Pacific Overtures
The musical Pacific Overtures was written by Stephen Sondheim in 1976 and tells the story of Japan's isolation from the world and how that isolation was brought to an end through the intervention of the imperialist powers of the 19th century.
Gary Griffin is re-staging his Chicago Shakespeare Theater production of 2001. Just as Sondheim makes use of the Japanese poetical form of the Haiku - a compact, evocative Japanese verse that consists of only three lines and seventeen syllables - so Griffin uses another Japanese dramatic form, that of Kabuki theatre. Kabuki theatre has an all male cast, with all female parts being played by men; relies heavily upon stylised movements; and often makes use of puppets.
However, where as Kabuki sets, costumes and make-up are lavish and extravagant Daniel Ostling's staging is minimalist and austere. A simple oblong wooden stage, costumes of unadorned black robes with a few accessories to indicate rank - a red belt for a Samurai; an ornamental hat for a Councillor - and apart from a puppet to represent the young emperor Meiji, there are no props.
The first act tells of the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry and the crises this presents for the ruling oligarchy of this rigid caste society and is by far the best part of the musical. It contains the wonderful comic and poignant song "Chrysanthemum Tea" which tells of the ineffectual Shogun and his homicidal mother and "Welcome to Kanagawa" which tells of the welcome of a Madame and her girls (prostitutes) for the American sailors. These two songs capture the mood of the era, with an aristocracy unable to act and forced to rely upon a fisherman and a modest samurai to save them from the foreign devils.
The second act appears clumsy and superficial in its vacuous portrayal of the rise of Japan as an imperialist power that eventually dominates the Pacific. In the song "Next" we are told of some of the more modern accomplishments of Japan, such as its military support for attacks on Afghanistan after 9/11, or the fact that in the year 2000 the Swiss bought more Seiko watches then any other. To pass from the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912) to modern day Japan without explaining the equally momentous events of defeat in the Second World War on Japanese society reveals how emaciated this story of the rise of modern Japan really is. The musical would have been better not adding these unnecessary pieces of information, far from updating the musical it merely emblazons its shallowness.
Sadly, this production looks more like parody then an attempt to use Japanese art forms in a Western cultural setting. Japanese Haiku as well as most Japanese art forms seek to capture the bitter/sweet flavour of life. The minimalist settings are meant to offer direct, intuitive insights into life and are at once simple and perplexing. It is supposed to capture the essence of wonder and awe that words are incapable of expression. Sadly, this musical merely captures the essence of blandness.
Photo (Togo Igawa) by Nobby Clarke
Photo (Jerome Pradon) by Nobby Clarke
CHARLES SPENCER for THE DAILY TELEGRAPH says, "..facetious bore....lacks pace and pep." PAUL TAYLOR for THE INDEPENDENT says, "It's a musical of ideas more than of character and, at times, the proceedings can feel a little desiccated." BENEDICT NIGHTINGALE for THE TIMES says, "It still left me unmoved and exasperated." MICHAEL BILLINGTON for THE GUARDIAN says, "this is still a great musical that satirises America's historical determination to impose its values on other civilisations." He goes on to say, "This musical ripples with felt emotion."
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