Photo Flash: David Henry Hwang, Ali Ewoldt & More Attend SLAC's Utah Premiere Of DANCE AND THE RAILROAD

On May 6th and 7th, the Salt Lake Acting Company (SLAC), Utah's leading destination for brave, contemporary theatre, presented the Utah premiere of David Henry Hwang's 1981 play, THE DANCE AND THE RAILROAD. The special event is being presented as part of statewide festivities organized by Utah's Transcontinental Railroad 150th Celebration Commission, also known as Spike 150, which was founded by the Utah State Legislature and Governor Gary Herbert.

THE DANCE AND THE RAILROAD follows Chinese American migrant laborers during an 1867 strike, in which the migrants are fighting for fair wages and working conditions. Set against this tumultuous backdrop, two men-Lone and Ma-bond over a mutual love for opera. Lone, who has trained all his life in the classic tradition of Chinese opera, continues to practice daily in the mountainside near the railroa! d work camp. He begins to impart his knowledge to the just-slightly-younger Ma in an atmosphere where east and west meet--both literally and figuratively.

Broadway veteran Billy Bustamante directed and choreographed the staged readings. Mr. Bustamante has played principal roles in the recent Broadway revivals of MISS SAIGON and THE KING AND I. Last year, he appeared in David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori's SOFT POWER at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre. While in Utah, Mr. Bustamante is also choreographing the sold-out semi-staged concert presentations of Jason Ma's GOLD MOUNTAIN at the Regent Street Black Box at The Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City (May 8, 9) and at the Ogden Musical Theatre at the historic Peery's Egyptian Theater (May 10,11).

The DANCE AND THE RAILROAD cast featured Whit K. Lee (Netflix's "Orange is the New Black," THE DOPPELGANGER at Steppenwolf) as Ma and ! Tobias C. Wong (HERE LIES LOVE at The Public, THE NEXT GENDER ASIAN at La Mama) as Lone.

?Utah Poet Laureate Paisley Rekdal read her multimedia performance poem, "West: A Translation." The work was commissioned for Spike 150 and according to Rekdal, looks "at the history of the transcontinental railroad through the lens of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act" and "uses sound and images to explore the complex cultural legacy of the railroad on America." Rekdal will also be performing "West: A Translation" for the Smithsonian, as well as the 1882 Foundation, in Washington, D.C. on May 10th and 11th as part of the national celebration of the transcontinental railroad's completion.

Following the May 6th performance, the Chinese Railroad Workers Descendants Association presented a panel discussion featuring David Henry Hwang, Paisley Rekdal, and Jason Ma (author of GOLD MOUNTAIN, also being presented during Spike 150 programming)! , Judge Michael Kwan. CRWDA President and Max Chang, Spike 150 Board Member.

For more information about Utah's Spike 150 celebration, visit spike150.org.

Photo Credit: Lia Chang

David Henry Hwang

Whit K. Lee, David Henry Hwang, Billy Bustamante and Tobias C. Wong

David Henry Hwang and Billy Bustamante

Whit K. Lee, David Henry Hwang, Billy Bustamante, Tobias C. Wong and Max Chang

Tobias C. Wong, Whit K. Lee and Billy Bustamante

Tobias C. Wong and Whit K. Lee

Whit K. Lee and Tobias C. Wong

Tobias C. Wong and Whit K. Lee

Tobias C. Wong and Whit K. Lee

Whit K. Lee

Tobias C. Wong and Whit K. Lee

Whit K. Lee and Tobias C. Wong

Whit K. Lee

Tobias C. Wong

Whit K. Lee

Tobias C. Wong and Whit K. Lee

Tobias C. Wong and Whit K. Lee

Tobias C. Wong, David Henry Hwang and Whit K. Lee

Billy Bustamante, David Henry Hwang and Tobias C. Wong

Billy Bustamante, Tobias C. Wong

Tobias C. Wong, Whit K. Lee and Billy Bustamante

Utah Poet Laureate Paisley Rekdal, David Henry Hwang, Jason Ma

Tony Award winning playwright David Henry Hwang and GOLD MOUNTAIN creator Jason Ma

Paisley Rekdal

David Henry Hwang, Jason Ma

Paisley Rekdal, David Henry Hwang, Jason Ma, Michael Kwan

Max Chang, Paisley Rekdal, Ali Ewoldt, Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes, David Henry Hwang

Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes and Ali Ewoldt

Billy Bustamante, David Henry Hwang and Daniel May

Max Chang, Spike 150 Board of Director, Jill Remington Love, director of Utah Department of Heritage Arts, Chris Robinson, Spike 150 Board of Director, Paisley Rekdal, Utah Poet Laureate, David Henry Hwang, Karen Kwan, Utah State Representative, Judge Michael Kwan, President, Chinese Railroad Workers Descendants Association

Jason Ma, Jonny Lee, Jr., Billy Bustamante, Daniel May

Max Chang, Spike 150 Board of Director, Richard Chang and Chongren Fan

June Jee, Tony Jee and Max Chang, Spike 150 Board of Director

David Henry Hwang, Lia Chang, Jason Ma. Photo by June Jee

Richard Chang, Chongren Fan, Eric Elizaga, Viet Vo and Jason Ma

Cynthia Fleming, David Henry Hwang

Billy Bustamante, David Henry Hwang, Whit K. Lee, Tobias C. Wong

Richard Chang, David Henry Hwang and Jason Ma

The Chinese Railroad Workers Descendants Association: Yu Li Lin, Judge Michael Kwan, Margaret Yee

Billy Bustamante, David Henry Hwang, Whit K. Lee, Margaret Yee, Tobias C. Wong