NOV 08 - DEC 08, 2024
Pacific Overtures
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by John Weidman
Additional Material by Hugh Wheeler
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Original Broadway Production Directed by Harold Prince & Produced by Harold Prince in Association with Ruth Mitchell
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Pacific Overtures
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by John Weidman
Additional Material by Hugh Wheeler
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Original Broadway Production Directed by Harold Prince &
Produced by Harold Prince in Association with Ruth Mitchell
Presented at the David Henry Hwang Theater
November 8 – December 1, 2024
Opening Night November 10, 2024
1853, and it’s the end of the world. Commodore Matthew C. Perry intends to open the gates of isolationist Japan. When Samurai Kayama and America-loving fisherman Manjiro are tasked with meeting the American gunboat docked on the coast of Kanagawa, little could they know that they would irreversibly change the “Floating Kingdom.”
East West Players previously produced Pacific Overtures in 1979 with EWP founding Artistic Director Mako reprising his Tony-nominated performance as The Reciter. The musical was again produced by EWP in 1998 as the David Henry Hwang Theater’s inaugural performance. Supported in part by the David Lee Foundation.
PACIFIC OVERTURES is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. mtishows.com
Performance Schedule
Cast
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(Reciter, Shogun, Emperor) Philippine-born Briones has recently returned from Broadway, playing Hermes in Hadestown. He played the Engineer in the London West End & Broadway revival of Miss Saigon, which garnered Olivier and Drama Desk nominations and a Theater World award. Other theater credits include Sweet Charity, La Cage aux Folles, and The Romance of Magno Rubio. On television, Briones is best known for playing Dr. Richard Hanover opposite Sarah Paulson in Ryan Murphy’s Golden Globe-nominated Netflix series, Ratched. Other popular performances: Modesto Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Class of ’09, Star Trek: Picard, American Horror Story: Apocalypse, and Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration. On the big screen, he starred in the Amblin feature The Last Voyage of the Demeter, and he lends his vocal talents to the ongoing Nickelodeon series, Transformers: Earthspark, and Trese on Netflix.
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(Shogun’s Mother, Old Man, Imperial Priest (Puppet), Ensemble) Gedde Watanabe began his acting journey in 1976 with the original Broadway production of Pacific Overtures. He wanted to express the following: “A heartfelt thank you to Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, and John Weidman for that instrumental beginning. Thank you, Tim Dang, for all the wonderful shows you’ve let me be a part of here at EWP and for inviting me to revisit Pacific Overtures 48 years later. Thank you, Lily Tung Crystal. We will always be grateful to have a home here at EWP that allows us to continue our journeys.”
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(Thief, Sumo Wrestler, 2nd Councillor, Sailor 3, Second Noble, Ensemble) Scott Keiji Takeda is thrilled to return to the EWP stage with Tim Dang. A Yonsei actor, Scott began his career at East West Players in Prince Gomolvilas’ Mysterious Skin, directed by Tim. Other stage credits include Sumo (La Jolla Playhouse), The Great Leap (Cygnet Theatre), Valley of the Heart (Mark Taper Forum), and the Ovation Award-winning production of Next to Normal (East West Players). On screen, Scott’s credits include Made for Love, Grey’s Anatomy, MDMA, Carrie Pilby, No No Girl, and the Netflix original series Huge in France where he stars opposite comedian Gad Elmaleh. You may also recognize Scott from various commercials for brands such as Chase, Xfinity, Allstate, Bank of America, and McDonald’s. Much love to his parents, sister, friends, and EWP for all their love and support.
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(Kayama, Horse's Head, Ensemble) Brian Kim McCormick is grateful to be making his EWP debut with this iconic work. Brian’s Los Angeles credits include Little Shop of Horrors and YAGMCB at South Coast Repertory, The Sound of Music at Musical Theatre West, Carla Ching’s Revenge Porn at Ammunition Theatre, and The Winter’s Tale with Antaeus. Other credits include Theater Mu, Pan Asian Repertory, NAAP, NYTW, Guthrie Theater, Asolo Repertory, Forestburgh Playhouse, Theatre Latté Da, TheatreSquared, Quantum Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, Full Circle, and more. Voiceover work includes Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! SEVENS, the video games Modern Combat Versus and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, many English dubs including Squid Game, Élite, and Chastity High, and the audiobook, Winston Chu vs. The Whimsies by Stacey Lee. You can also find him in the upcoming indie film, Daruma– a story about two unlikely friends: a paraplegic and a double amputee. For Mom, Dad, and Yuna
IG: @asian_with_a_camera
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(Manjiro, Horse’s Ass, Ensemble) Adam is thrilled to return to EWP where he was last seen as the Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald in Assassins. Other credits include Broadway: Aladdin (OBC), Miss Saigon (OBC 2016 Revival). Off-Broadway credits: Radiant Baby at the Public Theater (directed by George C. Wolfe), Zanna, Don’t! National Tours: Mamma Mia!, Miss Saigon, Bye Bye Birdie, Flower Drum Song. Regional credits: Cloudlands (South Coast Rep), The King and I (Merry-Go-Round Playhouse), Pacific Overtures (Arden Theater Co). TV credits: Master of None. Upcoming films include Dream! and The Bad Man (2024/2025). Big love and thanks to my amazing tribe!
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(Lord Abe, Merchant's Mother, Ensemble) Kerry K. Carnahan is thrilled to be back home in EWP’s Pacific Overtures, sharing a Japanese story connected to her own heritage. She has appeared in A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Passion, The World Goes ‘Round, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Follies, Merrily We Roll Along. Kerry originated characters in the original musicals: TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s The Four Immigrants: An American Musical Manga (Kimiko). CTG/ Mark Taper Forum’s The First Picture Show (Newscaster/ Marion E. Wong) with Estelle Parsons, Land of Smiles (Soon Nu) Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Playwrights’ Arena’s Cinnamon Girl (Praveena). Regional: The King and I (Lady Thiang) with Debby Boone, A Chorus Line, The Wizard of Oz with Cathy Rigby. Grateful Crane’s Nihonmachi: The Place to Be (Joyce). TV: ABC’s General Hospital. She has sung the national anthem for the LA Dodgers, Angels, Clippers, Angel City FC. UC Irvine BFA/Dance. She is grateful for the support of God, Dan, Jackson, Carson, my family, and 1FCiC.
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(Tamate, Priest 1, Merchant's Son, Girl (Pretty Lady), Ensemble) Ashley En-Fu Matthews is honored to make her EWP debut in Pacific Overtures, a landmark in API musical theatre. Her previous theatre credits include the 10th Anniversary Off-Broadway Revival and Las Vegas companies of Rock of Ages, Miss Saigon (Macau), Mamma Mia! (Hollywood Bowl), Sweet Charity (Los Angeles), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and A Chorus Line. Television: Law & Order and Katy Keene. Born in Canada, raised in Southern California, and currently based in NYC, Ashley is a proud Taiwanese Canadian/ American, and serves on the Actors’ Equity Association’s National Council. A passionate advocate for API and mixed-race identity in theatre, Ashley believes in encouraging discussions about the importance of representation in the performing arts. Part-time activist, full-time cat lady. Special thanks to Tim, the EWP team, Lakey Wolff, and her family. @ashleyematthews.
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(British Admiral, First Noble, Fencing Master, Third Councillor, and Ensemble) Kavin Panmeechao is a New York/L.A.-based actor and writer. Select theatre credits include: LCT’s The King and I (National Tour/UK/Tokyo), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (National Tour/Florida Studio/3-D Theatricals), Dial M for Murder (White Heron Theatre), Miss Saigon (Ogunquit Playhouse), and A Chorus Line (3-D Theatricals). Film/TV: Twitterpated (upcoming – Mattioli Productions), Madam Secretary (CBS), Life in Between, Uninterrupted Birds. Playwriting: The Return (Westport Country Playhouse), Public HeroicsCommission (Hudson Stage), Blue – A Playlet (Cardinal Stage), One Tough Cookie, and Subreddit. Currently appearing as a graduate student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. IG/TikTok: kavindpan. To Mom, Dad, Becca, Blaine, Stephen, Dr. Kevin Ronan, my Saigon/ TKAI brother Kevin, DeeDee, and lovable Trapped fam: I love you. Thank you for the gift that you are.
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(Fisherman, Soothsayer, Lord of the South 1, Sailor 1, Ensemble) Kurt Kanazawa is an accomplished actor & opera singer. A Juilliard School (GD), Manhattan School of Music (MM), and Columbia University (BA) graduate, of Japanese (yonsei) & Filipino (Ilocano) descent, born on the ancestral homelands of the Tongva & Chumash nations. Off-Broadway: Pan Asian Repertory (solo show L'OPERA!). Regional: Los Angeles LGBT Center, Rogue Artists, Detroit Public Theatre, Boston Court, BBC, LATW, Artists At Play, Ojai Playwrights Conference (additionally, a reading committee member). TV/Film: Grey's Anatomy, Bosch: Legacy, The Lincoln Lawyer, No No Girl, A Life in Pieces: the Diary and Letters of Stanley Hayami (@ Tribeca, JANM). Opera: New World Symphony, The Industry-LA, NCPA-Beijing, Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires). His uncle, Dingo Secretario (Simeon Den), was in the original Broadway cast of Pacific Overtures! Thank you Tim, Marc, Andy, Lily, Tramayne, my family and friends, stage management, UC-Irvine Acting faculty/“MFA Lawyers,” & the entire EWP staff/board!!! @kurtkanazawa | www.kurtkanazawa.com
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(Warrior, Observer 1, Geisha 4, Lord of the South 2, Kuroko 3) Sittichai is over the moon to make his East West Players debut in Pacific Overtures! He just recently graduated from UC Irvine with his MFA in Acting and is immensely grateful to be working at such a historic theatre right out of school. Growing up, his dad owned and operated a Thai restaurant, so he has high standards for good Thai food. His favorite motto is: Play Hard, Work Hard! Some favorite credits include Edmund in King Lear, Snoopy in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Poet in An Iliad, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, Seymour Krelborn in Little Shop of Horrors, The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance, and Max in The Brothers Paranormal, which was his capstone project at UC Irvine. He would like to thank the pirate crew of his life and all the people who continue to support him on his artistic journey!
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(Dutch Admiral, First Officer, Sumo Wrestler, Geisha 3, Second Samurai, Kuroko 4) Nina Kasuya is thrilled to be making her debut with East West Players. Recent credits include Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (Frankie), The L Word: Generation Q, The Good Doctor, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and singing for artists including Teddy Swims, CeCe Winans, and Brandon Victor Dixon. Nina is also a passionate educator who has been featured at Boston Sings A Cappella Festival, Milwaukapella, Los Angeles A Cappella Festival, and currently works with students at Icon Collective College of Music.
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(Madam, Merchant, French Admiral, Priest 2, Ensemble) Aric Martinis delighted to be returning to the East West Players stage after previously appearing as Giuseppe Zangara in Stephen Sondheims' Assassins. Favorite roles include Monty Navarro in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Adolpho in The Drowsy Chaperone, Gomez in The Addams Family, and Georg Nowack in She Loves Me. Aric is a proud graduate of the acting training program at The Juilliard School.
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(American Admiral, Observer 2, Geisha 1, Boy, Kuroko 1, Ensemble) Gemma Pedersen is a recent BFA Musical Theatre graduate from the University of Arizona and is thrilled to be making her EWP debut! Recent theatrical credits: Tobias in Sweeney Todd, Dance/Fight Captain, Dancer in Head Over Heels (Arizona Repertory Theatre); Martha Cratchit in Scrooge! (Arizona Theatre Company). In California, Gemma was last seen as Alexi Darling/Ensemble in RENT and Ethel/Swing in 42nd Street. She extends heartfelt thanks to the creative team and all involved in Pacific Overtures for this deeply rewarding experience. “This show is for my family for their ineffable support.” Instagram: @gemmapedersen
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(Commodore Perry, Shogun’s Wife, Geisha 2, Kuroko 2, Ensemble) Kit DeZolt is thrilled to be making his EWP debut! His film credits include Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk (Kien), Moon Manor (Nox), and Making YouTube (Steve Chen). Kit has provided English dubbing for The King's Affection and Veneno. His TV credits include Generation, To Tell the Truth, Citizen (Pilot), A Plan to Kill, and South Beach Tow. Kit also performed stand-up in the taped comedy special, Laugh Proud. On stage, he played Hogi on the North American tour of Baby Shark Live and was a dancer on both the international tour (Dubai, Manila, Johannesburg) and the North American tour of Blippi The Wonderful World. @Kit_Dezolt
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(Russian Admiral, Sailor 2, Shogun’s Companion, Second Officer, First Samurai) Norge Yip has been a featured soloist and ensemble singer throughout Southern California and for recordings for albums, commercials, music videos, video game/television/movie soundtracks, studio demos, and premiere performances. Norge has been seen on stage most recently as the Imperial Commissioner in Pacific Opera Project’s groundbreaking production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, as Sherlock Holmes in Peter Wing Healey’s The Italian Lesson (Mesopotamian Opera Company), and as Old Man in Nathan Wang’s On Gold Mountain (LA Opera Connects). Previous musical theater roles include Caiaphas in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar, The Dungeon Master in Nicolas Brandt and Laura Watkin’s Comic-Con: The Musical: The Workshop, and Submarine Captain in Julien Nitzberg’s The Beastly Bombing. Television appearances include The Christmas CarolerChallenge, Chris Hardwick's @midnight, Masters of Illusion, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, and MadTV. Norge is the bass vocalist for the a cappella quartet, Bank of Harmony.
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(Understudy) Jordan Fan is a Southern California-based actor and opera singer. He started his professional theatre career in San Diego with the lead role of Zhang Jun-Rei in the West Coast premiere of the musical, Romance of the Western Chamber. Other recent credits include Chip in Hot Night at the Blue Note, Brom Bones in Welcome to Sleepy Hollow, and Robert in The Play That Goes Wrong. Pacific Overtures is his first role in the Los Angeles area, and he is excited to share the stage with new friends. Additionally, as an Asian American artist, he is grateful to East West Players for inviting him to help share stories from the AANHPI community. Lastly, Jordan thanks his family for their support, and he and his wife are expecting a new performer in Spring 2025. Follow him on @jordan_r_fan.
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(Understudy) Jonah is deeply honored to be making their East West Players debut! It has been a privilege to learn, create, and grow while being surrounded by an incredible team of actors, creatives, and crew members. Other recent show credits include The Sound of Music (5-Star), Bottleshock: the Musical (CCAE), Cabaret, and 35 MM. They would like to extend thanks to CSUF, ATB Talent, friends, family, and their partner, Bailey, for all of their love and support! @jonahsmeyer
Credits
Director
Tim Dang^
Music Director
Marc Macalintal
Choreographer
Yuka Takara
Kabuki Consultant and Choreography
Kirk Kanesaka (AKA Gankyō Nakamura)
Japanese Music Expert
Shih-wei Wu
Japanese Music Expert
Tsugaru Terry
Scenic Designer
Tesshi Nakagawa
Costume Designer
Naomi Yoshida
Lighting Designer
Brian Gale†
Audio Designer
Cricket Meyers†
Projections Designer
David Murakami†
Properties Designer
Glenn Michael Baker
Hair and Make-Up Design
Yoko Haitz
Fight Director
Amanda Noriko Newman
Assistant Music Director
Miki Yokomizu
Assistant Costume Designer
J.J. Javier
Stage Manager
Edward Khris Fernandez*
Assistant Stage Manager
Mikayla Bettner*
Assistant Stage Manager
Bonnie Lynn Montano
Reeds
Philip Moore
Trumpet
Richie Francisco
Trombone
May Zeng
Violin
Brian Paul Benning
Violin
Peter Marcos
Cello
Rebecca Yeh
Percussion
Kyle Dombroski
Trombone (Sub)
Rose Doylemason
*Member of Actors Equity Association
^Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
†Member of USA 829
Advisories
Production Warning
Please be advised that this production contains strobe lights, smoke effects, and light haze.
Content & Trigger Warning
Pacific Overtures contains mild sexual innuendo.
A Content Warning is a verbal or written notice that precedes potentially sensitive content, allowing for the viewer to prepare themselves so that they are able to engage or disengage with the content. Trigger warnings are of a more serious nature that may cause a physiological and/or psychological response, such as anxiety. There may be overlap between the two.
If you would like to learn more about the content warnings of this show, please reach out to boxoffice@eastwestplayers.org.
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