The Marsha Sheiness adaptation of the John Colton play began performances April 23 and will run through May 17 under the direction of Robert Kalfin (Happy End, Yentl).
Joining Chen are Broadway veteran Larry Pine (Angels in America, Bus Stop, Joe Egg) as Sir Guy Charteris, as well as Hyosun Choi, Helen Coxe, John Fitzgibbon, Nadia Gan, Allen Lewis Rickman, Jacey Powers, Seth Powers and Nick Sakai.
In Colton's play, Mother Goddam is a Manchu princess who was sold into slavery and has risen to power as the proprietress of a successful Shanghai brothel catering to society's elite. The work culminates in a dinner party thrown by Mother Goddam that ensnares more than one guest and reveals the life-changing secrets of all at her table.
Designing the production are Michael Anania (set design), Gail Cooper Hecht (costume design), Margaret Pine (sound design/composer) and Paul Hufson (lighting designer).
Tickets for The Shanghai Gesture, priced $52 and $67, are available by phoning (212) 239-6200 or by visiting Telecharge.com. The Julia Miles Theatre is located at 424 West 55th Street in Manhattan.