Memorial Day Weekend Must-See: Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Flower Drum Song" at the Aratani Theatre thru May 31! / May 21, 2026 by David Hwang

Do not pass go do not collect $200. Go directly to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song before it closes on May 31. This lauded applauded world premiere of Tony-winner David Henry Hwang’s newly updated 2026 book is being presented by the enchanting enthralling East West Players (EWP) at the Aratani Theatre, 244 San Pedro St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

 The top notch terrific tremendous talented team behind this pristine precise proficient profound production includes Director Lily Tung Crystal, Choreographer Janelle Dote Portman, Musical Director Marc Macalintal, Costume Designer Ruoxuan Li, and Lighting Designer three-time Tony nominee Jiyoun Chang. Music is by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.

YELLOW FACE Extended at Mānoa Valley Theatre Ahead of Opening Night / May 21, 2026 by David Hwang

David Henry Hwang's comedy runs at the Honolulu venue, with the production already sold out ahead of its extension.

Mānoa Valley Theatre is continuing its 2026 season with Yellow Face May 14-24, 2026, with a just-announced extension of two additional shows on May 30th and 31st. The lines between truth and fiction blur with hilarious and moving results in David Henry Hwang's unreliable memoir, recently on Broadway starring Daniel Dae Kim.

Read more at Broadway World

‘Are You Now or Have You Ever Been’ off Broadway / May 21, 2026 by David Hwang

Initial casting has been set for the revival of Eric Bentley's docudrama, with various guest stars rotating in and out of the production throughout its run.

Initial casting has been set for Are You Now or Have You Ever Been off Broadway at New York City Center, running from June 2 to September 11 only.

Eric Bentley's docudrama depicts various showbiz figures testifying before the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1940s, dramatizing actual verbatim transcripts from the hearings. Six actors will perform for the entirety of Are You Now's run: Three-time Tony Award nominee Brooks Ashmanskas (Smash, The Prom), Jason Babinsky (Network, Billy Elliot), Tony nominee Steven Boyer (Hand to God), Emmy and Grammy winner Adam Kantor (The Band’s Visit), Drama Desk Award winner Frederick Weller (In Plain Sight), and Emmy and Oscar nominee Michael McKean (Laverne & Shirley, This is Spinal Tap).

Guest starring in the production from June 2-21 are David Krumholtz, Obie winner Billy Eugene Jones, Andrew McCarthy, Sally Murphy, and Jay O. Sanders.

Guest starring at future dates to be announced are Santino Fontana, T. R. Knight, Harry Lennix, Bob Odenkirk, Steven Pasquale, Molly Ringwald, and Thomas Sadoski. Additional guest stars have yet to be announced.

As previously announced, the creative team includes director Anna D. Shapiro, set designer Andrew Boyce, costume designer Johanna Pan, lighting designer Donald Holder, sound designer Milbo Music, and projection designer Brittany Bland.

Additionally, there will be a series of post-show talkbacks following select performances throughout the run. Scheduled guests include playwright J. T. Rogers (6/2), director Trip Cullman (6/4 evening), actress Judy Kuhn and writer John Weidman (6/11 evening), director Christopher Ashley (6/16), actor Arian Moayed (6/17 matinee), rabbi Joanna Samuels (6/17 evening), writer and actress Heidi Schreck (6/18), Tectonic Theater Project founder Moisés Kaufman (6/23), playwright David Henry Hwang (6/25), playwright Matthew Libby (6/30), director Bill Rauch (7/14), Public Theater artistic director Oskar Eustis (7/23), director Robert O'Hara (8/29 matinee), director Pam MacKinnon (9/2 evening), and Michael Roth (9/9 evening).

The Plays You Need to Know From the Last 100 Years / April 29, 2026 by David Hwang

According to five American playwrights and a director.

‘The Threepenny Opera’ (1928) by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill

“When we think of how music is used in theater, we talk about Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1943 ‘Oklahoma!,’ which many people feel was the first book musical,” says the playwright David Henry Hwang, 68. “But Brecht’s play, with its jazz-influenced score by Weill, was one of the first to use music as a device to comment on what was happening in the play.”

‘Flower Drum Song,’ Once Overhauled, Returns Changed Again / April 29, 2026 by David Hwang

David Henry Hwang’s revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Flower Drum Song” has returned to Los Angeles 25 years after it first premiered.Credit...Philip Cheung for The New York Times

David Henry Hwang revised the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic 25 years ago. Now he gets to remedy some of his own remake’s flaws.

When East West Players in Los Angeles reached out to David Henry Hwang two years ago about staging one of his works for the theater troupe’s 60th anniversary season, Hwang had a lot of material to choose from.

Maybe “M. Butterfly,” the 1988 Tony-winning work inspired by the true story of a love affair between a French diplomat and a Chinese opera singer, with a nod to Puccini’s opera? Or “Yellow Face,” the Pulitzer-nominated play that skewered “Miss Saigon,” Hollywood racism and even the playwright himself?

Your pick, the theater company told him.

Hwang ultimately chose “Flower Drum Song,” the 1958 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical — or rather, the wholly reworked version he created more than two decades ago.

Photos: New Version of RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S FLOWER DRUM SONG Premieres From East West Players / April 29, 2026 by David Hwang

Marc Oka with Esther Lee, Gemma Pedersen, Ai Toyoshima, Sally Hong, Hillary Tang, and Emma Park

Photos: New Version of RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S FLOWER DRUM SONG Premieres From East West Players

The production features David Henry Hwang’s newly updated 2026 book.

East West Players and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center will present their 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 will open at JACCC’s iconic Aratani Theatre. Performances will run April 30 - May 31. Check out photos from the show below!

Read more at Broadway World

A crop of classic musical revivals arrives in LA. this spring. Here’s why modern audiences will care / April 29, 2026 by David Hwang

Alexandra Silber, who adapted the book for “Brigadoon” and the Pasadena Playhouse; and David Henry Hwang, who adapted the book for “Flower Drum Song” at James Irvine Japanese Garden. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Three classic musicals from Broadway’s “Golden Age” arrive in L.A. this spring, with “Flower Drum Song,” “The Sound of Music” and “Brigadoon” running concurrently through mid-June.

Several revivals have been updated by contemporary playwrights to address outdated elements and reflect modern sensibilities, exploring themes of authenticity, diversity and political relevance that speak to today’s audiences.

The productions demonstrate how these classic musicals, originally crafted to address the issues of their era, remain timeless in their exploration of identity and purpose.

It’s raining classic musical revivals in Los Angeles, with three shows penned by Rodgers and Hammerstein and Lerner and Loewe poised to run concurrently this spring.

These mid-century dream teams revolutionized American theater by popularizing the integrated musical, a form which leveraged classic operetta elements like song and dance as narrative tools.

‘Flower Drum Song’: East West Players celebrates its 60th season with refreshing program / April 29, 2026 by David Hwang

Krista Marie Yu still remembers being a 10-year-old budding skater, flower placed neatly in her hair, taking the ice for one of her earliest competitions. She stood in the middle of the rink as the opening strains of Richard Rodgers’ overture for “Flower Drum Song” played through the speakers before gliding to one of her favorite pieces of music.

She’s left the skates behind, but Yu will again get to glide — and sing — to the newest incarnation of “Flower Drum Song.” The 1958 Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical, which received a celebrated pre-Broadway premiere at Downtown’s Mark Taper Forum with a reworked book by David Henry Hwang in 2001, is back.

Hwang has refreshed his book for East West Players. Helmed by the Artistic Director Lilly Tung Crystal, starring Yu as Linda and veteran actor Gedde Watanabe, “Flower Drum Song” opens April 23 at Little Tokyo Aratani Theatre as part of the company’s 60th anniversary season.

EWP Veteran Says New ‘Flower Drum Song’ Is a Celebration of Community / April 16, 2026 by David Hwang

East West Players will be presenting the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Flower Drum Song” from April 16 to May 31 at the Aratani Theatre in Little Tokyo, featuring both EWP veterans and newcomers.

One of the veterans is Emily Kuroda, who has extensive stage, film and TV credits and is best known for playing Mrs. Kim on the TV series “Gilmore Girls.” In her 47th show with EWP, she will be playing Madame Liang, a talent agent and businesswoman.

The play opened on Broadway in 1958 and a film adaptation was released in 1961. Although the songs have remained the same, Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang wrote a new book for the Broadway revival in 2002 and has written another new book for this year’s production.

‘Flower Drum Song’ cast talks of LA performance / April 16, 2026 by David Hwang

Fifteen years ago, we watched David Henry Hwang’s heavily revised “Flower Drum Song” at the Mark Taper Forum starring Lea Salonga as Mei-Li.

The classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical about the Asian experience in America is now coming back to Los Angeles, this time at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center’s iconic Aratani Theatre (April 16-May 31) with opening night scheduled on April 23.

As the grand finale of East West Players (EWP)’s 60th Anniversary Diamond Legacy season, artistic director Lily Tung Crystal will helm the highly anticipated world premiere of the Tony-winning David Henry Hwang’s refreshed 2026 book for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Flower Drum Song.”

Boston Symphony Orchestra’s 2026-27 Season / April 10, 2026 by David Hwang

Eric Jacobsen conducts Osvaldo Golijov and David Henry Hwang’s “Creation” with Cécile McLorin Salvant, Davóne Tines, Cyro Baptista, and Kayhan Kalhor.

Revised ‘Flower Drum Song’ musical echoes challenges faced by immigrants / April 10, 2026 by David Hwang

Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang and Fil-Am music director Marc Macalintal talk about the East West Players' production of the beloved musical.

“I believe that this ‘Flower Drum Song’ resonates even more powerfully at a time when a vocal segment of the American populace no longer sees this country as a nation of immigrants, and when the federal government has declared war on anyone who wasn’t born here or doesn’t fit the agenda of white supremacy.”

David Henry Hwang, described by The New York Times as the greatest Asian American dramatist in an article, answered my question on how “Flower Drum Song,” which he revised again for 2026, is relevant in these times when the current administration is implementing aggressive enforcement measures that have created a hostile environment for immigrants, including the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).

Signature Theatre's 35th Anniversary Gala / March 26, 2026 by David Hwang

Get an inside look into Signature Theatre's 35th Anniversary gala, held March 19 at NYC's Edison Ballroom, with the photos in the gallery below. The evening raised $680,00 for the company.

Signature also announced its newest Resident Artist, Obie Award winner Eisa Davis(Warriors), as well as two productions set for the 2026–27 season: Lauren Yee's semi-autobiographical play King of the Yees with Tony winner Francis Jue in the cast, and Davis' Angela’s Mixtape, which explores the artist’s own family life and her relationship to her aunt, legendary activist Angela Davis.

The evening was attended by Signature playwrights, artists, and supporters including Heather Christian, Quiara Alegría Hudes, Samuel D. Hunter, David Henry Hwang, Bill Irwin, Zoe Kazan, Laura Linney, Edward Norton, Billy Porter, and more.

Four-time Emmy Award-winner and three-time Academy Award nominee Laura Linney was in attendance in honor of her father, the late playwright and Signature Resident Romulus Linney, whose work comprised Signature’s first ever season. The Pershing Square Signature Center’s Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre is named after him.

Philip Glass Spreads His Wings / March 26, 2026 by David Hwang

Philip Glass Spreads His Wings on the First Complete Recording of 1000 Airplanes on the Roof

Portland’s Third Angle played the piece under an airplane in McMinnville, the subsequent recording is pure science-fiction.

The power of place and context are not lost on Third Angle New Music. Founded in 1985, the Portland nonprofit curates site-specific experiences featuring music by young composers and venerated 20th century legends, often commissioning brand new pieces for their performances. For example, in January, Third Angle tucked musicians into the nooks and crannies of Central Eastside experimental playground Hopscotch, using the venue as a concert hall for four different versions of Steve Reich’s Counterpoints.

On March 6, Philip Glass’ Orange Mountain Music record label released a recording of 1000 Airplanes on the Roof, a 1988 “science fiction music drama” composed by Glass, with libretto written by David Henry Hwang. Recorded by Third Angle between October 2023 and March 2024, this is the first ever complete recording of the one act piece.

Anna Deavere Smith, David Henry Hwang debut first Artists on Artists talk at Signature Theater / March 13, 2026 by David Hwang

Playwrights Anna Deavere Smith and David Henry Hwang in conversation with Gaven D. Trinidad (center) at the Signature Theatre on February 26, 2026. (Johnny Knollwood photo)

Playwrights Anna Deavere Smith and David Henry Hwang were joined in conversation by moderator Gaven D. Trinidad for a discussion on the pair’s experiences navigating the theater world at the Signature Theater on Feb. 26. The actor and librettist discussed breaking down cultural barriers and representation in the medium throughout their storied careers as part of the first edition of “Artists on Artists,” a series at Signature Theater that seeks to connect audiences directly to the artistic community in Midtown Manhattan. The pair gathered with Trinidad in the lobby of the theater, which he highlighted as a vital resource for artists. The lobby space is large with lots of seating, a cafe and restrooms that are available for members of the artistic community to meet, work, and take a load off in the city.

Smith, a former artist in residence at Signature, is considered a pioneer of “verbatim theater,” and has appeared as an actress on shows that include “The West Wing,” and “Nurse Jackie.” Hwang, well known for works including “M. Butterfly,” is one of the first Asian American voices to land a Broadway production. The pair recalled the lack of diversity in stories as they rose through the ranks of theatredom. “All the material we were given was by white heterosexual males,” Smith said of her time studying as one of the first students to earn a Masters of Fine Arts in acting at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, recalling how she sat in the basement of her local bookstore, combing through books for scenes and plays written by voices more similar to her own. She remarked that Hwang was a pioneer in being not only one of the first Asian American playwrights to hit Broadway, but one of the earliest voices to provide an alternative perspective to those of white heterosexual men. Hwang credits growing up around a successful family of artists for allowing him to blossom in the field. “I saw people who looked like me as actors and directors and administrators,” he remembered. The conversation served as a reminder — the importance of free artistic expression amidst attempts by the Trump administration to “erase history and culture,” according to Hwang — urging audience members to keep creating. “They are really scared of what we do.”

After Leaving the Kennedy Center, an Opera Company Shows Signs of Life / March 13, 2026 by David Hwang

Washington National Opera’s new production of Scott Joplin’s “Treemonisha,” which opened at Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University on Saturday.Credit...Elman Studio

“Are we glad to see you,” Timothy O’Leary said to a full house at Lisner Auditorium on Saturday. “Welcome to the uninterrupted, slightly relocated 70th anniversary season of Washington National Opera.”

The audience applauded, and O’Leary, the opera company’s general director, continued. “We deeply appreciate your understanding and your solidarity, and your belief in creative freedom,” he said.

After yet more applause, he concluded: “Thank you for believing in the idea of American civil society whereby institutions that are mission-based like this are created and nurtured by we the people, and they are governed and owned by we the people.”

Without ever naming it, O’Leary was speaking about the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. That was Washington National Opera’s home until January, when it abruptly severed ties with the performing arts institution, joining an exodus of artists who have come to see it as a cultural proxy for President Trump and his political allies.

When O’Leary was done and it was time for the show, the genial plucks of a banjo at the start of Scott Joplin’s “Treemonisha” doubled as a kind of declaration. Washington National Opera had pulled off the risky, difficult feat of abandoning its home, and all the security that came with it, and opening a new production within two months.

Going Out: Top 20 arts & nightlife events, March 12-20 / March 13, 2026 by David Hwang

Unlike a certain undeservingly Oscar-nominated actor, we love ballet and opera, specifically San Francisco Ballet, now that the taint of their potential performing at the illegally renamed Trump-Kennedy Center is scratched. You can enjoy their amazing dances, as well as wonderful visual arts, performing and nightlife activities, including Oscar watch parties, chosen here for your perusal.

M. Butterfly @ San Francisco Playhouse
David Henry Hwang’s drama about a Peking opera performer’s secretive romance with an American Vietnam-era diplomat; thru March 14. $52-$145, 450 Post St. http://www.sfplayhouse.org (Read our review .)

First Complete Recording of 1000 Airplanes on the Roof / March 13, 2026 by David Hwang

Philip Glass Spreads His Wings.

Portland’s Third Angle played the piece under an airplane in McMinnville, the subsequent recording is pure science-fiction.

YELLOW FACE Equity Actors - Oregon Shakespeare Festival Auditions / March 10, 2026 by David Hwang

LORT Rep Producer / Theatre Company: Oregon Shakespeare Festival
$1,245 weekly minimum (LORT B+)
Artistic Director: Tim Bond
Director: May Adrales
Writer: David Henry Hwang
Casting Director: Katja Zarolinski, CSA

SEEKING

Equity actors for the role of HYH / AS CAST in YELLOW FACE.

[HYH / AS CAST] 50s–60s. He/him. Asian American. Versatile, comedic, doubles as multiple roles which may include HYH (DHH's father), Frank Chin, BD Wong, Wen Ho Lee, Bernard Jacobs, Frank Rich.

OTHER DATES

Audition Date(s): TBD
Callback Date(s): TBD — Late March / Early April 2026
Rehearsal Date(s): June 16, 2026
Preview Date(s): Aug 05, 2026
Closing Date(s): Oct 23, 2026

Read more at Broadway World

East West Players Reveals Full Cast For David Henry Hwang’s Updated FLOWER DRUM SONG / March 6, 2026 by David Hwang

This new production of David Henry Hwang's refreshed FLOWER DRUM SONG will make its world premiere.

East West Players has announced the ensemble and understudy cast for the world premiere of Tony-winner David Henry Hwang's refreshed 2026 book for RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S FLOWER DRUM SONG. Helmed by EWP Artistic Director Lily Tung Crystalº, this reimagined golden-age musical will open April 2026 at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center's iconic Aratani Theatre, 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.

Joining the previously announced principal cast and creative team, 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 Liebson* (Ensemble), Emma Park (Ensemble), Gemma Pedersen (Ensemble/Mei-Li & Linda Understudy), Avelina Sanchez (Ensemble), Hillary Tang* (Ensemble), Ai Toyoshima* (Ensemble), Haoyi Wen (Ensemble), and Paul Wong* (Ensemble/Chin & Wang Understudy).

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.

Read more at Broadway World