George Minami

George Minami Jr (1939-28 December 1992) was a dancer, choreographer and instructor. One of his featured roles was as a principal dancer in the Broadway production of “Flower Drum Song,” which opened on Dec. 1, 1958. He went on to play the juvenile lead when the show opened in London two years later. He later toured the country with his own act, and also performed in road company productions of “Flower Drum Song.” In 1969, he choreographed a production of the musical at the Thunderbird Hotel in Las Vegas. He went on to direct several Las Vegas revues, including “Oriental Affair, “”The Al Bellow Show” and “April Ames’ Roaring Twenties.” In 1974, he returned to his hometown of Hayward, opening the Minami Dance Academy. He was subsequently hired as the choreographer for the Oakland Raiders’ Raiderettes. He died of an aneurism and heart failure at Saint Rose Hospital in Hayward, California. He was 53.