CNN
—
A Broadway star has withdrawn from a musical about the Tiananmen Square protests weeks before its debut in the US – while he is on a concert tour in China.
Zachary Noah Piser, a Chinese-American actor, was supposed to play the leading role in Tiananmen: A New Musical when it debuts in Phoenix, Arizona, in October.
But the actor suddenly backed out of the show last Friday without offering any reasons.
“I have withdrawn from the musical Tiananmen,” Piser said in a brief signed statement on Instagram.
Piser was on tour performing hit Broadway songs in the Chinese metropolis of Shanghai when he made the announcement, according to his Instagram posts and Chinese state media reports.
In China, the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests, which swept Beijing and dozens of other Chinese cities in 1989 – and ended in a bloody military crackdown that cost the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of protesters – remain a major political taboo.
Discussions of the event are strictly censored and any attempt to commemorate it can lead to imprisonment. There has also been a more recent crackdown on Tiananmen remembrance in Hong Kong.
Piser did not respond to a request for comment.
His manager Dave Brenner told CNN “there was a creative difference” that caused the actor to back out of the Tiananmen musical.
Wu’er Kaixi, a student leader in the Tiananmen protests who has worked on the musical as a conceiver and creative consultant, expressed “regret” for Piser’s withdrawal.
“I believe…the reason for his withdrawal is not ‘creative difference,’ rather, simply fear. He was given pressure by Chinese authorities,” he told CNN.
“After 30 some years of censoring any information about Tiananmen, the Chinese government today is still extremely afraid of mentioning the atrocity they conducted.”
Featuring original rock songs as an homage to the protest anthems played on Tiananmen Square in 1989, the musical weaves a love story against the backdrop of the student-led demonstrations.
In a statement to CNN, the musical’s lead producer Jason Rose said it would be premiering as planned at The Phoenix Theatre Company from October 4 to 29.
“This story needs to be told and will be told. Censorship and pressure will not carry the day. Our celebration of bravery for lovers of freedom will,” Rose said.
Production companies often test out shows in regional cities like Phoenix before taking them to Broadway.
Piser’s announcement came a day after his role in the Tiananmen musical was reported by Playbill, an American magazine for theater fans.
“I am proud to bring this powerful story to life on stage. Having helped develop this piece since 2015 makes originating this role that much more meaningful,” Piser was quoted as saying.
Western companies and celebrities with business ties to China have increasingly needed to walk a political tightrope to avoid offending the Chinese government and nationalistic online commentators.
In recent years, a series of American celebrities – from basketball players to movie stars and directors – have faced nationalist backlash from China over comments perceived as critical of the Chinese government.
Piser was the first Asian-American actor to star in the lead role of the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen.
“My mother is from China and my father is Jewish. My background made some people think I’m only limited to Asian characters on stage. But I insisted on looking for roles that suit myself,” he told state-run news website shine.cn in Shanghai.
Since announcing his withdrawal, Piser has continued his tour alongside other Broadway stars with performances in Beijing, according to the state-run China Daily.
The tour is expected to include the cities of Nanjing, Chengdu and Shaanxi before wrapping up on September 10, Playbill reported.
The rehearsals for the Tiananmen musical start in Phoenix on September 5, according to Rose, the lead producer.
Under leader Xi Jinping, the ruling Communist Party has intensified its crackdown on commemorations of the Tiananmen massacre.
In Hong Kong, where an annual vigil that frequently attracted tens of thousands of people was banned after continuing for three decades, that crackdown has been felt especially starkly.
Wu’er Kaixi, the protest leader who now lives in exile in Taiwan, said the Tiananmen musical aims to celebrate the bravery of those trying to defend freedom and democracy.
“The Tiananmen movement is not only an unfinished cause for our generation of Chinese people, its pursuit of freedom and democracy is also an important reminder to the world,” he said.
“One of the themes of the musical is ‘fearlessness is a valid option,’ and it should especially be the case for an artist who lives in the free world.”
