Musicals, plays, dances, and more! Experience another world at the theater

Shiki Theater Company "The Phantom of the Opera" is coming to Yokohama!

Speaking of the musical "The Phantom of the Opera"... that's right, the Shiki Theater Company. The name is so well-established that people immediately remember it, but there are probably many people who are hesitant, thinking, "I'd like to see it in person someday, but it's a little far away to go to the theater." Good news for those people! From March, "Phantom of the Opera" will be performed at KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theater <Hall>!

What is "The Phantom of the Opera"?

Photo: Ken Arai (From the previous performance)

The total number of domestic performances is 3rd after "Lion King" and "Cats"!

"The Phantom of the Opera" has been performed all over the world, but the Japan premiere by Shiki Theater Company was in 1988, the same year as the Broadway premiere. As of September 30, 2016, it ranks third in Japan for the number of total performances, after The Lion King and Cats, making it one of Japan's leading musicals.

Photo: Takashi Uehara (from the previous performance)

Appearing on the stage is a faithful reproduction of the Paris Opera. Don't miss the elaborate proscenium arch that surrounds the stage like a picture frame and the majestic chandelier that rises high above your head! What a luxury it is to be able to enjoy the atmosphere of the Paris Opera House in Yokohama!

Gorgeous costumes and stage equipment, the overwhelming singing ability of the actors, the majestic music that supports them, and so on, all of which make for an endlessly fascinating stage that is a must-see! ! It makes me feel like.

The impressive stage filled with various highlights will surely draw you into an extraordinary world.

Long-term performance in the Yokohama area for the first time in 4 years!

The Shiki Theater Company's long-term performance in Yokohama is the first in about four years since the previous "Cats". As many of you may remember, for three years from November 2009 to November 2012, there was a "Cats Theater" near Shin-Takashima Station in the Minato Mirai 21 district. Cats Theater has become familiar with the scenery of Yokohama over the past three years, and I felt very sad when the performance was over and the theater was demolished.

Such a long-term performance in Yokohama. It seems that the Shiki Theater Company has been considering for a long time to realize a long-running performance in Yokohama again. This time, the performance will last for 5 months until August. KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theater <Hall> can be fully used to enjoy a magnificent drama.

The gorgeous stage equipment, the powerful performances of the actors, and the music that resonates in your heart will surely stir your heart.

The only (probably) book cafe in Chinatown, Kanteidou Bookstore

Escape from the hustle and bustle of the bustling Chinatown and enjoy coffee and Chinese tea while quietly reading a book. Inside the shop, there are books on Chinese history, fortune-telling, panda-related (?), from Journey to the West, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Kung Fu. There are also Chinese versions of comics that are familiar in Japan, so you might be able to study the language! ? The colorful and kitschy interior typical of Chinatown is also a must-see. There are also outdoor terrace seats where smoking is allowed.

Chinese tea such as jasmine tea and lychee tea comes with hot water for replacement, sweets for tea, and grinning panda jelly.
“At first, pandas were just cute, but recently I’ve gotten used to drawing them, and their facial expressions have become complicated (laughs),” said the store manager.
There are also beer and pound cakes. Perhaps because it is located on the 3rd floor of a building, it is a hideaway cafe where you can spend a relatively leisurely time. The store also sells used books and miscellaneous goods.

In addition to pressing flower art classes on Thursdays and Saturdays, we are planning storybook readings, picture-story show events, coloring cafes and manuscript cafes. There are also books on Peking Opera, also known as Peking Opera, and books set in China in the 19th century, the same era as "The Phantom of the Opera."

After watching "The Phantom of the Opera" set in 19th-century Paris, relaxing in a Chinese retro shop might be a day where you can fully enjoy the exotic atmosphere of Yokohama.

■ BOOKS&CAFE KANTEIDO BOOKS
Address: Yokohama Bazaar 3F, 166 Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama
Business hours: Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays 11:00-19:30, weekdays: irregular
Regular holiday: Wednesday
Site → http://kanteido.com

Intoxicated by the richness of physical expression - Yokohama Dance Collection

©Damien Jalet｜Kohei Nawa, VESSEL_2016_ROHM theater_Photo by Yoshikazu Inoue

What is "Yokohama Dance Collection"?

A dance festival that started in 1996 with the aim of discovering and nurturing young choreographers and popularizing contemporary dance, it has a long history among the many cultural programs in Yokohama. This year will be the 22nd time. Among them, the competition, which is the core program of this festival, emphasizes the uniqueness of "choreography."

From the time we are babies, we do it naturally without being taught by anyone to express our joy and sorrow by shaking our bodies. There are countless ways of expression in the world, such as words, pictures, and music. “Choreography” is a method of expression that everyone has and uses their “body” to sublimate it into a work that everyone can appreciate, such as the sense of the times, aesthetics, emotions, and the values that people have. Seeing the solid technique of the dancers who support it, it seems that "the joy that lies beyond physical expression" wells up.

Anyway, it's a stage that I want you to see in real life and feel with your heart.

This year, the 22nd time, an art program in collaboration with the Yokohama Museum of Art will be held.

Well, the Yokohama Dance Collection has a long history, but this year we are holding a program in collaboration with the Yokohama Museum of Art. The special exhibition "BODY/PLAY/POLITICS" at the Yokohama Museum of Art, which was held until December 14th last year, was a group exhibition of contemporary art with the keyword "body". With the same theme as this exhibition at the Yokohama Museum of Art, which presents multifaceted expressions created by the human body, collective behavior, and the spiritual ``body'', the ``body'' in dance will be presented. Dig deeper into the expressions you create.

The world's first new production! Junnosuke Tada “Choreograph”

"RE/PLAY (DANCE Edit.)" © Ryuichiro Suzuki

What I want to pay attention to is the new work "Choreograph" directed by Junnosuke Tada (Director of Tokyo Deathlock and Artistic Director of Fujimi Civic Cultural Center Kirari☆Fujimi), who is also a judge of the competition. The performance at this Yokohama Dance Collection will be the world premiere.

The performers include Aokid, an award-winning choreographer, dancer, and artist who won the Yokohama Dance Collection 2016 Competition I, and Kaori Ito, an award-winning choreographer and member of Tokyo Deathlock. Gunjo, who played an active role as a member of "BRONX", which had a strong influence, has the ability to win the world competition "Juste Debout Experimental (2016)", which competes for creative originality dance that is not bound by the frame of street dance (France). , Naoko Tozawa, who is active in a wide range of fields such as Yokohama Dance Collection 2016 opening "Mu, Oto, Hana" and 2017 "VESSEL yokohama".

(From official website)

And Junnosuke Tada, a director, will also appear!
Junnosuke Tada is known as a director who creates "dance like theater, theater like dance", and has created new stage expressions while expanding new possibilities beyond the framework of existing theater. The production, which has an unparalleled originality, has been highly acclaimed both in Japan and overseas. In recent years, he has continued to create in Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore and Cambodia.

"Who the hell am I?" Hamlet of young actors, start!

Lazona Kawasaki is a commercial facility near JR Kawasaki Station. "Plaza Sol" on the 5th floor of the West Building is a multi-purpose hall that is easy to enter and friendly. We hold various performances by young musicians and performers, such as concerts, plays, and vaudeville. This time, the main cast will be fresh young actors and theater trainees from the New National Theatre, Tokyo.

2015 performance "Macbeth"

One of the things I look forward to about the young actors on stage is being able to see how they grow during the performance. In last year's performance of "Macbeth," the powerful and innovative "Macbeth" was performed, making the most of the space and body under limited conditions, and was very well received.

The number of spectators increased with each performance, and it seems that the performance became so popular that it was impossible to enter the venue on the final day.

This time's "Hamlet" is a Shakespeare masterpiece like "Macbeth", and is a masterpiece among masterpieces that shines with Shakespeare's human observation eye, which represents Renaissance theater.
``Who am I?!'' An up-and-coming young actor plays with passion and speed the main character, who worries about his way of life, worries about his appearance in a crumbling world, and heads for madness. increase. Feel the enthusiasm of the actors on the stage where the spirit is bursting out.

Japan's only performing arts platform "TPAM-International Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama 2017" will be held!

Courtesy of Kick the Machine Films_feverroom

What is TPAM

It is the only international performing arts platform in Japan that is held in three programs: "Performance Program", "Exchange Program for Stage People", and "Public Recruitment Program". Last year's event attracted 292 participants from 40 countries and regions around the world, including 424 from Japan, making it one of the world's leading performing arts events. Professionals are basically participating, but general participation is also possible in most programs. You can appreciate it with a reasonable admission fee, and the number of visitors last time was 18,773 people.

A performance program where you can experience the performing arts of Asia and the world

The performance program includes 13 works/projects that embody the latest trends in performing arts in Asia and around the world.
For example, "Apichatpong Weerasethakul 'Fever Room'" will be premiered in Japan by TPAM!
Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand) has won numerous film awards, including the Palme d'Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival, and is also active internationally. As a genius Thai filmmaker and artist, there were many screenings and exhibitions in Japan last year, such as "Uncle Boonmee's Forest", and he has been receiving enthusiastic attention from Japanese film and performing arts people who have been fascinated by his charm. I was.
"Fever Room" is the first stage work that Apichatpong worked on. As a completely new theater experience that transcends the framework of film and theater, the work, which has been highly acclaimed at festivals around the world, will be performed for the first time in Japan!

Exchange programs and open recruitment programs can also be viewed

General customers can also participate in symposiums and talk sessions, with the exception of some business talks and negotiations, in the "exchange program" for information exchange and networking among domestic and international performing arts professionals. You can also appreciate the public application program "TPAM Fringe", which is a chance for new artists to gain international acclaim. It is also very popular every year as a chance for stage fans to discover new talents and works.

In addition, various performances and events will be held during the period!
Therefore, we asked the TPAM management office for recommended performances.

The dance work “BALABALA” (https://www.tpam.or.jp/2017/?program=balabala) choreographed by Eko Supriyanto (Indonesia) is the third Asian international co-production in which TPAM participates.
Eko Supriyanto, a choreographer/dancer who has done mainstream work including Madonna's shows, reinterpreted the traditional dance of Jairolo, a remote island in eastern Indonesia, from a contemporary perspective with five local young female dancers. A fresh performance that transcends gender and cultural barriers. Children under the age of 18 can watch for free!

(Mr. Amemiya, TPAM Public Relations)

At TPAM, where people involved in the performing arts from Japan and overseas gather together, there will also be a lineup of Japanese and world premieres, as well as artists who are currently attracting attention. please check it!