Jon Jon Briones and Gedde Watanabe Lead PACIFIC OVERTURES At East West Players

East West Players will present the highly anticipated return of Pacific Overtures, directed by former EWP Artistic Director Tim Dang and featuring Jon Jon Briones and Gedde Watanabe.

Pacific Overtures also marks Artistic Director Lily Tung Crystal's first show since joining East West Players.

The production will run at East West Players' David Henry Hwang Theater from November 7 through December 1, 2024, with opening night on Sunday, November 10, 2024. Pacific Overtures will conclude East West Players' 2024 Season.

Set in 1853, Pacific Overtures explores the intersection of Western and Eastern cultures during the pivotal moment in Japan's history when it was opened to the West, through the lens of two friends caught in the change. With a unique score by Stephen Sondheim and a book by John Weidman, the show is renowned for its innovative storytelling, which beautifully fuses Kabuki theater and Broadway traditions.

“We couldn't be more excited to end our 2024 season with the return of Pacific Overtures,” expressed EWP Artistic Director Lily Tung Crystal. “It seems fitting that Tim, our artistic director emeritus, will be directing my first show as artistic director, and given my passion for musical theater, I'm delighted that it's Pacific Overtures. Historically, Stephen Sondheim and East West Players have a deep connection with one another. While this is our third time reprising this work and Tim's second time directing the show, I'm eager for audiences to experience Tim's current vision and how the themes of westernization, colonialism, and gentrification are still as timely as ever.”

This production of Pacific Overtures continues the theater's long-standing relationship with the work of Stephen Sondheim. After performing in the 1976 Broadway production of Pacific Overtures, EWP's founding Artistic Director Mako brought the show to California in 1978, where he directed and reprised his Tony-nominated role as The Reciter. At the time, Sondheim not only gave Mako permission to produce the show but also facilitated the donation of several set pieces from the original Broadway production to EWP, which were utilized in other Japanese-style sets for many years. This will be the tenth Sondheim production that Dang has helmed, including the 1998 revival at EWP that inaugurated the David Henry Hwang Theater. In total East West Players has put on 13 Sondheim productions, with our 2022 performance of Assassins being the latest. 

Pacific Overtures director Tim Dang shares, “Stephen Sondheim has been an inspiration to me since I was a teenager. This production is my homage to him, as it is the best way to celebrate Sondheim's legacy since his passing.”

Jon Jon Briones and Gedde Watanabe lead Pacific Overtures' cast. Briones has been cast as The Reciter, a role originated by Mako on Broadway, and Watanabe will play the Shogun's Mother/Old Man, having previously played the role of The Boy/Kanagawa Girl/Priest on Broadway. This will be Watanabe's return to Pacific Overtures after 48 years. This show also marks a reunion for Briones and Watanabe, who both performed in Dang's final show as EWP artistic director, La Cage aux Folles, in 2016. Briones is known for his roles as Hermes in Hadestown and The Engineer in Miss Saigon on Broadway and the Ryan Murphy-developed limited series Ratched on Netflix. Watanabe is known for his film, television, and stage roles and is a long-time EWP alum, having been a part of the casts of Ixnay, Assassins, and La Cage aux Folles.

The cast of Pacific Overtures also includes Scott Keiji Takeda* (Sumo at the La Jolla Playhouse, The Great Leap at Cygnet Theatre, EWP's Mysterious Skin and Next to Normal) as the Thief, Brian Kim McCormick* as Kayama (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown at South Coast Repertory and The Sound of Music at Musical Theatre West), Adam Kaokept* (EWP's Assassins) as Manjiro, Kerry K. Carnahan* as Lorde Abe (EWP's A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Passion, The World Goes ‘Round, Follies, Merrily We Roll Along), Ashley En-Fu Matthews* (Mamma Mia! at the Hollywood Bowl) as Tamate, Kavin Panmeechao* (the National Tour of The King and I and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Dial M for Murder at the White Heron Theatre) as the British Admiral, Kurt Kanazawa*(L'OPERA! at the Pan Asian Repertory; TV: Grey's Anatomy, The Lincoln Lawyer) as the Fisherman, Sittichai Chaiyahat* (Little Shop of Horrors at New Village Arts) as the Warrior, Nina Kasuya* as the Dutch Admiral (TV: The L Word: Generation Q, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Good Doctor), Aric Martin as the Madam and French Admiral (EWP's Assassins, La Cage aux Folles), Gemma Pedersen as the American Admiral/Boy (Head Over Heels at Arizona Repertory Theatre and Scrooge!at the Arizona Theatre Company), Kit Dezolt (TV: Generation, Baby Shark Live, Blippi: The Wonderful World) as Commodore Perry, Norge Yip as the Russian Admiral (Madama Butterfly at the Pacific Opera Project), with Jordan Fan and Jonah Meyer as understudies.

The creative team includes direction by Tim Dang^, musical direction by Marc Macalintal, choreography by Yuka Takara, Kabuki consulting and choreography by Gankyō Nakamura, Japanese music direction by Shih-wei Wu and Tsugaru Terry, scenic design by Tesshi Nakagawa†, costume design by Naomi Yoshida, lighting design by Brian Gale†, audio design by Cricket Myers†, projections design by David Murakami†, properties design by Glenn Michael Baker, make-up and hair design by Yoko Haitz, fight choreography by Amanda Noriko Newman, assistant music direction by Miki Yokomizu,  assistant costume design by J.J. Javier, assistant projections design by Sam Clevenger. Pacific Overtures is stage-managed by Edward Khris Fernandez* with Mikayla Bettner* and Bonnie Lynn Montano acting as Assistant Stage Managers. 

Pacific Overtures will also feature musicians Philip Moore on reeds, Richie Francisco on trumpet, May Zeng on trombone, Brian Paul Benning and Peter Marcos on violin, Rebecca Yeh on cello, and Kyle Dombroski on percussion.

Pacific Overtures tickets may be purchased online at eastwestplayers.org or by calling (213) 625-7000.