Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...Stearns’ production isn’t perfectly sung or a formative masterpiece, nor is it the equal of Griffin’s 2001 endeavor, but this director does approach this piece with copious amounts of heart and enthusiasm (not to mention the services of a lively and chirpy five-piece orchestra under the very capable Eugene Dizon). The result is a show that injects some arresting passion into a typically cool piece, often in places those who’ve seen this piece a few times don’t expect. Chicago’s many Sondheim fans should roll along, in gentle mood."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...Porchlight's outstanding musical director, Eugene Dizon, elicits a winningly authentic Eastern sound from his splendid six-piece band, with zesty contributions from four choreographers (Andrew Waters, Wilfredo Rivera, Alka Nayya and Dwight Sora) ideally selected for their various individual strengths."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...Director L. Walter Stearns's excellent all-Asian-American cast, headed by David Rhee as the narrator, portray how this landmark historical moment reshapes the lives of a fisherman (Kent Haina Jr.), a samurai (Danny Bernardo), and a powerful shogun (Keith Uchima). Lyrical, stripped-down orchestrations by Eugene Dizon enrich the stark, rhythmically propulsive score, one of Sondheim's best."
Windy City Times
- Somewhat Recommended
"...It's not until the final musical number, “Next,” that Pacific Overtures fully resonates. Wig-free and in contemporary black dance clothes, the cast delivers a thrilling, kinetic epilogue about the influences of modern-day Japan on the West and vice versa. If Stearns could instill the rest of the production with the spirit of that final scene, he'd have a winner here. As it is, Pacific Overtures remains unaffecting."
Chicago Free Press
- Somewhat Recommended
"...In Porchlight’s uneven new staging, L. Walter Stearns directs his cast to play up the humor in a show that typically has little. This broad approach suits “Welcome to Kanagawa” (winningly sung by Chip Payos as a sly madam) and “Please Hello,” a demanding number mocking Western “diplomacy” (in which Erik Kaiko, Nick Shoda and Peter Sipla master Sondheim’s Gilbert-and-Sullivan shtick, delivering champion vocals). On the other hand, the yuks don’t fit as naturally in “Chrysanthemum Tea.” "
Centerstage
- Highly Recommended
"...Porchlight’s strength once again is its dedicated artistic team. Spending weeks in Tokyo researching her culture, Eugene Dizon’s musical direction is both masterful and authentic in the sound he gleans from his modest five-member orchestra. L. Walter Stearns has assembled and directed a versatile all-Asian cast (a first for a Chicago production of this seldom-produced work) and saturated his production with beautifully stylized Eastern movement, thanks to the talents of four brilliant choreographers. Add to this artistry Carol Blanchard’s colorfully elaborate costumes, masks and puppets and Kurt Sharp’s sliding translucent paneled scenery and audiences will find themselves transported to the Land of the Dragon and immersed in an incomparable, thought-provoking experience."
Chicago Stage Review
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The cast is likeable and dedicated. Their efforts keep us engaged enough to follow the story and hope for the best. What truly helps to salvage the shortcomings of Pacific Overtures are the exceptional performances by Danny Bernardo, as Kayama Yesaemon, and David Rhee, as The Reciter. Bernardo is warm and accessible, wonderfully portraying the transformation from simple citizen to corrupted bureaucrat."
Time Out Chicago
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The story, that of two friends who become estranged when one becomes shipwrecked in America and goes native, is typical Sondheim in its nonpartisan even-mindedness, and the incandescent, flute-laced score includes the trio “Someone in a Tree,” which Sondheim told his biographer Meryl Secrest is his own favorite song. But most of these assets are betrayed here by the most basic of elements in Stearns’s staging, including Pier One–looking “Asian” screens on which the netting isn’t stretched tautly enough, ill-fitting wigs that resemble late-’70s Belushi samurai-sploitation, fight choreography that doesn’t meet Chicago theater’s legendary stage-violence standard, and musical performances by a small band and cast that range between adequate and pretty (so, pretty adequate)."
ChicagoCritic
- Highly Recommended
"...Pacific Overtures works best on the intimate stage of the Chicago Theatre Building. Walter Stearns’ production works on al levels and Eugene Dizon’s musical direction could be his finest to date. Porchlight Musical Theatre has mounted a fabulous work of art that unfolds as marvelously entertaining musical. This gem must be experienced to be appreciated."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Highly Recommended
"...Mr. Stearns uses three choreographers for this production to achieve the ultimate mood of each number. Hats off to Alka Nayyar, Andrew Waters and Wilfredo Rivera (whose finale "Next" is perfect). In fact, this entire production, that tells the story of the transformation of Japan from a land of changelessness to a world power, is about as fine as I have ever seen and should be nominated for several Jeff Awards this season."
