Museum of Chinese in America

Baayork Lee was one of the children cast in the ensemble of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1958 production of “Flower Drum Song.” Asked to share memories of rehearsals or shows, she recalls working closely with choreographer Carole Haney on some of the dance numbers, understudying and unexpectedly going on as “Fan Tan Fannie” for one performance, and watching and learning dance steps on the side. She also offers her views on such topics as Asian stereotypes in the original show, David Henry Hwang’s rewriting of “Flower Drum Song,” why the show did not succeed on Broadway, racial cross-casting, and opportunities for Asians in the arts. This interview is one of a series of 18 interviews that author David Lewis Hammarstrom conducted in 2003 as part of research for his book, Flower Drum Songs: The Story of Two Musicals (2006).