News
A theater company bites off more than it can chew if it selects a play that is beyond its capabilities, giving both the company and its audience indigestion. But Community Asian Theatre of the Sierras’ (CATS) production, “Flower Drum Song,” is a tasty banquet that digests easily and satisfyingly.
“Flower Drum Song,” a musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein and based on the 1957 novel of the same name by Chinese American author C.Y. Lee, opened on Broadway in 1958, followed by a successful 1961 film. Playwright David Henry Hwang reworked the story for a 2002 Broadway revival. Hwang’s script is used in this CATS production. The tuneful music is probably familiar if you’ve listened to a radio in the past 50 years.
The underlying story is girl meets boy, girl falls for boy, boy says he doesn’t care but once girl leaves, boy realizes he loves her and finally gets girl. The tale is embellished with issues of cultural assimilation and identity, set in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
I was immediately taken with the colorful and creative set, designed by Dennis Duesing, which morphed nicely over the course of the play. I was absolutely mesmerized by the gorgeous costumes designed and coordinated by Sovahn LeBlanc — fabulous colors, fabrics, and textures.
Director Michael Baranowski moved his large group of actors around and within the set fluidly and interestingly. Many of his choices created ingenious visuals—when the group of Chinese immigrants were on a boat to America, their confinement was indicated by a line of sticks surrounding their swaying bodies.
Adding value to this production was the talented eleven member orchestra, conducted live by Ken Hardin from the piano. Although some vocalists were stronger than others, the orchestra helped all to sound sufficient. George Jayne’s creative choreography struck just the right note — complex enough to be interesting for the more experienced dancers, but straight-forward enough for the neophytes.
The various male actors definitely added their talents, but several women were especially noteworthy. Lyra Dominguez as the shy immigrant, Mei Li, and Lorraine De Arco as the assimilated nightclub dancer, Linda Low, could sing and dance splendidly. And Yukiko Ohse as the theatrical promoter, Madame Liang, was funny and multifaceted.
Sunday’s matinee was sold out and the performers received a standing ovation. CATS again shows how good theater should be done. See this excellent production at the Nevada Theater through Feb. 14.
Hindi Greenberg is very impressed with CATS. They are an amateur, local theatrical company but often present as a more sophisticated, regional company —e specially in their set and costume design. Keep up the good work!
“Flower Drum Song,” a musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein and based on the 1957 novel of the same name by Chinese American author C.Y. Lee, opened on Broadway in 1958, followed by a successful 1961 film. Playwright David Henry Hwang reworked the story for a 2002 Broadway revival. Hwang’s script is used in this CATS production. The tuneful music is probably familiar if you’ve listened to a radio in the past 50 years.
The underlying story is girl meets boy, girl falls for boy, boy says he doesn’t care but once girl leaves, boy realizes he loves her and finally gets girl. The tale is embellished with issues of cultural assimilation and identity, set in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
I was immediately taken with the colorful and creative set, designed by Dennis Duesing, which morphed nicely over the course of the play. I was absolutely mesmerized by the gorgeous costumes designed and coordinated by Sovahn LeBlanc — fabulous colors, fabrics, and textures.
Director Michael Baranowski moved his large group of actors around and within the set fluidly and interestingly. Many of his choices created ingenious visuals—when the group of Chinese immigrants were on a boat to America, their confinement was indicated by a line of sticks surrounding their swaying bodies.
Adding value to this production was the talented eleven member orchestra, conducted live by Ken Hardin from the piano. Although some vocalists were stronger than others, the orchestra helped all to sound sufficient. George Jayne’s creative choreography struck just the right note — complex enough to be interesting for the more experienced dancers, but straight-forward enough for the neophytes.
The various male actors definitely added their talents, but several women were especially noteworthy. Lyra Dominguez as the shy immigrant, Mei Li, and Lorraine De Arco as the assimilated nightclub dancer, Linda Low, could sing and dance splendidly. And Yukiko Ohse as the theatrical promoter, Madame Liang, was funny and multifaceted.
Sunday’s matinee was sold out and the performers received a standing ovation. CATS again shows how good theater should be done. See this excellent production at the Nevada Theater through Feb. 14.
Hindi Greenberg is very impressed with CATS. They are an amateur, local theatrical company but often present as a more sophisticated, regional company —e specially in their set and costume design. Keep up the good work!
