Exciting 1979!

Chapter 500 Butterfly Lord's Happy Yuan Yuan

"Hi, Mr. Miller!"

"Mr. Why, congratulations, I saw the news."

In Times Square, Wei Ming met Arthur Miller, the theater master he had met during his last visit to the United States.

The Hugo Award results are arguably the most famous event in the cultural world recently, and New York is the center of American literature and publishing, so it's hard for Arthur Miller not to know about it.

Wei Ming introduced Gong Xue to the other party, and Miller was surprised to find that he had also heard of her: "I know two of the most famous actresses in China. I have met one of them at the Yenching People's Art Theatre. I did not expect to meet the other one today. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Upon hearing him mention Zhu Lin, Gong Xue smiled and said, "Zhu Lin and I are also very good friends."

Miller: "But your English is better than hers."

In fact, Zhu Lin's English is already quite good for the Beijing People's Art Theatre. When Ying Ruocheng is not around, he can still manage to be a temporary translator for Arthur Miller. However, his talent in this area is indeed not as good as Gong Xue's.

Today, Wei Ming met with Miller, hoping that this New York resident would show them the cultural landscape of Broadway.

Broadway is a north-south thoroughfare in Manhattan, New York City, stretching 25 kilometers. The Broadway Theater District, centered around Times Square, covers the area from West 41st Street to 53rd Street. As early as the beginning of the 19th century, this area was already the center of the American theatrical arts.

Miller pointed to Times Square and said, "Most of the theaters on Broadway aren't on Broadway itself, but rather distributed around this area. Would you like to see a play or a musical?"

Wei Ming asked, "What's the most popular TV show recently?"

"That must be from Cats in London's West End."

Upon hearing the familiar names, Wei Ming asked, "Is it the original cast?"

“Of course not. The box office is still booming in London, and Sarah Brightman is now a world-renowned singer who rarely performs on stage anymore. Webber simply licensed the rights to a Broadway company for a re-arrangement that is more suited to American tastes,” Miller said.

Last year, the original cast of "Cats" came to Broadway to perform and it was a huge success. So they left the show on Broadway and a year later, it is still the most popular show.

I wonder how far along Webber's production of The Lion King is.

"Then let's watch 'Cats'. I'll see what the American version is like."

Broadway is divided into Inner Broadway and Off-Broadway. The former is located in the core area and features well-tested and mature commercial productions, while the latter mainly features experimental works.

Arthur Miller invited Wei Ming and his companion to the Winter Garden Theatre, located at 1634 Broadway. This theatre, which is over a hundred years old, is beautiful both inside and out.

Given Arthur Miller's status in the theater world, he always received VIP tickets.

As expected, "Cats" was still sold out and its popularity remained high. After all, it just won seven Tony Awards this year, including Best Musical, Best Director, Best Book, and Best Original Score. In addition, it also won major awards at the Grammy and Olivier Awards, so it is not surprising that it is so popular with the audience.

It has even become a tourist attraction in New York, with many musical theater enthusiasts from out of town and even abroad flying to New York specifically for this show.

Moreover, after they took their seats but before the event started, some people came over to greet Miller, some of whom were also people in this circle. Miller took the opportunity to introduce Mr. Why.

One of them, Wei Ming, paid particular attention to because he had a Chinese face, and Wei Ming had met him in a previous life.

His name is David Henry Hwang, he is 26 years old, very young, but he has already made a name for himself in the Broadway theater world. His “Chinese American Trilogy”, “New Immigrants”, “Dance and Railroad”, and “Family Loyalty”, are excellent artistic vehicles for understanding this group.

However, his most famous work, which also brought him the most honors, was "M. Butterfly" a few years later, the one starring John Lone. It was a stage play that was later adapted into a film.

This play also earned David Henry Hwang the Tony Award, the highest honor in American theater.

Even though he knew the story was based on true events, Wei Ming still thought it was far-fetched until he saw Happy Yuanyuan on Douyin.

Wei Ming met Huang Zhelun in his previous life at his aunt Wei Lingling's 60th birthday party. They were alumni of Stanford University, the same age and classmate. Moreover, because his great-aunt and Huang Zhelun's father were friends and business partners, the two families had intended to match the two together. Although it did not work out in the end, the two remained good friends.

Miller spoke at length when introducing Huang Zhelun to Wei Ming, clearly having high hopes for the young man.

Wei Ming then switched to Chinese with him: "Can we communicate in Chinese?"

“Of course.” Although David Henry Hwang was born and raised in the United States, he received a very good family education, and Chinese was a required subject for him.

"I heard you graduated from Stanford University?"

"Yes, and then I went on to study at Yale's School of Drama." Both my undergraduate and master's degrees were from top-tier American universities.

Wei Ming said, "What a coincidence, my aunt is also a Stanford student, with a double degree in law and management."

As soon as he mentioned this, a name immediately popped into Huang Zhelun's mind: "Wei Lingling?"

Wei Ming feigned surprise and asked, "You know my aunt?"

"Of course, we are good friends!" Huang Zhelun, who had just shaken hands with Wei Ming, shook hands with Wei Ming again, his smile noticeably more sincere.

David Henry Hwang's father was a banker who founded the first Chinese-owned bank in the United States—the Far Eastern National Bank. In fact, his great-aunt's family bank learned its business model by learning from his father's bank.

After Huang Zhelun entered the financial industry, his father especially hoped that he would study law. American lawyers were too damn good. After his son insisted on pursuing a creative path, he learned that the old lady of the Shi family had a niece who studied law at Stanford and was both talented and beautiful. He immediately had the idea of ​​matchmaking and hit it off with Wei Lindi.

Huang Zhelun wanted to ask Wei Ming about Wei Lingling's recent situation, but his girlfriend reminded him, "The performance has started."

Hwang Zhelun had no choice but to give up and talk about it after the event ended.

The American version of "Cats" is indeed significantly different from the British version. First of all, it lacks the authentic London accent, which feels like something is missing. However, it is more stylish in its performance, and the actors are more beautiful. Several of the female cats are exactly Wei Ming's type.

Broadway is the world's best place for the commercialization of theater. People all over the world who work in this industry regard it as a place to realize their dreams. The actors who can play the leading roles in blockbuster works here are all excellent in both acting skills and appearance.

I had heard "Memory," the soul song of "Cats," on tape before, but today was the first time I heard it live, and the shock was truly captivating.

The design of this theater space must be quite ingenious; the sound feels three-dimensional, with the actors in front, but the sound coming from all directions.

After the performance, all the actors went on stage to take their bows, and the whole audience applauded. The lead actor saw Arthur Miller in the front row and specifically mentioned him, thanking him for coming.

Miller had no choice but to stand up and bow to the audience behind him, which earned him another round of enthusiastic applause. This guy's influence on Broadway was indeed very strong.

The charm of live performances lies in their "difference." This is different from what Wei Ming saw in England last time. I'm sure he'll still find something different and surprising when he comes to New York again. So, classic dramas that don't rely on convoluted plots can always be fresh and new.

Wei Ming and Miller then arranged to have dinner together, and before the event ended, he specifically told Huang Zhelun that they could have dinner together sometime.

David Henry Hwang immediately said, "How about tomorrow? There's a screenwriting salon tomorrow night. Want to come and join us?"

Are they all playwrights like you?

"No, there's also the screenwriter, and maybe even the actors."

"Okay, I'm very interested."

Huang Zhelun left a note for Wei Ming, and Wei Ming also wrote down the phone number of his hotel for him.

During dinner, Arthur Miller discussed writing with Wei Ming: "I've read some of your somewhat thrilling coming-of-age novels, but that's probably not your true talent. As far as I know, you've won the highest literary award in China."

Wei Ming shrugged: "But this is America after all, and English is not my native language. I am still learning, and I will be studying English literature in the United States with my sister."

Upon hearing that Wei Ming was going to study abroad, Miller was pleasantly surprised: "Have you ever thought about writing a script for Broadway? Directly in English!"

Miller himself owns a related company. For such a prominent figure to offer himself as a tour guide, besides a mutual appreciation in literature and a fondness for China, he must also be hoping to profit. After all, he's past his creative peak and can no longer produce commercially successful works, so discovering new talent is a way to maintain his influence on Broadway. Wei Ming smiled slightly: "That's not impossible. If I really do write a play script, I'll definitely seek your collaboration first."

Arthur Miller smiled broadly: "I hope to see you make a name for yourself on Broadway. After you enroll, live your life well and observe it carefully. You're sure to gain something from it."

They raised their glasses and clinked them together.

~
“So you really want to write a musical? I feel like that’s much harder than writing a novel,” Gong Xue said to Wei Ming in the bathtub after they returned to the hotel. “The songs are very nice, but I can’t understand most of them.”

Wei Ming sat opposite her: "I can even write popular songs that are all the rage in America, so a mere musical is nothing to be afraid of. If you write this kind of thing well, you can make money."

If an IP effect can be formed, it can be remade into a movie. For example, Bob Fox's "Chicago" was successfully remade into an Oscar-winning film and became a classic in film history.

Moreover, Broadway plays are of a higher standard than the youth books Wei Ming is currently writing.

This is the same in both China and the US: the more niche something is, the harder it is to obtain, the higher its prestige. Although Broadway's overall revenue and global influence are not as good as Hollywood's, and the gap in influence is widening, it is still very arrogant in front of Hollywood.

The next day, Wei Ming took Xue Jie for a walk and photos in Central Park during the day, and they arrived at the agreed place in the evening.

This time, the person accompanying Hwang Zhelun was not his girlfriend, but a handsome man.

"Mr. Why, let me introduce you. This is my good friend John Lone. He's an actor and a director. He starred in my first script, and he starred in and directed my second." David Henry Hwang put his arm around John Lone's shoulder, clearly indicating they were good friends.

"Talent!"

Wei Ming shook hands with Zun Long, whose features were deep and refined. He was indeed handsome, and even when he met Wei Ming, he was not inferior.

However, Gong Xue felt that Xiao Wei still won, at least Xiao Wei was taller.

Wei Ming is at least 10 centimeters taller than John Lone, which allows him to interact with foreigners without having to look up at them, making him appear more charismatic.

Since all four of them were of Chinese descent, John Lone simply communicated with Wei Ming in Chinese, which revealed his accent.

"Is Mr. John Lone from Hong Kong?"

"Yes, I grew up in Hong Kong and first studied opera. After coming to the United States, I studied drama in Los Angeles."

"Studied opera?" Wei Ming asked again, feigning ignorance. "I wonder which master you studied under?"

“My master’s name is Pink Chrysanthemum,” Zunlong said, speaking of his master with great respect.

"So you're a student of Teacher Fen Juhua, my apologies. I recently wrote a movie script, and the female lead is Josephine Siao, you know her, right?"

"Ah, that's my senior sister!" Zunlong exclaimed in surprise.

As they walked and talked, Wei Ming asked, "What about Lin Zhengying?"

“He’s my junior, we’re in the same department.” John Lone was even happier to hear the names of his childhood friends.

Besides Lam Ching-ying, John Lone's fellow apprentices included Law Kar-ying, Wai Tin-chi, Tung Wai, Chung Fat, and Meng Hoi, among others. They were both in front of and behind the camera, making them a veritable female version of Yu Zhan-yuan.

Upon entering the salon venue, one could see people of all races, mostly white, with one middle-aged black woman among them.

As the initiator, Huang Zhelun first solemnly introduced Mr. Why Wei Ming and Ms. Gong Xue from mainland China.

"Many people have seen Mr. Why's works, and Ms. Gong Xue is also one of the top film actresses in China, and can be regarded as China's Audrey Hepburn."

Some people familiar with politics were initially taken aback, after all, Huang Zhelun's father was from Taiwan, while Wei Ming and the other man were from mainland China, but they quickly began to applaud and welcome them, as Mr. Why is currently very popular.

First, David Bowie's "Right Here Waiting" was very popular, and second, there was the influence of the Hugo Award and the Zero Law of Robotics.

One of the screenwriters immediately approached Wei Ming and expressed his love for District 9.

"The script I recently wrote is a science fiction piece, and I hope to receive your feedback."

Although the other party was older, he did not act arrogantly in front of Wei Ming, who had won the Hugo Award.
Wei Ming asked him to explain.

David Sapository said, "This is based on my own novel, about a group of elderly people in Florida who were living a meaningless life in a nursing home, but they unexpectedly encountered alien visitors and gained the ability to reverse aging..."

"...In the end, these elderly people left Earth with the aliens, and their relatives covered up their disappearance with a fake funeral."

Wei Ming couldn't help but laugh when he heard it. It was so familiar, so very familiar. This flavor was just like Wesley's, and it even had a feeling of an older version of "E.T."

But Wei Ming did not underestimate this somewhat balding man. He said solemnly, "David, you may just have chosen the wrong film company. Why don't you sell this script to me?"

"you?"

"Yes, I also own a film company in the United States."

"what!"

The other screenwriters who had just overheard their conversation, including David Henry Hwang, were all very surprised.

Hwang Zhelun thought Wei Ming was visiting the United States for the first time, but it turned out that he actually owned a film company in the US.

"The name is New Line. Although it is small, small companies know how to cherish things more. I think this story will definitely be valued more at New Line than at other large companies."

David Saposi, a newcomer to the scene, didn't even ask about the price. He excitedly grabbed Wei Ming's hand and said just two words: "I'm willing!"

Wei Ming wasn't just offering help randomly; he recognized the script as referring to a blockbuster American film, Ron Howard's breakthrough film, "Cocoon," a low-budget sci-fi comedy. Howard's daughter was the lead actress in "Jurassic World."

Although the script still needs some polishing, it is definitely worth the investment.

Regarding the details of the cooperation, Wei Ming told David Sapository, "Because I'm going back to my country soon, I'll introduce you to Robert Shaye, the general manager of New Line."

"Did they film that new storyline from Evil Dead?" a curly-haired guy asked quietly.

Wei Ming: "That's right, that's the one."

Before Nightmare on Elm Street, Evil Dead was almost New Line Cinema's most famous work.

David Sapository nodded repeatedly, and David Henry Hwang was very pleased, suggesting that everyone raise a glass in celebration.

He's just a relatively new screenwriter who's only been in the industry for a few years, and most of the people here today are even less experienced than him. He never expected to actually secure a collaboration, which made him feel incredibly proud.

The key point is that Wei Ming's influence also exceeded his expectations. Have mainland writers actually extended their reach to the United States?
But then I thought about it again. He was Wei Lingling's nephew, so he must be related to the old lady of the Shi family.

My father told me that the old lady had recently acquired a movie theater chain. Thinking about it, it's not surprising that Wei Ming bought a movie company. Maybe it was a deliberate move to avoid the Paramount Decree.

After everyone had chatted with Wei Ming, Huang Zhelun asked Wei Ming about Wei Lingling's recent situation.

"I heard that the Transformers toy that's really popular in the US lately is related to her. Is that true?"

"Yes, Lanning, the company that produces Transformers, is hers. We also co-founded a company, which was the one that acquired New Line Cinema."

Hwang Zhelun understood: the real mastermind behind the new line was Wei Lingling!
(End of this chapter)