コンテンツにスキップ

Advance report! Broadway Musical “IN THE HEIGHTS”

先乗りレポート!Broadway Musical『IN THE HEIGHTS イン・ザ・ハイツ』

Magcal is coming!
This time, the popular musical will be held at KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theater from Saturday, May 10th.
We would like to report on Broadway Musical's "IN THE HEIGHTS".
Official page: http://www.intheheights.jp
 
Did you think, "What? It hasn't been released yet?"
 
That is right.
Although it has not been performed in Kanagawa yet, I was kind enough to see the performance in Tokyo first for the purpose of reporting.
How was this Broadway masterpiece reborn with a gorgeous Japanese cast?
The following is a pre-ride report, so please take a look if you are planning to go see the Kanagawa performance or if you are just interested!

———————————————————————————————————————
 
“IN THE HEIGHTS” was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda while he was a student.
A masterpiece that rose from Off-Broadway to On-Broadway.
What I am curious about is that this time it will be performed in Japan, the language will be Japanese, and the cast will be all Japanese.
How would you express such a powerful work in the Japanese version of “In the Heights”?
With such expectations in mind, I headed to the Tokyo performance.
 
The setting is Washington Heights in northern Manhattan.
As soon as the performance started, we suddenly heard Pete's brilliant dance, played by Yukito Ohno, and Usnavi's rap, played by Def Tech's Micro.
“In the Heights” starts powerfully and lightly from the beginning.
This musical is full of dance, rap, and Latin rhythms, and the stage is always packed with things to see!
Micro's rapping is, of course, amazing since he originally specializes in it, but it was KREVA who was in charge of all the lyrics for this Japan performance.
As the original work is amazing, it is no exaggeration to say that the Japanese version has the best members in terms of talent and content.
 
I'm a little off topic, but the story will continue to center around Washington Heights.
Washington Heights is home to many immigrants, and Usnavi (Micro) is a Dominican immigrant who runs the general store left behind by his parents and dreams of one day returning to his homeland to live there.
Although he falls in love with Vanessa (Chihiro Otsuka), who works at a nearby beauty salon, he hands her his signature coffee.
Everyone in the town appears one after another in casual everyday scenes, such as lecturing Sonny (Masaki Nakagouchi), a useless part-time worker.
Also, Benny (Yuya Matsushita), who works at a taxi company in the same city, is in love with Benny (Ayaka Umeda/AKB48), the daughter of the company's president and his wife.
I have a hard time telling my husband about this.
Benny himself also has a secret that he cannot tell his parents, and their thoughts and worries intertwine.
With such various stories, a major turning point occurred in the city.
A big miracle happens to Abuela (Minari Maeda), who is loved by everyone in the town, and the town is in trouble...
 
ITH_004
Photography: Nobuhiko Hikichi
 
With a single trigger, joy and anxiety flood everyone, and each person's thoughts and ideas collide, and the question of love, breakup, sadness, and what true happiness is.
What is truly important?
The various everyday thoughts are expressed through powerful and emotional songs and dances, and it was so beautiful that I couldn't take my eyes off it until the end.
 
Although the story is set in America, even we Japanese people can feel the thoughts and feelings of each person.
Once you see the power of expression, you will understand the meaning.
It's a shame that I can't write the details in detail because this is a preliminary report, but in this stage, even though they are from different countries, their beliefs and thoughts are expressed.
I think the Japanese version is really fun and beautifully expressed.
 
What I especially felt until the end was that even though it was rap, the lyrics really came through.
There were no subtitles in the Tokyo performance, and the tempo of the song is quite fast in some parts, but I think that's because it's so well-crafted in the Japanese version that you can hear it straight. .
You can also enjoy watching the live performance (although you can catch a glimpse of it later), so if you're going to see it, please enjoy every inch of this performance!
 
ITH_002
Photography: Nobuhiko Hikichi
 
The domestic tour for “In the Heights” will finally come to a finale with the Kanagawa performance this weekend! Be sure to come this weekend to see this fun and beautiful musical.
Why not visit Washington Heights in Kanagawa?
 

32375_1