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Sondheim to Sondheim: Roundabout Sets Sail on Broadway with Pacific Overtures
By Ernio Hernandez
12 Nov 2004
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B.D. Wong, star of Pacific Overtures
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| photo by Aubrey Reuben | Following up the success of the Tony Award-winning revival of Assassins, The Roundabout Theatre Company teams with Gorgeous Entertainment Inc. to present another Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman musical, Pacific Overtures.
The new Broadway staging will also play at Studio 54 beginning previews Nov. 12 and opening Dec. 2 for a run slated through Jan. 30, 2005.
Pacific Overtures follows the introduction of Japan to westernization from the landing of Commodore Matthew Perry in the "Floating Kingdom" of Nippon in 1853 over 150 years.
Amon Miyamoto, who directed the all-Japanese production of the work as the 2002 Lincoln Center Festival, directs the new revival to be performed in English with Asian American actors.
Tony Award winner B.D. Wong (M. Butterfly) stars as the Reciter with a cast that includes Eric Bondoc (Tokyo Can-Can), Evan D'Angeles (Miss Saigon), Joseph Anthony Foronda (Pacific Overtures - Donmar Warehouse), Yoko Fumoto (The King and I), Alvin Y. F. Ing (original Broadway cast of Pacific Overtures), Fred Isozaki (The King and I), Francis Jue (Thoroughly Modern Millie), Darren Lee (Seussical The Musical), Hoon Lee (Urinetown), Michael K. Lee (Jesus Christ Superstar), Ming Lee (Miss Saigon), Telly Leung (Flower Drum Song), Paolo Montalban ("Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella"), Alan Muraoka (My Favorite Year), Mayumi Omagari (Beauty and the Beast), Hazel Anne Raymundo (The King and I), Yuka Takara (Mamma Mia!), Kim Varhola (Thoroughly Modern Millie) and Scott Watanabe (The Phantom of the Opera).
Pacific Overtures features the music and lyrics of Sondheim and a book by Weidman with additional material by Hugh Wheeler. Paul Gemignani (Assassins) handles music direction. The design team features Rumi Matsui (sets), Brian MacDevitt (lighting), Junko Koshino (costumes) and Dan Moses Schreier (sound).
Wong recently starred in the HBO series "OZ." and is currently part of the cast of NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." The San Francisco-born and bred actor made his Broadway debut in M. Butterfly — which earned him the Outer Critics Circle Award, Theatre World Award, Drama Desk Award, Clarence Derwent Award, and the Tony Award (a feat only accomplished by him). He has also appeared on stage in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Shanghai Moon as well as on screen in "Jurassic Park," "The Salton Sea," "Seven Years in Tibet," "Father of the Bride" (and its sequel) and (in voice) on Disney's "Mulan."
Pacific Overtures debuted at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre on January 11, 1976, and ran for 193 performances. Originally directed by Hal Prince, the work garnered nine Tony nominations, winning two: Best Costume Design (Florence Klotz) and Best Scenic Design (Boris Aronson).
The Sondheim score includes "The Advantages of Floating in the Middle of the Sea," "There Is No Other Way," "Four Black Dragons," "Chrysanthemum Tea," "Poems," "Welcome to Kanagawa," "Someone in a Tree," "Lion Dance," "Please Hello," "A Bowler Hat," "Pretty Lady" and "Next."
The staging of Pacific Overtures will mark the third production — following the revivals of Cabaret and Assassins — to fill the former disco-turned theatre Studio 54 since Roundabout purchased the venue as its new musical home. A revival of A Streetcar Named Desire starring Natasha Richardson is scheduled to play next.
Tickets to Pacific Overtures at Studio 54, 254 West 54th St., can be purchased by calling (212) .719-1300. For more information on the Roundabout, visit www.roundabouttheatre.org.
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The company of Pacific Overtures taking a break from rehearsal
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| photo by Aubrey Reuben |
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