David Henry Hwang's reimagining of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song made its world premiere at the Taper in 2001.
This new production, starring Tony Award® winner Lea Salonga, was the first major revival since its original Broadway run in 1958. After a successful run at the Taper, the revival moved to Broadway.
Inspired by his lifelong search for authentic representations of Asians and the Asian American diaspora, Hwang re-contextualized Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway hit after asking himself, "Could I aspire to write the book that Hammerstein might have written had he been Asian-American? Could I re-envision the musical in a way that would feel relevant and moving to more sophisticated, contemporary audiences?"