See What I Wanna See is a musical by Michael John LaChiusa based on three short stories by Ryƫnosuke Akutagawa: "Kesa and Morito", "In a Grove" and
Dragon: the Old Potter's Tale (1919). The story is told in two parts with two prologues. Each prologue involves the medieval lovers/killers Kesa and Morito. The first act follows a murder in Central Park in 1951 from the various perspectives of several different characters. Act two centers on a priest, wavering in his faith, who creates a hoax about a miracle.
Original cast recording
Michael John LaChiusa is an American musical theatre and opera composer, lyricist, and librettist. He is best known for musically esoteric shows such as Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party, and See What I Wanna See. He was nominated for four Tony Awards in 2000 for his score and book for both Marie Christine and The Wild Party and received another nomination in 1996 for his work on the libretto for Chronicle of a Death Foretold.
Official publicity photo
Michael John LaChiusa speaks to students after a performance of his musical Bernarda Alba (musical) at Columbia College.