Bruce Lee martial arts musical planned

Tony-winning Chinese-American playwright David Henry Hwang is planning to stage a musical based on the life of late martial arts star Bruce Lee, a newspaper reported today.

Hwang said the idea had been approved by Lee’s family and he aimed to stage the show in 2008, the South China Morning Post reported.

“Bruce Lee is honoured around the world because he represents an image of someone who’s heroic, righteous and strong,” Hwang said.

“There has been a complete shift from the old stereotypes of China, and Bruce Lee contributed to that.”

Hong Kong native Lee died of an edema, or swelling of the brain, aged 32 in 1973.

Lee is known for films in which he portrayed characters that defended the Chinese and working class from oppressors, notably Enter the Dragon.

Hwang is best known for his play M. Butterfly, about the affair between a Chinese transvestite and a French diplomat, which was remade into a Hollywood film starring John Lone and Jeremy Irons.

The play won a Tony for best play.

The playwright also said he had recently visited Shanghai and Beijing and was exploring the possibility of staging his plays there.