PHOTO: Mike Palma | South Pasadena News | (L-R) Ai Toyoshima, Brian Shimasaki Liebson, Grace Yoo, and Scott Keiji Takeda in RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S FLOWER DRUM SONG, produced by East West Players and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center.
Angelenos do not miss your golden opportunity to see the rarely produced Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “FLOWER DRUM SONG” with a newly updated book by Tony-winner, David Henry Hwang, playing now at the iconic Aratani Theatre in Little Tokyo. This is an absolutely stunning production of this Chinese immigrant story set in 1960’s Chinatown that packs an emotional punch especially in our current climate. The opening night audience was enthralled and moved to tears by the stellar orchestra on stage playing the lush score sung by a phenomenal cast! Seeing and hearing Grace Yoo sing “Love, Look Away” is worth the ticket price alone.
PHOTO Mike Palma | South Pasadena News | L R Kenton Chen Krista Marie Yu Marc Oka Gedde Watanabe and Emily Kuroda in RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEINS FLOWER DRUM SONG produced by East West Players and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center
East West Players (EWP) and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) have come together to co-produce the highly anticipated 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 opened April 23, 2026, serving as the grand finale of EWP’s 60th Anniversary Diamond Legacy season and the final production before the 880-seat venue undergoes a major renovation.
PHOTO Mike Palma | South Pasadena News | Krista Marie Yu in RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEINS FLOWER DRUM SONG produced by East West Players and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center
The principal cast includes EWP veterans, the luminous Grace Yoo* (Broadway: HADESTOWN) as Mei-Li, the hilarious and endearing Emily Kuroda* (CW’s Gilmore Girls) as Madame Liang, the always forceful Marc Oka*(Broadway: THE KING AND I, FLOWER DRUM SONG) as Wang, the smooth tenor vocals of Scott Keiji Takeda* (Off Broadway: SUMO 相撲) as Ta, and audience favorite, 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.
David Henry Hwang says, “My history with East West Players started when I was 10 years old. My mother was the pianist for one of their first productions, Menotti’s operetta THE MEDIUM, directed by Mako. At an early age, I saw people who looked like me as actors and artistic leaders, which perhaps made it possible for me to envision myself as a playwright when I got to college years later. I’m thrilled to revisit and further revise this classic musical, working once
again with the company that has been at the heart of my entire artistic life.”
PHOTO Mike Palma | South Pasadena News | L R Grace Yoo and Scott Keiji Takeda in RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEINS FLOWER DRUM SONG produced by East West Players and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center
East West Players Artistic Director Lily Tung Crystal says, “As a theater kid growing up, I’ll never forget the first time I saw FLOWER DRUM SONG. It was pure magic to see faces like mine shine on the silver screen in a major Hollywood film. While the original has its flaws, it remains deeply meaningful to me. Witnessing David’s Tony Award-winning M. BUTTERFLY on Broadway showed me that a genuine path in theater existed for Asian American artists. Now, directing one of my most cherished musicals, written by a playwright I’ve long admired, in my first season as artistic director of East West Players is truly a dream. After staging David’s first adaptation in 2019, I’m honored to collaborate with him once again, and I’m especially excited to work with this extraordinary cast, whose talent and energy are bringing new life to a musical that means so much to our community.
“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 Mike Palma | South Pasadena News | Center Marc Oka and L R Esther Lee Gemma Pedersen Ai Toyoshima Sally Hong Hillary Tang and Emma Park in RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEINS FLOWER DRUM SONG produced by East West Players and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center
RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S FLOWER DRUM SONG will be staged at the Aratani Theatre, located at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (244 S. San Pedro St, Los Angeles, CA 90012) in the heart of historic Little Tokyo, from April 18 to May 31, 2026, with Opening Night set for Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 7:30pm.
Regular performances take place on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with additional select weekday shows and matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. All Saturday matinee performances will be designated as “Masked Matinees,” offering a more comfortable environment for patrons who prefer a masked experience. A Pay-What-You-Will performance date will be announced in April 2026. Special performances include a playwright talkback with David Henry Hwang on April 22, Student Night on April 30, an Artist Talkback following the 1pm performance on April 26, and
community talkbacks on May 1 and May 29. American Sign Language interpretation will be offered at the 8pm performance on Saturday, May 23. All dates and event details are subject to change.
Single tickets for RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S FLOWER DRUM SONG are available online at https://www.eastwestplayers.org/ or by calling (213) 625-7000. Preview performance tickets start at $59, and regular performance tickets start at $99. Group discounts are available by contacting the box office at (213) 625-7000 or by emailing [email protected].
RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S FLOWER DRUM SONG is sponsored in part by The David Lee Foundation, as well as Henry & Denise Byun, Caplin Foundation, Ruth Eliel & Bill Cooney, Curtis C. Jung & Lynn Hatashita-Jung, Brenda S. Miyamoto, Mercy & Howard Steenwyk, Randall & Mari Tamura, and Ji-young Yoo, with additional support from the Chinese American Museum, Employees Community Fund of Boeing, Japanese American National Museum, and
the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture. East West Players is a recipient of the 2026 THRIVE! Grant, funded by the Mark Edelman Theater Fund and administered by Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for theatre leading for a just and thriving theatre ecology.
Recognized in 2020 by the Ford Foundation as one of America’s Cultural Treasures, EWP’s groundbreaking role as a catalyst for cultural change continues in its milestone 60th season.
East West Players (EWP), the largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work, was founded in 1965, at a time when Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) faced limited or no opportunities to see their experiences reflected outside of stereotypical and demeaning caricatures in the American landscape. Upon the theater’s 60th Anniversary, East West Players not only ensures that AAPI stories are told but works to increase access, inclusion,
and representation in entertainment and media. Designated by the Ford Foundation as one of America’s Cultural Treasures in 2020, EWP continues its groundbreaking work through defining and expanding the representation and stories of the AAPI community. Learn more at eastwestplayers.org.
East West Players is supported in part by the Perenchio Foundation, Ahmanson Foundation, David Lee Foundation, Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, L.L. Foundation for Youth, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and many other generous foundations, companies, and individuals.
About the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center
Founded in 1972, the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) is one of the largest ethnic arts and cultural centers of its kind in the United States. JACCC weaves Japanese and Japanese American arts and culture into the fabric of our communities. JACCC remains firmly rooted in Little Tokyo, providing a vital place to build connections between people and cultures, locally and internationally. Through inclusive programs and authentic experiences,
we continue our living traditions and nurture the next generation of innovative artists, culture
bearers, and thinkers. For more information about JACCC, please visit jaccc.org.