Author Archives: Sekenbanashi

Eternal Chikamatsu (エターナルチカマツ）

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Eternal Chikamatsu

12 March 2016 (Sat), Tokyo

I decided rather on a whim to see this show, knowing only that it’s a riff on Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s 18th-century classic  Love Suicide at Amijima (心中天網島) where characters from that play somehow interact with similar modern-day counterparts. I was interested in remarks made by the director, David Leveaux, that suggested he (along with the scriptwriter) did not have a good understanding of the notion of suicide in the context of Chikamatsu’s shows. I like both the leads, Fukatsu Eri and Shichinosuke, so I figured it might be worth catching. Continue reading →

Terrace of the Leper King (ライ王のテラス )

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ライ王のテラス (Terrace of the Leper King)

3 March 2016 (Thurs), Tokyo

15 March 2016 (Tues), Tokyo

Tickets to Miyamoto Amon’s production of this Mishima work, its first large-scale revival in over 40 years, were completely sold out on the strength of its rising star Suzuki Ryohei (helped by a great poster with the sculpted Ryohei sitting shirtless front and center). I had read the play and couldn’t make much sense of the rambling theme, but the story itself was certainly dramatic. Also, the Cambodian setting offered promising design possibilities, and Amon had brought in dancers from the Royal Ballet of Cambodia and acrobats from a traditional Cambodian circus called Phare. I was ready for anything. Continue reading →

Tairo Jo: Puppet Hamlet

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Taira Jo’s Hamlet

27 February 2016 (Sat), Tokyo

A second tragedy by puppeteer Taira Jo after last month’s Medea. The performance was sold out, impressive in this theater (Ueno Bunka Kaikan, typically a concert hall). At three-and-a-half hours, including two intermissions, this is not a show for the faint hearted. This was the show’s first and only performance, part of a three-play series commissioned by the hall. Continue reading →

Tairo Jo: Puppet Medea

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Taira Jo’s Medea, 17 Jan 2016, Tokyo 

A puppet version of the Greek tragedy performed by Taira Jo, who adapted, directed, designed and performed the entire show and all characters. As a puppet lover, I had been curious about his plays, so this seemed as good a chance as any. Knowing this was a one-man show, I had expected an hour-long play and was taken aback when I heard it was in fact in two-and-a-half hours. And that was on top of my skepticism as to whether Medea is really a good choice for a puppet show. That said, I happily sit through Bunraku plays for five hours (though those involve a significantly larger cast), so I was willing to give this a chance.

It turned out to be a very appealing concept superbly realized. Continue reading →

How to fix LA CAGE AUX FOLLES (musical)

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How to fix LA CAGE AUX FOLLES (musical)

A bit of a presumptuous heading, I suppose; I honestly doubt anyone connected with La Cage thinks it needs fixing – it remains a tremendously popular show some 40 years after its debut, and picks up a Tony for Best Production every time it plays Broadway (one for Best Musical and two for Best Musical Revival). I’m actually a fan, so it’s hard to complain too much; whatever the flaws, it’s always a fun night out.

But the flaws are there. Continue reading →

Germany and migrants: I See Nussing

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I don’t like venturing out of my comfort zone of theater, but a link I added to Facebook some weeks back attracted curious comments that deserve a response. I wasn’t even aware for a few years that “liking” an article left a link on my FB page; I thought I was just giving the writer a pat on the back.

The article in question by the great Mark Steyn was an opinion piece on the recent inflow of migrants into Europe, especially Germany. It noted that nearly 900,000 of the 1.1 million migrants in Germany last year were young males, an astonishing statistic if true.

Doesn’t that age and gender ratio strike anyone as odd? Continue reading →

Diana Krall

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Diana Krall

19 February 2016, Bangkok

I only know vaguely about Diana Krall: Canadian jazz pianist, blonde beauty, Julie London-type cool, married to Elvis Costello. I’ve heard scattered songs, such as her famous version of “The Look of Love”, and was never overly wowed. But with little else to do on a Friday night in Bangkok, this seemed as good a time as any to check her out for real. Continue reading →

Bette back on Broadway: Hello, dollars!

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Well, whaddya know. Just a few days ago, I suggested an NBC Live “Mame” starring Bette Midler because I figured she wouldn’t go for a full eight-night-a-week Broadway run. And now she’s just announced that she’ll be doing that other Jerry Herman hit “Hello, Dolly!” on Broadway next year. I’m perfectly happy to be wrong in this case. What a perfect fit! They haven’t announced other casting, but does it matter?

Hopefully they’ll do two things. Continue reading →

Piaf

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Piaf

3 December 2008 (Wed), West End

This show was not a true musical but a biographical play with songs, all sung by the leading character in the context of performances or concerts. It told the story of the singer’s life from her street years to her lonely death. Given Piaf’s self-destructive personality, this could make for a pretty depressing story, as I understand was the case with the movie. But here it was a wild, rapid-fire portrayal of key incidents in the main character’s life, making for an impressionistic picture of the singer’s eventful life. Piaf was a gutter child, and there’s no skimping on the random sex, raw language, alcohol, drugs and some pretty disagreeable character flaws. I can’t say I came to like her, and the show doesn’t dig deep enough to round out the portrait with any measure of sympathy or understanding. At best, I admired her fire and her perseverance, though I did feel sorry for her just a bit for not having enough strength to dig herself out in the end. There were other interesting characters, especially Piaf’s fat and loose friend from her poor days. Everything in the show, though, revolved around Piaf, so that was the character that mattered. Continue reading →

Carousel

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Carousel

2 December 2008 (Tues), West End

Carousel was pleasantly and unexpectedly old-fashioned, a throwback to the days when directors were confident enough to let the material speak for itself. As much as I enjoyed the National Theatre production years ago, I’ve always thought that Carousel, a show that includes joys like wife-beating, mental abuse, armed robbery and suicide, hardly needed darkening. The singing was magnificent, the best overall that I’ve ever experienced for this show. That’s a big plus for a score as beautiful as this one. The chorus was also very strong.

The acting, however, was another story. Continue reading →

KABUKI: Momijigari, Princess Aida (紅葉狩、愛駝姫)

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KABUKI: 紅葉狩 (Momijigari)、愛駝姫  (Princess Aida)

8 October 2008 (Sun), Tokyo Kabukiza

The chief attraction here was the second half of the bill, a Kabuki adaptation of Aida directed by the ever-popular Noda Hideki. I’ve said before that I wouldn’t suffer again through Noda’s self-indulgent works, but I somehow convinced myself that I should see at least one of his Kabuki pieces since his other two were such big hits. On top of that, I felt that a Kabuki version of Aida is actually a workable idea. The show is supposedly a sellout, but I managed to get two seats early in the run. Unfortunately I couldn’t find anyone else as gullible as I am to buy the other ticket, so I took a half-interested friend along as a guest.

The good news first. Continue reading →