Celebrate Chinese New Year with David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish thru Jan. 29

Tony Award-winning and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly) is back on Broadway with CHINGLISH, a hilarious and sexy new comedy currently playing at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street) in New York.

Johnny Wu, Christine Lin, David Henry Hwang, Jennifer Lim, Angela Lin and Larry Lei Zhang at Ruby Foo's Dim Sum Sushi Palace in New York on January 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Yesterday, I met up with David and his cast members Jennifer Lim, Angela Lin, Christine Lin, Johnny Wu and Larry Lei Zhang at Ruby Foo’s Dim Sum Sushi Palace, where they were having a pre-show Year of the Dragon dinner.

Johnny Wu, Christine Lin, David Henry Hwang, Angela Lin, Jennifer Lim and Larry Lei Zhang at Ruby Foo's Dim Sum Sushi Palace in New York on January 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

CHINGLISH is featuring special audience post-show talkbacks on January 24th, 25th and 26th. After these evening shows, the cast will come out to answer audience questions. The mostly bi-lingual and multi-cultural cast will also be answering questions in Mandarin and maybe give a lesson or two. After the post-show talkbacks, head to the front of the orchestra and you’ll have the opportunity to meet the cast members.

An ad in the New York Times for David Henry Hwang's Chinglish, currently playing at the Longacre Theatre through January 29, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

The CHINGLISH cast features Jennifer Lim, Gary Wilmes, Angela Lin, Christine Lin, Stephen Pucci, Johnny Wu and Larry Lei Zhang. The play is directed by Leigh Silverman, who directed Lisa Kron’s Well on Broadway and won a 2011 OBIE for directing both Go Back To Where You Are and In The Wake, Chinglish had its world premiere this summer at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. In November, the production received two Jeff Awards – for Hwang (New Work-Play) and scenic designer David Korins (Scenic Design-Large), at the 43rd Annual Jeff Awards held at Drury Lane Oakbrook in Chicago.

The cast of David Henry Hwang's Chinglish at the Longacre Theatre during the opening night curtain call on October 27, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

CHINGLISH is Hwang’s new comedy about the misadventures of miscommunication. It is the story of an American businessman desperate to launch a new enterprise in China. There are only three things standing in his way: He can’t speak the language. He can’t learn the customs. And he’s falling in love with the one woman he absolutely can’t have.

The cast of Chinglish-Stephen Pucci, Angela Lin, Larry Lei Zhang, Jennifer Lim, Gary Wilmes, Christine Lin and Johnny Wu at their opening party at Brasserie 8 1/2 in New York on October 27, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

CHINGLISH is produced by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Jay & Cindy Gutterman/Cathy Chernoff, Heni Koenigsberg/Lily Fan, Joe & Matt Deitch, Dasha Epstein, Ronald & Marc Frankel, Barry & Carole Kaye, Mary Lu Roffe, The Broadway Consortium, Ken Davenport, Filerman Bensinger, Herbert Goldsmith, Jam Theatricals, Olympus Theatricals, Playful Productions, David & Barbara Stoller, Roy Gottlieb, Mary Casey, Hunter Arnold in association with the Goodman Theatre.

Tickets are available on Telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200.

Ruby Foo's Dim Sum Sushi Palace Photo by Lia Chang

Ruby Foo's Dim Sum Sushi Palace Photo by Lia Chang

Johnny Wu, Christine Lin, David Henry Hwang, Jennifer Lim and Angela Lin at Ruby Foo's Dim Sum Sushi Palace in New York on January 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Johnny Wu, Christine Lin, David Henry Hwang, Jennifer Lim and Angela Lin at Ruby Foo's Dim Sum Sushi Palace in New York on January 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Christine Lin, Jennifer Lim and Angela Lin. Photo by Lia Chang

Chinglish group hug with Christine Lin, David Henry Hwang, Jennifer Lim and Angela Lin at Ruby Foo's Dim Sum Sushi Palace in New York on January 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Johnny Wu, David Henry Hwang and Larry Lei Zhang at Ruby Foo's Dim Sum Sushi Palace in New York on January 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

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Lia Chang and David Henry Hwang at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York on January 11, 2012. Hwang received the 2011 Asia Society Cultural Achievement Award at the Asia Society Gala Benefit. (Rachel Cooper)

Lia Chang is an actor, performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multimedia journalist.