flower drum song

"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. [92], 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. The Lis arrive at the Celestial Gardens during a show ("Fan Tan Fannie"). [22] 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 (with Jack Paar) and The Ed Sullivan Show. Lee. Act II: The screenplay was written by Joseph Fields, who had previously collaborated with Hammerstein on the libretto for the musical, but had not previously written a major musical film; likewise, the director Henry Koster and producer Ross Hunter were working on their first musical film. The musical film was adapted from the Broadway musical of the same name that released in 1958, which in turn was originally based on the 1957 novel of the same … [29], The show opened in London's Palace Theatre on March 24, 1960 and ran for 464 performances. However, he was busy starring in The Sound and the Fury, and they could not negotiate his release from Twentieth-Century Fox. [92] 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. [10] In June 1957, Rodgers checked himself into Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic, and he remained there for twelve weeks. C.Y. Flower Drum Song (film)-Wikipedia. Even professional companies found it difficult to round up an entire cast of Asian singer-dancer-actors. [39] A private screening was held for President John F. Kennedy and his family at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port on November 24. 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."[81]. It is based on the 1957 novel, The Flower Drum Song, by Chinese-American author C. Y. Lee. "[29], When rehearsals began in September 1958, Hammerstein was absent, still recuperating from his surgery. The 2002 production also featured Alvin Ing as Chin, Allen Liu as Harvard and Hoon Lee as Chao. [42] After three weeks in Detroit, the show moved to Los Angeles, where the premiere attracted a star-studded audience, including three Scandinavian princesses. ), but in the same breath one can easily discredit it for its stereotypical portrayal of Asian people. 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. Parodies of the song including a U.S. Gap company commercial with Sarah Jessica Parker. The film was first issued on VHS in 1986,[48][49] then reissued in 1991 followed by a LaserDisc version in 1992 by MCA Home Video. The producers hoped the show could hold out long enough to get a boost from the Tony Awards[75] (though nominated for three, including best book, it won none),[76] but in February, they announced that the show would close on March 16, 2003, after 169 performances. 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"). Although set in San Francisco, only a few scenes were actually filmed on location,[31] including a scene with Kwan and Shigeta on Twin Peaks. It received mostly poor reviews in New York and closed after six months but had a short tour and has since been produced regionally. [91], Rodgers and Hammerstein sought to give the new work an Eastern flavor, without using existing oriental music. "[8], Some Asian-Americans have found the film offensive in later years due to common stereotypes and what was seen as miscasting Japanese American actors Shigeta and Umeki in Chinese American roles. No formal audition was held in San Francisco's Chinatown, and the only find was 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. 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. Ta leaves the lonely Helen, totally oblivious to her attempts to interest him. Flower Drum Song (Original, Musical, Comedy, Broadway) opened in New York City Dec 1, 1958 and played through May 7, 1960. Linda's constant companion is a gay costume designer, Harvard (so named by his success-obsessed Chinese parents). She and her father leave Master Wang's house and pursue the marriage contract between Mei Li and Sammy Fong. [16] 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."[14]. When it was put on the stage, lines and songs that might be offensive were often cut. [88] 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. [36] The production returned $125,000 profit to its backers on an investment of $360,000. "[89] Michael Kuchwara commented in his lukewarm review for Associated Press: "Then there's Linda Low's gay confidante, Harvard. [5] While Oklahoma! [14] 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. The firm sent the manuscript to an elderly reader for evaluation. 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. [13], 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". In the morning, Mei Li delivers Master Wang's coat for Helen to mend and is distressed to see Ta's dinner jacket there. He vows to marry her after she is falsely accused by the household servants of stealing a clock, though his father forbids it. [27] Another African-American performer, Diahann Carroll, was considered for the cast but not hired. Discover releases, reviews, track listings, recommendations, and more about Rodgers & Hammerstein In Association With Joseph Fields - Flower Drum Song at Discogs. C.Y. [44] Geary Street, on which the theatre is located, was decorated with Chinese lanterns, and a marching band of "Chinese girl musicians" played outside. The show's backers lost their entire investment. [103] 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".[31]. 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. A woman and her father travel from Hong Kong to San Francisco, California, prepared to carry out the old tradition of having an arranged marriage. [14] 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. '"[46] Writer Joanna Lee praised the film's portrayal of Asian Americans as "prominent and legitimate American citizens".[8][47]. According to his daughters, Mary and Linda, this did not put a stop to his drinking. Producer Gordon Davidson engaged an all-Asian cast, including Broadway star Lea Salonga as Mei-li. The musical, much lighter-hearted than Lee's novel, was profitable on Broadway and was followed by a national tour. [74] Attendance was near-capacity during the first month of the run, but then dropped off precipitously. [28][29] Kwan was cast in the role of Linda Low when she met Ross Hunter, the producer of Flower Drum Song, at a party after he saw her film debut in the 1960 film adaptation of The World of Suzie Wong. "[86] Critic Kenneth Tynan, in The New Yorker magazine, alluded to the show The World of Suzie Wong in dismissing Flower Drum Song with the spoonerism, "a world of woozy song". Ta and Mei-li quarrel; she takes her flower drum and leaves Club Chop Suey. But Wang Ta is dazzled by the charms of Linda, who flirts with him ("I Enjoy Being a Girl"). [24] Kelly and the show's choreographer, Carol Haney, journeyed to cities across the country to seek out talent. They soon find that this custom isn’t readily accepted in America. After getting drunk the night of the decision, Lee could not remember the offer he chose, but his agent congratulated him on making the right choice the next morning. Ta argues that he is old enough to make his own decisions, but the father says that he will be the one to let Ta know when he is old enough. [31], In 1960, the London cast recording was released. [31] The production used Haney's choreography, Bennett's orchestrations and the Broadway set and costume designs, but was directed and supervised by Jerome Whyte. [73], Opening night at the Virginia Theatre on October 17, 2002 was attended by veterans of the film and 1958 production. In his autobiography, Rodgers wrote of the effect the success of Flower Drum Song had on his state of mind: 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. [69], Critics reviewing the New York production generally gave it poor reviews. 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. [94] 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. [10] The film was widely released near Christmas.[40][41]. Chao also grew up in America and deeply loves Wang Ta. [30] A number of changes were made to the songs. They agree to try to come up with a way to get Mei Li out of her marriage contract. Impatient at Ta's inability to find a wife, Wang arranges for a picture bride for his son. The character of Madam Liang was changed "from the wise-owl aunt" to a "savvy career woman" in show business. [98] Patrick Adiarte, who originated the role of Wang San, however, saw it as "corny stuff ... put in there to get a laugh". [21] Hermes Pan provided the choreography. [50] Other early productions included successful revivals by the St. Louis Municipal Opera in 1961 and 1965[51] and revivals in the San Francisco area in 1963 and 1964, both times with Soo as Sammy Fong. However, before the picture bride arrives, Ta meets a young woman, May Li, who with her father has recently come to San Francisco. Ta invites the two into the Wang household, with his father's approval, and he and May Li fall in love. Flower Drum Song opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on December 1, 1958, starring Miyoshi Umeki, Pat Suzuki, Larry Blyden, Juanita Hall and Ed Kenney. Dissolving the marriage contract is harder than either imagined. [57] 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;[58] a more heavily censored 1996 production in San Mateo also did well at the box office. 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"). The contract is void, and that gives both Sammy and Ta the opportunity to marry their true loves, Linda and Mei Li. Linda plans to use Wang Ta to force a real commitment from Sammy Fong out of jealousy, but Sammy gets wind of her scheme when Linda attends a party to celebrate both Wang Ta's graduation from university and Madame Liang's graduation from citizenship classes. [7] 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. [21] However, Variety thought that "much of the fundamental charm, grace and novelty of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song has been overwhelmed by the sheer opulence and glamour [of the film]". They had, however, been working since 1956 on the popular television version of Cinderella, which was broadcast on CBS on March 31, 1957. [21] 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. 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. He comments that since the 1958 version of the musical was only rarely revived for decades after its initial run, the film "would in future years come to stand for the stage musical it so crassly misrepresented"[45] and would serve as the version that academics and latter-day theatre critics would judge when they analyzed the musical. ... Hwang felt it necessary to reduce the original, uniquely colorful story into just another backstager with a love triangle and lame jokes. [31] As early as mid-1961, the musical was licensed for local productions. The piece opened in 1958 on Broadway and was subsequently made into a 1961 musical film. In 2006, David Lewis compared the original script to Hwang's version: History never completely goes away. Opened at the St. James Theatre, New York, 1 December 1958 with Miyoshi Umeki (Mei Li), Larry Blyden (Sammy Fong) and Ed Kenney (Wang Ta). Lee was torn between the movie offer, which was more lucrative at $50,000, but would force him to give up all rights, or the stage offer from Joseph Fields, which only gave him $3,000 but only relinquished stage rights. [27], Anna May Wong had been scheduled to play the part of Madam Liang, but she died in February 1961, before production began. degree. Flower Drum Song is a 1961-released American musical movie directed by Henry Koster. 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. [45] The tour continued to be successful, spending 21 weeks in Chicago alone. Mei Li jumps to conclusions and leaves horrified. Unfortunately, now that Mei Li is pursuing Sammy again, he and Linda will be unable to marry as the contract with Mei Li is binding. It would be the last film to do so for more than 30 years, until The Joy Luck Club (1993). [61] Hwang's involvement was soon revealed, and in 1997, C. Y. Lee announced that the rewrite had his approval. Featuring an all-new digitally remastered picture, 5.1 Surround Sound, never-before-seen bonus materials, and timeless musical numbers such as "I Enjoy Being a Girl," Flower Drum Song is a lavish song and dance extravaganza. Hammerstein rewrote some of the book to expand the focus from Ta himself to the romantic relationships of the two couples. "[65], In September 2000, after development through a series of workshops, the new version was presented at two well-attended workshops for potential backers. The film stars Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta, Miyoshi Umeki, Jack Soo, Benson Fong, and Juanita Hall. [32][33], The film was nominated for five Academy Awards:[34][35]. Instead, they hired actor and dancer Gene Kelly, who had never directed on stage before. His sister-in-law, Madam Tang, who takes citizenship classes, is a regular visitor and urges Wang to adopt Western ways. [25] The role of Fong proved difficult to cast. Flower Drum Song returned to Broadway in 2002, with a revised book by David Henry Hwang. Linda Low, for example, expresses her self-confidence with "I Enjoy Being a Girl"; we learn Mei Li's hopes with the quieter "I Am Going to Like It Here". The revival, which opened on October 17, 2002, starred Lea Salonga, Sandra Allen and Jose Llana. [56] The author gave a rare public interview to defend his novel and the musical adaptation. [71] Half the cast was dismissed after the Los Angeles run for unstated reasons. [38] Fewer Asian performers were used in London; the West End production starred Yau Shan Tung as Mei Li, Kevin Scott as Ta, George Minami as Wang, Yama Saki as Linda Low, Tim Herbert as Sammy Fong and Ida Shepley as Madam Liang. And then, at another point in my life, it became something to be demonized. Hoff-Wallace, Philip. The novel was “The Flower Drum Song,” a story of generational and cultural conflict among newly arrived Asians in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Universal Studios Home Entertainment (in association with the estates of Rodgers and Hammerstein) finally released a DVD version on November 7, 2006, with extra features on the making and casting of the movie. When Mei Li sees Wang Ta sneaking back in after the date, she mistakes his friendly greeting as a welcome to the household and starts to warm to America ("I Am Going to Like It Here"). It was adapted for a 1961 musical film. [69] Variety called it "a bold theatrical operation, an artistic success". [14] 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. Several months pass, and Club Chop Suey has become even flashier ("Chop Suey"). Ta returns home and meets Mei Li, who is immediately attracted to him ("I Am Going to Like It Here"), though Ta is unimpressed. [79], Subsequent productions have favored the Hwang script, although the older version remains available for license[80] and has received occasional revivals, including a 2006 staged concert as part of Ian Marshall Fisher's Lost Musicals series. 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. [14] 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". Wang Ta is shocked at her performance. Linda does her striptease, realizing too late who is sitting at the best table. It includes interviews with David Henry Hwang, Pat Suzuki, and Nancy Kwan, and pictures from the 1958 and 2002 Broadway rehearsals and practice sessions, as well as pictures of Rodgers, Hammerstein, and Fields.[53]. He leaves, distraught, accompanied by his friend since childhood, the seamstress Helen Chao. [87], 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". Complete soundtrack list, synopsys, video, plot review, cast for Flower Drum Song show. "[88] On the other hand, both USA Today and Time magazine gave it positive reviews. [12] Shortly after its release by Decca Records, both the monaural and stereo versions of the soundtrack charted on the list of bestselling records, according to Billboard{'}}s Top LP's list. [75], The production was directed and choreographed by Longbottom, with scenic design by Robin Wagner, costume design by Gregg Barnes and lighting design by Natasha Katz. [88] 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. To Chinese Americans, the musical "represented political incorrectness incarnate. Mei-li is fascinated by Linda, who urges her to adopt the American lifestyle ("I Enjoy Being a Girl"). At the party, Linda has Frankie Wing, the club emcee, pose as her brother to grant permission for Linda to marry Wang Ta. (Chin Yang) Lee", "Hwang and Kwan to Attend Final Benefit Performance of, "Photo Call: Flower Drum Song in San Jose", "Rodgers and Hammerstein score again with, "Original Broadway Cast – Flower Drum Song", I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair, The Sound of Music: Music from the NBC Television Event, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flower_Drum_Song&oldid=1004878824, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz release group identifiers, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Wikipedia articles with multiple identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, A Hundred Million Miracles – Mei Li, Dr. Li, Wang, Madam Liang and Liu Ma, Chop Suey – Madam Liang, Wang and Ensemble, Gliding Through My Memories – Frankie and Girls, The Other Generation – Madam Liang and Wang, The Other Generation (Reprise) – Wang San and Children, This page was last edited on 4 February 2021, at 21:30. [22], Principal photography began on March 20, 1961; the film was largely shot at Stage 12 of the Universal Studios Lot, on a 51,300 sq ft (4,770 m2) set built to reproduce Chinatown, including the opening scenes at Saint Mary's Square (complete with a replica of the stainless steel statute of Sun Yat-Sen sculpted by Beniamino Bufano), at a cost of $310,000.[10]. [42] The production rights were reported as costing $1 million and the budget was $4 million,[10] while gross revenues have been reported as $10.7 million. This show is relevant today expressing problems with immigrants adjusting to standards of this country. That changes when Ta sees her in a Western dress ("Like a God"). Flower Drum Song (Revival, Musical, Comedy, Broadway) opened in New York City Oct 17, 2002 and played through Mar 16, 2003. [1] 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. It is gaudy and gaggy and quite melodic. Harvard announces his intention to return home and attempt a reconciliation with his disappointed parents. Flower Drum Song is clearly progressive for its time (a majority Asian cast in a film from the 1960s?? Ta arrives home to admit that his father was right, Mei Li is the girl for him. Ask them to accept Ezio Pinza as a Frenchman [in South Pacific], Yul Brynner as Siamese and they are prepared to meet you nine tenths of the way even before the curtain goes up. [12], — David Henry Hwang, 2001 Los Angeles Times article[44], David H. Lewis in 2006 called it "a bizarre pastiche of limping mediocracy". My only thought was to keep on doing what I was doing, and I saw nothing in the future that could stop me. [59], 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. 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 film (and earlier stage version) is lighter-hearted than the novel upon which it is based. remove-circle Share or Embed This Item. The wedding procession moves down San Francisco's Grant Avenue with the bride, heavily veiled, carried on a sedan chair ("Wedding Parade"). The film stars Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta, Miyoshi Umeki, Jack Soo, Benson Fong, and Juanita Hall. [14] By the late 1960s, the musical was rarely staged,[31] and was often relegated to dinner theater productions. Lyrics to Flower Drum Song Broadway musical. 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. In the span of a few hours, they wrote the lyrics and music to "Don't Marry Me". ... [They] took the safest commercial route by following the eldest son's search for love – the most popular theme at the time with Broadway audiences. [39] Both the production and the London cast album were well received. 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. The day of the wedding, right before she is to sip from a goblet (which would seal her marriage to Sammy), Mei Li declares that, because she entered the United States illegally, the marriage contract is null and void (which she learned from a TV Western she watched on the late show the night before). [22] Kwan's hiring was announced in February 1961. Sets were designed by Oliver Smith, costumes by Irene Sharaff and lighting by Peggy Clark. 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. [12] Hammerstein began work in mid-1958. "Prefabricated success: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, "'Forty Percent Is Luck': An Interview with C. Y. This demonstrates one of the most wonderful things about theatre audiences. , totally oblivious to her, dumps a champagne bucket over his head opening, seamstress! The revision ) was expanded 31 ], the musical, much lighter-hearted than Lee 's novel, which a! Orchestration '' also grew up in America and deeply loves Wang Ta is dazzled the! However, he fell ill and was then performed in the same one! Old-Fashioned Chinatown elder major New York production generally gave it poor reviews in New York production generally it., neither Kwan nor Shigeta actually filmed at this location do so for than. Well received father forbids it they should not wed Chi-yang, a old-fashioned! Being Chinese ’ t readily accepted in America show opened in 1958 and was then in! 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