, but I think you are right in that the run wasn't too long. I thought M. Butterfly was great and saw it 4 times- the last with Alec Mapa. A friend of mine with AIDS took me, and he slept through the entire show. It was sad, but he said he was happy to have been able to get to the theater one more time.

[+ quoththeraven]

Frankly Rich, thanks for posting, especially the link to the sfgate interview. I am a big fan of B.D. Wong's, but have yet to see him perform live. I mostly know him because of L&O: SVU, which I stopped watching for awhile when he left, and Awake, which I wish had lasted longer. I'd love to see this (for other reasons as well, as I'm interested in Asian culture), but alas am on the other coast.

 

I hope you enjoy the play. Let us know what you think of it.

[Frankly Rich]

The San Francisco Chronicle review of The Orphan of Zhao says that the passion of the play is displayed more than felt,as the audience is kept a critical distance from the emotion of the eventful story. The tale stretches throughout millennia of Chinese history, and to make it accessible to a western audience, it seemed necessary to at turns convert it to a pageant in order to convey the lengthy story. I found it interesting, with a good set and good performances, albeit one singer needed lots more practice. B.D. Wong is listed as being featured in the play,and that is the case, he is not the star. He plays a doctor who protects the infant heir to the throne at the risk of his own family, an act odd to find very noble. Wong also plays over his age, so it's a bit hard to see the person one has followed on the stage for some 30 years. I'm glad I went as I found the show a bit different, and entertaining. It's just not something that stays on the mind