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Michael Jonathan

Dr. David Fox

THAR 271-401

27 October 2017

Flower Drum Song: A Comparison of Plot and Characters

The traditions of the Great White Way were overturned in the 1940s to 1950s by the

composer-lyricist duo Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Among other groundbreaking

developments, Rodgers and Hammerstein were early pioneers of musicals that drew attention

away from New Yorks elite to previously understated subject matters; these include rural

America in their hit 1943 musical Oklahoma!, the courts of Siam in the 1951 musical The King

and I, and the Anschluss of Austria in the 1959 musical The Sound of Music. Perhaps, the most

daring of Rodgers and Hammersteins undertakings was to focus an entire musical on the lives of

and complex relations between Chinese immigrants and Chinese-Americans in their lesser-

known, but still critically acclaimed 1958 musical Flower Drum Song. It was at the time, and

still is today, the only musical to focus on the lives of Asian-American characters. The original

Flower Drum Song, however, drew the ire of certain Chinese-American viewers, who found the

show reinforcing Asian-American stereotypes. This led to a revival in 2002 by Tony Award-

winning playwright David Henry Hwang with a completely rewritten book, complete with plot

and character changes.

Based on a 1957 novel by Chin Yang Lee, the original production of Flower Drum Song

follows the lives of Wang Ta, the eldest child of a Chinese-American family who have made

roots in San Franciscos Chinatown, and Mei Li, an illegal Chinese immigrant who arrives in

San Francisco with her father to fulfill a picture bridal contract. As destiny would have it, Wang
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Ta and Mei Lis lives are fated to cross and be changed forever. At the start of the musical,

Wang Ta goes on a date with Linda, a Chinese-American who has fully embraced American

ideals and customs. Unbeknownst to Wang Ta, Linda is not the virtuous woman she presents

herself as; rather, she is a striptease headliner who is working at the Chop Suey Club. Moreover,

she has been in a non-committal relationship for five years with Sammy Fong, the owner of the

Chop Suey Club. To make things more complicated, Sammy himself sent for Mei Li to be his

picture bride in order to satiate his parents; he realizes far too late, however, that he does not

want Mei Li to be his wife, and offers her as a potential wife to Wang Tas family. Finding Mei

Li to be a suitable wife, Wang Tas family decides to wed him and Mei Li together, all without

Wang Tas consent and knowledge and while he is still on his date with Linda. This highly

convoluted background paves the way for two hours of love triangles and, at certain points of the

story, love quadrilateralsall while grappling with the cultural conflicts that come with either

the pro or anti-assimilationist attitudes of each of the characters involved.

Hwangs 2002 revival completely alters the plot of Rodgers and Hammersteins original

production. In the revival, Mei Li comes to San Francisco by way of a freight ship after being

given the address of a Chinese opera house, The Golden Pearl Theatre, by her father. The theater

is owned by Master Wang and Wang Ta, a father-son pair who disagree on the best way to

manage the theater. Master Wang wants to preserve traditional Peking opera, but this does not

generate enough profit for Master Wang and Wang Tas livelihood. He thus allows Wang Ta to

turn the opera house into a nightclub once a week on Nightclub Night, during which Wang Ta

puts on scenes from plays and burlesques. Although Wang Tas Nightclub Nights are already

successful, Mei Lis arrival inspires Wang Ta to adapt scenes and costumes from old Chinese

operas and repurpose them for his Nightclub Night shows, which brings their success to new
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heights. This success attracts the attention of Madam Liang, a theater agent who heads a

reconstruction and repurposing of the Golden Pearl Theatre into the Club Chop Suey. Initially

reluctant to partake in the success of the new club, Master Wangs love [for] the sound of an

audience causes him to make an about face and become a star in Wang Tas scenes (Hwang 71).

He even takes on a stage nameSammy Fongand becomes the main driver of the clubs

success. However, the clubs success due to Mei Lis arrival does not make Wang Ta love her

more; rather, he pays continued attention to Linda despite her constant rejections. Linda keeps

trying to help Mei Li win Wang Tas love, but a slip of Wang Tas tongue causes Mei Li to leave

the stage for work in a Fortune Cookie factory, unwilling to return to Wang Ta. To top it all off,

Linda receives an offer to perform in Hollywood, leaving Wang Tas prospective future one

without Linda, Mei Li, or a club to run himself. The two versions of Flower Drum Song thus

have widely different plots.

Not only do the two versions have different plots, they also have different opening scenes

with potentially different effects. The original 1958 production opened with Madam Liang,

Wang Tas mother, phoning Ping Wah Super Market to buy two pounds of sea horse, one

pound of dried snake meat and a box of longevity noodles (Rodgers and Hammerstein 13). This

scene sets an early precedent that the musical would be brimming with non-Western cultural

references, drawing the audiences curiosity and attention.

On the other hand, Hwangs revival opens with Mei Lis fathers capture by Communist

Chinese and her subsequent escape from Communist China at the bottom of steamer ship bound

for San Francisco (Hwang 13). The scene captures the audiences attention in a completely

different way. Instead of presenting a cultural barrier, Hwangs opening connects the audience

with a universal, shared valuethat of the struggle for freedom from oppression. In this way, the
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opening sequence of the original and revival productions of Flower Drum Song set the two

books apart early on.

Another way the two versions differ is in the driving force behind the plots

advancements. In the original production, the plot is driven forward by realistic character choices

and a series of unfortunate timings. The clearest example of this starts near the beginning of the

play and advances the plot until the end of Act One. In Scene One of Act One, Wang Tas father,

Master Wang, and aunt, Madam Liang, are only able to give Wang Ta away to Mei Li and her

father, Dr. Li, because Wang Ta is away on a date with Linda (Rodgers and Hammerstein 20-

21). During the date, Linda challenges Wang Ta to embrace his more spontaneous American

side, pushing Wang Ta to an abrupt and unplanned marriage proposal (Rodgers and

Hammerstein 37). Wang Tas then decides to formally announce his proposal to Linda in front of

his entire family, which clashes with the other Wangs wish for Wang Ta to marry Mei Li.

Should the wedding have taken place, it would have led to familial dischord; fortunately, or

unfortunately, however, Sammy Fong bumps into Wang San, Wang Tas Americanized younger

brother, and Linda after Wang Tas announcement (Rodgers and Hammerstein 75-76). Linda

then boasts about her engagement with Wang Ta, leading to Sammy Fongs jealousy. To exact

revenge, Sammy brings Wang Ta, Master Wang, Madam Liang, Dr. Li, and Mei Li to his

burlesque club and seat them at the main table; the family witness Linda stripping, which causes

Linda and Wang Tas relationship aspirations to be severed at the end of Act One (Rodgers and

Hammerstein 89-90). All these plot advancements were caused by character choices that can be

logically explained and accounted for.

Contrary to the original, the revival production often involves unrealistic, sudden changes

in character, making for an unrealistic plot. The most obvious of these sudden changes of heart is
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Master Wangs strong defense of traditional Chinese opera that is overtaken by his love [for]

the sound of an audience (Hwang 71). After seeing Nightclub Night for himself, Master Wang

declares Demons begone! Demons begone! against the show and delivers the verdict that

Nightclub Nightis over (Hwang 31). Soon after, however, Master Wangs hardline stance

on the safekeeping of traditions is reversed because he couldnt get [Americans] to love

[Chinese] opera [in America][he] couldnt even convince [his] own son[He loves] the sound

of an audience (Hwang 71). He then proceeds to become the star of the new Club Chop Suey.

This quick change in attitude shows a character inconsistency and fickleness that is not seen in

the 1958 original book. Thus, the two versions can be distinguished by examining the driving

force behind plot developments.

One other key distinguisher between the two versions of Flower Drum Song can be found

by examining the inclusion or exclusion of stereotypical theater characters within the plot. The

original 1958 version of Flower Drum Song did not employ stock characters; instead, all the

named characters are characterized in realistic, human ways. For example, the character of Helen

Chao, the Wang familys trusted seamstress, is a minor named character in the musical.

Nonetheless, her character is still developed by Rodgers and Hammerstein into a believable one

with wants and emotions. Helen is introduced early on in Scene Three of Act One as having

known Wang Ta since [the Wangs] first came to [her][Wang Ta] was only a little fellow

(Rodgers and Hammerstein 41). She wanted to give Wang Ta a gown as a graduation present and

even asked Madam Liang if she could go to the graduation with [Madam Liang] (Rodgers and

Hammerstein 46). Helen is then shown to console Wang Ta and bring him to her small

apartment, and even has her own ballad titled Love, Look Away that expresses her

disappointment and heartache from Wang Tas inability to realize that she loved him (Rodgers
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and Hammerstein 98-99). The level of detail shown by Rodgers and Hammerstein in developing

Helen Chao shows how much care the duo practiced in making their characters as realistic as

possible.

In contrast, Hwangs revival of Flower Drum Song employs several caricatures and stock

characters. The clearest stock character is the creation of Harvard as a new character in the

revival. Harvard is a gay, Asian character who serves as Lindas sidekick throughout the play.

He makes snarky remarks about Lindas unwillingness to wear Chinese opera robes early in the

story, declaring that If it was good enough for [Wang Ta] to wear, its good enough for [her]

(Hwang 22). When he later observes Linda rehearsing with her robes sleeves, he tells her to

keep practicing. [Shes] already shamed [her] ancestors by working [there]. The least [she]

could do is get the sleeves right (Hwang 25). These two instances are representative of how

Harvard is presented throughout the rest of the musicala sarcastic gay man whose importance

is only as a comedic sidekick to Linda. Harvards characterization later on in the play as a

disappointment to his parents because Theyre Chinese, and Im not a doctor only serves to

reinforce the stereotype of overbearing Asian parents and add to his comic nature (Hwang 85).

Another stock character added to the revival is Chin, described in the Dramatis Personae as an

old family friend of the Wangs (Hwang 5). Chin portrays the sarcastic older man caricature

and, together with Harvard, serve only as comic characters with no clear character development

throughout the musical. Early in the musical, Wang Ta and Master Wang are debating about

whether Chinese theater was dying or not. When Master Wang asks Wang Ta whether These

dedicated artists[were] dead?, Chin chimes in with a well-timed Every day, [his] wife tells

[him], its a miracle [hes] still alive! (Hwang 17). In a later section of the story, when Master

Wang is cancelling Nightclub Night after seeing the debauchery for himself, Chin follows
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Master Wangs exit by consoling Wang Ta, claiming that [he] thought the costumes were very

pretty (Hwang 31). These two comments follow up a heated debate with a funny remark, and is

representative of most of Chins other lines in the show. He is thus not a developed character;

rather, he is simply a character who serves as a comedic break from a moment of tension or

suspense. Thus, the original and revival versions of Flower Drum Song differed in whether or

not they included stock characters in the plot.

Finally, the approaches to the ending of the two versions differ greatly. While both

versions end with Wang Ta marrying Mei Li, each version employs unique ex-Machina

techniques to achieve this ending. In the original version of Flower Drum Song, all loose ends

are tied together in a very operetta-like way; the penultimate scene introduces an ex-Machina

that ties up all remaining loose ends. In the scenes leading up to the ending, Mei Li has declared

that she no longer loved Wang Ta (Rodgers and Hammerstein 108). Because their marriage has

been voided, the responsibility to marry Mei Li falls back on Sammy Fong who ordered her as a

picture bride from China in the first place (Rodgers and Hammerstein 120). Sammy Fongs

family insists that Sammy weds with Mei Li, even though Sammy Fong is in love with Linda

(Rodgers and Hammerstein 123). Wang Ta visits Mei Li and they rekindle their love for one

another, which leads to their desperate attempt to think of a way to marry each other (Rodgers

and Hammerstein 136-137). The ex-Machina moment comes at the end of Scene Five of Act

Two when Mei Lis television set foreshadows the events of the final scene of the musical. When

Mei Li turns on her television after Wang Ta leaves, she watches a scene in which a Mexican

Girl uses her illegal status to void a marriage she was supposed to have (Rodgers and

Hammerstein 137). In the same way, Mei Li confesses that she came into [America]

illegally[and] for that reason cannot marry [Sammy Fong] (Rodgers and Hammerstein 139).
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Because Mei Li and Sammy Fongs contract is voided, Mei Li can thus marry Wang Ta freely.

In the original book, the ending is thus achieved through a television show ex-Machina moment.

In the 2002 revival of the show, the ex-Machina moment involves a completely different

prop: Mei Lis flower drum. When Ta tracks Mei Li down at the Fortune Cookie factory, Mei Li

informs Wang Ta of her decision to leave San Francisco for Hong Kong with Chao, a fellow

refugee Mei Li met in the prologue of the musical. After Wang Ta gives them his blessing, Mei

Li removes her flower drum from her satchel, which Chao sees and suggests she sells to raise

money for the trip (Hwang 79). Mei Li reluctantly agrees, and sells it to a pawn shop. The ex-

Machina moment occurs when Linda inadvertently informs Wang Ta that she saw [Mei Lis]

drum hanging in the pawn shop on Kearny Street (Hwang 87). In light of this revelation, Wang

Ta buys the drum from the pawn shop and gifts it to Mei Li as a parting gift. This gift rekindles

Mei Lis love for Wang Ta, and she decides to leave Chao and stay in San Fransisco with Wang

Ta (Hwang 90-91). The two versions thus utilize different ex-Machina moments and objects to

resolve the plots remaining conflicts and end the show with Mei Li marrying Wang Ta.

Rodgers and Hammersteins 1958 original production and David Henry Hwangs 2002

revival of Flower Drum Song thus have very different plots and characterizations. The general

storylines are very different as shown by the two aforementioned synopses. The books of the two

versions also open with contrasting opening sequences, leading to different possible audience

effects. The two versions also disagree on the degree of realism behind the driving force of the

plots developments, as well as the inclusion of stock characters that provide comedic relief.

Finally, the two versions may have similar endings; however, each version uses a different ex-

Machina moment to resolve loose ends. With so many differences between the plots and

characterization of the two versions of Flower Drum Song, it begs the following question: Can
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these two shows be considered an original-revival pair, or is David Henry Hwangs 2002 version

of Flower Drum Song simply a different musical altogether? In general, where is the line drawn

between the revival of a musical and the creation of a completely new and novel one? The

question is a difficult one, but an interesting query to answer.

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Works Cited

Hwang, David Henry. Flower Drum Song. Theatre Communications Group, 2003. Print.

Rodgers, Richard, and Oscar Hammerstein. Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song.

Williamson Music, 1959. Print.

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Bibliography

Hwang, David Henry. Flower Drum Song. Theatre Communications Group, 2003. Print.

Rodgers, Richard, and Oscar Hammerstein. Flower Drum Song: A Musical Play - Vocal Score.

Williamson, 1959. Print.

Rodgers, Richard, and Oscar Hammerstein. Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song.

Williamson Music, 1959. Print.

The Original Broadway Cast of Flower Drum Song. Flower Drum Song (Original Broadway

Cast Recording), Masterworks Broadway, 1999, Spotify,

https://open.spotify.com/album/1cNrW0UahgM2DvrdKXRJ8w.

2002 Broadway Revival Cast. Flower Drum Song The New Broadway Cast Recording,

Clinton Recording Studios, 2003, Spotify,

https://open.spotify.com/album/5UAAGdyE91xk6b6nTmgw6G.