Revised ‘Flower Drum Song’ musical echoes challenges faced by immigrants

LOS ANGELES – “I believe that this ‘Flower Drum Song’ resonates even more powerfully at a time when a vocal segment of the American populace no longer sees this country as a nation of immigrants, and when the federal government has declared war on anyone who wasn’t born here or doesn’t fit the agenda of white supremacy.”

David Henry Hwang, described by The New York Times as the greatest Asian American dramatist in an article, answered my question on how “Flower Drum Song,” which he revised again for 2026, is relevant in these times when the current administration is implementing aggressive enforcement measures that have created a hostile environment for immigrants, including the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).

David Henry Hwang, greatest Asian American dramatist. CONTRIBUTED

‘Flower Drum Song’ beginnings

In 2001, David first revised the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, which tackles assimilation, immigration and the Asian American identity, in 1950s San Francisco, for a revival at the Mark Taper Forum that went on to Broadway.

“Flower Drum Song,” which began life as a 1957 novel by C.Y. Lee, was adapted by Rodgers and Hammerstein into a Broadway musical in 1958, followed by a 1961 film version that starred Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta, Benson Fong and Patrick Adiarte, a pioneering Filipino actor and dancer in Hollywood (he died last year at 82).

You may like: Fil-Am actor Patrick Adiarte, ‘King and I,’ ‘M*A*S*H’ star, dies at 82

Pioneering Fil-Am actor Patrick Adiarte, Cherylene Lee and Virgina Ann Lee in the film version of ‘Flower Drum Song.’ CONTRIBUTED

David, Tony Award winner for Best Play in 1988 for “M. Butterfly” and three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama, continued in our email interview, “As opposed to 2001, our show’s celebration of immigration can no longer be taken for granted and therefore makes a more poignant and powerful story.”

Inspiration behind revised ‘Flower Drum Song’

On what inspired him to revise “Flower Drum Song” again for this new staging by the East West Players (EWP), the oldest and longest-running Asian American theater company in the United States, David said, “When Lily Tung Crystal and Annie Wang (artistic director and associate artistic director, respectively) asked what show of mine I wanted to be part of EWP’s 60th anniversary season, I quickly suggested ‘Flower Drum Song.’ For many reasons, both beloved and controversial, the musical has always held a special place in the hearts of AAPI audiences.

“I looked over my 2001 revival version and felt, similar to the original 1958 script, that my own version had grown a little rusty and outdated in the intervening quarter-century. I believed I could do better, and the notion of reviving the only musical in Broadway history until 2015 to center Asians as Americans, in our nation’s first and oldest AAPI theater, struck me as a perfect fit.”

David has a close association with EWP, which named its mainstage the David Henry Hwang Theater to honor him and his late parents. Henry Yuan Hwang and Dorothy Hwang, who were among the theater company’s big supporters, were immigrants.

Henry founded the Far East National Bank while Dorothy, who was born in China but raised in the Philippines, was a pianist and music educator. Dorothy’s family founded the Yutivo Corporation, which began in Binondo and became a major hardware firm.

Cultural authenticity

As to how this version of “Flower Drum Song” is different from the 2001 revival, David said, “Similar to my revisions for the 2024 Broadway revival of my play ‘Yellow Face,’ I am basically retaining the premise and structure of my 2001 version, while also striving for greater cultural authenticity and revising some of the jokes and dialogue that felt I had been pandering to a Broadway audience, or which just haven’t aged well!

“For instance, we’ve done a lot of work on the character of ‘Harvard,’ as a gay character who’s discovering some of the elements of early queer culture in the 1960s.”

David, who grew up in the San Gabriel Valley, shared what he remembers most about watching the film version of “Flower Drum Song” for the first time. “I felt the same as a lot of AAPIs – proud and blown away by the talent of the Asian American performers, while uncomfortable and embarrassed by some of the cringey aspects of the story and dialogue.”

Songs from the 2001 revival

But the songs remain in the musical, which will be staged this time at the Aratani Theatre. “All the songs are the same as in the 2001 revival,” David stressed. “We have neither added nor removed any.”

“That’s a tough question,” the three-time OBIE Award winner replied when asked which song in “Flower Drum Song” resonates with him the most. “I have to say that I am particularly gratified by how ‘Fan Tan Fannie,’ which was never regarded as a great song, has been put on steroids and transformed into a sexy, exciting number, in both the 2001 and our present versions.”

Towards more authentic depictions of Asian Americans in this 2026 production, David pointed out, “As one example, we are much more specific now about why Mei-Li flees China to enter the US as a refugee, with a backstory which reflects the actual history of how the Cultural Revolution began to target theater artists.”

Casting

The cast of the new EWP production excites him. “‘Flower Drum Song’ has always been groundbreaking in terms of casting,” cited David, who teaches playwriting at Columbia University School of the Arts. “Even in 1958, Rodgers and Hammerstein brought to Broadway a mostly-Asian cast, which had never happened before. Our 2001 version was all-Asian, as of course, is this 2026 production.

“Back in 2001, I was incredibly moved by how the show brought together many generations of AAPI artists – from the support we received from the original cast members, to my generation, to the young actors making their Broadway debuts. Now in 2026, we are enlarging that circle even further, including some cast members for whom this is their first professional job!” Several Fil-Am actors are in the ensemble and understudy cast.

Lea Salonga as Mei-Li

Lea Salonga memorably played Mei-Li in the 2001 revival. EWP’s staging found its Mei-Li in Grace Yoo, whose credits include “Hadestown,” “Into the Woods,” “Allegiance” and “Mamma Mia!”

“Lea elevates any stage on which she appears,” David said about the Philippines’ Tony Award winner for “Miss Saigon.” “As Mei-Li, she brought musical perfection, deep and soulful acting, and radiant star power. Grace is an actor I first worked with when she played Hillary Clinton in the 2024 production of my musical ‘Soft Power’ at Signature Theatre in the Washington D.C. area.

“I was knocked out by the brilliance of her acting and vocal chops. I’m so excited that Grace is taking on a very different role here, and even from the early rehearsals I’ve attended, I was thrilled with the nuance, depth, and honesty she’s bringing to this character.”

“I hope audiences fully embrace a classic American ‘golden age’ musical and feel that it has been remade with love and authenticity,” David said when I asked what he hopes younger generations, especially those watching ‘Flower Drum Song’ for the first time, will enjoy and appreciate. “I hope they laugh and have fun and see a little of themselves onstage.”

Music Director Marc Macalintal

For Marc Macalintal, just listening to David, 68, at read-throughs and rehearsals has been enriching. Remarkably, “Flower Drum Song” is Marc’s 17th show with EWP as a music director. Before that, he acted in three EWP plays.

Born and raised in Los Angeles to immigrants from Lobo, Batangas and Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, Marc holds a music degree from California State University, Northridge. Keeping a low profile but earning accolades, Marc, 52, has won various awards for his work in EWP productions.

“For ‘Flower Drum Song,’ I find it most exciting just listening to David’s input when we have discussions that sprout up from reading through the scenes,” Marc said in our email interview. “I also love hearing his stories about the early days of EWP and of him playing in a band.

“There was one other time when I got to work with David. It was for a panel discussion at East West Players on Richard Rodgers and Asia. Jennifer Paz and Jose Llana sang songs from different R and H shows, and I got to music direct.”

He watched the Mark Taper Forum staging of “Flower Drum Song” when Jennifer took over as Mei-Li. “Lea had just left the company, and I got to watch Jennifer Paz play Mei-Li along with Jose Llana as Wang Ta,” Marc recalled. “I was just in awe seeing an entire cast of Asians on stage in this intimate space. ‘Fan Tan Fannie’ was just spectacular!”

Rehearsals with all-Asian cast

Now, he is the music director of EWP’s revival. “This is the first time that East West Players has ever done a Rodgers and Hammerstein show,” he pointed out. “I’m really excited about that! This music is gorgeous!

“The American musical was built on their shows like ‘Oklahoma,’ ‘Carousel,’ and ‘The Sound of Music,’ and to do a show like ‘Flower Drum Song’ with a brand new book by David Henry Hwang seems to just exemplify the mission of what East West Players is about.”

‘Flower Drum Song’ ensemble and understudies. CONTRIBUTED

On rehearsals with the all-Asian cast, led by Grace Yoo, and team headed by Lily Tung Crystal, who directs, Marc enthused, “It’s been amazing. I have to remind myself what a blessing it is to be surrounded by some of the most talented Asian American artists who work on, off, and behind the stage. Everyone really cares about their work and wants to collectively, as a company, create something beautiful.

“I love the rehearsal process. Everyone is working very hard. They’re grinding it out to get better than they were yesterday, and through the repetition, there are the beautiful discoveries. I love seeing these actors making those discoveries – it gives me chicken skin.

“Grace is awesome! Hearing her sing these songs almost every day is a privilege. The cast is also amazing. I love seeing the newcomers hanging with the vets and learning things from each other.”

“Oh goodness, what a time and place we are living in,” Marc answered about the timeliness of “Flower Drum Song” under the Trump administration. “There’s so much division between people right now that it seems like having a decent conversation with someone who has opposing views is an awkward and unwanted option.

“I hope that this show will lead people to not feel awkward about talking. I hope that after watching the show, it allows people who support our current administration to make connections with others who may have a different background than their own. I believe that there are a lot more things that people have in common than they would think.”

Life-changing phone call 

Marc remembered receiving the phone call that changed his life and career – while he was in a taxi in New York. “I first came to EWP as an actor when I played a Protean in ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.’ That was in 2002. I was also in ‘Imelda: A New Musical’ and ‘Master Class’ as an actor. Soon after that, Nathan Wang, who was the composer of ‘Imelda,’ heard me play piano during rehearsal breaks.

“He suggested to Tim Dang, who was the artistic director of EWP at the time, that I music direct The Three Filipino Tenors, who were about to do a show in New York for the first National Asian American Theater Festival. It was in a taxi cab there that Tim asked if I could music direct ‘Pippin.’ That was my first EWP show as a music director back in 2008. ‘Flower Drum Song’ will be my 17th show.”

He rattled off some of the highlights in working with talented actors at EWP: “So many great memories. Jen Paz and Michael K. Lee in ‘The Last Five Years.’ Joan Almedilla in ‘Mamma Mia!’ and ‘Chess.’ Gedde Watanabe in ‘La Cage aux Folles.’ The entire cast in ‘Next to Normal’ – Deedee Magno Hall, Cliffton Hall, Isa Briones, Scott Takeda, Justin Yu, Randy Guiaya, and Anthea Neri. The music of Paulo K. Tirol in ‘On This Side of the World.’ Jon Jon Briones in ‘Pacific Overtures.’ ”

As parting words, Marc said, “ ‘Flower Drum Song’ is a celebration of the Asian American performer. I hope younger generations who are watching for the first time enjoy the music, singing, and dancing, but I also hope they leave the show with an understanding that their stories and experiences are worth being told.”

“Flower Drum Song” will be staged at the Aratani Theatre, located at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (244 S. San Pedro St. in Little Tokyo) from April 16 to May 31.

Preview performances are scheduled Wednesday through Sunday, at 7:30 p.m. Regular performances take place on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with additional select weekday shows and matinees on Saturdays and Sundays.

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