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Pacific Overtures (1976 Original Broadway Cast) | 
 enlarge | Creators: Stephen Sondheim, Alvin Ing, Conrad Yama, Ernest Harada, Freda Foh Shen, Fusako Yoshida, Gedde Watanabe, Isao Sato, Jae Woo Lee, James Dybas, Leslie Watanabe, Mako, Mark Hsu Syers, Patrick Kinser-lau, Ricardo Tobia, Sab Shimono, Timm Fujii, Yuki Shimoda
Label: RCA Victor Broadway
Category: Music
List Price: $13.98
Buy New: $9.80
You Save: $4.18 (30%)
New (17) Used (12) from $6.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 32651
Format: Cast Recording
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 14407
UPC: 078635440720
EAN: 0078635440720
ASIN: B000002W6P
Release Date: October 25, 1990
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
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| Tracks:
| • | The Advantages of Floating in the Middle of the Sea | | • | There Is No Other Way | | • | Four Black Dragons | | • | Chrysanthemum Tea | | • | Poems | | • | Welcome to Kanagawa | | • | Someone in a Tree | | • | Please Hello | | • | A Bowler Hat | | • | Pretty Lady | | • | Next |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Pacific Overtures is one of Stephen Sondheim's most rewarding but least-appreciated works. Part of the reason is it's been one of the least-staged Sondheim shows due to its unusual requirements: following the conventions of the Japanese Noh play, it uses an all-Asian, all-male cast, and authentic instruments such as the shamisen. As a slice of history, John Weidman's book is fascinating: In 1853, Japan's borders were closed to all foreigners until the arrival of American Commodore Matthew Perry forced the opening of trade relations. Sondheim's score captures the delicacy of Japanese verse ("Poems"), a blackly humorous scene of the emperor's refusal to acknowledge the American ships ("Chrysanthemum Tea"), Gilbert & Sullivan-esque patter ("Please Hello"), and the most beautiful song ever written about prostitution (the lyric men's trio "Pretty Lady"). Worthy of special mention is the song Sondheim has often claimed as his best ever, "Someone in a Tree," which describes the crucial meeting in the treaty house from the perspective of different characters on the outside. Over a quarter century after its 1976 Broadway debut, Pacific Overtures began to enjoy increased attention from theater companies, culminating in a Broadway revival in 2004. --David Horiuchi
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 A perfect but relatively inaccessible album October 6, 2008
It's good to be a Sondheim fan - we have (sometimes multiple) video recordings or film adaptations of many of his major works - "Into the Woods", "Sunday In the Park with George", "Passion", "Company", "A Little Night Music", "Sweeney Todd", "Gypsy" and "West Side Story" (if the latter two count) come to mind.
Unfortunately, however, "Pacific Overtures" is one of few Sondheim shows which undeservedly never had a video recording commercially released. And I really feel to be truly appreciated the score should be put into context. Even the 'synopsis' section of the wikipedia page is too bland to grasp more than an elementary understanding of the show. With short 1976 and 2004 Broadway runs I'm also not sure when (if ever) we'll see another revival of the show.
But all is not lost. Recently a complete video recording of the show appeared on YouTube of the original broadway cast that was apparently aired on Japanese television but never released. It is a great opportunity for those to gain interest in the show.
The 1976 cast album of "Pacific Overtures" captures the show in high quality. The orchestrations are much superior to the 2004 revival, and the cast is a lot stronger than both the revival and 1993 English Opera recordings. "The Advantages of Floating in the Middle of the Sea" is one of Sondheim's best opening numbers and not only shows his versatility as a composer but also features Mako's definitive performance. "There is No Other Way" is haunting and beautiful at the same time and it's amazing how powerful a singe piece of percussion can be at the end of the song. "Four Black Dragons" with its (in my opinion) cinematic but operatic feel really challenges our western perceptions of invasion; Alvin Ing's performance in "Chrysanthemum Tea" is much better than his 2004 performance, even if "Welcome to Kanagawa" is not as funny as in the revival. Every track on the album is a stand out; although put into context "Pretty Lady" is perhaps the track I find least enjoyable, even if it is the most melodic.
It's not for everyone, but give it a chance and it may change your life (musically). I'd rate the show in Sondheim's top three, along with "Sunday in the park with George" and "Sweeney Todd".
 Another unusual idea from Sondheim October 2, 2008
It is difficult to remain neutral about Sondheim. Either you love his work, or you cannot stand it. Some of his shows, I really enjoy--"Sweeny Todd," "Assassins," the first act of "Sunday in the Park with George," and "Anyone Can Whistle" (although it flopped). There are others for which I do not care at all--"Company," "Follies," and "A Little Night Music."
For me, "Pacific Overtures" lands somewhere in between. The show itself got mixed reviews from the professional reviewers in 1976, ran for only 193 performances, and cost Harold Prince a pocketful of his own money. Surprisingly, it did rate a revival in 2004. On the other hand, this original cast recording has been extremely successful. Sondheim's score seems to be the one saving factor.
I do not find the music to be very musical. Many of the songs are actually more spoken than sung. There is no number that stands on its own--which may speak both to Sondheim's genius and to the show's failure. Yet, some of the songs get into your head and haunt you. I think especially of "Four Black Dragons" and "Someone in a Tree."
Really to enjoy and appreciate "Pacific Overtures," you need to listen the first several times with the libretto open before you. Then, when the flow of the story has embedded itself in your mind, listen more leisurely.
The Floating Master January 12, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Sondheim has been like a floating island with bothersome threats both from inside earthquakes and outside heavy artillery from sundry corporate --department stores-- musicals, the Lloyd Weber commodore epics (driveling frogs more than firing dragons), yet he is alive and well, if not exclusively living in Broadway.... anyway, as from the demise of the Shuberts.... what is Broadway? ... as the grand British impresario used to say: just another stop in my American tour! Our floating master remains the fine heir to composer/lyricists Cole Porter, Coward or Loesser, only this, by some considered "less accessible" (boring) 30-year-old work has no awesome aging star to deliver some "Send in the Clowns" or "I'm Still Here" 11 o'clock show-stopper; the longwinded songs are more (deceptively) minimalist, the verse and rhymes, starker, yet we still have an equivalent here: "A Bowler Hat" has no less wit and charm than, say, "Could I Leave You?"; and "Please Hello" is as effervescent and funny as any other Sondheim dish special. Maybe some find the 'raw fish' an acquired taste, I love it all. Is Niponnia here depicted from the inside or from a Western point of view? Perhaps a bit of both, as someone in a tree oversees the treaty house: the ripple, not the sea? Who cares? This show stands firm as any Mikados, Kismets or King&Is ... and as classy as any from its trademark: the crisp orchestral ostinato strains accompanying the melody lines, the delightful pastiches-within-pastiche, the balanced interplay of musical waves under sailing lyrics. And in this --as always, preferable-- original cast album, the virtuoso fast chats, sometimes forceful or soft and ethereal singing from the all-male Asian cast (Pretty Lady), the limpid Sondheim textures and rhythms, the elegant, pristine Jonathan Tunick orchestrations (subtle, effectual inclusion of Kabuki instruments) all remain perfectly evocative, somewhat hypnotic to listen to and dream of leaves changing green to pink to gold.
Only Sondheim... June 18, 2004
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
can take a style of music that i was not particulary interested in and make into a great score that i am addicted to."Please Hello", and "Someone in a tree" are great Numbers. "Next" is a number that sends the audience to the present of Japan.For anyone who loves Sondheim, This score is a must have.
Sondheim & Prince's offering for the U.S. Bicentennial January 30, 2004
25 out of 26 found this review helpful
1976 - America was celebrating two hundred years of idependence. Tv, radio, records and movies were all things patriotic. This was the way things were when the musical PACIFIC OVERTURES arrived at Broadway's Winter Garden theatre. A musical that took a critical look at how the U.S. forced Japan into international trade in 1842... what were they thinking?It didn't look like a Broadway musical. It sure didn't sound like Broadway music. The critics were mixed..a few loved it, several loathed it...but most admitted they didn't quite know what to make of it. Audiences went to see A CHORUS LINE (which would win the 1976 Tony award) and CHICAGO. PACIFIC OVERTURES was gone after 193 performances. The great experiment failed. Or had it? RCA did a cast album. Sales were slow at first but it eventually became one of their biggest sellers allowing more people a chance to hear this wonderful score. Regional theatres began exploring the possibility of doing the show. An off-Broadway revival in 1984 was critically lauded. A new production is planned for New York for 2005. It may never be as big as hit as LEZ MIZ, but for those looking for something different and exciting, PACIFIC OVERTURES will do very nicely. I don't want to give away all the many details of the score: that would rob you of the thrill of discovering so much on your own. But a few "hints": Sondheim has long considered "Someone in a Tree" to be one of his favourite numbers; "Please Hello" is brilliant in weaving together musical styles for the U.S.; England; Holland; Russia & France as each country enters to set up trade with Japan. "Chrysanthemum Tea" has brilliant lyrics (including the lines "If the tea the Shogun drank will serve to keep the Shogun tranquil...") Notice too how the score becomes more "americanized" as it proceeds all the way to the finale "Next." RCA has included a libretto and detailed synopsis. It will take a few serious listens (following along with the libretto) to begin to penetrate this work. Then, once you have fallen in love with it seek out the English National Opera's complete recording on Jay/TER which has the whole show, dialogue and music. It's not as well sung and acted as this original cast disc.
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