Hearing the ‘Song’ Differently

David Henry Hwang’s deft burlesque version of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Flower Drum Song,” which I saw on opening night, may offer the right stuff to compete against more contemporary shows like “Cabaret” (“A Different Drummer,” by Diane Haithman, Oct. 14).

All it needs, perhaps, is a hefty dose of Disney’s penny arcade showmanship. That would mean, of course, further enhancements--like maybe a couple of generic Elton John ballads to bolster box office. And while they’re at it, why not drop some of those R&H; numbers, which were so inelegantly forced into a reconfigured landscape?

The success of “Flower” in revival could lead to the ever-insecure Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, not known for preservation zeal, putting up the entire canon of songs by Dick and Oscar for arbitrary, interchangeable use by favored writers and directors in their make-a-musical dream projects.

DAVID LEWIS

Piedmont