#1
Posted: 1/12/05 at 2:56am
I went into this with virtually no knowledge of the show or production. I liked it but found it lacking in several areas. First off, the set is gorgeous but I found it worked better in the context of the first act than the second. There was a minor set problem in the beginning. They make use of numerous panels and the scenery fell off of one panel while it was turning. Two crew guys walked on and pulled it offstage. I thought the lighting and sound design were first rate. Beautiful job.
The direction felt muddled. The tone was uneven at times, especially in the beginning during Four Black Dragons. The production could use some speeding up in the pacing. It feels far too relaxed at times. I think if it were sped up, it would help create tension which I thought should be there but wasn't. I did not find the fault in the material, but in the way it was presented. The dramatic scenes were distinctly underwhelming. The choreography was wonderful and the costumes were rich. I wouldn't rank the score among Sondheim's best, but it's got a simple, melodious beauty and is certainly worth a listen. The opening number was gorgeously done though.
Some notes on the cast. B.D. Wong, while likable, is miscast or suffered inadequate direction. I felt he was the source of much of the uneven tone. He rarely stops smiling. While he seems to be playing the Reciter with comical amusement or as a philosophical ray of light, it doesn't quite click. The first part works to an extent at times. Oftentimes I found he fell flat in his portrayal. I enjoyed him but the Reciter should've been a stronger force. Telly Leung has an annoying presence overall, especially as the Boy and Sailor, but he did fine as the Shogun's companion. Michael K. Lee is adequate as Kayama. In general, he lacks a presence or personality. Too serious and unengaging. Poems was boring. I was enjoying the lighting more than the scene itself. I liked watching his transition in The Bowler Hat though. I thought that was very effective. He definitely had his moments.
On a more positive note, Alvin Ing does an admirable job as the Shogun's Mother and the Old Man. I enjoyed his presence a lot. Chrysanthemum Tea was excellent, as was his role in Someone In A Tree. Sab Shimono lends a strong, noble air to his parts. Hazel Anne Raymundo hits all the right comic notes as the Shogun's wife. She was hysterical with the paper cranes. Paolo Montalban is solid and bursting with youthful exuberance as Manjiro. Alan Muraoka was in for Francis Jue and you couldn't tell he was an understudy. He was wonderful as the Madam and in all his other respective roles. Yoko Fumoto did a fine job as Tamate, as did all the Admirals. The ensemble was very solid even if some of the lyrics get lost.
There is a decent amount of humor in Pacific Overtures, some of which gets lost in the hands of less than able comedians. I laughed though. On another note, a lot of the drama never gets off the ground. I admire the ambition of the show, and I think a lot of pride can be taken in the work as a whole. I think it's a very important piece. Maybe it takes a familiarity to really appreciate it, but a second visit is unfortunately out of the question. Miyamoto seems to have missed his mark in this particular production though. For a piece that I think should hold much weight, it felt disturbingly light. However, I'd rather see a second-rate Sondheim production than some of the other stuff that's out there.
The direction felt muddled. The tone was uneven at times, especially in the beginning during Four Black Dragons. The production could use some speeding up in the pacing. It feels far too relaxed at times. I think if it were sped up, it would help create tension which I thought should be there but wasn't. I did not find the fault in the material, but in the way it was presented. The dramatic scenes were distinctly underwhelming. The choreography was wonderful and the costumes were rich. I wouldn't rank the score among Sondheim's best, but it's got a simple, melodious beauty and is certainly worth a listen. The opening number was gorgeously done though.
Some notes on the cast. B.D. Wong, while likable, is miscast or suffered inadequate direction. I felt he was the source of much of the uneven tone. He rarely stops smiling. While he seems to be playing the Reciter with comical amusement or as a philosophical ray of light, it doesn't quite click. The first part works to an extent at times. Oftentimes I found he fell flat in his portrayal. I enjoyed him but the Reciter should've been a stronger force. Telly Leung has an annoying presence overall, especially as the Boy and Sailor, but he did fine as the Shogun's companion. Michael K. Lee is adequate as Kayama. In general, he lacks a presence or personality. Too serious and unengaging. Poems was boring. I was enjoying the lighting more than the scene itself. I liked watching his transition in The Bowler Hat though. I thought that was very effective. He definitely had his moments.
On a more positive note, Alvin Ing does an admirable job as the Shogun's Mother and the Old Man. I enjoyed his presence a lot. Chrysanthemum Tea was excellent, as was his role in Someone In A Tree. Sab Shimono lends a strong, noble air to his parts. Hazel Anne Raymundo hits all the right comic notes as the Shogun's wife. She was hysterical with the paper cranes. Paolo Montalban is solid and bursting with youthful exuberance as Manjiro. Alan Muraoka was in for Francis Jue and you couldn't tell he was an understudy. He was wonderful as the Madam and in all his other respective roles. Yoko Fumoto did a fine job as Tamate, as did all the Admirals. The ensemble was very solid even if some of the lyrics get lost.
There is a decent amount of humor in Pacific Overtures, some of which gets lost in the hands of less than able comedians. I laughed though. On another note, a lot of the drama never gets off the ground. I admire the ambition of the show, and I think a lot of pride can be taken in the work as a whole. I think it's a very important piece. Maybe it takes a familiarity to really appreciate it, but a second visit is unfortunately out of the question. Miyamoto seems to have missed his mark in this particular production though. For a piece that I think should hold much weight, it felt disturbingly light. However, I'd rather see a second-rate Sondheim production than some of the other stuff that's out there.
