Miyoshi Umeki was nominated for the 1959 Tony Award, for Actress in a Musical, and recreated her role in the film version.
Jack Soo who plays Sammy Fong in the film appeared in the original Broadway cast, but not as Sammy. On Broadway he played Frankie Wing, Sammy Fong's emcee.
Anna May Wong was producer Ross Hunter's original choice for Madame Liang, and Wong wanted to do the film. Her sudden death at the age of 56, just before filming was scheduled to begin, resulted in the part being given to Juanita Hall, who had created the role on Broadway.
Miyoshi Umeki, while appearing to be very demure, was known for her sense of humor. When asked what the Japanese word for money was she replied "loot."
Happily, several members of the original cast were recruited for the film version, including Miyoshi Umeki as Mei Li, Juanita Hall as Madam Liang and Patrick Adiarte as Wang San. Meanwhile, Jack Soo was elevated from his stage role of Frankie Wing to portray the leading role of Sammy Fong on screen. Soo had understudied the role on Broadway, where it was played by Caucasian Larry Blyden, who himself was an eleventh-hour replacement for Larry Storch.