
Overview
Synopsis
When Mei-Li’s father is murdered, she flees communist China on the boat to San Francisco. Alone and uncertain in a Western world, she seeks out an old friend of her father, Wang Chi-Yang. Wang is trying to keep the Chinese opera tradition alive in San Francisco’s Chinatown but he is struggling to get audiences through the doors. However, his son Wang Ta is determined to transform the opera house into a swinging nightclub. The conflict between first-generation immigrants and their descendants rages as they endeavor to find a balance between assimilating into American culture and revering traditions inherited from old. Can old and new coexist if there is respect for both? Meanwhile, romance struggles to find its way when a love triangle forms between Mei-Li, Ta, and Linda, the nightclub’s star performer. With a luscious blend of American showmanship and stylized Chinese opera tradition, David Henry Hwang transforms a classic Golden Age musical for the twenty-first century.
Show Information
- Book
- David Henry Hwang
- Music
- Richard Rodgers
- Lyrics
- Oscar Hammerstein II
- Based on the Play/Book/Film
- C.Y. Lee The Flower Drum Song (1957 novel)
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1958
- Genres
- Romance
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- China, San Francisco's Chinatown , 1960
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- Heavy
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- College/University, Diverse Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult, Mature Adult, Late Teen Characters, Medium Cast
Context
This guide is based on the updated 2002 version of Flower Drum Song. The revised production featured a book by David Henry Hwang, which was based on the original book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joseph Fields. Hwang’s updated script retains the Chinatown setting, along with the intergenerational and immigrant themes, but emphasizes the romantic relationships in the show. For example, the character of Mei-Li is transformed from a mail order bride to a refugee from communist China.
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Characters
Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
---|---|---|---|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
Supporting |
Female |
Alto |
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
|
Supporting |
Female |
Alto |
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
Songs
Act One
- 1. Prologue, Part I (“A Hundred Million Miracles”) – Mei-Li & Ensemble
- 1a. Prologue, Part II – Orchestra
- 1b. Prologue, Part III (“A Hundred Million Miracles”) – Mei-Li and Ensemble
- 2. “The Golden Pearl Theater” – Ensemble
- 3. “I Am Going To Like It Here” – Mei-Li
- 3a. “Jazz Bit” – Showgirls
- 3b. You Be The Rock – Orchestra
- 4. “I Enjoy Being A Girl” Part I – Linda
- 4a. “I Enjoy Being A Girl” Part II – Linda & Ensemble
- 4b. “I Enjoy Being A Girl” Playoff – Linda & Men
- 5. The Flower Drum – Orchestra
- 6. “You Are Beautiful” – Mei-Li & Ta
- 6a. “Flower Boat Dance” – Ta & Mei-Li
- 7. “Grant Avenue” – Madame Liang, Linda, Harvard, Ta, Mei-Li & Wang
- 7. “Grant Avenue” Parade – Madame Liang, Chin & Ensemble
- 7. Grant Avenue Playoff – Orchestra
- 8. “Sunday” – Ta & Mei-Li
- 8a. Scene Change (Mai Tai) – Orchestra
- 9. “I Enjoy Being A Girl (Reprise)” – Mei-Li
- 10. “Fan Tan Fannie” – Linda & Ensemble
- 10. “Fan Tan Fannie” Playoff – Linda, Women & Harvard
- 11. “Gliding Through My Memoree” – Wang & Ensemble
- 11a. The Most Filial Son – Orchestra
- 11b. The Girl in the Yellow Dress – Orchestra
- 11c. Let’s Make an Exit – Orchestra
- 12. Finale Act I (“A Hundred Million Miracles”) – Mei-Li & Ensemble
Act Two
- 13. “Chop Suey” Part I – Wang & Ensemble
- 14. “Chop Suey” Part II – Liang, Wang & Ensemble
- 15. Ta’s Memory – Orchestra
- 16. “My Best Love” – Chin
- 17. The Fortune Cookie Factory (“I Am Going To Like It Here” Reprise) – Mei-Li, Chao & Workers
- 18. Fish Heads & Chicken Feet – Orchestra
- 18a. To the Golden Dragon – Orchestra
- 18b. Cocktails on the House – Orchestra
- 19. “Don’t Marry Me” – Madame Liang & Wang
- 19. Don’t Marry Me Playoff – Orchestra
- 20. “At the Docks” – Mei-Li & Emigrants
- 20a. “Love, Look Away” – Mei-Li & Emigrants
- 21. Return to the Golden Pearl (“You Are Beautiful” Reprise) – Ta
- 21a. Wang Plays the Girl – Orchestra
- 22. “Like a God” – Ta
- 22a. “Prayer”/”Like A God” Reprise – Mei-Li & Ta
- 23. Finale, Part I (The Processional) – Orchestra
- 24. Finale, Part II (Wedding Monologues) – Orchestra
- 25. Finale, Part III (“A Hundred Million Miracles” Reprise) – Company
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
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