Jon Jon Briones and Gedde Watanabe to Star in Pacific Overtures, Presented by East West Players

East West Players (EWP), the largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work, will present Pacific Overtures, directed by former EWP artistic director Tim Dang and featuring Jon Jon Briones (Hadestown, Miss Saigon) and Gedde Watanabe (Sixteen Candles, Pacific Overtures original Broadway cast). Pacific Overtures is the last show in East West Players’ 2024 season and artistic director Lily Tung Crystal’s first show since joining East West Players.

The production will run at East West Players’ David Henry Hwang Theater November 7-December 1, with an opening night on November 10.

Set in 1853, Pacific Overtures, featuring a score by Stephen Sondheim and a book by John Weidman, explores the intersection of Western and Eastern cultures during the pivotal moment in Japan’s history when it was opened to the West, through the lens of two friends caught in the change. After performing in the original 1976 Broadway production of Pacific Overtures, EWP’s founding artistic director Mako brought the show to California in 1978, where he directed and reprised his Tony-nominated role as the Reciter.

In this production, Briones will play the Reciter, a role originated by Mako on Broadway, and Watanabe will play the Shogun’s Mother/Old Man, having previously played the role of the Boy/Kanagawa Girl/Priest on Broadway 48 years ago. This show also marks a reunion for Briones and Watanabe, who both performed in EWP’s La Cage aux Folles in 2016.

The cast of Pacific Overtures also includes Scott Keiji Takeda as the Thief, Brian Kim McCormick as Kayama, Adam Kaokept as Manjiro, Kerry K. Carnahan as Lorde Abe, Ashley En-Fu Matthews as Tamate, Kavin Panmeechao as the British Admiral, Kurt Kanazawa as the Fisherman, Sittichai Chaiyahat as the Warrior, Nina Kasuya as the Dutch Admiral, Aric Martin as the Madam and French Admiral, Gemma Pedersen as the American Admiral/Boy, Kit Dezolt as Commodore Perry, and Norge Yip as the Russian Admiral, with Jordan Fan and Jonah Meyer as understudies.

The creative team also includes musical director Marc Macalintal, choreographer Yuka Takara, Kabuki consultant and choreographer Gankyō Nakamura, Japanese music director Shih-wei Wu and Tsugaru Terry, scenic designer Tesshi Nakagawa, costume designer Naomi Yoshida, lighting designer Brian Gale, audio designer Cricket Myers, projections designer David Murakami, properties designer Glenn Michael Baker, make-up and hair designer Yoko Haitz, and fight choreographer Amanda Noriko Newman.

Pacific Overtures will feature musicians Philip Moore on reeds, Richie Francisco on trumpet, May Zeng on trombone, Brian Paul Benning and Peter Marcos on violin, Rebecca Yeh on cello, and Kyle Dombroski on percussion.