Pacific Overtures Tickets
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About Pacific Overtures
"Entertaining and thought-provoking" - The Times
"A blast!" - The Week
See one of Stephen Sondheim’s most ambitious musicals at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Book Pacific Overtures tickets in London on TodayTix.
Pacific Overtures follows Japan's encounter with the West in 1853. A once-secluded nation with enduring traditions and unbroken serenity, untouched by outside forces. Depicted through a Western lens but enacted with an Eastern touch, the tale explores how the arrival of Commodore Perry and the Americans disrupts Japan's centuries of peaceful isolation and introduces new ideas and influences.
Stephen Sondheim was a groundbreaking American composer and lyricist who had a profound influence on musical theatre and won eight Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize. His works include Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and Company. Sondheim's score for Pacific Overtures is brimming with some of his best melodies, including “Someone in a Tree,” “Pretty Lady,” and “A Bowler Hat.”
Run time
1h 45m (no interval)
Categories
Start date
25th November, 2023
End date
25th February, 2024
Pacific Overtures cast and creative team
By: John Weidman
Songs by: Stephen Sondheim
Director: Matthew White
Choreography: Ashley Nottingham
Cast list: Jon Chew (as Reciter), Kanako Nakano (as Tamate), Saori Oda (as Shogun/Madam), Takuro Ohno (as Kayama), Joaquin Pedro Valdes (as Manjiro), 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, Iverson Yabut
Design: Paul Farnsworth
Costumes: Ayako Maeda
Sound: Gregory Clarke
Other info: Music supervision by Catherine Jayes, music direction by Paul Bogaev, orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, hair and makeup design by Wakana Yoshihara, cultural consultation by You-Ri Yamanaka
Venue
Directions
Location: Fringe/Off West End
Railway station: London Bridge
Bus numbers: (Southwark St) RV1, 343, 381; (Southwark Bridge Rd) 344; (Borough High St) 21, 35, 40, 133
Night bus numbers: (Southwark St) 381, N343; (Southwark Bridge Rd) 344; (Borough High St) N21, N35, N133
Car park: Union Car Park on Southwark Street (1min)
Directions from tube: (10 mins) Head towards Borough High Street; cross the street and take Union Street. Turn right at O’Meara Street and the theatre will be at the end.
More information about Pacific Overtures
In 2023, a new production of Pacific Overtures emerged in Japan, co-produced by the Umeda Arts Theater in Osaka and London's Menier Chocolate Factory. Directed by Matthew White, the production incorporated Sondheim and Weidman's 2017 revisions. The show played in both Tokyo and Osaka, featuring an all-Japanese cast, including Koji Yamamoto and Yuya Matsushita as the Reciter, Eiji Wentz as Manjiro, and Hikaru Asami as the Shogun and Madam. The production will transition to the Menier Chocolate Factory in London from 25 November 2023 to February 24, 2024.
Pacific Overtures was Sondheim’s ninth musical and is regarded by many as his most distinctive and vital work, winning two Tony Awards and one Olivier Award. The Menier completes its trilogy of Sondheim/Weidman musicals, following acclaimed productions of Assassins and Road Show.
What to watch for
- Pacific Overtures marked Sondheim’s fourth collaboration with Hal Prince as director and producer. Their other collaborations included Company, Follies, and A Little Night Music.
- Sondheim's mentor in musical theatre was the legendary lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II. They first met when Sondheim was just a teenager.
- Sondheim received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his musical Sunday in the Park with George in 1985.
- The Menier Chocolate Factory is housed in a former chocolate factory building in Southwark, London, dating back to the 1870s.
Frequently asked questions
What is Pacific Overtures about?
Nippon. The Floating Kingdom.
Which theatre is Pacific Overtures at?
Pacific Overtures is at London's Menier Chocolate Factory, which is located at 53 Southwark Street, London, SE1 1RU.
What is the running time of Pacific Overtures?
Pacific Overtures runs for 1h 45m (no interval)
How do you get tickets for Pacific Overtures?
Check the top of this page for current availability and exclusive offers on Pacific Overtures tickets on TodayTix.
Tickets
Unfortunately, tickets for this event are no longer available.
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