Flower Drum Song a Grammy nominee

The soundtrack of the Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song is one of the nominees as Best Musical Show Album at the 46th Grammy Awards. This is quite an honor for Filipinos because the two stars of the musical Lea Salonga and Jose Llana were both born in the Philippines.

Lea was a child singer who grew up to become the original Miss Saigon for which she won the Tony Award as Best Actress. Jose debuted on Broadway in The King & I and has since then excelled in other roles. This bit of news will surely gladden the hearts of both. Lea is getting ready for her wedding which will be held in Los Angeles. Jose is getting good notices in the touring company of Flower Drum Song. He has also released his first album of Filipino songs, titled Jose for Viva Records.

Flower Drum Song is up against Gypsy with Bernadette Peters, Man of La Mancha with Brian Stokes Mitchell and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Movin’ Out with Michael Cavanaugh and Nine — the Musical with Antonio Banderas and Chita Rivera.

Here are more of the other nominees:

Female R&B Vocal: Rain on Me Ashanti; Back in the Day Erykah Badu; Dangerously in Love Beyonce; Ooh! Mary J. Blige; I Wish I Wasn’t Heather Headley

Male R&B Vocal: Step in the Name of Love R. Kelly; Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda Brian McKnight; Superstar Ruben Studdard; How You Gonna Act Like That Tyrese; Dance with My Father Luther Vandross

Duo of Group R&B with Vocals: The Closer I Get to You by Beyonce & Luther Vandross; Where is the Love Stanley Clark featuring Glenn Lewis & Amel Larrieux; Say Yes Floetry; I’ll Stay Roy Hargrove & the RH Factor feat. D’Angelo; Busted The Isley Brothers with Ronald Isley aka Mr. Biggs feat. JS; Hands Up TLC

Traditional R&B Vocal: Hold Me Earth, Wind & Fire; Wonderful Aretha Franklin; Comin’ from Where I’m from Anthony Hamilton; Way Up There Patti LaBelle; He Proposed Kelly Price

Urban/Alternative Performance: Danger Erykah Badu; Milkshake Kelis; J’veux D’la Musique Les Nubians; Forthenight Musiq; Hey Ya! Outkast

Best R&B Song: Comin’ from Where I’m from Anthony Hamilton; Crazy in Love Beyonce feat. Jay-Z; Dance with My Father Luther Vandross; Danger Erykah Badu; Rock Wit U (Awww Baby) Ashanti

Best R&B Album: Worldwide Underground Erykah Badu; Bittersweet Blu Cantrell; So Damn Happy Aretha Franklin; Body Kiss The Isley Brothers feat. Ronald Isley aka Mr. Biggs; Dance with My Father Luther Vandross

Best Contemporary R&B Album: Chapter II Ashanti; Dangerously in Love Beyonce; Love & Life Mary J. Blige; Comin’ from Where I’m from Anthony Hamilton; Chocolate Factory R. Kelly

Female Rap Solo: Got It Poppin’ Da Brat; Work It Missy Elliott; Came Back for You Lil Kim; Ride Wit Me MC Lyte; Go Head Queen Latifah

Male Rap Solo: Pump It Up Joe Budden; Lose Yourself Eminem; In Da Club 50 Cent; Stand Up Ludacris; Get Busy Sean Paul

Rap Duo or Group: Gossip Folks Missy Elliott feat. Ludacris; Magic Stick Lil Kim feat. 50 Cent; Shake Ya Tailfeather Nelly, P.Diddy & Murphy Lee; Dipset (Santana’s Town) Juelz Santana feat. Cam’Ron; Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Young Gunz

Rap/Sung Collaboration: Crazy in Love Beyonce feat. Jay-Z; Where is the Love Black Eyed Chili Peppers and Justin Timberlake; Luv U Better LL Cool J feat. Marc Dorsey; Frontin’ The Neptunes feat. Pharrell Williams & Jay-Z; Beautiful Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell and Uncle Charlie Wilson

Best Rap Song: Beautiful Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell and Uncle Charlie Wilson; Excuse Me Miss Jay-Z feat. Pharrell Williams; In Da Club 50 Cent; Lose Yourself Eminem; Work It Missy Elliott

Rap Album: Under Construction Missy Elliott; Get Rich or Die Tryin’ 50 Cent; The Blueprint-the Gift & the Curse Jay-Z; Speakerboxxx/The Love Below Outkast; Phrenology The Roots

Jazz Vocal Album: Man in the Air Kurt Elling; May the Music Never End Shirley Horn; Nature Boy — the Standards Album Aaron Neville; A Little Moonlight Diane Reeves; North and South Luciana Souza

Compilation Soundtrack Album: Chicago; Gangs of New York; Kill Bill; A Mighty Wind; School of Rock (all by various artists)

Score Soundtrack Album: Catch Me if You Can; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; The Hours; The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers; Seabiscuit

Best Song written for a motion picture or other visual media: Act a Fool from 2 Fast 2 Furious by Ludacris; The Hands That Built America from Gangs of New York by U2; I Move On from Chicago by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellwegger; Lose Yourself from 8 Mile by Eminem; A Mighty Wind from A Mighty Wind by Mitch & Mickey and the New Main Street Singers

Short Form Video: Hurt Johnny Cash; The Scientist Coldplay; Die Another Day Madonna; Concrete Angel Martina McBride; Hey Ya! Outkast.