1958 plot Flower Drum Song

oscar hammerstein ii

ta s blind date proves thoroughly americanized linda low, learn sammy fong s girlfriend , stripper @ club. on date ta ( enjoy being girl ), linda lies ta career , family. ta, knowing chinese-americans college degrees find hard job befitting education, plans go law school, postponing career struggle 3 years. impetuous ta asks linda marry him. agrees, needs family consent , lies, saying has brother approve marriage. ta returns home , meets mei li, attracted him ( going here ), though ta unimpressed. changes when ta sees in western dress ( god ).

linda comes madam liang s graduation party citizenship school linda s brother (actually comedian sammy s nightclub) , presents herself ta s intended, brother giving consent marriage. extroverted, americanized woman not wang has in mind elder son, , wang , ta argue. sammy fong arrives , penetrates linda s scheme: linda, frustrated 5 years has been seeing sammy, determined marry someone, , if sammy won t step forward, settle ta. sammy strikes inviting wangs, mei li , father watch show @ celestial bar ( fan tan fannie ). linda striptease, realizing late sitting @ best table. sammy s special guests storm out, except ta, humiliated not know do. led away childhood friend helen chao, seamstress fits linda s costumes her, , love ta unrequited. linda, goaded beyond endurance when sammy raises glass her, dumps champagne bucket on head.

act ii: drunken ta spends night @ helen s apartment ( ballet ). in morning, mei li delivers master wang s coat helen mend , distressed see ta s dinner jacket there. mei li jumps conclusions , leaves horrified. ta leaves lonely helen, totally oblivious attempts interest him. wang wants bar , evil spirits shut down; sister-in-law informs him free enterprise cannot shut down, , 2 wonder @ foibles of younger generation ( other generation ). ta arrives home admit father right, mei li girl him. now, mei li wants nothing him, , lis leave wang home. sammy fong , linda decide married ( sunday ), when goes 3 family association (a benevolent association) announce linda bride, finds mei li , father there, , elders insist honor betrothal immigrant girl.

ta brings mei li wedding gift of pair of mother s earrings wore on wedding day , tries unsuccessfully hide fact in love her. wedding procession moves down san francisco s grant avenue bride, heavily veiled, carried on sedan chair ( wedding parade ). sammy drinks traditional wedding goblet, offers goblet new bride. unveiled, mei li confesses sammy s mother cannot marry sammy illegal alien – tactic learned watching american television. contract void, , gives both sammy , ta opportunity marry true loves, linda , mei li.