DECEMBER 2022

2 shows in Kyôto (Minamiza) and 2 in Tôkyô (Kabukiza, National Theatre)!

  • Ichikawa Danjûrô, Ichikawa Shinnosuke, Living National Treasure Bandô Tamasaburô, Living National Treasure Nakamura Baigyoku, Matsumoto Hakuô, Nakamura Shikan, Onoe Kikunosuke, Nakamura Jakuemon, Matsumoto Kôshirô, Ichikawa Ennosuke, Nakamura Kankurô, Nakamura Shichinosuke, Onoe Shôroku, Nakamura Kinnosuke, Ichikawa Sadanji, Bandô Yajûrô and Ichikawa Udanji perform at the Kabukiza!
  • Living National Treasure Kataoka Nizaemon, Living National Treasure Nakamura Tôzô, Nakamura Tokizô, Nakamura Ganjirô, Nakamura Senjaku, Kataoka Ainosuke, Kataoka Takatarô, Nakamura Kazutarô, Nakamura Shidô, Nakamura Karoku, Nakamura Hayato and Kataoka Kamezô perform at the Minamiza!
  • Nobody performs at the National Theatre!
  • Kabukiza (Tôkyô)
    Dates 5 ~ 26 December 2022
    Jûnigatsu Ôkabuki
    December Grand Kabuki
    Matinée

    Sayaate

    Kyôganoko Musume Ninin Dôjôji

    Kenuki

    Evening

    Kôjô

    Danjûrô Musume

    Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura

    Casting

    Ichikawa Danjûrô, Ichikawa Shinnosuke, Living National Treasure Bandô Tamasaburô, Living National Treasure Nakamura Baigyoku, Matsumoto Hakuô, Nakamura Shikan, Onoe Kikunosuke, Nakamura Jakuemon, Matsumoto Kôshirô, Ichikawa Ennosuke, Nakamura Kankurô, Nakamura Shichinosuke, Onoe Shôroku, Nakamura Kinnosuke, Ichikawa Sadanji, Bandô Yajûrô, Ichikawa Udanji, Bandô Hikosaburô, Kataoka Ichizô, Ichimura Kakitsu, Kamimura Kichiya, Bandô Minosuke, Nakamura Kotarô, Nakamura Baishi, Bandô Kamezô, Bandô Shingo, Nakamura Kashô, Ichikawa Sai'nyû, Ôtani Tomoemon, Ichimura Manjirô, Kawarasaki Gonjûrô, Ichikawa En'ya, Ichikawa Komazô, Matsumoto Kingo, Ichikawa Monnosuke, Ichikawa Emisaburô, Ichikawa Emiya, Ichikawa Juen, Ichikawa Seiko, Ichikawa Chûsha, Ichikawa Omezô, Nakamura Mantarô, Nakamura Tanenosuke, Ôtani Hirotarô, Ôtani Hiromatsu, Nakamura Tsurumatsu, Nakamura Utanosuke, Nakamura Fukunosuke, Ichikawa Kudanji, Ichikawa Somegorô, Ichikawa Danko, Ichikawa Otora, Nakamura Tamatarô, Ichikawa Ukon, Nakamura Kamenojô, Nakamura Kichinojô, Ichikawa Botan

    Comments

    Second month in Tôkyô at the Kabukiza for the shûmei of Ichikawa Danjûrô XIII and the hatsubutai of Ichikawa Shinnosuke VIII.

  • Sayaate: This famous act is set in the main avenue of the Yoshiwara Pleasure Quarters where cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Two men appear: Fuwa Banzaemon (Onoe Shôroku) in a haori coat patterned with a design of lightning bolts, and Nagoya Sanza (Matsumoto Kôshirô), dressed in a short-sleeved kimono and a haori coat with a pattern of swallows in the rain. After their scabbards brush against each other as they pass, they begin arguing and draw their swords, but a person (Ichikawa Chûsha/Ichikawa Ennosuke) mediates between them.
  • Ninin Dôjôji: a beautiful young woman dances under cherry blossoms at a dedication ceremony for a temple bell. She dances the many aspects of a woman in love, but is actually the spirit of a serpent, driven to destroy the bell out of jealousy. In addition to being the most famous of all Kabuki dances, "Musume Dôjôji" is considered to be the pinnacle of the art of the onnagata female role specialist. Starring Onoe Kikunosuke and Nakamura Kankurô in a special double version with two shirabyôshi instead of one. It features a rare performance of the oshimodoshi grand finale where The spirit of a serpent is pushed back by a powerful hero played in the bombastic aragoto style. Ichikawa Danjûrô appears as the hero Ôdate Samagorô Teruhide and aragoto is the specialty of his acting family.
  • Kôjô: the close relationship between the actors and the audience is shown by these stage announcements, lavish ceremonies to commemorate various important events. In this case, all the stars of the cast assemble to celebrate the shûmei of Ichikawa Danjûrô XIII and the hatsubutai of Ichikawa Shinnosuke VIII.
  • Danjûrô Musume: Okane was a famous strong woman living on the shores of Lake Biwa and is known for stopping a runaway horse with her bare hands. This has become a Kabuki dance that combines strength and charming femininity. This production stars Ichikawa Danjûrô's daughter Ichikawa Botan as Okane.
  • Sukeroku: the dandy Sukeroku is the most famous patron of the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters. But his reputation as the lover of Agemaki, the highest ranking courtesan in the quarter is matched by that of his tendency to pick fights. In fact, Sukeroku is the samurai Soga no Gorô in disguise, and he uses the fights to find a lost heirloom sword. His search takes place in the colorful atmosphere of the Yoshiwara where processions of beautiful courtesans compete with the splendor of cherry blossoms in full bloom. All the top stars in Kabuki appear in a procession of beautiful, exciting and amusing roles. Starring Ichikawa Danjûrô and Bandô Tamasaburô/Nakamura Shichinosuke as Hanakawado Sukeroku and Miuraya Agemaki. Featuring also Bandô Yajûrô, Nakamura Kankurô, Bandô Minosuke, Onoe Kikunosuke/Nakamura Baishi, Ichikawa Ennosuke, Ichikawa Sadanji and Ichikawa En'ya in the roles of Ikyû, the shirozake seller Shinbê, Fukuyama Katsugi, the courtesan Miuraya Shiratama, the passer-by, Kanpera Monbê and Asagao Senpei. Featuring also Bandô Tamasaburô/Kamimura Kichiya as Mankô.
  • Sources: Earphone Guide Website or Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website

    Minamiza (Kyôto)
    Dates 4 ~ 25 December 2022
    Kichirei Kaomise Kôgyô
    Annual Festive Face-Showing Performances
    1st program

    Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (Sushiya)

    Ryûko

    2nd program

    Koi Bikyaku Yamato Ôrai (Fûin Giri)

    Matsuura no Taiko

    3rd program

    Toshima

    Onna Goroshi Abura no Jigoku

    Casting

    Living National Treasure Kataoka Nizaemon, Living National Treasure Nakamura Tôzô, Nakamura Tokizô, Nakamura Ganjirô, Nakamura Senjaku, Kataoka Ainosuke, Kataoka Takatarô, Nakamura Kazutarô, Nakamura Shidô, Nakamura Karoku, Nakamura Hayato, Kataoka Kamezô, Nakamura Kikaku, Kataoka Shinnosuke, Nakamura Takanosuke, Kataoka Sennosuke, Nakamura Toranosuke, Nakamura Jûjirô, Nakamura Baika, Arashi Kitsusaburô, Ichimura Kitsutarô, Kataoka Matsunosuke

    Comments

    The traditional kaomise in Kyôto at the Minamiza.

  • Sushiya: this is one act of an epic originally written for the Bunraku puppet theatre. The full-length play shows the fate of various Taira generals in hiding after the victory of their enemy, the Genji. In this act, Koremori (Nakamura Hayato ), the heir to the Taira clan is hiding in a sushi shop disguised as a humble apprentice, and Osato (Nakamura Kazutarô), the daughter of the house, falls in love with him. However, Gonta (Nakamura Shidô), the evil son of the house plots to gain a reward by turning in Koremori to the top Genji general Kajiwara (Nakamura Ganjirô), but in the end, he has a surprising change of heart in one of the most heart-rending scenes in Kabuki. Also featuring Kataoka Kamezô as Yazaemon, the proprietor of the sushi shop.
  • Ryûko: this is a modern piece created after the end of World War II on the universal theme of the unending fight between the dragon, the greatest power in the sky, and the tiger, the greatest power on land. Starring Nakamura Senjaku as the spirit of the dragon and Nakamura Senjaku's son Nakamura Toranosuke as the spirit of the tiger (tora means ... tiger in Japanese).
  • Fûin Giri:
    (Breaking the Seals)
    In the pleasure quarters, the most important possessions were money and reputation. In danger of losing his lover, the courtesan Umegawa, the money courier Kameya Chûbê breaks the seals on a package of money entrusted to him after being taunted by a rival, even though the use of such money is punishable by death. Starring Nakamura Ganjirô as Chûbê, Sn3 as Umegawa, Kataoka Ainosuke as Chûbê's treacherous friend Tanbaya Hachiemon, Kataoka Kamezô as as Tsuchiya Jiemon and Living National Treasure Nakamura Tôzô as Oen, the proprietress of the teahouse.
  • Matsuura no Taiko: Lord Matsuura (Living National Treasure Kataoka Nizaemon) lives next door to the enemy of the loyal retainers and is disgusted because they do not seem to be interested in avenging the death of the lord. He is especially upset because he studied with the same fighting teacher as Kuranosuke, the senior retainer who should be leading the vendetta. Moreover, he learns from the haiku teacher Takarai Kikaku (Nakamura Karoku) that his student Ôtaka Gengo (Nakamura Shidô) who should be part of the vendetta left a poem suggesting that he was forgetting his former lord and going to take service with another samurai lord. Gengo's sister Onui (Kataoka Sennosuke) serves Lord Matsuura and in disgust he is about to dismiss her, when there is a disturbance from next door. The attack has begun, and in joy, Lord Matsuura counts out the strokes of the drum, struck in a pattern that is only known by students of his fighting teacher.
  • Toshima: In a short dance full of the mood of old Edo, "Toshima" features the sophistication and pride of a toshima, a woman who was once a geisha and is now a mistress to a wealthy man. As the cherry trees are in full bloom she muses on the fleetingness of love, she sits in a palanquin by the river bank hoping to catch her lover on his way to visit another woman. In a comic dance, she recalls a knockdown dragout fight she had with another rival and she mimes musical instruments that got involved in the fight, the shamisen, koto and bowed kokyû. Starring Nakamura Tokizô in a dance that he has made his own.
  • Abura no Jigoku: this play has become phenomenally popular in modern times for its hard-boiled sensibility and sensuous killing scene with the protagonists slipping and struggling through puddles of spilled oil, but was virtually ignored at the time it was written. It shows Yohê, the wastrel son of a well-to-do merchant, who constantly tries to borrow money from Okichi, the wife of a neighboring oil merchant. Pressed for funds, he tries to blackmail her, but ends up killing her in the long, dream-like scene that gives this plays its title, "the woman killer and the hell of oil". Starring Kataoka Ainosuke and Kataoka Takatarô in the roles of Yohê and Okichi.
  • Sources: Earphone Guide Website or Shôchiku Kabuki Official Website

    National Theatre (Tôkyô)
    Dates ??? ~ ??? February 2023 [NO PERFORMANCE]
    Program

    ???

    Casting

    ???

    Comments

    No December Kabuki at the National Theatre. Just like in 2021.

     
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