I've been reeling all this past week since the death of Stephen Sondheim was announced. In the world of musical theater he was my rockstar. And at the end of the week I threw together this little drawing for him.

Pacific Overtures is a pretty obscure musical of his about the first American visit to Japan, from a Japanese POV. The most famous moment comes when the narrator (Tanuki, seated at right) mentions that there has never been an official Japanese account of the first meeting, an old man (the Fox) comes on and says he saw the whole thing as a little boy in a tree. But he can't remember any details about the meeting - he just remembers being a little boy in a tree. And the point of the song is those details are part of history too.

Listen to the song here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DKSLq3u0Io

And watch it here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsLpmtK5iic

The song 'Someone in a Tree' is one of my favorite Sondheim songs - the tune is a bit repetitive, but it keeps building and pulling you along with it, and it's sweet and touching to see the Old Man singing with his Younger Self - "I was there then," he sings, and his young self sings back "I am here still." It's profound and unique, a lot like some prog-rock tracks, though I don't think Sondheim would appreciate the comparison.

"Not the building but the beam/
Not the garden, but the stone/
Only cups of tea/
and history/
and someone in a tree."

(Fun fact- the narrator in this musical was originally played by Mako, the voice of Aku and Uncle Iroh. There's more tanuki/Mako themed work coming from me in the near future.)

God Bless you Mr. Sondheim.