Synopses & Reviews
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 ClubA 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 Hwangs updated book to the 1958 Broadway musical Flower Drum Song by Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II and Joseph Fields. Set in San Franciscos 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 Hwangs 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.
Review
Flower Drum Song shines in this jubilant, top-to-bottom revision. David Henry Hwangs wised-up book adds more humor and political savvy and fits perfectly into Robert Longbottoms seductive and opulent musical.”- David Cote,
Time Out New YorkPart fashion show, part nightclub act, part hymn to Asian American diversity, Flower Drum Songs intelligence may be rooted in Asian American cultural contradictions, but its heart belongs to Broadway.” John Lahr, New Yorker
The dramatist and his director-choreographer, Robert Longbottom, have worked brilliantly
to create a new Broadway show of high and low seriousness, which was Rodger and Hammersteins intention in the first place.” John Heilpern, New York Observer
David Henry Hwang and Robert Longbottom have retained the shows irresistible sweetness and added more of the unabashed grandeur that distinguishes Rodgers and Hammersteins best-loved material.” Elysa Gardner, USA Today
"A bold theatrical operation, an artistic success, revealing a revitalized score and a dramatic complexion thats far richer than the original."Variety
Synopsis
"A funny and clever radical revision of the 1958 Broadway hit."—Time magazine
"An artistic success, revealing a revitalized score and a dramatic complexion that’s far richer than the original."—Variety
"One of the Year’s 10 Best."—Los Angeles Times
One of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most compelling love stories is re-made enchantingly in a new adaptation by the renowned Asian-American playwright, David Henry Hwang. This new version was a runaway hit last year in Los Angeles and now is playing on Broadway. Set in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late fifties, this is a funny and moving story which explores what it means to be an American and touches the history of every person whose forebearers once arrived as a stranger to these shores. The book also includes an essay by cultural critic Karen Wada on the history of Flower Drum Song and its relationship to the Asian-American community.
David Henry Hwang was awarded the 1988 Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and John Gassner Awards for his Broadway debut, M. Butterfly, which was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His most recent play Golden Child received a Tony nomination and a 1997 OBIE Award.
Synopsis
Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang revitalizes the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.
About the Author
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.