The World of Suzie Wong (play)

The World of Suzie Wong
Written byPaul Osborn
Characters
  • Suzie Wong
  • Robert Lomax
Date premieredOctober 14, 1958 (1958-10-14)
Place premieredBroadhurst Theatre, Broadway district, Manhattan, New York County, New York City, New York State, United States of America
Original languageEnglish
Setting1950s Hong Kong

The World of Suzie Wong is a 1958-premiered stage play, adapted from the eponymous 1957 novel by Richard Mason, The World of Suzie Wong. The play was in turn adapted into the 1960 Hollywood British-American feature film The World of Suzie Wong. The novel was adapted into a play by playwright Paul Osborn.[1][2] It is one of the major elements of the Suzie Wong franchise.

Plot

The play dramatizes the story of the eponymous Richard Mason novel, The World of Suzie Wong, upon which it is based.[3][4]

History

The play opened for the 1958-1959 Broadway season in New York City on October 14, 1958.[1] It opened at the Broadhurst Theatre for the 1958–1959 season, and went on to the 54th Street Theatre for the 1959–1960 season. It closed its first Broadway run on January 2, 1960.[5] The Broadway run was directed by Joshua Logan, with sets designed by Jo Mielziner, and costumes designed by Dorothy Jeakins; and starring France Nuyen as Suzie Wong, and William Shatner as Robert Lomax.[6] During its first shows, the play was constantly improved from being a turgid drama to having a more comedic tone, evolving from a play that was panned to an award-winning play. At the time she was cast, France Nuyen spoke little English and learned her lines phonetically.[7] Mary Mon Toy also gained notability through her role as Minnie Ho in the Broadway production.[8]

The play opened for the 1959-1960 West End season in London.[4] The West End run starred Tsai Chin as Suzie Wong.[9] Peter Coe later signed on as director.[10]

Film adaptation

Main article: The World of Suzie Wong (film)

The play was adapted into an eponymous motion picture feature film, The World of Suzie Wong, that premiered in 1960.[2] France Nuyen, who played Suzie Wong on Broadway, would go on to be cast for the film adaptation, but fell ill during filming, and needed to be replaced by Nancy Kwan.[11] In lieu of William Shatner, the film cast an older male lead, William Holden, which changed the dynamic between the male and female leads.[12]

Awards and honours

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "The World of Suzie Wong". Playbill. September 1959.
  2. ^ a b "The World of Suzie Wong (1960)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  3. ^ "Richard Mason, 78, 'Suzie Wong' Author". New York Times. 19 October 1997.
  4. ^ a b Guy Haydon (4 July 2017). "Suzie Wong: 60 years after Hong Kong icon was created, we recount an interview with late author Richard Mason". South China Morning Post.
  5. ^ "The World of Suzie Wong". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  6. ^ "The World of Suzie Wong". Broadway World. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  7. ^ a b c Guy Haydon (11 July 2017). "Actor William Shatner on why The World of Suzie Wong was a tough act". South China Morning Post.
  8. ^ Niiya, Brian (2018-01-04). "Mary Mon Toy and the Nisei Entertainers Who Became "Chinese" During World War II - Densho: Japanese American Incarceration and Japanese Internment". Densho: Japanese American Incarceration and Japanese Internment. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  9. ^ Jill Tweedie (17 September 1981). "From Suzie Wong sex kitten to theatre pro". The Guardian.
  10. ^ Herbert Mitgang (3 June 1987). "Peter Coe, Theater Director; Staged 'Oliver' on Broadway". New York Times. p. B10.
  11. ^ Daniel Moss (12 November 2015). "The World of Suzie Wong, 55 years on: archives opened to revisit 1960s Hong Kong's main event". South China Morning Post.
  12. ^ "The World of Suzie Wong". Variety. 31 December 1959.