Casting and creative team information has been revealed for the East West Players production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song, featuring Tony Award winning-playwright David Henry Hwang’s newly updated 2026 book. The musical will run at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center’s (JACCC) Aratani Theatre April 16-May 31, with an official opening night set for April 23.

The cast will include Grace Yoo (Hadestown) as Mei-Li, Emily Kuroda (Gilmore Girls) as Madame Liang, Marc Oka (The King and I, Flower Drum Song) as Wang, Scott Keiji Takeda (Sumo 相撲) as Da, Gedde Watanabe (Pacific Overtures) as Chin, Krista Marie Yu (Last Man Standing) as Linda Low, Kenton Chen (The Sing-Off) as Harvard, and Cooper Bennett as Chao. Further casting is to be announced.

The original version of Flower Drum Song, which premiered on Broadway in 1958, is not exactly a shining example of authentic depictions of Asian American communities, centering on a Bay Area group of Chinese immigrants torn between their traditional values and American assimilation. Hwang first revised the title for a 2002 Broadway revival, describing it as essentially a new musical with the same songs—including "A Hundred Million Miracles," "I Enjoy Being a Girl," and "Love, Look Away." Hwang's plot follows a young Chinese opera star fleeing communism, who finds herself swept away by nightclub culture in America. It has not yet been revealed what further revisions are expected for the upcoming staging.

“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,” said Hwang in a statement.

The production will include direction by Lily Tung Crystal, choreography by Lainie Sakakura, music direction by Marc Macalintal, scenic design by Chen-Wei Liao, costume design by Ruoxuan Li, lighting design by Jiyoun Chang, sound design by Brian Hsieh, prop design by Naomi Kasahara, stage management by Darlene Miyakawa, dramaturgy by Annie Jin Wang, assistant stage management by Brandon Hong Cheng, assistant costume design by Ruth Araujo, and assistant prop design by Kevin Dajay.

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