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'Pacific Overtures': Bravo to Kunoichi's rare San Francisco revival at Brava Theater!
 Jun 16 2025, 12:50:11 AM

It was nice to see a good turnout for the final performance by Kunoichi Productions' production of Pacific Overtures at the Brava Theater Center in San Francisco. The audience was enthusiastic and the company was even more revved up than when I saw it last weekend. Keko Shimosato Carreiro, who played The Reciter, spoke emotionally to the audience after a standing ovation at the show's conclusion.

I've made my positive comments before, but I can only r


Jamie Lloyd-helmed EVITA revival to play the London Palladium in 2025
 Jun 15 2025, 12:23:24 PM

Binau, I second the praise for your review, which both explains the conceits of the revival while highlighting what you thought worked. It is, however, making me regret not seeing a more traditional production of Evita. (There was a local production not long ago, but some life stuff happened and I missed it.)

I had seen Sunset Blvd. before, both the film and the Glenn Close production in Los Angeles, so I didn’t have to worry about the plot - just the


'Pacific Overtures': Bravo to Kunoichi's rare San Francisco revival at Brava Theater!
 Jun 14 2025, 05:43:49 PM

I said in my first comment about the review that I appreciate critics who don’t whitewash a show’s flaws just because it is a small production. It must be awkward to both cover the local theater scene - and many San Francisco Bay Area theaters have closed since 2019, which Lily Janiak has written about - while also being an honest critic.

But there’s a line between honest criticism and nastiness, especially when aimed at actors and directors who are doing this as


The dozen Stephen Sondheim musicals I've seen - and how my opinion has shifted
 Jun 14 2025, 05:00:36 AM

I realized the other day that I am running out of musicals with music and/or lyrics by Stephen Sondheim that I haven't seen in person at least once. (I am not counting the films.) The ones I haven't seen are Saturday NightA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the  ForumAnyone Can Whistle, Do I Hear a Waltz?, The FrogsPassion (though I've seen the Great Performances pro-shot), and Wise Guy


'Pacific Overtures': Bravo to Kunoichi's rare San Francisco revival at Brava Theater!
 Jun 14 2025, 02:35:15 AM

I'm sure people have run across this before, but it's fascinating nonetheless. "Someone in a Tree, Anatomy of a Song" - it's in two parts (the second part ends with a performance by the original cast with Sondheim on piano):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFkldZHOp_k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPmRiJNOVz0
 

 


DEAD OUTLAW Reviews
 Jun 13 2025, 07:11:15 PM

Fordham2015 said: "Anatomy of a Tony Awards Performance: HowDead OutlawBrought Their Show to the World

https://playbill.com/article/anatomy-of-a-tony-awards-performance-how-dead-outlaw-brought-their-show-to-the-world
"

That’s fascinating, and a ridiculous amount of work. This was the first time I realized the band was pre-recorded, which makes me wonder how much of the rest of the telecast was pre-recorded. 


'Pacific Overtures': Bravo to Kunoichi's rare San Francisco revival at Brava Theater!
 Jun 13 2025, 04:43:33 AM

Hi Wayman,

I think it’s safe to say that you know a lot more about Pacific Overtures than I do. This was my first time seeing it. I always worry a bit when seeing ambitious shows by small theater companies, but it’s often very rewarding (and sometimes brings something different out of a show). I knew in advance that women were in the cast, but because I had never experienced the traditional version in person and am not a purist, that didn’t both


'Pacific Overtures': Bravo to Kunoichi's rare San Francisco revival at Brava Theater!
 Jun 11 2025, 11:56:48 PM

Here are the reviews. 

Chad Jones of Theater Dogs, an admirer of the musical, praised the production.

"The Kunoichi production at Brava, directed by Nick Ishimaru, embraces the less-is-more philosophy with a single unit set (by Yusuke Soi) and an adept 11-person cast to create a fable-like vision of Japan (mostly in the 19th century) and its “barbaric” invasion from the point of view of Japanese people.

The star here is Sondheim’s score, simple, intricate and bursting with lyrical gems. Music director Diana Lee and a superb seven-piece orchestra (featuring Shirley Muramoto on the koto) make the show’s 2 1/2 hours a sonic treat, as do some glorious voices in the cast."

https://www.theaterdogs.net/reviews/pacific-overtures

And then there is Lily Janiak's review in the San Francisco Chronicle. Aside from "A Bowler Hat," Janiak is not a fan of Stephen Sondheim's score, which she is entitled not to like (although she has an annoying habit of reviewing revivals as if they were new shows).

This is what she has to say about "Someone in a Tree":

"In the repetitive song 'Someone in a Tree,' the actors fail to justify why one character, recalling his observation of the first meeting of the Japanese and Americans, sings that he was 'younger then' six times. Sitting in the audience, you start to dream up possibilities. Maybe he’s senile. Maybe he’s overexcited or fond of hearing his own voice. Maybe his listener would be indulgent at first, since she yearns to hear his tale, only to grow confused, then impatient, then exasperated. But the actors don’t explore these possibilities or any other, probably better ones. Each iteration feels the same."

Again, Janiak is entitled to not like "Someone in a Tree," but the director, Nick Ishimaru, and the actors in the scene didn't handle the song much differently than Hal Prince did in 1976. I rewatched the YouTube video just to make sure I wasn't crazy. Has Janiak never seen Pacific Overtures, even on YouTube? Is she really trashing the director and actors of a small theater company for performing it in a very similar way?

I generally appreciate critics who don't whitewash a production's flaws, even a small theater group, but if you're going to do that, it might help if your review doesn't betray your own ignorance. Janiak manages to say at the end - after insulting the actors' singing ability in a rather gratuitous way - that the musical "makes for a provocative revisit." But she clearly doesn't know the show at all. Janiak, the newspaper's main theater critic, should at least know how "Someone In a Tree" is normally staged and performed. It's painfully obvious that she doesn't.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/kunoichi-productions-pacific-overtures-review-20353433.php


MAYBE HAPPY ENDING Reviews
 Jun 11 2025, 05:57:32 AM

binau said: "I am very hopeful MHE can now recoup. If it can, it’s the best thing to keep investors willing to play this game. Someone said in the NYtimes I think it was that it is harder to find investors these days because of the economic dynamics, so we need these success stories.

It’s probably helped by strong baseline sales that strange loop and fun home never had, but it’s looking like the tony win is giving this the boost it needed to become a sell


OPERATION MINCEMEAT Reviews
 Jun 11 2025, 05:31:04 AM

pippy1 said: "Just saw this yesterday (I thought we’d get understudies but they were all there) - I have to admit there was part of me that thought I would leave at intermission. I had read up on the story beforehand, but I still had a bit of trouble understanding some of the jokes because of their accents. At times, I had trouble keeping my eyes open. BUT….I am so glad I stuck around. After the Dear Bill song (he deserved the Tony 100%), something clicked for me and I d


The 78th Annual TONY Awards Performances!
 Jun 11 2025, 05:06:39 AM

Random thoughts:

- For anyone who saw ‘Rose’s Turn’ at Radio City Music Hall, how did it come across? As someone who loved it in the Majestic, it felt like McDonald was playing to a much bigger audience in the building as opposed to modulating her performance for viewers at home. Then again, for people who think she was acting with a capital A, I doubt they would like it anywhere. It worked for me, overall, worked even more for my family - who seemed more blown away b


MAYBE HAPPY ENDING Reviews
 Jun 11 2025, 04:33:51 AM

I knew some of this from following this board but the story emphasized just how grim things were last fall - first because it wasn’t totally clear the musical would open at all, and then its early - and costly - box office struggles.

This show wouldn’t have survived if it had come out in the spring. It needed the space for word of mouth to build.

The discouraging thing is the reality that it’s really difficult to make money on a new Broadway musical. I thi


2025 Tony Awards Reactions Thread
 Jun 11 2025, 03:48:37 AM

Based on YouTube views, the two biggest draws were the Hamilton reunion (first by a mile) and Cynthia Erivo (her opening number and the In Memorium performance both are scoring well). 

The downside? Hamilton doesn’t really need the help, and Cynthia Erivo left Broadway a long time ago. But you can bet CBS wants her back if she’s willing.

Jonathan Groff’s and Nicole Scherzinger’s performances also are doing w


SUNSET BLVD. Revival
 Jun 10 2025, 04:00:17 AM

For the Sunset Blvd. fans seeing tonight’s first post-Tonys performance, have a great time.


AUDRA GYPSY Reviews
 Jun 10 2025, 03:48:30 AM

binau said: "I really hope to god they will film Audra - such as the closing performance. Ultimately this is more important than a Tony win over the long term. If I recall we ALMOST had Patti on film but when things went south and they closed early the whole thing was cancelled. Now we're stuck with Imelda Staunton's version which is FINE but I prefer Audra's vocals.”

I am increasingly convinced that getting a show filmed, if done well, is critical to it


After the Tony’s… Broadway show closing death watch
 Jun 10 2025, 03:25:28 AM

DrMonicaDeMoneco said: "Lol! Wait, it’s still open?!"

Touché.


2025 Tony Awards Reactions Thread
 Jun 10 2025, 03:24:31 AM

Ratings for all awards shows have declined a lot since the turn of the century. It’s not just the Tonys. I am too lazy to look it up, but I suspect the percentage decline for the Academy Awards has been even worse.


After the Tony’s… Broadway show closing death watch
 Jun 10 2025, 01:45:31 AM

DrMonicaDeMoneco wants another chance to guess that Just in Time will close right after the Tonys.


2025 Tony Awards Reactions Thread
 Jun 9 2025, 11:23:32 PM

Perhaps Oprah could have done a dramatic reading of some of the posts from the ‘LuPone on McDonald’ thread just to give an example of the civilized debates going on concerning the Best Actress in a Musical race.


2025 Tony Awards Reactions Thread
 Jun 9 2025, 05:10:34 PM

Kad said: "Woah, I was not expecting such a jump. But I think there were a number of things working in favor for that this year: Erivo and the Wicked wave, a number of shows having big success on social media (it may not reliably translate to ticket sales, but going from TikTok to watching the Tonys makes sense to me), Hamilton’s reunion, competitive categories, and a higher profile season overall."

It doesn’t take too much to cause a ratings spike, as th


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