Pacific Overtures Tickets

Taking place in 19th century Japan, the story concerns the culture clash sparked by America’s 1853 mission to open up Japan to the West. 

Set in the mid 19th Century, the story centres on the culture clash sparked by America’s 1853 mission to open up Japan to the West. 

The arrival of American gun boats to the shores of Japan leads Japan’s isolationist government to hastily stop the Americans from landing. They send two men – Kayama Yasaemon, a lower-class samurai of Uraga, and John Manjiro who was captured for the crime of leaving the country – to lead negotiations. Whilst initially successful, what ensues is a flood of gun boat diplomacy with Western fleets forcing the Japanese to open up to trade. Under the watch of the Reciter, Japan inevitably heads toward the tumultuous era of opening itself to the rest of the world.

Who is in the cast of Pacific Overtures?

The cast includes Jon Chew as the Reciter, Kanako Nakano as Tamate, Saori Oda as Shogun/Madam, Takuro Ohno as Kayama, and Joaquin Pedro Valdes as Manjiro, alongside Luoran Ding, Masashi Fujimoto, Rachel Hayne Picar, Eu Jin Hwang, Abel Law, Ethan Le Phong, JoJo Meredith, Patrick Munday, Sario Solomon, Joy Tan, Lee V G and Iverson Yabut.

Who are the creative team of Pacific Overtures?

Music and lyrics are by Stephen Sondheim, with a book by John Weidman, and additional material by Hugh Wheeler.

This production is directed by Matthew White, with set design by Paul Farnsworth, costume design by Ayako Maeda, sound design by Gregory Clarke, choreography by Ashley Nottingham, musical supervision by Catherine Jayes, orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, musical direction by Paul Bogaev, hair and makeup design by Wakana Yoshihara, and cultural consultant You-Ri Yamanaka.