| KAWARASAKI GONJÛRÔ III |
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Stage names:
Real name: Nagatani Masakazu Guild: Yamazakiya Line number: SANDAIME (III) Existence: 1918 ~ 18 February 1998 Connections: Father: Kawarasaki Gonjûrô II Brother: Kawarasaki Gonzaburô III Career: 1918: born in Nagoya. April 1935: he makes his first appearance on stage at the Shinjuku Daiichi Gekijô, receiving the name of Kawarasaki Kaoru. May 1946: Kawarasaki Kaoru takes the name of Kawarasaki Gonzaburô IV. July 1951: revival at the Shinbashi Enbujô of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Gonzaburô plays the role of the hikite jaya wife Okise [casting]. March 1953: premiere at the Kabukiza of Osaragi Jirô's drama "Edo no Yûbae"; Gonzaburô plays the role of a boatman [casting]. January 1954: revival at the Shinbashi Enbujô of the Nagauta-based dance "Taimen Hana no Harukoma", which is entitled "Ataru Toshi Iwau Harukoma"; Gonzaburô plays the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune [casting]. March 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 1st part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Gonzaburô plays the role of the chûrô Miyaji [more details]. October 1954: premiere at the Kabukiza of the 2nd part of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Gonzaburô plays the role of the chûrô Miyaji [more details]. May 1956: Kawarasaki Gonzaburô IV takes the name of Kawarasaki Gonjûrô III at Kabukiza, playing the roles of Tarôkaja and Minbu in the dance-drama "Migawari Zazen" and the jidaimono "Kenuki". June 1959: Gonjûrô plays at the Tôyoko Hall the role of Tôkichi in the drama "Kinkakuji". His stage partners in the roles of Matsunaga Daizen and Princess Yuki are Ichikawa Danshirô III and Sawamura Tosshô V. 1960: Gonjûrô becomes zagashira of the Tôyoko Kabuki troupe, based in the Tôyoko Hall in the district of Shibuya (Tôkyô). November 1962: revival at the Kabukiza of the drama "Fudô", which belongs to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Gonjûrô plays the role of Hayakumo Tokikaze [more details]. June 1963: premiere at the Kabukiza of Hagiwara Yukio's Nagauta-based dance-drama "Ôeyama Shuten Dôji"; Gonjûrô plays the role of Sakata Kintoki [casting]. March 1967: revival at the National Theatre of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô", which is supervised by Gunji Masakatsu; Gonjûrô plays the roles of Awazu Shichirô and Sentarô [casting]. April 1967: revival at the National Theatre of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Yari no Gonza Kasane Katabira"; Gonjûrô plays the role of Kawazura Bannojô [casting]. February 1975: premiere at the Kabukiza of Ikenami Shôtarô's drama "Debauchi Otama"; Gonjûrô plays the role of Donden no Shinsuke [more details]. March 1975: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Jiraiya Gôketsu Monogatari"; Gonjûrô plays the role of Senso Dôjin [casting]. February 1976: revival at the Kabukiza of a 5-act revised version of Funahashi Seiichi's drama "Ejima Ikushima"; Gonjûrô plays the role of the lady-in-waiting Miyaji [casting]. 1976: Gonjûrô replaces the star Onoe Shôroku II in the leading role of Shakespeare's "Othello". February 1977: premiere at the Kabukiza of Ikenami Shôtarô's drama "Ichimatsu Kozô no Onna"; Gonjûrô plays the role of the pickpocket Sentarô [more details]. February 1978: premiere at the Kabukiza of Ikenami Shôtarô's drama "Aibiki no Onna"; Gonjûrô plays the role of Izutsuya Shôshichi [more details]. December 1979: Gonjûrô receives the National Theatre Excellence Prize (Kokuritsu Gekijô Yûshûshô) for his performance in the role of Gonshirô in the play "Hirakana Seisuiki". March 1981: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Gonjûrô plays the role of Ômu no Ryûzô, later the priest Ryûzen [casting]. June 1981: Gonjûrô plays at the National Theatre the role of Tsuribune Sabu in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami". His stage partners are Onoe Tatsunosuke I (Danshichi Kurobê), Sawamura Sôjûrô IX (Otatsu) and Ichikawa Ginnosuke I (Issun Tokubê). January 1982: revival at the National Theatre of "Zôhiki", a bombastic play in the aragoto style which belongs to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Gonjûrô plays the role of the priest Gazenbô [casting]. January 1983: revival of "Nanatsu Men" at the National Theatre; Gonjûrô plays the role of Hatakeyama Shigetada [casting]. January 1984: historic revival at the National Theatre of the play "Sankai Nagoya" in which Gonjûrô plays the role of Kigusuriya Heiji's wife Otsune [casting]. April 1984: revival at the Meijiza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's 1813 kaomise drama "Gohiiki Tsunagi Uma"; Gonjûrô plays the role of Ibaragiya Onishichi (in reality Ikasu Tarô Masazumi) [more details]. January 1985: revival at the National Theatre of the drama "Kan U", which belongs to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Gonjûrô plays the role of The villager Shigesaku, in reality Tsutsumi Gunji, later Chô Ryô [casting]. January 1986: revival at the National Theatre of the rarely-staged drama "Uwanari", which belongs to the Kabuki Jûhachiban; Gonjûrô plays the role of the tsubone Kûen [more details]. November 1997: Gonjûrô appears on stage for the last time, at the Kabukiza where he plays the role of Chôbê in the drama "Shibahama no Kawazaifu"; he falls ill and has to be replaced from the 8th of November by his disciple Yamazaki Gon'ichi. 18 February 1998: Gonjûrô dies. Comments: Kawarasaki Gonjûrô III was a versatile and talented actor, who played both onnagata or tachiyaku roles. He played from 1960 to 1966 many leading roles in a small theater named Tôyoko Hall and located in the district of Shibuya in Tôkyô: Saitô Bettô Sanemori ("Sanemori Monogatari"), Fukuoka Mitsugi ("Ise Ondo Koi no Netaba"), Gorozô ("Soga Moyô Tateshi no Goshozome"), Yosaburô ("Yowa Nasake Ukina no Yokogushi"). Because of the close association of these roles with the star Ichikawa Ebizô IX (Ichikawa Danjûrô XI), Gonjûrô was nicknamed "Shibuya no Ebisama" ("Shibuya's Ebizô"). Kawarasaki Gonjûrô III's best roles: Yatagorô Genshichi ("Kamiyui Shinza"), Kôbê ("Benten Kozô"), Yashio ("Meiboku Sendai Hagi"), Ikyû ("Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura"), Gonshirô ("Hirakana Seisuiki"), Yazaemon ("Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura").
Kawarasaki Gonjûrô III playing the role of Omatsuri Sashichi in the drama "Omatsuri Sashichi" in a print made by Tsuruya Kôkei in June 1987 The Kawarasaki Gonzaburô line of actors The Kawarasaki Gonjûrô line of actors |
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