Interview with Norimasa Fujisawa, judge of the Kanagawa Regional Drama Musical, Nobuhiro Sasaura of the winning group "Shaggy Head and Crazy Glasses," and lead actress Kumiko Noda (Part 2)
"Local Drama Musicals" with a strong local flavor that can only be seen in Kanagawa
Kanagawa Prefecture supports "local dramas" that incorporate local legends and folk tales as their themes. As part of this, a public competition for "local drama musicals" was held on January 29th at the Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center Hall. The four groups that passed the first round of auditions performed. Each group performed a musical based on "The Cat on the Dance Floor," "Yokosuka Museum of Art," "Chubuya," and "The Father of Yokohama Waterworks."
The top prize went to the theatrical group "Mojamoja Atama to Herahera Megane" by Nobuhiro Sasaura and Shoko Kawada. They performed "Nihonkoku Yokohama Ohama-sama," a play that intertwines the present and the past, based on the theme of the pleasure lodge "Chubuya" in Honmoku.
Following on from our last report, we bring you interviews with judges Norimasa Fujisawa, singer, Nobuhiro Sasaura from "The Shaggy Head and the Flapping Glasses," and lead actress Kumiko Noda.
Interview with judge Norimasa Fujisawa: "I felt your overwhelming love for Kanagawa"
After the performance, we spoke with singer Norimasa Fujisawa, who served as a judge. Fujisawa said that this was his first time as a judge, but what made him decide on the winning group?
Norimasa Fujisawa
A vocalist who advocates a style called "pop opera," which combines pop and opera.
"Fujisawa Norimasa Birthday Live 2017" will be held at Billboard Live TOKYO on Sunday, March 5th, "Fujisawa Norimasa Symphonic Concert 2017 ~Hibiki~" at Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Concert Hall on Thursday, April 20th, and "Fujisawa Norimasa SPRING CONCERT 2017" at Machida Civic Hall on Saturday, May 20th.
--It seems that Mr. Fujisawa was quite hesitant about the judging process.
Fujisawa: To begin with, it was my first time to be a judge. I've always been on the listening and watching side as a singer, so it was difficult to judge. I learned a lot, and I was more nervous than I was at my own live performance (laughs).
This time there were four groups, each with an interesting story. Although they missed out on the championship, the Yokohama Citizens' Children's Musical was also very good. It touched my heart and I was moved by the family bond. I'm sure the children's singing voices will continue to change and become more colorful in the future. They conveyed the persuasiveness that comes with their age, and I could sense their future.
Also, each group was filled with love for Kanagawa. I think they carefully explored the history. I struggled to decide which team to choose until the very end.
--What points did you focus on when judging the entries?
Fujisawa: I'm sorry for being biased, but I was always conscious of the sound. I placed importance on singing, vocalization, and sound direction. In musicals, it's important to get the message across through the sound.
"Mojamoja Atama to Herahera Megane" was amazing from the beginning. The drum brush was so realistic that I had to ask Mr. Sugiyama next to me, "Is that a live sound?" The arrangement was stylish, and the jazzy, bluesy tune was cool. I was instantly drawn into the worldview.
