Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang will again revise the book to Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song, this time for a new staging at Los Angeles' East West Players. The revival is set to perform at the California theatre May 28-June 21, 2026. Lily Tung Crystal will direct, with opening night set for May 31.
The original version of the musical, which premiered on Broadway in 1958, is not exactly a shining example of authentic depictions of Asian American communities, centering on a Bay Area group of Chinese immigrants torn between their traditional values and American assimilation. Hwang first revised the title for a 2002 Broadway revival, describing it as essentially a new musical with the same songs—including "A Hundred Million Miracles," "I Enjoy Being a Girl," and "Love, Look Away." The new version, which retained the setting and some of the character names but little else from the original book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joseph Fields from a novel by C.Y. Lee, played just a brief run on Broadway of 169 performances. Hwang's plot follows a young Chinese opera star fleeing communism, who finds herself swept away by nightclub culture in America. It's not clear what further revisions are expected for the upcoming staging.
“My history with East West Players started when I was 10 years old. My mother was the pianist for one of their first productions, Menotti’s operetta The Medium, directed by Mako,” says Hwang in a statement. “At an early age, I saw people who looked like me as actors and artistic leaders, which perhaps made it possible for me to envision myself as a playwright when I got to college years later. In 2002, EWP co-produced my new version of Flower Drum Song, which premiered at the Mark Taper Forum before moving to Broadway. I’m thrilled to revisit and further revise this classic musical, working once again with the company that has been at the heart of my entire artistic life.”
“As a theatre kid growing up, I'll never forget the first time I saw Flower Drum Song—it was pure magic seeing faces like mine light up the silver screen in a major Hollywood production," says Crystal of the stage musical's 1961 film version. "The original has its share of flaws and stereotypes, but it nonetheless holds a special place in my heart. Watching David's Tony Award-winning M. Butterfly on Broadway opened my eyes to what seemed impossible: a real path in theatre for an Asian American artist like me. This feels like a watershed moment—directing one of my most cherished musicals written by a playwright I've long admired, whose name graces our theatre's marquee in my first season as artistic director of East West Players. After directing and bringing David's first adaptation of Flower Drum Song to life in 2019, I'm deeply honored to collaborate with him in shepherding the next iteration of this musical that has meant so much to the Asian American community.”
The musical is part of the company's newly announced 60th anniversary season, which also includes Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band, running February 13-March 9, 2025, directed by Chay Yew; Philip Kan Gotanda's Yankee Dawg You Die, running July 3-July 27, 2025; Prince Gomolvila's The Brothers Paranormal sequel Paranormal Inside, running October 9-November 2, 2025, directed by Jeff Liu; and Jaclyn Backhaus's Wives, running March 5-29, 2026.
More details and a full schedule are at EastWestPlayers.org.
