Broadway Musical PACIFIC OVERTURES THE PIT <STAFF> Directed and choreographed by : Amon Miyamoto Music and Lyrics by : Stephen Sondheim Book by : John Weidman Production Music Director : Taizo Takemoto Translated by : Kunihiko Hashimoto Set Designer : Rumi Matsui Lighting Designer : Yasutaka Nakayama Costume Designer : Emi Wada Sound Designer : Kunio Watanabe Choreography : Rino Masaki     Artistic Director : Tamiya Kuriyama Presented by : New National Theatre, Tokyo Conductor : Taizo Takemoto / Jun Nishino Arranged Music : Takayuki Maruyama Piano : Junko Chujo Flute / Clarinet : Tooru Suzuki Violin / Viola : Izumi Ishii Violincello : Shinko Saegusa Keyboard : Masaru Kawabe Percussion : Junichi Asano / Maki Morioka Mr. Sondheim received the Praemium Imperiale.   Mr. Stephen Sondheim, who wrote the music and lyrics of "Pacific Overtures", became the laureate of the 12th Praemium Imperiale/2000.The awards ceremony will be held on October 26 in Tokyo.   For details, please look at the Homepage of Praemium Imperiale. <CAST> Takeharu Kunimoto Haruki Sayama Atsushi Haruta Akira Sakemoto Shuji Honda Kyoko Donowaki Shun Pou Norihide Ochi Usaburo Oshima Yuuji Hirota Masaki Kosuzu Kirihito Saito Urara Awata Mayu Yamada Akira Sakamoto Shintaro Sonooka Takuya Kon Kanjiro Murakami Makoto Okada <PERFORMANCES> October, 2000 Mon. 2 Tue. 3 Wed. 4 Thr. 5 Fri. 6 Sat. 7 Sun. 8 Mon. 9 Wed. 11 Thr. 12 matinée     Reserved for Groups     1:00pm 1:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm   evening 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 6:00pm     7:00pm 7:00pm October, 2000 Fri. 13 Sat. 14 Sun. 15 Tue. 17 Wed. 18 Thr. 19 Fri. 20 Sat. 21 Sun. 22   matinée   1:00pm 1:00pm   Reserved for Groups     1:00pm     evening 7:00pm 6:00pm   7:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm 6:00pm     There will be no performances on Tuesday 10 and Monday 16. Groups of students will attend the performances on Wednesday 4 at 7:00pm. Doors will open 45 minutes before the start of each performance. <ADVANCE TICKETS> Available from Saturday 29 July, 2000, 10:00am- To order tickets, please call +81-3-5352-9999 (10:00am-6:00pm) <TICKET PRICES> Type Seat A Seat B Price ¥6,300 ¥3,150 Seat Z(¥1,500) is sold only on the performance day at the Box Office and a part of Ticket Pia Offices. "Pacific Overtures" represents Japan in the context of world history, and this perspective gives us new excitement and wonder -- Amon Miyamoto. If black ships sing, history moves. Advance without stopping, the floating island Japan! The long-awaited performance of a translated version of Pacific Overtures, an experimental and ambitious musical that depicts Japan from the viewpoint of foreigners, will finally be realized. This musical was first produced in 1976 by bringing first-rate Broadway artists together. It portrays Japan as she shifts to a policy of opening her doors to the rest of the world in the late Edo period (1603-1867). It also describes the destiny of people who are at the mercy of turbulent events in history as well as the changes Japan undergoes up until modern times as she achieves westernization and grows into an economic power. Its premiere became the hottest topic of conversation in New York because of its unique concepts, original production using colorful kabuki styles, and other factors. The music and words were written by Stephen Sondheim, a major Broadway artist, who is also well known for his contribution to Little Night Music and Company. He successfully incorporated Japanese tunes into his melodies, winning him the highest praise. The musical received Tony Awards, the greatest honor granted in American theatrical circles, in two categories (stage art and costume). The Japanese premiere of Pacific Overtures at the NNTT will be directed by Amon Miyamoto, one of the best known stage directors representing Japan in musical circles. Dramatic stories unfold under his original stage direction, which is different from that of previous performances. In addition, the original costume designed by Ms. Emi Wada will attract attention. You should not miss Pacific Overtures, the first musical to be presented by the NNTT, which will be performed with a cast of diverse and powerful singers. Synopsis Japan during the middle of the 19th century, when a national isolationist policy was being adopted. A fleet of American black ships suddenly arrives at the port of Uraga. The Tokugawa shogunate orders Yazaemon Kayama to stop the landing of the ships' crew members. Yazaemon, together with Manjiro, who has returned to Japan after mastering Western culture, successfully turns away the black ships using a clever scheme. Subsequently, however, Britain, France, the Netherlands, and Russia urge the shogunate to open the country and to conclude a commercial treaty with these countries one after another. Yazaemon soon inclines himself to Western culture and becomes fiercely opposed to Manjiro, who has by contrast come to value the traditions of Japan. Thus, the situation begins to develop in an unexpected direction.