STYLIZED, STIRRING, AND SELDOM SEEN
Pacific Overtures isn’t your typical Sondheim musical, nor is it often staged—which is precisely why this rare revival by Kunoichi Productions at Brava Theater feels like such a significant event. First premiering on Broadway in 1976, this haunting, intellectually ambitious piece–with a book by John Weidman–examines the Western “opening” of Japan in 1853, told entirely from the Japanese perspective. It’s a work of startling theatrical beauty and political nuance, originally conceived as a critique of American exceptionalism amid the Bicentennial frenzy.
Directed with sensitivity and vision by Nick Ishimaru, this San Francisco production embraces the show’s original Kabuki-inspired aesthetic with puppets by Ai Eibashi. Men play women, stylized movement enhances the narrative, and the staging serves as a cultural frame rather than a colonial lens. Ishimaru allows the show’s deeper tensions—between tradition and modernization, isolation and intrusion—to simmer beneath the stylization, surfacing with clarity when it matters most.
The story follows two friends: Kayama (Nick Nakashima), a minor samurai official, and Manjiro (Vinh G. Nguyen), a fisherman who has returned to Japan after years in America. Their journey—personal, political, philosophical—mirrors Japan’s uneasy transition from centuries of seclusion to reluctant global engagement after the arrival of American Commander Matthew Perry–whose mission was to open up the isolated country to the rest of the world for trade purposes–and his black ships.
The scenic design by Yuzuki Soi is elegantly tiered, suggesting both hierarchy and the upheaval of long-held social orders. Keiko Shimosato Carreiro’s costumes are a highlight, ranging from geisha silks to military uniforms with historical specificity and visual delight.
Sondheim’s score—arguably one of his most complex—blends Eastern modes with Western harmonies. Standout numbers include “Someone in a Tree,” a Rashomon-style meditation on perspective and historical truth, and the satirical showstopper “Please Hello,” in which various Western powers each make their colonial sales pitch to Japan. Musical director Diana Lee and choreographers Megan Kurashige and Shannon Kurashige of Sharp & Fine support the production with well-calibrated choices, allowing the score and movement to unfold with both control and expressive freedom.
The ensemble of twelve performers takes on more than 60 roles, shifting with precision and grace. Notable among them are Eiko Moon-Yamamoto (The Shogun’s Mother) and Faustino Cadiz III, who bring sharp clarity to brief but essential character turns. Other members are Lawrence-Michael C. Arias (Abe), Keiko Shimosato Carreiro (The Reciter), Edward Im (The Boy), Sarah Jiang (Tamate), Stephen Kanaski (The Warrior), Ryan Marchand (Perry), Mayadevi Ross (The Madame), and Julia Wright (Swing). If this cast sometimes feels more cohesive as an ensemble than as individuals, that seems to suit the piece. The production isn’t about Broadway-style showboating—it’s about cultural memory, identity, and reckoning with transformation. For longtime Sondheim devotees, Pacific Overtures represents one of his most daring undertakings. And judging from the warm response on opening night, this revival has struck a chord.
Brava’s Pacific Overtures is not just a revival—it’s a reclamation. In a city with deep Asian-American roots, this production reclaims the narrative not only from colonial history, but from the margins of the American musical canon. It’s a potent reminder: the past doesn’t always arrive in the form of nostalgia. Sometimes, it comes bearing questions.
Pacific Overtures
Kunoichi Productions
Brava Theatre Center, 2781 24th St, San Francisco
Wed-Sat at 7:30; Sun at 2
ends on June 15, 2025
for tickets ($25-$75), visit Kunoichi
