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.