The musical's title refers to the way that Westerners approached Japan during this time period, treating it as a mysterious and "overture" to a larger potential market in Asia. The musical itself is a series of short scenes that depict the changing landscape of Japan as it is forced to open itself to foreign influence.
The musical's score is a mixture of traditional Japanese music and Western show tunes, and the lyrics are often sung in English with Japanese pronunciations. This creates a unique and dissonant effect that reflects the cultural clash at the heart of the musical.
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