Flower Drum Song

Lea Salonga (center with bag) and company members of Flower Drum Song at the Mark Taper Forum. Photo by Craig Schwartz

(revival)
Music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
Book by David Henry Hwang

This “revisical" of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic featured a completely new book by Hwang, while retaining the much beloved score. This updated version attempted to remain more true to the spirit of the novel by C.Y. Lee on which the show was based.

When it premiered at the Mark Taper forum in Los Angeles in 2001, it became the first show at the Taper to extend its scheduled run. The show then moved to Broadway, and in 2002 it was nominated for three Tony awards, including Best Book for a Musical.

Purchase Flower Drum Song (book), (music)

(l to r) Sandra Allen, Jose Llana, Tzi Ma, Allen Lui, and Jodi Long. Photo by Craig Schwartz for the Mark Taper Forum, 2001

Jodi Long and and Tzi Ma, Eric Chan (background). Photo by Craig Schwartz for the Mark Taper Forum, 2001

Jose Llana and Tzi Ma. Photo by Craig Schwartz for the Mark Taper Forum, 2001

Lea Salong and Jose Llana. Photo by Craig Schwartz for the Mark Taper Forum, 2001

Lea Salonga and Jose Llana. Photo by Craig Schwartz for the Mark Taper Forum, 2001

Lea Salonga and Sandra Allen. Photo by Craig Schwartz for the Mark Taper Forum, 2001

Lea Salonga. Photo by Craig Schwartz for the Mark Taper Forum, 2001

Aida

Heather Headley and the original Broadway cast of Elton John & Tim Rice's AIDA_ photo by Joan Marcus. ©DISNEY 2000.

Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice
Book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls and David Henry Hwang

Aida is based on Giuseppe Verdi's Italian-language opera of the same name, and was written with Linda Woolverton and Robert Falls.

At the Nile’s edge, the enslaved Nubian princess, Aida becomes romantically entangled with the Egyptian captain, Radames, who is betrothed to the Pharaoh’s daughter, Amneris. As their forbidden love grows deeper, Aida is forced to find balance between her heart’s yearning for Radames, and her responsibility to lead her people.

After opening at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in 2000, Aida ran on Broadway for four years, and was nominated for numerous awards including a Drama Desk Award, a Grammy award and five Tonys. It has gone to numerous national and international tours.

A revised version, directed by Schele Williams with a new book by Hwang, opened in 2023 at the Circustheater in the Netherlands. For more on Aida at the Circustheater.

Purchase Aida

Heather Headley and Adam Pascal in Elton John & Tim Rice's AIDA_ photo by Joan Marcus. ©DISNEY 2000.

Sherie Rene Scott and the original Broadway cast of Elton John & Tim Rice's AIDA_ photo by Joan Marcus. ©DISNEY 2000.