Editing Flower Drum Song

{{Short description|Musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein premiered in 1958}}
{{About|the musical|other uses|Flower Drum Song (disambiguation)}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Infobox musical
| name    = Flower Drum Song
| image   = Musical1958-FlowerDrumSong-OriginalPoster.jpg
| caption = Original Broadway poster (1958)
| music   = [[Richard Rodgers]]
| lyrics  = [[Oscar Hammerstein II]]
| book =
  {{plainlist |
* Oscar Hammerstein II
* [[Joseph Fields]]
* [[David Henry Hwang]] <small> (2002 revised version) </small>
  }}
| basis  = ''[[The Flower Drum Song]]'' <br/> by [[C. Y. Lee (author)|C. Y. Lee]]
| productions =
  {{plainlist | style = margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em; |
* 1958 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]
* 1960 [[West End theatre|West End]]
* 1961 [[Flower Drum Song (film)|film adaptation]]
* 2002 Broadway [[revival (theatre)|revival]]
<!-- Please include only long-running major-market productions here -->
  }}
<!-- Please do not include production-specific (acting, directing, etc.) awards -->
| awards = 
}}

'''''Flower Drum Song''''' was the eighth [[musical theatre|musical]] by the team of [[Rodgers and Hammerstein]]. It is based on the 1957 novel, ''[[The Flower Drum Song]]'', by [[Chinese-American]] author [[C. Y. Lee (author)|C. Y. Lee]]. It premiered on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in 1958 and was then performed in the [[West End theatre|West End]] and on tour. It was adapted for a [[Flower Drum Song (film)|1961 musical film]].

After their extraordinary early successes, beginning with ''[[Oklahoma!]]'' in 1943, [[Richard Rodgers]] and [[Oscar Hammerstein II]] had written two musicals in the 1950s that did not do well and sought a new hit to revive their fortunes. Lee's novel focuses on a father, Wang Chi-yang, a wealthy refugee from China, who clings to traditional values in [[San Francisco]]'s [[Chinatown, San Francisco|Chinatown]]. Rodgers and Hammerstein shifted the focus of the musical to his son, Wang Ta, who is torn between his Chinese roots and assimilation into American culture. The team hired [[Gene Kelly]] to make his debut as a stage director with the musical and scoured the country for a suitable Asian – or at least, plausibly Asian-looking – cast. The musical, more light-hearted than Lee's novel, was profitable on Broadway and was followed by a national tour.

After the release of the 1961 film version, the musical was rarely produced, as it presented casting issues and fears that Asian-Americans would take offense at how they are portrayed. When it was put on the stage, lines and songs that might be offensive were often cut. The piece did not return to Broadway until 2002, when a version with a plot by playwright [[David Henry Hwang]] (but retaining most of the original songs) was presented after a successful Los Angeles run. Hwang's story retains the Chinatown setting and the inter-generational and immigrant themes, and emphasizes the romantic relationships. It received mostly poor reviews in New York and closed after six months but had a short tour and has since been produced [[Regional theater in the United States|regionally]].

== Background ==
=== Novel ===
[[File:Portrait of Chin Yang Lee in c. 1957.jpg|thumb|upright|C.Y. Lee]]
C.Y. Lee fled war-torn China in the 1940s and came to the United States, where he attended [[Yale University]]'s playwriting program, graduating in 1947 with an [[Master of Fine Arts|M.F.A.]] degree.  By the 1950s, he was barely making a living writing short stories and working as a Chinese teacher, translator and journalist for [[San Francisco]] [[Chinatown, San Francisco, California|Chinatown]] newspapers.<ref name="Shin">Shin, Andrew. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/4141820 "'Forty Percent Is Luck': An Interview with C. Y. (Chin Yang) Lee"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819000026/http://www.jstor.org/stable/4141820 |date=2016-08-19 }}. MELUS, vol. 29, no. 2, ''Elusive Illusions: Art and Reality'' (Summer, 2004), pp. 77–104, The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States. Retrieved December 3, 2010 {{subscription required}}</ref>  He had hoped to break into playwriting, but instead wrote a novel about Chinatown, ''The Flower Drum Song'' (originally titled ''Grant Avenue'').  Lee initially had no success selling his novel, but his agent submitted it to the publishing house of [[Farrar, Straus and Cudahy]].  The firm sent the manuscript to an elderly reader for evaluation.  The reader was found dead in bed, the manuscript beside him with the words "Read this" scrawled on it.  The publishing house did, and bought Lee's novel, which became a bestseller in 1957.<ref name="rah">{{cite web |title=Flower Drum Song History |work=Flower Drum Song |publisher=R&H Theatricals |url=http://www.rnh.com/show/36/Flower-Drum-Song#shows-history |access-date=November 9, 2011 |archive-date=September 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927022440/http://www.rnh.com/show/36/Flower-Drum-Song#shows-history |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Lewis, p. 28">Lewis, p. 28</ref>

Lee's novel centers on Wang Chi-yang, a 63-year-old man who fled China to avoid the communists.  The wealthy refugee lives in a house in Chinatown with his two sons.  His sister-in-law, Madam Tang, who takes citizenship classes, is a regular visitor and urges Wang to adopt Western ways.  While his sons and sister-in-law are integrating into American culture, Wang stubbornly resists assimilation and speaks only two words of English, "Yes" and "No".   Wang also has a severe cough, which he does not wish to have cured, feeling that it gives him authority in his household.  Wang's elder son, Wang Ta, woos Linda Tung, but on learning that she has many men in her life, drops her; he later learns she is a nightclub dancer.  Linda's friend, seamstress Helen Chao, who has been unable to find a man despite the shortage of eligible women in Chinatown, gets Ta drunk and seduces him.  On awakening in her bed, he agrees to an affair, but eventually abandons her, and she commits suicide.

Impatient at Ta's inability to find a wife, Wang arranges for a [[picture bride]] for his son.  However, before the picture bride arrives, Ta meets a young woman, May Li, who with her father has recently come to San Francisco.  The two support themselves by singing depressing [[Fengyang Flower Drum|flower drum song]]s on the street.  Ta invites the two into the Wang household, with his father's approval, and he and May Li fall in love.  He vows to marry her after she is falsely accused by the household servants of stealing a clock, though his father forbids it.  Wang struggles to understand the conflicts that have torn his household apart; his hostility toward assimilation is isolating him from his family.  In the end, taking his son's advice, Wang decides not to go to the herbalist to seek a remedy for his cough, but walks to a Chinese-run Western clinic, symbolizing that he is beginning to accept American culture.<ref>Lewis, pp. 25–33</ref>

=== Genesis of the musical ===
[[File:Hammerstein.jpg|left|thumb|upright|alt=Photo of Hammerstein in middle age, seated, wearing a suit|Oscar Hammerstein II]]
[[Rodgers and Hammerstein]], despite extraordinary successes earlier in their partnership, such as ''[[Oklahoma!]]'', ''[[Carousel (musical)|Carousel]]'' and ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]'', had suffered back-to-back [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] relative failures in the mid-1950s with ''[[Me and Juliet]]'' and ''[[Pipe Dream (musical)|Pipe Dream]]''.<ref>Lewis, pp. 6–7</ref>  While ''Oklahoma!'' had broken new ground in 1943, any new project in the late 1950s would have to compete with modern musicals and techniques, like the brutal realism in ''[[West Side Story]]'',<ref>Lewis, p. 5</ref> and with other Broadway musical hits such as ''[[The Music Man]]'', ''[[My Fair Lady]]'' and ''[[The Pajama Game]]''.<ref>Lewis, p. 10</ref>  Rodgers and Hammerstein had made it their rule to begin work on their next musical as soon as the last opened on Broadway, but by the start of 1957, six months after ''Pipe Dream'' closed, the pair had no new stage musical in prospect.  They had, however, been working since 1956 on the popular television version of ''[[Cinderella (Rodgers and Hammerstein musical)|Cinderella]]'', which was broadcast on [[CBS]] on March 31, 1957.<ref>Block, p. 175</ref>  Rodgers was still recovering from an operation for cancer in a tooth socket, and he was drinking heavily<ref>Secrest, pp. 334–35</ref> and suffering from depression.<ref>Lewis, p. 13</ref>  In June 1957, Rodgers checked himself into [[Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic]], and he remained there for twelve weeks.  According to his daughters, [[Mary Rodgers|Mary]] and Linda, this did not put a stop to his drinking.<ref>Block, p. 1</ref>

Hammerstein, meanwhile, was in Los Angeles at the filming of ''[[South Pacific (1958 film)|South Pacific]]''.  While at the commissary, he met longtime friend, [[Joseph Fields|Joe Fields]], who mentioned that he was negotiating for the rights to ''The Flower Drum Song''.  Intrigued by the title, Hammerstein asked for a copy of the novel, and decided that it had potential as a musical – the lyricist described it as "sort of a Chinese ''[[Life with Father]]''".   Hammerstein consulted with Rodgers, and they agreed to make it their next work, to be written and produced in association with Fields.<ref>Fordin, pp. 336–37</ref>  Hammerstein began work in mid-1958.  In July, however, he fell ill and was hospitalized for a month.  This forced him to hurry his writing, as the production team had hoped to have the show in rehearsal by the start of September; this was postponed by two weeks.  In interviews, however, Hammerstein pointed out that he had, when necessary, written songs for previous shows while in rehearsals for them.<ref>Nolan, p. 240</ref>

The musical retained Lee's "central theme – a theme coursing through much 20th-century American literature: the conflict between Old World immigrants and their New World offspring".<ref name="Berson" /> Hammerstein and Fields shifted the focus of the story, however, from the elder Wang, who is central to Lee's novel, to his son Ta.  They also removed darker elements of Lee's work, including Helen Chao's suicide after her desperate fling with Ta, added the festive nightclub subplot and emphasized the romantic elements of the story.<ref name="point">Lewis, pp. 33–34</ref> This made the musical more lighthearted and comedic than the novel.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Crean |first=Jeffrey |title=The Fear of Chinese Power: an International History |date=2024 |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Academic]] |isbn=978-1-350-23394-2 |edition= |series=New Approaches to International History series |location=London, UK |pages=104}}</ref>  According to David Lewis in his book about the musical, "Mr. Hammerstein and his colleagues were evidently in no mood to write a musical drama or even to invest their comedic approach with dramatic counterpoint of the sort that Jud Fry had given ''Oklahoma!''&nbsp;... <nowiki>[They]</nowiki> took the safest commercial route by following the eldest son's search for love – the most popular theme at the time with Broadway audiences."<ref name="point" />  Lewis notes that Chao's role, though diminished in the musical, nevertheless gives it some of its darkest moments, and she serves much the same purpose as Jud Fry:  to be, in Hammerstein's words, "the bass fiddle that gives body to the orchestration of the story".<ref>Lewis, p. 35</ref>  Though the new story was less artistically adventurous than the earlier Rodgers and Hammerstein hits, it was innovative, even daring in its treatment of Asian-Americans, "an ethnic group that had long been harshly caricatured and marginalized in our mainstream pop culture."<ref name="Berson" />

=== 1958 plot ===
[[File:Grant Avenue, San Francisco Chinatown, 1960s (6875366608).jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|alt=Photo of Chinatown along Grant Avenue in San Francisco|"[[Grant Avenue]], San Francisco, California, U.S.A.",<!-- This is a line from the song "Grant Avenue", so please discuss on talk before changing --> c. 1960s.]]
'''Act I:'''
Wang Ta, a young Chinese-American man living in his father's house in San Francisco's Chinatown, discusses the problems of finding a wife with his aunt, Madam Liang ("You Are Beautiful") before hurrying off on a blind date.  Nightclub owner Sammy Fong arrives with an offer for Ta's immigrant father, Master Wang, a very old-fashioned Chinatown elder.  Sammy's [[picture bride]] has just arrived from China, illegally, but the shy Mei Li is clearly the wrong girl for Sammy, who already has an assertive girlfriend, a characteristic he likes.  Sammy offers to sign the contract over to the Wang family:  this would free Sammy from the contract and arrange a suitable wife for Ta.  Sammy has taken the liberty of bringing the girl and her father with him; Wang is charmed ("A Hundred Million Miracles") and invites them to live in his home on the understanding that if the proposed marriage falls through, Fong will still be bound to marry Mei Li.

Ta's blind date proves to be the thoroughly Americanized Linda Low, who we will learn is Sammy Fong's girlfriend and a stripper at his club.  On the date with Ta ("[[I Enjoy Being a Girl (song)|I Enjoy Being a Girl]]"), Linda lies to Ta about her career and family.  Ta, knowing that Chinese-Americans with college degrees find it hard to get a job befitting their education, plans to go to [[law school]], postponing the likely career struggle by three years.  The impetuous Ta asks Linda to marry him.  She agrees, but she needs family consent and lies, saying that she has a brother who will approve the marriage.  Ta returns home and meets Mei Li, who is immediately attracted to him ("I Am Going to Like It Here"), though Ta is unimpressed.  That changes when Ta sees her in a Western dress ("Like a God").

Linda comes to Madam Liang's graduation party from citizenship school with Linda's "brother" (actually the comedian from Sammy's nightclub) and presents herself as Ta's intended, with her "brother" giving his consent for the marriage.  The extroverted, Americanized woman is not what Wang has in mind for his elder son, and Wang and Ta argue.  Sammy Fong arrives and quickly penetrates Linda's scheme: Linda, frustrated by the five years she has been seeing Sammy, is determined to marry ''someone'', and if Sammy won't step forward, she will settle for Ta.  Sammy quickly strikes back by inviting the Wangs, Mei Li and her father to watch the show at his "Celestial Bar" ("Fan Tan Fannie").  Linda does her striptease, realizing too late who is sitting at the best table.  Sammy's special guests storm out, except for Ta, who is so humiliated that he does not know what to do.  He is led away by childhood friend Helen Chao, a seamstress who fits Linda's costumes for her, and whose love for Ta is unrequited.  Linda, goaded beyond endurance when Sammy raises his glass to her, dumps a champagne bucket over his head.

'''Act II:'''
The drunken Ta spends the night at Helen's apartment ("Ballet"). In the morning, Mei Li delivers Master Wang's coat for Helen to mend and is distressed to see Ta's dinner jacket there.  Mei Li jumps to conclusions and leaves horrified.  Ta leaves the lonely Helen, totally oblivious to her attempts to interest him.  Wang wants the bar and its "evil spirits" shut down; his sister-in-law informs him that free enterprise cannot be shut down, and the two wonder at the foibles of the younger generation ("The Other Generation").  Ta arrives home to admit that his father was right, Mei Li is the girl for him.  But now, Mei Li wants nothing to do with him, and the Lis leave the Wang home.  Sammy Fong and Linda decide to get married ("Sunday"), but when he goes to the Three Family Association (a [[kongsi|benevolent association]])<ref>The [[Chinese Six Companies]] is the benevolent association in San Francisco's Chinatown</ref> to announce Linda as his bride, he finds Mei Li and her father there, and the elders insist that he honor his betrothal to the immigrant girl.

Ta brings Mei Li a wedding gift of a pair of his mother's earrings that she wore on her wedding day and tries unsuccessfully to hide the fact that he is now deeply in love with her.  The wedding procession moves down San Francisco's Grant Avenue with the bride, heavily veiled, carried on a sedan chair ("Wedding Parade").  Sammy drinks from the traditional wedding goblet, then offers the goblet to his new bride.  Unveiled, Mei Li confesses to Sammy's mother that she cannot marry Sammy as she is an illegal alien – a tactic she learned by watching American television.  The contract is void, and that gives both Sammy and Ta the opportunity to marry their true loves, Linda and Mei Li.

=== Casting and tryouts ===
According to Rodgers biographer Meryle Secrest, Rodgers, Hammerstein and Fields had hoped to engage [[Yul Brynner]] as director.  Brynner, who had gained fame in the team's 1951 hit, ''The King and I'', was an accomplished director.  However, he was busy starring in ''[[The Sound and the Fury (1959 film)|The Sound and the Fury]]'', and they could not negotiate his release from [[Twentieth-Century Fox]].  Instead, they hired actor and dancer [[Gene Kelly]], who had never directed on stage before.  Kelly felt that the work would not be one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's best, but "as long as I crammed the show brim-full of every joke and gimmick in the book, I could get it to work".<ref>Secrest, p. 340</ref>

[[File:Miyoshi Umeki.jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=Glamorous headshot of a young Umeki, wearing a diamond necklace|Miyoshi Umeki played Mei Li]]
The three producers sought Chinese, or at least Asian, actors to fill the cast, an idea that was, at the time, considered "very risky".<ref name="Berson" />  In the 1950s, there were relatively few Asian-American actors;<ref name="none" /> Rodgers believed that Asians avoided acting because of shyness.<ref name="Secrest, p. 341">Secrest, p. 341</ref>  Critics note, in any case, that Asian-Americans "had found few opportunities in mainstream theatre."<ref name="Berson" />  [[Joshua Logan]] recommended a young Japanese actress, [[Miyoshi Umeki]], whom he had discovered and cast the previous year opposite [[Marlon Brando]] in the film [[Sayonara (film)|''Sayonara'']] (for which she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar); she was cast as Mei Li.<ref name="none">Nolan, p. 241</ref>  They cast [[Keye Luke]], well known as [[Charlie Chan]]'s Number One Son, as Master Wang.<ref name="Nolan, p. 242">Nolan, p. 242</ref>  Rodgers and Hammerstein considered young talent from ''The King and I'' who might fit the parts, and came up with teenager [[Patrick Adiarte]], a Filipino-American who had played several of the young princes as he grew up, before finishing as the crown prince, Chulalongkorn.  A talented dancer, he was cast as Wang San, Ta's thoroughly Americanized younger brother.<ref>Lewis, p. 38</ref>  [[Pat Suzuki]], a Japanese-American who had been interned during [[World War II]], was a recent arrival in New York who had made strong positive impressions for her singing on such television programs as ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar|The Tonight Show]]'' (with [[Jack Paar]]) and ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]''.  She became the first Linda Low, as Ta's nightclub love interest was renamed.<ref>Lewis, pp. 41–42</ref>

The team found it difficult to fill the remaining places in the company with Asian performers, especially in the chorus.  Four other shows with Asian themes had opened or were in rehearsal in New York, and the demand for the few Asian actors was strong.<ref>Lewis, p. 43.  The other shows were ''[[Rashomon (play)|Rashomon]]'', ''[[The World of Suzie Wong]]'', ''Kabuki'', and ''[[A Majority of One]]''.</ref>   Kelly and the show's choreographer, [[Carol Haney]], journeyed to cities across the country to seek out talent.  Agents were sent to other cities; in Honolulu, they found nightclub singer and native Hawaiian [[Ed Kenney]], who would originate Wang Ta.  Meanwhile, in New York, the three producers were visiting dance schools.  An advertisement in New York Chinatown newspapers received one response.  No formal audition was held in San Francisco's Chinatown, and the only find was [[Forbidden City (nightclub)|Forbidden City]] nightclub comedian Goro "Jack" Suzuki (who soon changed his name to [[Jack Soo]]), who was cast as Frankie Wing, comedian at Sammy Fong's Celestial Bar.<ref>Lewis, pp. 43–45</ref>  The role of Fong proved difficult to cast.  Initially, it was given to [[Larry Storch]], a nightclub comic, but during the Boston tryouts, it was given to another Caucasian, [[Larry Blyden]],<ref name="Nolan, p. 242" /> who was married to Carol Haney, the show's choreographer.<ref>Bloom and Vlastnik, p. 207</ref>  The role of Madam Liang, Master Wang's sister-in-law, fell to [[Juanita Hall]], a light-skinned African American who had played a [[Tonkin]]ese (Vietnamese) woman, Bloody Mary, in ''South Pacific''.<ref>Lewis, p. 46</ref> Another African-American performer, [[Diahann Carroll]], was considered for the cast but not hired.<ref>Block, p. 218</ref>  Rodgers later wrote, "what was important was that the actors gave the illusion of being Chinese.  This demonstrates one of the most wonderful things about theatre audiences.  People want to believe what they see on a stage, and they will gladly go along with whatever is done to achieve the desired effect.  Ask them to accept [[Ezio Pinza]] as a Frenchman <nowiki>[</nowiki>in ''South Pacific''<nowiki>]</nowiki>, Yul Brynner as Siamese and they are prepared to meet you nine tenths of the way even before the curtain goes up."<ref name="rr" />

When rehearsals began in September 1958, Hammerstein was absent, still recuperating from his surgery.  Rodgers was present, but kept falling asleep.<ref name="Secrest, p. 341" />  Hammerstein was told by [[James Hammerstein|his son James]] that Kelly was ineffective as a director, and began attending rehearsals.<ref>Fordin, p. 341</ref>  A number of changes were made to the songs.  "My Best Love", a song for Master Wang, was at first thought better suited to his sister-in-law, but when Juanita Hall could not make it work, the song was cut entirely.  Rodgers and Hammerstein transformed a song entitled "She Is Beautiful" into "You Are Beautiful".  The team decided to include a song for Sammy Fong to explain to Mei Li that they should not wed.  In the span of a few hours, they wrote the lyrics and music to "Don't Marry Me".<ref name="Nolan, p. 242" />  Once the songs were finalized, [[Robert Russell Bennett]], who had orchestrated several of the creators' most successful previous shows, did the same for the score of ''Flower Drum Song''.<ref name="enc" />

The musical opened for tryouts on October 27, 1958, at Boston's [[Citi Performing Arts Center|Shubert Theatre]].  The audience gave it an enthusiastic response, causing Rodgers to leave his seat repeatedly and race to the back of the theatre, looking for someone to hug.  The Boston critics thought well of the work, stating that after the show was polished, it was likely to be a hit.<ref>Lewis, pp. 64–66</ref>  Shortly after the Boston opening, Fields suffered a heart attack, and, after his release from the hospital, he had to return to New York to recuperate.  Author C. Y. Lee, who had quietly watched the rehearsals, recalled that, at the Boston performances, Hammerstein would have a secretary mark on the script any sound of the chairs squeaking, as indicating that the audience was restless.  Hammerstein rewrote some of the book to expand the focus from Ta himself to the romantic relationships of the two couples.<ref>Lewis, pp. 67–68</ref>

== Productions ==
=== Original Broadway production ===
[[File:Stjamestheatre.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Photo of St. James Theatre marquee taken in 2006, when ''The Producers'' was running at the theatre|[[St. James Theatre]] in 2006]]
After the Boston tryouts, ''Flower Drum Song'' opened on Broadway at the [[St. James Theatre]] on December 1, 1958.   Sets were designed by [[Oliver Smith (designer)|Oliver Smith]], costumes by [[Irene Sharaff]] and lighting by Peggy Clark.<ref name="enc" />

C.Y. Lee sat in the audience on the first night; he later stated that he had been nervous and was "bowled over" by the positive audience reaction.<ref name="rah" />   The show attracted considerable advance sales; even when these were exhausted, sales remained strong and sellouts were the norm.  Cast album sales were similar to previous Rodgers and Hammerstein hits.<ref>Lewis, p. 83</ref>  The show received six [[Tony Award]] nominations, but won only one Tony (Best Conductor and Musical Director, for [[Salvatore Dell'Isola]]).  It was overshadowed that year by ''[[Redhead (musical)|Redhead]]'', which though it received only slightly better reviews than ''Flower Drum Song'' and had a considerably shorter run, dominated the Tony Awards in the musical categories.<ref>Lewis, p. 87</ref>  ''Flower Drum Song'' ran for 600&nbsp;performances, a longer run than any of the shows with which it had competed for Asian performers.<ref name="Lewis85">Lewis, p. 85</ref>

Midway through the run, Larry Blyden left the show and was replaced in the role of Sammy Fong by Jack Soo, with Larry Leung assuming the role of Frankie Wing.<ref name="Lewis85" />  The production returned $125,000&nbsp;profit to its backers on an investment of $360,000.  Attendance began to decline in December 1959, though it continued to draw at above the 70% of capacity level which a Broadway play then needed to meet expenses.  With the summer approaching, generally a bad time for attendance, it was decided to close the show, and the last Broadway performance was given on May 7, 1960.<ref>Lewis, pp. 88–89</ref>

In his autobiography, Rodgers wrote of the effect the success of ''Flower Drum Song'' had on his state of mind:
<blockquote>
The entire experience of working on ''Flower Drum Song'' was rewarding in many ways, not the least of which was that it convinced me that I had overcome all traces of my depression.  My only thought was to keep on doing what I was doing, and I saw nothing in the future that could stop me.<ref name="rr">{{cite book|last=Rodgers|first=Richard|author-link=Richard Rodgers|title=Musical Stages|edition=Second|year=2002|publisher=Da Capo Press|pages=294–296}}</ref>
</blockquote>

=== Subsequent productions ===
The show opened in London's  [[Palace Theatre, London|Palace Theatre]] on March 24, 1960, and ran for 464 performances.<ref name="facts">{{cite web |title=Trivia |work=Flower Drum Song |publisher=R&H Theatricals |url=http://www.rnh.com/show/36/Flower-Drum-Song#shows-trivia |access-date=April 10, 2011 |archive-date=April 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110414013228/http://www.rnh.com/show/36/Flower-Drum-Song#shows-trivia |url-status=live }}</ref>  Fewer Asian performers were used in London; the [[West End of London|West End]] production starred Yau Shan Tung as Mei Li, Kevin Scott as Ta, George Minami as Wang, Harriet Yamasaki ("Yama Saki")<ref>{{Cite news |last=Soboleski |first=Hank |title=Island History for Sunday, July 8, 2012 |url=https://www.thegardenisland.com/2012/07/08/hawaii-news/island-history-for-sunday-july-8-2012 |newspaper=The Garden Island |date=July 8, 2012 |access-date=July 4, 2023 |archive-date=July 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230704024301/https://www.thegardenisland.com/2012/07/08/hawaii-news/island-history-for-sunday-july-8-2012/ |url-status=live }}</ref> as Linda Low, Tim Herbert as Sammy Fong and Ida Shepley as Madam Liang.<ref name="enc">Hischak, pp. 84–88</ref> The production used Haney's choreography, Bennett's orchestrations and the Broadway set and costume designs, but was directed and supervised by Jerome Whyte.<ref>Theatre program, ''Flower Drum Song'', Palace Theatre, March 1960, p. 2</ref>  Both the production and the London cast album were well received.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r193840|title=Flower Drum Song <nowiki>[London cast]</nowiki>|last=Ruhlmann|first=Marjorie Ellen|work=All Music Guide|access-date=December 1, 2010|archive-date=December 15, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215172749/https://www.allmusic.com/album/flower-drum-song-original-broadway-cast-recording--mw0000113720|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Hoff-Wallace, Philip. "Prefabricated success: ''Flower Drum Song''", ''The Guardian'', ProQuest Historical Newspapers, March 25, 1960, p. 11</ref>

Following the closure of the Broadway production, a U.S. national tour began on May 10, 1960, in [[Detroit]].  Four of the New York leads, Hall, Soo, Kenney and Luke, joined the tour.  By this time, Hammerstein was in his final illness (he died in August 1960), and none of the three producers accompanied the show on the road.<ref>Lewis, pp. 90–91</ref>  After three weeks in Detroit, the show moved to Los Angeles, where the premiere attracted a star-studded audience, including three Scandinavian princesses.<ref>Lewis, p. 94</ref>  San Francisco gave the show a rapturous reception when it opened at the [[Curran Theatre]] on August 1.  Lee and Fields, both present for the local premiere, were given ovations.<ref name="sf" />  [[Geary Boulevard|Geary Street]], on which the theatre is located, was decorated with [[Paper lantern|Chinese lanterns]], and a marching band of "Chinese girl musicians" played outside.<ref>{{cite news | last = Jupiter | first = Harry | title = Musical now in 'Frisco | newspaper = The Florence (Alabama) Times | page = 9 | publisher = AP via The Florence Times | date = August 1, 1960 | url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8PwrAAAAIBAJ&dq=flower%20drum%20song&pg=4802%2C3386207 | access-date = October 30, 2010 | archive-date = December 15, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231215172750/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8PwrAAAAIBAJ&dq=flower%20drum%20song&pg=4802%2C3386207 | url-status = live }}</ref>  The tour continued to be successful, spending 21&nbsp;weeks in Chicago alone.  It closed on October 14, 1961, in Cleveland, a month before the film of the musical opened.<ref name="enc" /><ref>Lewis, p. 100</ref>

Lewis calls the [[Flower Drum Song (film)|1961 film version]] of ''Flower Drum Song'', starring Umeki, Soo, Hall and ''[[The World of Suzie Wong (film)|Suzie Wong]]'' star [[Nancy Kwan]], "a bizarre pastiche of limping mediocrity".  He comments that since the 1958 version of the musical was rarely revived, the film "would in future years come to stand for the stage musical it so crassly misrepresented"<ref>Lewis, p. 108</ref> and would serve as the version that academics and latter-day theatre critics would judge when they analyzed the musical.  The film was the only Hollywood adaptation of a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical to lose money.<ref name="money">Lewis, p. 109</ref>  Nevertheless, it was nominated for five [[Academy Awards]] and featured choreography by [[Hermes Pan (choreographer)|Hermes Pan]].<ref name="enc" />  As early as mid-1961, the musical was licensed for local productions.  That summer, the [[San Diego]] Civic Light Opera filled the 4,324-seat Balboa Park Bowl to overflowing for a highly successful run of the musical.<ref>Lewis, p. 114</ref>  It was less successfully revived by that company five years later; though it still attracted large crowds, local critics complained that Hammerstein's view of Asians was outdated.<ref>Lewis, p. 115</ref>  Other early productions included successful revivals by the [[St. Louis Municipal Opera]] in 1961 and 1965<ref>Lewis, pp. 115–16</ref> and revivals in the San Francisco area in 1963 and 1964, both times with Soo as Sammy Fong.<ref>Lewis, pp. 116–17</ref>

The musical proved difficult to produce for amateur and school groups, however, because it requires a cast either Asian or made up as Asian.  Even professional companies found it difficult to round up an entire cast of Asian singer-dancer-actors.<ref name="Berson">Berson, Misha.  [http://www.tcg.org/publications/at/2002/drum.cfm "A 'Drum' with a Difference"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928000643/http://www.tcg.org/publications/at/2002/drum.cfm |date=2007-09-28 }}. ''American Theatre'' magazine, [[Theatre Communications Group]], 2002. Retrieved November 9, 2010</ref> By the late 1960s, the musical was rarely staged,<ref name="enc" /> and was often relegated to [[dinner theater]] productions.<ref>Roosevelt, Margot. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121106075213/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1001383,00.html?promoid=googlep "Theater: ''Flower Drum Song''"]. ''Time'' magazine, December 3, 2001. Retrieved November 9, 2010</ref> The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, which licenses the partnership's works, believes that the work's loss of popularity was due in part to increased racial sensitivity in the U. S. after the [[civil rights movement]].<ref name="rah" />  In addition, producers found the show to be thinly plotted, and the songs not integrated as organically with the characters and story, as compared with Rodgers and Hammerstein's most popular musicals.<ref name="Berson" />

''Flower Drum Song'' came to be seen by some as stereotypical and patronizing towards Asians, and that it was "inauthentic, even offensive in its relentlessly upbeat picture of a big-city Chinatown".<ref name="Berson" />  In 1983, the announcement that it would be produced in San Francisco started a furor; the producers pointedly stated that the show would be set in the 1930s and would have "a greater sensitivity toward the Chinese immigration problems at that time".<ref>Lewis, p. 119</ref>  They added a scene in which Mei Li listens apprehensively to a radio broadcast warning about the dangers to the United States caused by Asian immigration.  Many lines of dialogue were cut, and producer Fred Van Patten stated that "<nowiki>[w]</nowiki>hat we've done is cut things in the show that Asians said to make white people laugh."<ref>Lewis, pp. 119–20</ref>  The song "Chop Suey" was deleted, as was Master Wang's line that all white men look alike (based on a line in C. Y. Lee's novel, in which Wang states that all foreigners look alike).<ref>Lewis, p. 120</ref>  The author gave a rare public interview to defend his novel and the musical adaptation.  The production, which had been scheduled for a three-week run, closed early.<ref>Lewis, pp. 122–23</ref>  A well-attended production in Oakland in 1993 adhered strictly to the 1958 script, though part of the ballet was cut for lack of rehearsal time;<ref>Lewis, p. 126</ref> a more heavily censored 1996 production in [[San Mateo, California|San Mateo]] also did well at the box office.<ref>Lewis, p. 138</ref>

=== 2002 revival ===
In 1996, while attending the successful revival of ''The King and I'', Chinese-American playwright [[David Henry Hwang]] considered whether other Rodgers and Hammerstein shows could be revived and decided to work on ''Flower Drum Song''.  To Chinese Americans, the musical "represented political incorrectness incarnate.  But [Hwang] had a secret soft spot for the movie version. 'It was kind of a guilty pleasure ... and one of the only big Hollywood films where you could see a lot of really good Asian actors onscreen, singing and dancing and cracking jokes.'"<ref name="Berson" />  Ted Chapin, president of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, announced that an unnamed "Asian playwright" had approached him about revising ''Flower Drum Song''.<ref name="approach" />  Chapin called the musical "a naive, old fashioned, anti-feminist story with a truly great score.&nbsp;... It's one that ... needs changes."<ref name="approach">Lewis, p. 137</ref>  Rodgers' will urged his heirs to do what they believed he would have agreed to (Hammerstein's instructions are unknown), but during her lifetime, his widow Dorothy had refused to countenance major changes in the plays.<ref>Lewis, p. 142</ref>  Hwang's involvement was soon revealed, and in 1997, C. Y. Lee announced that the rewrite had his approval.<ref>Lewis, p. 145</ref>

Hwang was given a free hand with dialogue; he was not allowed to change lyrics.<ref>Lewis, p. 157</ref>  Hwang was inexperienced at writing musicals, and the producers hired veteran [[Robert Longbottom]] to direct the production and collaborate on the new script, "really a new musical which has a pre-existing score."<ref name="Berson" />  Only the character names, the San Francisco Chinatown setting and some of the relationships were retained, but the pair sought to be faithful to the spirit of both Lee's novel and the musical's original concept of old-world and older generation values struggling with new-world temptations and the desires of the younger generation.  This concept is reflected in the struggle for survival of Wang's [[Chinese opera]] company, as it competes with the more modern, Americanized night club run by Ta.<ref name="Berson" />  The role of Mei-li (as spelled in the revision) was expanded.  The character of Madam Liang was changed "from the wise-owl aunt" to a "savvy career woman" in show business.<ref name="Berson" />  Chinatown is portrayed as a more gritty and difficult place for new immigrants, and the pursuit of material success is given a more cynical face, especially in Act II.<ref name="Berson" />  The song "The Other Generation" was deleted; "My Best Love", which had been cut in tryouts in 1958, was restored in its place, and "The Next Time It Happens" was imported from ''[[Pipe Dream (musical)|Pipe Dream]]''.<ref>Lewis, pp. 149, 158</ref>  New orchestrations were by [[Don Sebesky]] and music director David Chase.<ref name="Berson" />  According to ''The New York Times'', Hwang "has reshaped the story to elucidate two of his own abiding thematic interests: the idea of the theater as a prism for society and the generational clashes of diversely assimilated immigrants."<ref name="nytimes" />

In September 2000, after development through a series of workshops, the new version was presented at two well-attended workshops for potential backers.  The show failed to raise enough money for an immediate Broadway run, but Hwang hoped that an extended Los Angeles run would lead to raising additional funds.<ref>Lewis, pp. 148–50</ref>  The revival was originally planned for the 2,000-seat [[Ahmanson Theatre]] in Los Angeles, but to save money he moved it to the nearby 739-seat [[Mark Taper Forum]].  Producer [[Gordon Davidson (director)|Gordon Davidson]] engaged an all-Asian cast, including Broadway star [[Lea Salonga]] as Mei-li.<ref>Lewis, pp. 152–54</ref>  When it finally opened on October 14, 2001,<ref>Rodgers, Hammerstein and Hwang, p. 2</ref> the production received rave reviews from the Los Angeles critics.<ref name="lareview" />  The show regularly sold out and was so popular it became the first show at the Taper to extend its scheduled run.  It finally closed on January 13, 2002.<ref>Lewis, p. 171</ref>

[[File:August Wilson (Virginia) Theatre NYC 2003.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Photo of Virginia Theatre marquee in 2002 showing ''Flower Drum Song'' publicity materials|[[Virginia Theatre]] marquee showing ''Flower Drum Song'']]
The success of the Los Angeles run sparked sufficient investment to move the show to Broadway.<ref>Lewis, p. 187</ref>  Half the cast was dismissed after the Los Angeles run for unstated reasons. Mary Rodgers later commented that [[Randall Duk Kim]] replaced [[Tzi Ma]] as Wang because she had admired Kim's performance as the Kralahome in the 1996 revival of ''The King and I'', but Kim was unavailable for the Los Angeles run.<ref>Lewis, p. 172</ref>  Hwang considerably altered and trimmed his long script during Broadway rehearsals and previews; "The Next Time It Happens" was removed from the show.  During the runup to the Broadway opening, the show received mostly positive publicity.<ref>Lewis, pp. 176–78</ref>

Opening night at the [[Virginia Theatre]] on October 17, 2002, was attended by veterans of the film and 1958 production.  Though it received warm applause from the audience, the critics mostly panned it.<ref>Lewis, pp. 180–81</ref>  Attendance was near-capacity during the first month of the run, but then dropped off precipitously.  The producers hoped the show could hold out long enough to get a boost from the Tony Awards<ref name="ahem" />  (though nominated for three, including best book, it won none),<ref name="tony" /> but in February, they announced that the show would close on March 16, 2003, after 169&nbsp;performances.  The show's backers lost their entire investment.<ref name="ahem">Lewis, pp. 185, 195, 198</ref>

The production was directed and choreographed by Longbottom, with scenic design by [[Robin Wagner (designer)|Robin Wagner]], costume design by [[Gregg Barnes]] and lighting design by [[Natasha Katz]].<ref>Rodgers, Hammerstein and Hwang, p. 3</ref>  Critic Karen Wada, in her afterword to the published script, blamed "the sluggish economy, post-September 11 jitters, the ''New York Times''' mixed review, and unusually bitter winter weather" for the unexpectedly short run.<ref>Rodgers, Hammerstein and Hwang, p. 114</ref>  Lee also felt that the influential ''Times'' review had hurt the show's acceptance, but commented that Hwang added some dialogue to Act II after the Los Angeles run that Lee felt slowed the show down.<ref name="Shin" />  The closing was followed by a national tour that garnered mixed reviews, although Hwang stated that it was well received in every city except New York.<ref>Lewis, p. 198</ref>

Subsequent productions have favored the Hwang script, although the older version remains available for license<ref>See, e.g., Hetrick, Adam. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/123001-Hwang-and-Kwan-to-Attend-Final-Benefit-Performance-of-Flower-Drum-Song-in-San-Jose "Hwang and Kwan to Attend Final Benefit Performance of ''Flower Drum Song'' in San Jose"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019011458/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/123001-Hwang-and-Kwan-to-Attend-Final-Benefit-Performance-of-Flower-Drum-Song-in-San-Jose |date=2012-10-19 }}. ''Playbill'', November 3, 2008. Retrieved December 1, 2010; Blank, Matthew. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/122962-PHOTO-CALL-Flower-Drum-Song-in-San-Jose "Photo Call: Flower Drum Song in San Jose"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018185145/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/122962-PHOTO-CALL-Flower-Drum-Song-in-San-Jose |date=2012-10-18 }}. ''Playbill'', November 2, 2008.  Retrieved December 16, 2010; Lang, Rebecca. [http://www.mndaily.com/2009/06/02/%E2%80%9Cflower-drum-song%E2%80%9D-enters-new-millennium "''Flower Drum Song'' enters the new millennium"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110508005028/http://www.mndaily.com/2009/06/02/%E2%80%9Cflower-drum-song%E2%80%9D-enters-new-millennium |date=2011-05-08 }}. ''The Minnesota Daily'', June 2, 2009. Retrieved December 1, 2010; and [http://www.muperformingarts.org/FlowerDrumSong ''Flower Drum Song''] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20110727101832/http://www.muperformingarts.org/FlowerDrumSong |date=2011-07-27 }}.  Mu Performing Arts, 2009.  Retrieved December 1, 2010</ref> and has received occasional revivals, including a 2006 staged concert as part of Ian Marshall Fisher's ''Lost Musicals'' series.  A review in London's ''[[The Times]]'' compared this production with "the much grander production of ''[[Show Boat]]'' currently docked at the [[Albert Hall]]" and judged that "''Flower Drum Song'' makes the more stimulating experience."<ref>Davis, Clive. "''Flower Drum Song''.  Lilian Baylis, [[Sadler's Wells]]", ''The Times'', June 22, 2006, p. 22</ref>

==== 2002 plot ====
'''Prologue:'''
In 1960, Wu Mei-li, a performer in [[Chinese opera]], flees China with a flower drum after her father dies in prison for defying the Communists ("A Hundred Million Miracles").

'''Act I:'''
On arrival in the United States, Mei-li goes to the Golden Pearl Theatre in San Francisco's Chinatown, where little-attended Chinese opera is presented by her father's old friend Wang Chi-yang and Wang's foster brother Chin.  One night a week, Wang's son Ta turns the theater into a nightclub, starring the very assimilated Linda Low, a Chinese-American stripper from [[Seattle]].  Linda's constant companion is a gay costume designer, Harvard (so named by his success-obsessed Chinese parents).  The nightclub is profitable; the Chinese opera is not.  Mei-li joins the opera company ("I Am Going to Like It Here") and is soon attracted to the indifferent Ta, who favors Linda.  Mei-li is fascinated by Linda, who urges her to adopt the American lifestyle ("I Enjoy Being a Girl").  Linda is soon signed by talent agent Rita Liang, who pushes Wang to turn the theater into a club full-time ("Grant Avenue"), and he reluctantly opens Club Chop Suey.

Ta slowly is becoming attracted to Mei-li, who now serves as a waitress, but he has competition from fortune cookie factory worker Chao, whom Mei-li met on the slow journey from China, and who is rapidly becoming discontented with America.  Wang is also unhappy, despite the club's success, and it is no consolation the crowd is having a good time – after all, in the old country, no crowd ever came to his theater expecting to enjoy themselves.  Outraged at Harvard's poor acting skills, Wang takes the stage in his place, his stage instincts take over ("Gliding Through My Memories"), and he is soon an enthusiastic supporter of the change, taking the stage name Sammy Fong.  Linda advises Mei-li to put on one of her old stripper dresses to attract Ta, but the stratagem backfires, since Ta is attracted to Mei-li because of her wholesomeness.  Ta and Mei-li quarrel; she takes her flower drum and leaves Club Chop Suey.

'''Act II:'''
Several months pass, and Club Chop Suey has become even flashier ("Chop Suey").  Ta can not forget Mei-li, and his uncle Chin (a janitor under the new regime) advises Ta to pursue her ("My Best Love").  He finds her in a fortune cookie factory working alongside Chao.  Mei-li tells Ta that she and Chao have decided to return to China together, or at least to [[Hong Kong]], then administered by the British.  Meanwhile, Wang now finds himself attracted to Madam Liang, and the two have dinner together, though they decide not to marry ("Don't Marry Me").  They marry anyway.

Linda announces that she is leaving for Los Angeles, as Wang's "Sammy Fong" act has effectively taken over the show, and she has received a better offer.  Ta intercepts Mei-li at the docks and persuades her to remain in America; Ta leaves Club Chop Suey and the two become street performers as Chao departs for Hong Kong.  Harvard announces his intention to return home and attempt a reconciliation with his disappointed parents.  Despite his irritation at Ta, Wang allows him to marry Mei-li at the club (which now features Ta's Chinese opera one day a week), as the company celebrates how Chinese and American cultures have converged to create this happy moment (Finale:  "A Hundred Million Miracles").<ref>Rodgers, Hammerstein and Hwang, pp. 9–98</ref>

== Critical reception ==
=== Original productions ===
Of the seven major New York newspaper drama reviewers, five gave the show very positive reviews.  For example, ''[[New York Journal American]]'' critic John McClain stated, "''Flower Drum Song'' is a big fat Rodgers and Hammerstein hit, and nothing written here will have the slightest effect on the proceeds."<ref name="seven" />  The ''[[New York Daily Mirror]]'' termed it, "Another notable work by the outstanding craftsmen of our musical theatre&nbsp;... a lovely show, an outstanding one in theme and treatment."<ref>{{cite web |title=Press |work=Flower Drum Song |publisher=R&H Theatricals |url=http://www.rnh.com/show/36/Flower-Drum-Song#shows-press |access-date=April 10, 2011 |archive-date=April 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110414013228/http://www.rnh.com/show/36/Flower-Drum-Song#shows-press |url-status=live }}</ref>  Less enthusiastic, however, was the longtime ''[[The New York Times|New York Times]]'' critic, [[Brooks Atkinson]], who repeatedly described it as merely "pleasant".<ref name="seven">Lewis, pp. 79–82</ref>  UPI's drama critic, Jack Gaver, scored it as "well north of ''Me and Juliet'' and ''Pipe Dream''" but "well south" of ''Oklahoma!'', ''Carousel'', ''South Pacific'' and even the team's first flop, ''[[Allegro (musical)|Allegro]]''.<ref>{{cite news | last = Gaver | first = Jack | title = ''Flower Drum Song'' – scores mild hit | newspaper = St. Petersburg Times | page = 6–C | publisher = UPI via St. Petersburg Times | date = December 3, 1958 | url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=egYyAAAAIBAJ&dq=flower%20drum%20song&pg=7403%2C1019568 | access-date = October 30, 2010 | archive-date = October 16, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20221016050215/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=egYyAAAAIBAJ&dq=flower%20drum%20song&pg=7403%2C1019568 | url-status = live }}</ref>  [[Ward Morehouse]] applauded Suzuki for having "a brassy voice and the assurance of a younger [[Ethel Merman]]" and termed the production "an excellent Broadway show" though "<nowiki>[p]</nowiki>erhaps it doesn't belong in the same world&nbsp;... as ''The King and I'' and ''Carousel''."<ref>{{cite news | last = Morehouse | first = Ward | title = Rodgers and Hammerstein score again with ''Flower Drum Song'' | newspaper = The Blade (Toledo, Ohio) | page = 3, Section 4 | publisher = NANA via The Blade (Toledo, Ohio) | date = December 7, 1958 | url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bAUkAAAAIBAJ&pg=7385%2C269226 | access-date = October 30, 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>  Critic [[Kenneth Tynan]], in ''[[The New Yorker]]'' magazine, alluded to the show ''[[The World of Suzie Wong (play)|The World of Suzie Wong]]'' in dismissing ''Flower Drum Song'' with the [[spoonerism]], "a world of woozy song".<ref>Rodgers, Hammerstein and Hwang, p. 105</ref><!-- Note: [[Nancy Kwan]], who was Linda Low in the 1961 movie, starred in the title role of the 1960 film, ''The World of Suzie Wong''. -->

When the national tour of the show visited the city of its setting, most San Francisco reviewers gave the show very positive reviews, though the ''[[Oakland Tribune]]'' critic described the musical as one "which has little by way of witty dialogue, outstanding songs or vigorous choreography".  Nevertheless, she called the touring production superior to the Broadway one.<ref name="sf">Lewis, pp. 95–97</ref>

=== 2002 revival ===
Michael Phillips of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' called the show "wholly revised and gleefully self-aware&nbsp;... a few tons short of a mega-musical – no fake helicopters here, no power ballads saccharine enough to stop Communism in its tracks."<ref name="lareview">Lewis, p. 169</ref>  ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' thought the revival was, "while not perfect, an exhilarating accomplishment".<ref name="lareview" />  ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called it "a bold theatrical operation, an artistic success".<ref name="lareview" />

Critics reviewing the New York production generally gave it poor reviews.<ref name="poor" />   [[Ben Brantley]] of ''The New York Times'' applauded the creative team's "honorable intentions" in bringing back a work thought to be "terminally out-of-date", but felt both the new Mei-li and the show in general lacked personality.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite news | last = Brantley | first = Ben | title = New coat of paint for old pagoda | periodical = The New York Times | date = October 18, 2002 | url = http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?_r=2&html_title=&tols_title=FLOWER%20DRUM%20SONG%20%28PLAY%29&pdate=20021018&byline=By%20BEN%20BRANTLEY&id=1077011429978&scp=1&sq=flower%20drum%20song%20hwang&st=cse | access-date = November 4, 2010 | archive-date = December 15, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231215172750/https://www.nytimes.com/section/theater?_r=2&html_title=&tols_title=FLOWER%2520DRUM%2520SONG%2520%2528PLAY%2529&pdate=20021018&byline=By%2520BEN%2520BRANTLEY&id=1077011429978&scp=1&sq=flower%2520drum%2520song%2520hwang&st=cse | url-status = live }} (requires registration)</ref>  Howard Kissel of the ''[[New York Daily News]]'' termed it "an entertaining, albeit vulgar revival", and [[Clive Barnes (critic)|Clive Barnes]] of the ''[[New York Post]]'' found it no more memorable than the earlier version.<ref name="poor" />  The review in ''Talkin' Broadway'' is scathing, criticizing Hwang's use of the songs and characters, and the orchestrations, and commenting: "Hwang's book lacks much of the charm, warmth, and wit of the original, and never takes the high road where the low road will do. ... Hwang felt it necessary to reduce the original, uniquely colorful story into just another backstager with a love triangle and lame jokes."<ref name="talkin">Murray, Matthew. [http://www.talkinbroadway.com/world/FlowerDrumSong.html "''Flower Drum Song''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213173107/http://talkinbroadway.com/world/FlowerDrumSong.html |date=2010-02-13 }}. ''Talkin' Broadway'', October 17, 2002. Retrieved December 1, 2010</ref>  Michael Kuchwara commented in his lukewarm review for Associated Press:  "Then there's Linda Low's gay confidante, Harvard.  Talk about stereotypes.  If you are going to perpetuate one at least give him better jokes."<ref name="poor">Lewis, pp. 181–83</ref>   On the other hand, both ''[[USA Today]]'' and [[Time (magazine)|''Time'' magazine]] gave it positive reviews.  The ''CurtainUp'' review was mostly positive and observed that Hwang and Longbottom "were able to keep numbers like 'Chop Suey' and milk it for its razzle-dazzle fun while using its condescending stereotyping as a springboard to satirize attitudes towards Asians."<ref>Sommer, Elyse. [http://www.curtainup.com/flowerdrumsongny.html "A ''CurtainUp'' Review: ''Flower Drum Song''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927005048/http://www.curtainup.com/flowerdrumsongny.html |date=2007-09-27 }}. CurtainUp.com, October 2002. Retrieved November 28, 2010</ref>  Brantley disagreed, writing, "because the show's satiric point of view is so muddled, there's no verve in such numbers, no joy in the performing of them."<ref name="nytimes" />

In 2006, David Lewis compared the original script to Hwang's version:
<blockquote>History never completely goes away.  Hwang's champions are unlikely to fade away, either, in rhetorical defeat.  Dick and Oscar and Joe mined C. Y. Lee's novel for the generational conflict and for the three women who substantiated Ta's honorable search for love.  Those themes, like it or not, still resonate today.<ref>Lewis, p. 204</ref></blockquote>

== Music and recordings ==
[[File:Rodgers.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Photo of Rodgers, in middle age, seated in a theatre, wearing a suit, and holding a cigarette|Richard Rodgers]]
Rodgers and Hammerstein sought to give the new work an Eastern flavor, without using existing oriental music.<ref name="or" />  According to Ben Brantley in his review of the 2002 Broadway revival, the use by Rodgers "of repetitive Eastern musical structures gives the numbers a sing-song catchiness that, for better or worse, exerts a sticky hold on the memory."<ref name="nytimes" />  The most oriental-sounding song in the work is "A Hundred Million Miracles", which provides the eight-note drumbeat which is the musical signature of the work from overture to curtain.<ref>Hischak, p. 120</ref>  Hammerstein wrote Mei Li's first act song, "I Am Going to Like It Here", in a Malaysian poetic form called ''[[pantoum]]'' in which the second and fourth lines of each stanza become the first and third lines of the next.<ref name="rr" /><ref name="or">Lewis, p. 70</ref>  One critic thought that the 2001 version's orchestrations "boast more Asian accents and a jazzier edge than the original",<ref name="Berson" /> but another felt that they "pale in comparison" to Bennett's typically lilting sound.<ref name="talkin" />

As with many of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals, the work features a ballet at the start of the second act, choreographed in the original production by Carol Haney.<ref name="ballet" />  The ballet dramatizes the confused romantic longings of Wang Ta towards the women in his life, and ends as he awakens in Helen Chao's bed.<ref>Lewis, p. 34</ref>  Thomas Hischak, in his ''The Rodgers and Hammerstein Encyclopedia'', notes that the ballets in ''Oklahoma!'' and ''Carousel'' (choreographed by [[Agnes de Mille]]) broke new ground in illustrating facets of the characters beyond what is learned in songs and dialogue, but describes the ballet in ''Flower Drum Song'' as "pleasant but not memorable".<ref name="ballet">Hischak, pp. 21–22</ref>  Although Hischak describes Rodgers as "the greatest waltz composer America has ever seen",<ref>Hischak, p. 308</ref> ''Flower Drum Song'' was the first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical not to feature one.<ref name="or" />

[[File:Salvatore Dellisola.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Salvatore Dell'Isola won a Tony in 1958 as music director and conducted the cast album.]]
Several of the characters are given "I am" songs that introduce them to the audience, allowing the character to express his dreams or desires and for onlookers to establish empathy with the character.  Linda Low, for example, expresses her self-confidence with "[[I Enjoy Being a Girl (song)|I Enjoy Being a Girl]]"; we learn Mei Li's hopes with the quieter "I Am Going to Like It Here".<ref>Hischak, pp. 121–22</ref>  Although not a formal musical number, the brief "You Be the Rock, I'll Be the Roll", sung and danced by Linda and by Wang San, Ta's Americanized teenage brother, was described by Lewis as "virtually the first self-consciously rock and roll ditty ever sung" in a Broadway musical.<ref name="wok n roll">Lewis, p. 74</ref>  Patrick Adiarte, who originated the role of Wang San, however, saw it as "corny stuff&nbsp;... put in there to get a laugh".<ref name="wok n roll" />  Helen Chao's sad "Love, Look Away" is described by Lewis as "arguably the most tautly crafted blues song Dick and Oscar ever wrote".<ref name="or" />

Having decided that record companies were profiting more from the sales of their [[cast albums]] than they were, Rodgers and Hammerstein formed their own record company to produce the cast recording for the original production of ''Flower Drum Song''.  The album sold a relatively modest 300,000&nbsp;copies, compared with sales of over a million copies for Rodgers and Hammerstein's next and final musical, ''[[The Sound of Music]]''.<ref>{{cite book | last = Sanjek | first = Russell | title = American popular music and its business: the first four hundred years | publisher = Oxford University Press (US) | location = New York, N.Y. | year = 1988 | volume = 4 | isbn = 0-19-504311-1 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=EzVesnkLEtUC | pages = 352–53 | access-date = 2016-07-13 | archive-date = 2023-12-15 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231215172751/https://books.google.com/books?id=EzVesnkLEtUC | url-status = live }}</ref>  Still, it was certified as a [[Music recording sales certification|gold record]] for having at least a million dollars in sales,<ref>Nolan, p. 265</ref> and it spent 67 weeks in the U.S. Top 40, three of them at number&nbsp;1, and also did well in the UK when the show opened there in 1960.<ref>[http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/epm/91227 "Original Broadway Cast – Flower Drum Song"]. ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', Oxford Music Online.  Retrieved December 3, 2010 {{subscription required}}</ref>  The original cast album is relatively complete, even including parts of the Wedding Parade, though it does not include the ballet.<ref name="enc" />

In 1960, the London cast recording was released.  According to Hischak, the individual performers do not sing as well as the New York cast; the London recording's strong points are the nightclub numbers.  The 1961 album from the film uses a larger orchestra and, according to Hischak, has a fuller sound than the Broadway recording.  It features dubbing by the opera singer [[Marilyn Horne]] ("Love, Look Away") and band singer [[B. J. Baker]] (for Linda Low's songs).  A cast album for Hwang's revision was released in 2002 featuring strong performances from [[Lea Salonga]] as Mei-li and [[Jose Llana]] as Wang Ta.  This was nominated for a Grammy,<ref name="Lewis, p. 28" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Grammy Award Nominees |publisher=Music Library Service Company |url=http://www.mlscmusic.com/content/charts%20awards/46grammy%20nom%20list.pdf |access-date=November 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714103936/http://www.mlscmusic.com/content/charts%20awards/46grammy%20nom%20list.pdf |archive-date=July 14, 2011 }}</ref> though it did not win.<ref>{{cite news  | title = Grammy Award Winners | newspaper = The New York Times |  url = https://www.nytimes.com/ref/arts/music/08grammy-list.htm |  archive-url = https://archive.today/20120909090831/http://www.nytimes.com/ref/arts/music/08grammy-list.htm |  url-status = dead |  archive-date = September 9, 2012 | access-date = November 5, 2010 | date=December 8, 2003}}</ref>  Hischak notes that it is unfair to compare the later version with its earlier predecessors, as Hwang's version "has some of the dark corners and richness of a musical play".<ref name="enc" />

== Musical numbers (original version) ==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''Act I'''<ref name="enc" />
* Overture
* You Are Beautiful – Ta and Madam Liang
* A Hundred Million Miracles – Mei Li, Dr. Li, Wang, Madam Liang and Liu Ma
* [[I Enjoy Being a Girl (song)|I Enjoy Being a Girl]] – Linda and Company
* I Am Going to Like It Here – Mei Li
* Like a God – Ta
* Chop Suey – Madam Liang, Wang and Ensemble
* Don't Marry Me – Sammy Fong and Mei Li
* Grant Avenue – Linda and Ensemble
* Love, Look Away – Helen
* Fan Tan Fannie – Frankie and Girls
* Gliding Through My Memories – Frankie and Girls
* Finale: Grant Avenue – Linda and Girls
{{col-break}}

'''Act II'''<ref name="enc" />
* Ballet
* Love, Look Away (Reprise) – Helen
* The Other Generation – Madam Liang and Wang
* Sunday – Linda and Sammy Fong
* The Other Generation  (Reprise) – Wang San and Children
* Wedding Parade – Mei Li and Dancers
* Finale – Company
{{col-end}}

The 2002 revival restored "My Best Love", a song that was cut from the original production, which is sung by Chin.  "The Other Generation" was cut from the revival.

== Cast ==
The principal casts of major productions of the musical (and of the film) have been as follows:
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
!
! Mei Li
! Linda Low
! Wang Chi-yang
! Wang Ta
! Madam Liang
! Sammy Fong
! Helen Chao
! Frankie Wing
|-
! 1958 Broadway<ref name="enc" />
| [[Miyoshi Umeki]]
| [[Pat Suzuki]]
| [[Keye Luke]]
| [[Ed Kenney]]
| [[Juanita Hall]]
| [[Larry Blyden]]
| Arabella Hong
| [[Jack Soo]]
|-
! 1960 London<ref name="enc" />
| Yau Shan Tung
| Yama Saki
| George Minami
| Kevin Scott
| Ida Shepley
| Tim Herbert
| Joan Pethers
| [[Leon Thau]]
|-
! 1961 film<ref name="enc" />
| [[Miyoshi Umeki]]
| [[Nancy Kwan]]*
| [[Benson Fong]]
| [[James Shigeta]]
| [[Juanita Hall]]
| [[Jack Soo]]
| [[Reiko Sato]]*
| [[Victor Sen Yung]]
|-
! 2002 Broadway<ref name="2002 Broadway cast">Rodgers, Hammerstein and Hwang, pp. 2–3</ref>
| [[Lea Salonga]]
| Sandra Allen
| [[Randall Duk Kim]]
| [[Jose Llana]]
| [[Jodi Long]]
| –
| –
| –
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Linda Low's singing voice was dubbed by [[B. J. Baker]], and Chao's "Love, Look Away" was dubbed by [[Marilyn Horne]]. <br /> 
Dashes indicate roles cut from 2002 production.  The 2002 production also featured [[Alvin Ing]] as Chin, Allen Liu as Harvard and [[Hoon Lee]] as Chao.<ref name="2002 Broadway cast" />

== Awards and nominations ==
=== Original Broadway production ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
! width="5%" | Year
! width="20%" | Award
! width="40%" | Category
! width="20%" | Nominee
! width="10%" | Result
! width="5%" | Ref
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center" | 1958
| rowspan="6" | [[Tony Award]]
| colspan="2" | [[Tony Award for Best Musical|Best Musical]]
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="6" align="center" | <ref name="tony">{{cite web | title = Search past winners—''Flower Drum Song'' | work = Tony Awards | publisher = American Theatre Wing | url = https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/?q=Flower%20Drum%20Song | access-date = October 30, 2010 | archive-date = October 17, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211017172444/https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/?q=Flower%20Drum%20Song | url-status = live }}</ref>
|-
| [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical|Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical]]
| [[Larry Blyden]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical|Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical]]
| [[Miyoshi Umeki]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Tony Award for Best Choreography|Best Choreography]]
| [[Carol Haney]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Tony Award for Best Conductor and Musical Director|Best Conductor and Musical Director]]
| [[Salvatore Dell'Isola]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Tony Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]]
| [[Irene Sharaff]]
| {{nom}}
|}

=== 2002 Broadway revival ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
! width="5%" | Year
! width="20%" | Award
! width="40%" | Category
! width="20%" | Nominee
! width="10%" | Result
! width="5%" | Ref
|-
| rowspan="3" align="center" | 2002
| rowspan="3" | [[Tony Award]]
| [[Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical|Best Book of a Musical]]
| [[David Henry Hwang]]
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="3" align="center" | <ref name="tony" />
|-
| [[Tony Award for Best Choreography|Best Choreography]]
| [[Robert Longbottom]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Tony Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]]
| [[Gregg Barnes]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| align="center" | 2004
| [[Grammy Award]]
| colspan="2" | [[Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album|Best Musical Show Album]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" | <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mlscmusic.com/content/Charts%20Awards/46Grammy%20Nom%20List.pdf|title=2004 Grammy Nominees|publisher=Music Library Service Company|access-date=December 2, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714103936/http://www.mlscmusic.com/content/charts%20awards/46grammy%20nom%20list.pdf|archive-date=July 14, 2011}}</ref>
|}

== References ==
=== Notes ===
{{Reflist|20em}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book|author=Block, Geoffrey|year=2003|title=Richard Rodgers|publisher=Yale University Press|location=New Haven, Conn.|isbn=0-300-09747-6|url=https://archive.org/details/richardrodgers00bloc}}
* {{cite book|author1=Bloom, Ken  |author2=Vlastnik, Frank|year=2004|title=Broadway Musicals: The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time|publisher= Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers|location=New York|isbn=1-57912-390-2}}
* {{cite book|author=Fordin, Hugh|year=1995|title=Getting to Know Him: A Biography of Oscar Hammerstein II|publisher=Da Capo Press|edition =reprint of 1986|location=Jefferson, N.C.|isbn=0-7864-2246-7}}
* {{cite book  | last = Hischak  | first =Thomas S.   | title = The Rodgers and Hammerstein Encyclopedia  | publisher = Greenwood Publishing Group  | year = 2007  | location = Westport, Conn.  | pages = 84–88  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=CsbEP_Mu50EC&q=Flower+drum+song+london&pg=PA86  | access-date = October 29, 2010  | isbn = 978-0-313-34140-3}}
* {{cite book|author=Lewis, David H.|year=2006|title=Flower Drum Songs: The Story of Two Musicals|publisher=McFarland and Co. Inc.|location=Jefferson, N.C.|isbn=0-7864-2246-7}}
* {{cite book|author=Nolan, Frederick|year=2002|title=The Sound of Their Music: The Story of Rodgers and Hammerstein|publisher=Applause Theatre and Cinema Books|location=Cambridge, Mass.|isbn=0-306-80668-1}}
* {{cite book|author1=Rodgers, Richard|author2=Hammerstein, Oscar|author3= Hwang, David Henry|year=2003| title=Flower Drum Song|publisher=Theatre Communications Group|location=New York, N.Y.|isbn=1-55936-222-7}}
* {{cite book|author=Secrest, Meryle|year=2001|title=Somewhere for Me: A Biography of Richard Rodgers|publisher=Applause Theatre and Cinema Books|location=Cambridge, Mass|isbn=1-55783-581-0|url=https://archive.org/details/somewhereformebi00secr}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area}}
* {{IBDB title|2719|Flower Drum Song|(1958 production)}}
* {{IBDB title|13310|Flower Drum Song|(2002 production)}}
* [https://rodgersandhammerstein.com/production/flower-drum-song/1958-original-broadway-production ''Flower Drum Song'' (1958 production) at R&H Theatricals website]
* [https://rodgersandhammerstein.com/flower-drum-song-synopsis/ ''Flower Drum Song'' (2002 synopsis) at R&H Theatricals website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100822070718/http://www.playbill.com/features/article/72778-PLAYBILL-ARCHIVES-Flower-Drum-Song-1958 Feature on the 1958 ''Playbill'' for ''Flower Drum Song'']
* [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1136186 ''NPR'' news, January 2002, feature about Hwang's script]
* [http://www.talkinbroadway.com/bookreviews/flowerdrumsongs.html Review of the book ''Flower Drum Songs: The Story of Two Musicals''] by David H. Lewis (2006)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121019011437/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/125775-Leung-Long-Ceraulo-and-More-Will-Celebrate-Flower-Drum-Songs-50th-Anniversary ''Playbill'' article on 50th Anniversary of ''Flower Drum Song'']
* [https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/collections/billy-rose-theatre-collection-photograph-file#/?tab=navigation&roots=10:faedad60-c577-012f-9d32-58d385a7bc34/1002:5c9dcbc0-ffa4-012f-5788-58d385a7bc34 ''Flower Drum Song'' (1958 staging) still images at the New York Public Library]

{{Rodgers and Hammerstein}}
{{Joseph Fields}}
{{David Henry Hwang}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1958 musicals]]
[[Category:Asian-American issues]]
[[Category:Asian-American plays]]
[[Category:Broadway musicals]]
[[Category:Musicals by Rodgers and Hammerstein]]
[[Category:Musicals based on novels]]
[[Category:Musicals set in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Chinatown, San Francisco in fiction]]
[[Category:Tony Award–winning musicals]]