Photos: New Version of RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S FLOWER DRUM SONG Premieres From East West Players

East West Players and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center will present their world premiere of Tony-winner David Henry Hwang’s newly updated 2026 book for RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S FLOWER DRUM SONG. Helmed by EWP Artistic Director Lily Tung Crystal, this reimagined golden-age musical will open at JACCC’s iconic Aratani Theatre. Performances will run April 30 - May 31. Check out photos from the show below!

The principal cast includes EWP veterans Grace Yoo* (Broadway: HADESTOWN) as Mei-Li, Emily Kuroda* (CW’s Gilmore Girls) as Madame Liang, Marc Oka*(Broadway: THE KING AND I, FLOWER DRUM SONG) as Wang, Scott Keiji Takeda* (Off Broadway: SUMO 相撲) as Ta, and Gedde Watanabe* (Broadway: PACIFIC OVERTURES) as Chin. Cast members making their EWP debut include Krista Marie Yu* (Hulu’s Reboot, FOX’s Last Man Standing) as Linda Low, Kenton Chen* (NBC’s The Sing-Off) as Harvard, and newcomer Cooper Bennett as Chao. 

The ensemble and understudy cast includes: Joven Calloway* (Ensemble), Ethan Yaheen-Moy Chan (Ta/Chao/Ensemble Understudy), IJay Espinoza (Ensemble), Sierra Goria (Ensemble Female Swing), Sally Hong* (Ensemble, Dance Captain), Tony Jin (Ensemble Male Swing), Esther Lee* (Ensemble, Linda Understudy), Brian Shimasaki Liebson* (Ensemble), Emma Park (Ensemble), Gemma Pedersen (Ensemble/Mei-Li & Linda Understudy),  Hillary Tang* (Ensemble), Ai Toyoshima* (Ensemble, Assistant Dance Captain), Haoyi Wen (Ensemble), and Paul Wong* (Ensemble/Chin & Wang Understudy).

The creative team includes David Henry Hwang (Writer of the 2002 & 2026 book, based on the original book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joseph Fields, based on the novel by C.Y. Lee), Lily Tung Crystalº (Director), Janelle Dote Portman (Choreographer), Marc Macalintal (Music Director), Jamie Guan (Beijing Opera Choreographer), Chen-Wei Liao^(Scenic Designer), Ruoxuan Li (Costume Designer), three-time Tony nominee Jiyoun Chang^ (Lighting Designer), Brian Hsieh (Sound Designer), Naomi Kasahara (Properties Designer), Sharon Peng (Hair & Make-Up Designer), Darlene Miyakawa* (Production Stage Manager), Annie Jin Wang (Dramaturg), Shinshin Yuder Tsai (Intimacy Director), and Patrick Chew (Cultural and Language Consultant). Music is by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.

Set against the backdrop of 1960s San Francisco Chinatown, Hwang’s 2026 revision of RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S FLOWER DRUM SONG explores themes of immigration, assimilation, tradition, and community with renewed urgency and heart. The story follows Mei-Li, a young Chinese opera performer fleeing communism, as she arrives in America and is drawn into the vibrant world of the Grant Avenue nightclubs. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s classic songs and beloved characters make their long-awaited return to Los Angeles for the first time since the premiere of Hwang’s adaptation at Center Theatre Group’s Mark Taper Forum over twenty years ago.

At a time when questions of identity, immigration, and cultural preservation feel especially urgent, David Henry Hwang’s reimagining of the book for the Spring 2026 production gives Asian Americans a chance to reclaim this classic, offering new perspective and depth while honoring the community’s continuous evolution.

Photo Credit: Mike Palma

Los Angeles News

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