Soon after the overly-miked opening number, "A Hundred Million Miracles," Flower Drum Song settles into its quieter storyline, and we soon agree with heroine Mei-Li in thinking, "I'm going to like it here." That we're never really bowled over by this Rodgers & Hammerstein revival has as much to do with the pleasurable but not extraordinary score ("You Are Beautiful" excepted), and the rather mild romantic conflict in the original book as it does with David Henry Hwang's occasionally too-revisionist, too-spoofy, yet still contrived new version.
Lea Salonga has charm as the fresh-off-the-boat girl torn between the old world and new, and Sandra Allen rightly steals the show as ambitious stripper Linda Low. It should all be a little more lively and a lot more poignant, but likeable it is - and that ain't chop suey.