Politics, Representation, and Collaboration in Pacific Overtures (1976)

The chapter discusses the one Sondheim musical that emphatically sought to represent nonwhite characters in an exotic setting and to feature performers of color: Pacific Overtures (1976). It traces the early development of this show in John Weidman’s multiple versions of the original script as well as how the message and focus of the musical shifted in the collaborative process of Weidman, Hal Prince, and Sondheim. It argues that the musical, and the original spoken play version in particular, resonated pointedly with the Vietnam War period, and it reports on the show’s reception by the Asian American community, as well its casting requirements, which were unique for its time.