Kataoka Nizaemon, Kataoka Gatô, Kataoka Hidetarô, Sakata Tôjûrô, Nakamura Tomijûrô, Matsumoto Kôshirô, Nakamura Shikan, Nakamura Shibajaku, Nakamura Kanjaku, Ichikawa Danzô, Kataoka Takatarô, Onoe Kikunosuke, Bandô Hikosaburô, Ichikawa Danshirô, Nakamura Fukusuke, Kataoka Ainosuke, Nakamura Shinjirô, Ôtani Tomoemon, Kataoka Ichizô, Nakamura Karoku, Matsumoto Kôemon, Kawarazaki Gonjûrô, Kataoka Roen, Ichikawa Omezô, Kamimura Kichiya, Kataoka Shinnosuke, Nakamura Kikaku, Nakamura Tôzô, Ichimura Kakitsu, Sawamura Tetsunosuke, Nakamura Kichinojô, Bandô Kamesaburô, Bandô Kametoshi, Onoe Matsuya, Nakamura Kazutarô, Nakamura Yonekichi, Nakamura Ryûnosuke

This March program commemorates the 12th anniversary (13th memorial service) of the death of Kataoka Nizaemon XIII with his three sons performing some of his atariyaku: Kataoka Nizaemon and Kataoka Gatô play the roles of Kan Shôjô and Yojirô in "Dômyôji" and "Horikawa".

Kichirei Kotobuki Soga: In the Edo period, the medieval Soga brothers, who endured eighteen years of hardship before they avenged the death of their father, became popular guardian gods and hundreds of plays about their exploits appeared. This particular rarely performed play shows the brothers confronting the two men who killed their father in a fight scene on a set of stone steps, then the set turns over in a spectacular transition to reveal the next scene which takes place in the pleasure quarters. Starring Kataoka Gatô as Kudô Suketsune, the man that had the father of the Soga brothers killed, Nakamura Shinjirô as the wise and restrained Soga no Jûrô and Nakamura Kanjaku as the impetuous Soga no Gorô and Nakamura Shibajaku as the courtesan Tora, Jûrô's lover.

Yoshinoyama: A dance travel scene from the epic "Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura". Now in exile and disgrace, Yoshitsune has left his lover Shizuka in the safekeeping of his trusted retainer Tadanobu. But she is unaware that this Tadanobu is actually a magical fox who has disguised himself to be near the treasured drum that Shizuka carries, a drum made from the skins of his fox parents. Starring Matsumoto Kôshirô as Tadanobu, with Nakamura Fukusuke as Shizuka.

Dômyôji: it is one act of a very long play about Sugawara no Michizane (known in this play as Kan Shôjô), a high-ranking imperial court minister who was a brilliant calligrapher and scholar. But political rivalries forced him to be exiled to distant Kyûshû, where he died. On his way to exile, Kan Shôjô (Kataoka Nizaemon) is allowed to stop at the home of his aunt, Kakuju (Nakamura Shikan). There he carves a statue of himself for his aunt. But Princess Kariya (Kataoka Takatarô) is actually Kakuju's daughter and was adopted by Kan Shôjô. She has come desperately hoping to say farewell to him, but she is punished severely by Kakuju for having been responsible for Kan Shôjô's downfall. At the same time, Kakuju has another daughter, Tatsuta (Kataoka Hidetarô) and Tatsuta's husband Sukune Tarô (Ichikawa Danshirô) and father-in-law (Kataoka Roen) are plotting to assassinate Kan Shôjô by pretending to be the emissary to take him to exile and then killing him. But miraculously, the statue Kan Shôjô carved comes to life and saves his life. Finally, when the real emissary Terukuni (Nakamura Tomijûrô) appears, Kan Shôjô must part from his family as he goes into exile.

Horikawa: This is a very rare performance of a play that was originally written for the puppet theatre. The courtesan Oshun and Dembei are lovers, but after Dembei ends up killing his rival in love, they decide that they must die together. They flee to her family home, where her blind mother teaches music and her older brother Yojirô is a performer with a trained monkey. Finally, moved by the depth of love between Oshun and Dembei, her mother and brother sadly agree that they have no choice but to die and in the final bittersweet moment, Yojirô says farewell with a cheerful monkey dance, an auspicious dance to celebrate the wedding of Oshun and Dembei. Starring Kataoka Hidetarô as Oshun, Sakata Tôjûrô as Dembei and Kataoka Gatô as Yojirô.

Ninin Wankyû: the fabulously wealthy Wanya Kyûbei (nicknamed Wankyû) is disowned by his family for falling in love with the courtesan Matsuyama. Then, when she dies, he goes mad with grief and wanders through the countryside. This dance shows him as he imagines meeting Matsuyama again and there is a lively dance recalling their happiness together before the vision fades and he is left alone. Starring Living National Treasure Nakamura Tomijûrô as Wankyû, a dance role for which he is famous and the popular young onnagata star Onoe Kikunosuke as Matsuyama.

Fudeya Kôbei: first performed in 1885, this play by Kawatake Mokuami shows the disruptions in society caused by the Meiji Restoration. In the Edo period, the samurai were on top of society, but in the new Meiji world, a samurai unable to find a new way of becoming a success got left behind. This play stars Matsumoto Kôshirô as a former samurai named Kôbei, who makes a meager living making writing brushes. Since his wife has died, he must raise his three children by himself, but his oldest daughter is blind and the youngest boy is a baby. Kôbei is helped by a generous woman (Kataoka Hidetarô), but everything that he has is taken by a moneylender and he decides that he and his family have no choice but to commit suicide. Suddenly, there is the sound of merry music from a party at the house of a rich man next door and something in Kôbei snaps. He starts to dance madly around, doing the dance from the Nô theatre of the ghost of Tomomori with a ragged broom in place of a magnificent halbard. This scene is the highlight of the play and is a virtuoso test of the actor's skills.

Source: Earphone Guide website

Ichikawa Ukon, Ichikawa Danjirô, Ichikawa Emisaburô, Ichikawa Emiya, Ichikawa Monnosuke, Ichikawa Juen, Ichikawa Shun'en, Ichikawa En'ya

This spectacular play belongs to the collection ennosuke jûhachiban; the leader of the Omodakaya guild Ichikawa Ennosuke is still on sick leave.

Nakamura Kanzaburô, Nakamura Hashinosuke, Nakamura Senjaku, Bandô Yajûrô, Kataoka Kamezô, Nakamura Shichinosuke, Bandô Shingo, Sasano Takashi

Ichikawa Somegorô, Ichikawa Kamejirô, Ichimura Manjirô, Sawamura Sônosuke, Ichikawa Komazô, Nakamura Kantarô, Matsumoto Kingo

First edition of the "PARCO Kabuki", starring young actors in a new drama written by the young playwright Mitani Kôki. The PARCO Gekijô is located within the PARCO Department Store in the district of Shibuya.

Bandô Tamasaburô

The great star Bandô Tamasaburô performs two of his best dances, the Wisteria Maiden and the Heron Maiden.