Flower Drum Song
by C Y. Lee, Oscar Hammerstein (Ii), Richard Rodgers, David Henry Hwang, Joseph Fields

Name: Flower Drum Song
Brand: C Y. Lee
SKU: 9781559362221
Rating: 3.17 (117 reviews)

Flower Drum Song Book Cover — Flower Drum Song Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

120 mins American Adaptation

Awards & Recognition

Tony Award

Nominee: Three 2003 Tony Awards, including Best Book of a Musical

Synopsis

I loved this show so much!

I laughed hysterically and cried during moments that surprised me with feelings of recognition.

This new Flower Drum Song

, with its references to the new and the old, has become a kind of history of being Asian in America.

It is absolutely authentic to how Chinese America has grown up.”

Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club

A tremendous breakthrough in storytelling about the Asian-American experience.

The humor, energy, and artistic excellence of the show make it worthwhile for people of all backgrounds.”

Patrick Purdon, The Tech

"A funny and clever radical revision of the 1958 Broadway hit."

Time magazine

To create something new, we must first love what is old.”

So says a character in David Henry Hwang’s updated book to the 1958 Broadway musical Flower Drum Song by Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II and Joseph Fields.

Set in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late fifties, Flower Drum Song is a funny and moving story which explores what it means to be an American and touches the history of every person whose forbears once arrived as a stranger to these shores.

The new, fully revised version includes David Henry Hwang’s Tony Award-nominated text, an introduction by Hwang and an afterword by Karen Wada, carefully documenting the long and vital history of this landmark musical.

David Henry Hwang is the author of the Tony Award-winning M. Butterfly

, Yellow Face (OBIE Award, 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalist), Golden Child (1997 OBIE Award), FOB (1981 OBIE Award), Family Devotions (Drama Desk nomination), and the books for musicals Aida ( co-author), Flower Drum Song (2002 Broadway revival), and Tarzan

, among other works.

David Henry Hwang graduated from Stanford University, attended the Yale School of Drama, and holds honorary degrees from Columbia College in Chicago and The American Conservatory Theatre.

He lives in New York City with his wife, actress Kathryn Layng, and their children, Noah David and Eva Veanne.

Themes Chinese American women Chinese American women--Drama PS3558.W83 F58 2003 Women immigrants Women immigrants--Drama

Press Reviews

"Rodgers has composed one of his more persuasive scores, and Hammerstein has written lyrics that are moody and amusing...a delight; everything about it is just right."
— New York Daily Mirror

"Another notable work by the outstanding craftsmen of our musical theatre...a lovely show, an outstanding one in theme and treatment."
— New York Daily Mirror

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Wang Chi-Yang A Chinese opera actor and immigrant to San Francisco, in his fifties	male	—	A Chinese opera actor and immigrant to San Francisco, in his fifties
Wang Ta His Chinese American son, in his twenties	male	—	His Chinese American son, in his twenties
Chin An old family friend of the Wangs, a Chinese man in his sixties	male	—	An old family friend of the Wangs, a Chinese man in his sixties
Linda Low A Chinese American showgirl, in her twenties	female	—	A Chinese American showgirl, in her twenties
Harvard A Chinese American, in his twenties	male	—	A Chinese American, in his twenties
Madame Rita Liang A Chinese American talent agent, in her forties	female	—	A Chinese American talent agent, in her forties
Chao Hai-Lung A new immigrant from China, in his twenties	male	—	A new immigrant from China, in his twenties
Mr. Chong The Chinese American owner of the On Leock Fortune Cookie Factory	—	—	The Chinese American owner of the On Leock Fortune Cookie Factory
Mr. Lee A Chinese American restaurant ownerENSEMBLE – A large singing-dancing chorus consisting of Citizens of the People's Republic of China, Communist Party Members, Mei-Li's Father, Soldiers, Refugees, Chinese Opera Company Members, Immigrants, Showgirls, Chorus Boys, A Ghost Couple, Stage Manager, Photographers, Reporters, Factory Workers, Emigrants, Warrior Dancers, Maiden Dancer, Wedding Guests and Citizens of San Francisco Chinatown.CASTING NOTE:	male	—	A Chinese American restaurant ownerENSEMBLE – A large singing-dancing chorus consisting of Citizens of the People's Republic of China, Communist Party Members, Mei-Li's Father, Soldiers, Refugees, Chinese Opera Company Members, Immigrants, Showgirls, Chorus Boys, A Ghost Couple, Stage Manager, Photographers, Reporters, Factory Workers, Emigrants, Warrior Dancers, Maiden Dancer, Wedding Guests and Citizens of San Francisco Chinatown.CASTING NOTE:
Wu Mei-Li A new immigrant from China, in her twenties	female	—	A new immigrant from China, in her twenties