The comedy-drama “The Hot Wing King” premiered off-Broadway in 2020. As reported, the play “hasn’t cooled down since.” ‘The Hot Wing King’ “won acclaim from audiences and critics, and went on to win the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.” Now, Pulitzer Prize winner Katori Hall brings ‘The Hot Wing King’ to Atlanta. To be presented in the Alliance Theatre, the play will be directed for the first time by its own writer.
Hall describes as “amazing” that the play is based on her brother and his partner. In a sense, Hall avers, “I have kind of been writing ‘The Hot Wing King’ all my life, in that I have been able to witness his struggle, witness the cultivation of their love and their relationship.”
Her brother reacted “tearfully” upon learning ‘The Hot Wing King’ will be presented in Atlanta. He describes his sentiments with poignancy. “You know, it’s a struggle for Black folks, especially queer Black folks to see themselves, whether it’s on the stage or on the screen. And to be given this opportunity to literally see a version of yourself, it was like a mirror. And it’s beautiful to be reflected in the mirror that is American theater.”
Hall shares the history of her Atlanta opportunity. “We got the call from the Alliance, ‘Oh, we want to do ’The Hot Wing King.’ And I was just like, ‘What about me … as director?’” Hall laughs. “And they were like, ‘Wait a minute, that might be a really good idea!’”
As reported by Fox 5 Atlanta, “Hall has become one of the most important voices in the American theater, thanks to works like “The Mountaintop” and her Tony-nominated book for “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.” A person of seemingly boundless talent, Hall “also created the hit Starz series “P-Valley.” See embedded video featuring writer-director Katori Hall on her Tina Turner musical.
But, says Hall, “The Hot Wing King” is an especially personal project. Performances begin Friday and run through March 5 on the Coca-Cola Stage at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre.
