As someone who isn’t really a fan of Stephen Sondheim (take away my gay card, I know), I have found myself going through his repertoire over the past year as several LA and Broadway theaters mount revivals.
It’s been a good education in his work, and while he’s still not my favorite, I have found I loved a few (“Merrily We Roll Along,” for one). So, as I continue my saunter through Sondheim, I have arrived at his 1976 creation, Pacific Overtures, now being presented by the incomparable East/West Players.
Considered one of Sondheim’s most ambitious and complex scores, this show is one of his least produced. Initially, the show was staged Kabuki-style with all of the men’s roles played by women. This tradition was more or less kept until 2004, when women and men mostly played their gendered roles.
In this remounting, the cast is varied, with men and women playing both female and male roles. This clever conceit can sometimes be confusing but ultimately works.
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The story spans many years, with the central characters being newly appointed Prefect of Police Kayama (Brian Kim McCormick) and fisherman Manjiro (Adam Kaokept). Manjiro was lost at sea and then rescued by Americans, but now has returned to Japan to warn them that there are American warships headed their way with the hopes of forcibly westernizing the country.
Lord Abe (Kerry K. Carnahan) sends the two to meet the four warships in hopes of driving them away. But Kayama is not important enough for the Americans to deal with, so they disguise Manjiro as a great lord to get some disturbing information: Commodore Matthew Perry (Kit DeZolt) wants to have an audience with their Shogun within six days, or they will bomb the city.
The musical follows Japan’s plans to prevent Americans from setting foot on its soil and send them packing. However, all does not go according to plan, as westernization eventually takes hold.
The East/West Players always put on a well-produced show and have some of the best performers in the city as part of their incredible ensembles. One only has to look at Jon Jon Briones, who plays the Reciter (the narrator of the show) who hails from the London West End and Broadway revivals of “Miss Saigon” and recently starred as Hermes in “Hadestown” on Broadway.
Kaokept and McCormick are excellent here, pulling us into their plight with a moving and complex empathy.
The rest of the ensemble is equally terrific, with some outstanding vocal work and gifted performances. Scenic Design by Tesshi Nakagawa is elegantly simple, and the traditional Japanese musicians add authenticity to a musical that, let’s face it, was written by a white man.
Sondheim has a certain style, and elements come through in this early work. The speedy, articulate verses are present, as is his trademark humor.
But this is a show that didn’t captivate me. That’s not the fault of anyone in the production; it’s the source material. There were times I had trouble following what was going on, and there were moments and songs that felt like they didn’t add anything to the narrative (“Welcome to Kanagawa”). I kept asking myself, “Who is this musical written for?” It’s a particular and important part of history, but I just wasn’t sure how broad the appeal might be.
This is a musical of personal taste, and it just didn’t do it for me. I appreciated the historical narrative and education it gave me and enjoyed the traditional elements. But as a compelling story, I didn’t connect to it.
To be fair, many Sondheim fans gush over his lesser-known work, so there will be champions of this show. It’s so well-crafted and performed that I would recommend it to those intrigued.
Pacific Overtures plays at the East/West Players Theater in Downtown Los Angeles through Dec. 8th.
For more information and tickets, visit EastWestPlayers.org.
