Flower Drum Song

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Flower Drum Song
Miyoshi Umeki and Pat Suzuki on Cover of Time Magazine Dec 22, 1958
Music Rodgers and Hammerstein
Lyrics Rodgers and Hammerstein
Book C.Y. Lee
Based upon Book by C.Y. Lee and Forbidden City nightclub
Productions 1958

2002 Broadway 2003 US tour


Flower Drum Song was originally a novel by Chinese American author C.Y. Lee. Lee was born in 1917 in China. C. Y. Lee arrived in the United States in 1943. The book was adapted to a Broadway musical in 1958, and produced as Hollywood film in 1961. The book and play were extremely successful when introduced, but the movie would fall out of favor as the civil rights era re-defined how minorities should be portrayed on film. Another generation would be inspired by the movie which would be re-released on video, and broadcast. Asian American playwright David Henry Hwang would rework the story and music into a 2002 Broadway revival, a first for a Rodgers and Hammerstein production.

Contents

[edit] Novel

The novel was written while Lee was a journalist working for two San Francisco Chinatown newspapers Chinese World and Young China. It was a story of generational and cross-cultural conflict in the early 1950s. He lived in Chinatown to turn his short story into a novel. It was he who suggested going to Forbidden City nightclub, on which the musical is based, to find Asians would could sing and dance. The story is quite different from subsequent productions, as the spurned girl commits suicide, and the flower drum song is sung by a servant who is hired late in the story.

C. Y. Lee's work has been overlooked because some observers felt that Flower Drum Song perpetuated Orientalist stereotypes of Asians. The novel was a New York Times bestseller, but quickly went out of print. The first ethnic studies programs in the late 1960s did not accept Lee's playful vision of mixing Chinese and American traditions. For many years the book was rejected by young Asian Americans as being "too white face" or "Uncle Tom". C.Y. Lee was a Chinese immigrant and wrote of the society as he saw it at that time, perhaps an example of the very generation gap portrayed in the musical. While mainstream America had fueled Lee's initial success, the new Asian American movement's consciousness-raising had all but buried Lee's evocation of the Chinese experience in America.[1] Largely in conjunction with the 2002 revival, the novel was made available again as a reprint, though copies signed by the author in 1958 are greatly prized.

[edit] 1958 musical

It was adapted to a Broadway musical with a score by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The original production opened in on October 27, 1958 in Boston's Schubert Theater, and at the St. James Theatre in New York City (home of Oklahoma and The King and I) on 1 December 1958. It featured many Asian actors, including Miyoshi Umeki, Keye Luke, Pat Suzuki, Jack Soo, Ed Kenney, and Arabella Hong. Juanita Hall was African-American, previously of South Pacific, and male lead Larry Blyden was Jewish. Directed by dancer Gene Kelly, it ran for 600 performances at the St. James Theatre as was featured on the cover of Time.

[edit] Cast (as appears on Broadway cast recording)

Rodgers & Hammerstein in association with Joseph Fields
present a New Musical
Flower Drum Song
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein 2nd
Book by Oscar Hamerstein 2nd and Joseph Fields
Based on the novel by C.Y. Lee
Directed by Gene Kelly
with Miyoshi Umecki (Courtesy of Mercury Records)
Larry Blyden
Juanita Hall
Ed Kenney
Keye Luke
Arabella Hong
and Pat Suzuki (Courtesy of RCA Victor Records)

[edit] Musical Numbers

  • Overture
  • You Are Beautiful: Ed Kenney, Juanita Hall
  • A Hundred Million Miracles: Miyoshi Umeki, Conrad Yama, Keye Luke, Juanita Hall, Rose Quong
  • I Enjoy Being a Girl: Pat Suzuki
  • I Am Going to Like It Here: Miyoshi Umeki
  • Like a God: Ed Kenney
  • Chop Suey: Juanita Hall, Patrick Adiarte
  • Don't Marry Me: Larry Blyden, Miyoshi Umeki
  • [[Grant Avenue]]: Pat Suzuki
  • Love, Look Away: Arabella Hong
  • [[Fan Tan Fannie]]: Anita Ellis
  • Gliding Through My Memories: Jack Soo
  • The Other Generation: Juanita Hall, Keye Luke
  • Sunday: Pat Suzuki, Larry Blyden
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.


[edit] Plot (1961 version)

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The story concerns a young woman named Mei Li, who is arrives as an illegal immigrant from China with her father to San Francisco to enter into an arranged marriage with the owner of a night club, Sammy Fong (inspired by the actual Forbidden City nighclub). Her intended is already involved with his leading showgirl, Linda Low, and does his best to dissuade Mei Li from marrying him, and he sends her to live in the house of Master Wang where he presents her as prospect for Master Wang's son, Wang Ta. (In the 1958 version, Ta proposes to Linda before Mei Li arrives at his house.[citation needed]) Dissolving the marriage contract is harder than either of them imagine. Master Wang is persuaded to allow Mei Li to fall in love with Master Wang's son Wang Ta. But Wang Ta is dazzled by the charms of Linda, who enjoys being a girl, and succeeds in landing a date, and give her his fraternity pin. Linda uses Wang Ta to get a real commitment from Sammy Fong, who gets wind of her plan when Linda gets another club employee to play her brother and grant his permission for Linda to marry Wang Ta. Mei Li leaves, discouraged, while Helen tells her she does not believe Ta loves Linda. Ta argues that he is old enough to make his own decisions, but the father says that when he is old enough, he will let Ta know.

Sammy arranges to have Wang Ta see Low's nightclub act, where his is shocked. He leaves, distraught, accompanied by friend since childhood, the seamstress Helen Chao who also grew up in America and deeply loves Wang Ta. But Ta is fixated between the traditional Mei Li and the man trap Linda Low. She lets him stay for the night in her apartment. In the morning, Mei Li delivers a burned coat for Helen to mend, and she is distressed by Wang Ta's clothing on her kitchen table. When Wang wakes up, he still does not notice Helen's affections who pleads for him to stay, but he leaves quickly. Helen sings "Love Look Away" about unrequited love. In the end, Sammy proposes to Linda, and Wang Ta marries Mei Li, and Helen ends up empty handed. In the novel, Ta's rejection leads her to suicide, and the character is written out of the 2002 version entirely.

[edit] Cast

Many of the cast of Flower Drum Song were only starting their careers would go on to become among the most successful Asian actors and actresses. It was a challenge to find Asian talent, who were then, and still are, scarcely represented in the American entertainment industry.

  • Keye Luke played the father on Broadway. He was best known as Charlie Chan's number one son, and later in the TV series Kung Fu.
  • Arabella Hong played Helen Chao on Broadway. She sang a operatic rendition of "Love, Look Away,".
  • Nancy Kwan (Traditional Chinese: 關家蒨; pinyin: Guān Jiāqiàn; Cantonese: Kwan Ka Shin) is Hong Kong-born American actress of Chinese and the Scottish descent who was considered a major sex symbol in the 1960s. Her accent is actually English as Kwan studied at the Royal Ballet School in England, performing at London's Covent Garden opera house. At 18, she was the star of The World of Suzie Wong only a year before the Flower Drum Song (1961) as the most glamorous female lead later featured on video covers. Her interview is in the 2006 DVD.
  • The singing voice of 1961 Linda Low was B.J. Baker (not Asian), studio backup singer who worked with Elvis Presley ("Can't Help Falling in Love with You"), Frank Sinatra ("That's Life"), Bobby Darin ("Dream Lover", the Righteous Brothers and Sam Cooke, among others. As Betty Jane Rase, she was Miss Alabama in 1944, and 4th runner up for Miss America 1944
  • Juanita Hall was an African American performer. Trained at exclusive Juilliard, she was a leading black Broadway performer in her heyday, she was personally chosen by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II to perform the roles she played in the musicals South Pacific as a Pacific Islander and later Flower Drum Song as Chinese-American Madame 'Auntie' Liang.
  • Pat Suzuki is a Japanese American born in California who was discovered by Bing Crosby in a Seattle nightclub, and had a substantial recording career. Her version of "I Enjoy Being A Girl" from the original Broadway cast recording is still the definitive version since used on many movies, commercials, and even viral videos. Her interview is on the 2006 DVD.
  • Marilyn Horne was a prominent American opera singer who sang "Love Look Away" on the movie version.
  • Jack Soo was originally Goro Suzuki, a Japanese-American who was asked to change his name for Flower Drum Song. At the Topaz Relocation Center, he was a "camp favorite" entertainer. He became a stand-up nightclub performer in the American midwest. When C.Y. Lee was asked where to find Asian singers and dancers, he suggested the Forbidden City nightclub in San Francisco, where he won the role of the show M.C. and comedian Frankie Wing.[2], and moving up to Sammie Fong in the 1961 film. Jack would later appear in The Green Berets, and make guest appearances on Hawaii Five-O and M*A*S*H, and finally Barney Miller as Detective Nick Yemana
  • Filipina Lea Salonga is most famous for her part in Miss Saigon, and most often heard in Disney animated musicals. She was cast as Mei Li, who is the featured female lead in the 2002 Broadway run, and sings "Love Look Away", "A Hundred Million Miracles", and even a short reprise of "I Enjoy Being a Girl".
  • Sandra Allen played and sang the part of Linda Low in the 2002 revival to glowing reviews, though she yet to enter the ranks of best known Asian entertainers.[3]
  • Larry Blyden (Jewish) was known as character actor for TV and also as a highly in demand Broadway actor. His performance in Flower Drum Song as Sammy Fong was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
  • Miyoshi Umeki was the leading star on the broadway recording. She was introduced to Americans in the tragic role of Katsumi in the motion picture Sayanora. Umeki began her career as a nightclub singer in Japan under the name Nancy Umeki She was nominated for a Tony Award for the Broadway premiere production of Flower Drum Song, which opened in 1958, and appeared on the cover of Time Magazine with Pat Suzuki. She appeared in only four more motion pictures during her career, most notably the film version of Flower Drum Song (1961), During 1969-1972 she played the part of Mrs. Livingston in the television series The Courtship of Eddie's Father.
Miyoshi Umeki as Mei Li in the 1961 film Flower Drum Song
Miyoshi Umeki as Mei Li in the 1961 film Flower Drum Song

[edit] Film

In 1961 the musical was made into a movie by Universal, starring Nancy Kwan as Linda Low, along with James Shigeta, Benson Fong, Jack Soo, James Hong and original Broadway cast members Umeki and Hall. The film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color; Best Cinematography, Color; Best Costume Design, Color; Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture and Best Sound. Among various changes for the film, the song "Like a God" was omitted. The movie was unusual in featuring a nearly all Asian American cast (the only Caucasian part being a mugger), including dancers, though most singing voices were not by Asian talent.

Movie cast:

  • Reiko Sato - Helen Chao
  • Patrick Adiarte - Wang San
  • Kam Tong - Dr. Li
  • Victor Sen Yung - Frankie Wing
  • Soo Yong - Madame Fong
  • James Hong - Headwaiter
  • Spencer Chan - Dr. Chou
  • Arthur Song - Dr. Fong
  • Weaver Levy - Policeman
  • Herman Rudin - Mugger
  • Cherylene Lee - Sons Girl Friend
  • Virginia Lee - San's Girlfiiend
  • Jon Fong - Square Dance Caller
  • Virginia Grey - TV Heroine
  • Robert Kino - Bank Manager
  • Frank Kumagai - Tradesmen
  • Ching Wah Lee - Professor
  • Laurette Luez - Mexican Girl, Beulah Quo
  • Ward Ramsey - Great White Hunter
  • Paul Sorenson - TV Sheriff
  • Beal Wong - Tailor

[edit] Broadway revival

In 2002, a revival of the show opened on Broadway at the Virginia Theatre. With an entirely new book by David Henry Hwang. This time, Mei Li is made clearly the protagonist, where Linda Low was the strongest character in the movie, and she arrives after escaping the communist regime with her skills in Chinese Opera. A number of changes were made in the music (including new lyrics for a couple of songs. One number was cut, and another cut number reinstated). Some "politically correct" aspects were added to the plot that might come from a course on Asian American studies, along with a gay character, and Helen Chao was replaced by a talent agent who is attracted to Master Wang.

Lea Salonga played the role of a Chinese immigrant opposite Jose Llana. The show was given a brand new libretto which presented Asian Americans with more dignity than the original but it also played with the stereotypes. It was considered one of the 10 best plays on Broadway in 2002 by Time Magazine [1].

The production was directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom and starred Lea Salonga and Jose Llana. The production ran for 169 performances. Though this was the shortest run ever for any Rodgers and Hammerstein musical in New York City, it later garnered nominations for Best Book, Best Costume Designer, and Best Choreographer. Ms. Salonga's performance received mixed-positive reviews. It toured many other US cities with different casts. In defending his decision to rewrite the original book, Hwang stated, "I tried to write the book that Oscar Hammerstein would have written if he were Asian-American.", although it was based on a book written by an Asian American.

2002 Cast:

  • Mei-Li - Lea Salonga
  • Wang - Tzi Ma
  • Chin - Alvin Ing
  • Ta - Jose Llana
  • Harvard - Allen Liu
  • Linda Low - Sandra Allen
  • Madame Liang - Jodi Long
  • Chao - Ronald M. Banks
  • Ensemble - Charlene Carabeo, Rich Ceraulo, Eric Chan, Marcus Choi, Michael Dow, Thomas C. Kouo, Keri Lee, Blythe Matsui, Jennifer Paz, Robert Pendilla, Chloe Stewart, Kim Varhola, Christine Yasunaga

[edit] DVD

The 1961 movie was released on DVD by Universal on November 7, 2006, with extra features on the making and casting of the movie. It includes interviews of Henry Hwang, Pat Suzuki, and Nancy Kwan, and pictures from the 1958 and 2002 rehearsals and practice sessions, as well as pictures of Rogers, Hammerstein, and Fields.


[edit] Vocal numbers

  • "You Are Beautiful"
  • "A Hundred Million Miracles"
  • "I Enjoy Being a Girl"
  • "I Am Going To Like It Here"
  • "Like a God"
  • "Chop Suey"
  • "Don't Marry Me"
  • "Grant Avenue"
  • "Love, Look Away"
  • "The Other Generation"
  • "Sunday"
  • "Fan-Tan Fanny"

[edit] "I Enjoy Being a Girl"

Although Flower Drum Song is among the least successful of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, its song "I Enjoy Being A Girl" has been widely used in other movies. The song has become familiar to many Americans, perhaps most recently with Sarah Jessica Parker in a nationally broadcast Gap commercial. It was covered by lesbian folksinger Phranc. As of October 2006, there were 13 versions of the song on YouTube, including performances by Pat Suzuki and parodies based on Harry Potter and Battlestar Galactica.

[edit] External links


Musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein
Oklahoma! • Carousel • Allegro • South Pacific • The King and I • Me and Juliet • Pipe Dream • Cinderella • Flower Drum Song • The Sound of Music • State Fair
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