Rodgers & Hammerstein’s
FLOWER DRUM SONG (Hwang Version)
Music by RICHARD RODGERS Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II
Book by DAVID HENRY HWANG
Based on the original book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joseph Fields
Based on the novel by C.Y. Lee
This new adaptation by Tony Award-Winner David Henry Hwang tells the tale of Mei-Li, who flees Mao's communist China after the murder of her father and finds herself in San Francisco's Chinatown. This naïve young refugee is befriended by Wang, who is struggling to keep the Chinese opera tradition alive despite his son's determination to turn the old opera house into a swingin' Western-style nightclub. A unique blending of American razz-ma-tazz and stylized Chinese opera traditions creates a beautifully theatrical tapestry. The wonderful score, by turns lushly romantic and showbiz-brassy, retains all of its luster in this lovely new version of an American classic. Mei-Li's gradual assimilation is informed by her realization that the old and new can coexist when there is respect for both. This hit show features such hits as “I Enjoy Being A Girl” “A Hundred Million Miracles” “Grant Avenue” and “Love Look Away”.
