Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song to be adapted for the screen
Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1958 musical Flower Drum Song is being adapted for the screen, it has been revealed by Variety.
Co-created by Concord alongside Daniel Dae Kim's 3AD productions and Janet Yang Productions, it is unknown if the piece will be presented on television or in cinemas.
The Tony Award-winning piece is based on C Y Lee's novel and follows a wealthy refugee who moves from China to San Francisco. After its initial premiere it was not seen again on Broadway (after many rightly highlighted how outdated the material had become) until 2002, where much of the book was rewritten by David Henry Hwang.
This reinterpretation closed after six months after poor reviews (Ben Brantley describing it as "terminally out-of-date" in a New York Times piece). We'd expect there'll be a chunk of reworking before this new adaptation arrives on the screen.
The news follows revelations that Oklahoma!, The King and I and more are all being transported to the screen. Two R&H shows are being staged right now in the UK – revivals of South Pacific and Carousel in Chichester and London respectively.
Casting and a release date for Flower Drum Song are to be revealed.
