Magcal Performing Arts Academy, headed by playwright and director Kensuke Yokouchi, is cultivating talent in the performing arts. Its 2018 main performance, "Byte Show - BEST Edition," was held for two days on August 18th (Sat) and 19th (Sun).
The singing and dancing, which improves with every performance, and the performances that are constantly being polished, have become a hot topic, and this year all four performances were sold out. For those who unfortunately couldn't see them, we will report on the entire hot stage!
The venue is the Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center, which has produced many theater performers. Normally, the Momijizaka Hall has a seating capacity of 812, but for the Baito Show, the seating capacity is limited to 180, and the selling point is the stage that rotates 360 degrees with the audience. What kind of stage will it be? I arrived with high expectations, but was surprised when I was suddenly guided onto the stage through the "dressing room entrance"!
That's right, the audience seats were located on top of the stage!
We waited for a while, gazing at the stage curtain from inside. As the bell rang to signal the start of the performance, an actress appeared from behind the curtain, excited the audience with a "prologue," and then left the stage on a lift. As expected, the stage machinery was used to the fullest.
When the curtain rises, the actors appear in the spacious auditorium. If this entire space becomes the acting area, it is truly a luxurious production.
The dramatic opening is thrilling.
The actors run onto the stage one after another while singing "To the Stage."
And then all the members danced!
The audience seats are on the stage where the actors dance, so you can feel their movements as vibrations. The acting area is so close you could almost reach out and touch them, and it's really impressive!
Dressed in real part-time job uniforms, they sing about their passion for chasing their dreams and call out the realities of part-time job life!
The excitement of having them pose right in front of you is at its peak!
Even though the hall is so large, it has the intimate feel of a small theater.
The stage rotates with a rumbling sound, and on the right is the set of the shop where the main cast works part-time and where their friends aspiring to be musicians gather.
Another attractive feature is the good rhythm of the play unfolding without any blackouts.
On the left, a scene unfolds in which the stairs backstage are used as part of the set.
A dream that seemed within reach is shattered, and anger and grief with nowhere to go intertwine... It's a painful scene, but it's like a scene from West Side Story and I think it's so cool.
This "BEST edition" has been revised since its premiere in 2016 and now includes new songs.
The song "Give Me a Loan" was sung with live piano in the background. The scene where they sang about the harsh reality of the Academy students as they grew into adults was memorable. Their singing voices, a mixture of strength and sadness, are reminiscent of aspiring stars performing on the Off-Broadway stage.
The reason I can still do my best is because I have friends!
It's great to have friends that you still want to work with, even when you fight.
You'd think the excitement would pick up towards the finale...or so you'd think.
Just because we all work hard in the same way doesn't mean we can all achieve our dreams together.
But even so, I have friends. Even though it's hard to escape from part-time work and I don't know what the future holds, I can keep going because I have friends who support me every day as we continue to run toward our dreams!
And today, there are young people who work part-time jobs in silence, chasing their dreams.
At the end, the entire cast gathered in the audience to greet the audience while "Let it be" played.
The total time was about 2 hours and 20 minutes. It seemed long, but also went by in a flash, just like the ups and downs of life.
A total of 31 members from the 0th to 4th generation. The 2018 summer stage, filled with the efforts and passion of each member, came to a close with thunderous applause.
There is no doubt that in the near future, professional stage performers and musical stars from Kanagawa Prefecture will be born from among these people!
