The audience seats rotate 360 degrees!? Report on the Magcal Performing Arts Academy performance "Byte Show YOKOHAMA - Youth Edition"

A musical about young people who spend their days working part-time jobs and taking lessons.
The audience was amazed by the unique presentation, which featured seats on the stage!

Magcal Performing Arts Academy, which opened in October 2014, is a training institution for musical stars, with more than 20 young people ranging from high school students to 25 years old. The school is headed by Kensuke Yokouchi, head of the Tobiraza Theater Company, who is the school's principal and acting instructor, Keiko Fukazawa, who is the singing instructor, and Lucky Ikeda and Eri Ayaki, who are the dance instructors, and offers practical lessons on singing, dancing, and acting.
 
In April 2016, the group performed "Part-time Show <Magcal Academy 2016 Edition>" as a presentation of their results. The musical, which was performed at the Tobira Theater in 2013, was adapted, and 14 students performed as young people working part-time jobs. Their first performance was "Part-time Show YOKOHAMA - Youth Edition". New cast members and new episodes were added to the "Magcal Academy 2016 Edition", depicting a more layered human drama.

"Baito Show" is a group drama about young people who are passionate about dance and theater, but who spend their days doing part-time jobs to make a living. In an omnibus format, it depicts people who hold on to their dreams while struggling with reality, such as an aspiring dancer who changes jobs frequently, a girl who is torn between love and her dreams, a theater troupe member who is passionate but has no money, a girl who dreams of becoming an idol, and a girl on the brink of disaster who has been caught by a corrupt agency.
 
When the performance was announced, the first thing that surprised us was the stage set. When the stage curtain rose, the auditorium's seats appeared right in front of us! Yes, the audience was not sitting in the seats, but in special seats set up on the stage. Meanwhile, the cast members looked enviously at the stage from the audience and sang passionately, "I want to stand on this stage someday." They had captured the audience's hearts right from the start.

Moreover, by utilizing the mechanism of the "revolving stage" where the center of the stage rotates, the audience seats rotated 360 degrees every time the scene changed! The unique production, which featured a steel staircase for installing the lights to resemble a construction site and a "stage with raised ceiling," thrilled the audience. The surprising device of "rotating the audience" is said to be the first attempt in the 54-year history of the Kanagawa Prefectural Youth Center Hall.
 
The audience seemed to be touched by the singing and dancing that unfolded up close, and the sight of young people chasing their dreams while working part-time jobs. They were fascinated by the heat that was gushing out, their cheeks flushed. Since the "Magcal Academy 2016 Edition" at the results presentation, their singing voices have been further refined and their dancing has become more expressive. It was a two-hour performance that made us feel their definite growth. All three days of performances were sold out. They are also considering performing original works in the future, so please look forward to the future of the Magcal Performing Arts Academy.
 

We are currently accepting applications for 2016 students!
Interview with the three main cast members

Left: Mikako Yoshida, Center: Moeka Kato, Right: Yumi Kitamura

Since the results presentation in April, the Magcal Performing Arts Academy has been steadily progressing. After the performance, we received comments from the three main cast members.
 

Moeka Kato / Ai role
For the performance at the finals, we had two or three weeks to practice, but this time we practiced intensively for a month. After all, if we perform at the same level as the finals, the audience won't be satisfied. In order to aim for the next level, we increased the amount of practice and advice we received, and we worked hard every day to absorb as much as possible.
 
However, we are still inexperienced, and this performance is just a milestone. I realized once again that there is still a long way to go. For example, in my case, my voice changes when I say lines and when I sing. If my voice changes, it is difficult for the audience to understand, so I need to be able to sing as part of the play with the same voice as when I act. To do that, I need to practice more and more.
 
The academy has grown in numbers with the 2016 class. Everyone inspires me, and I feel like I can't lose to them. I'm really happy that a place like this exists. I've been receiving instruction from Yokouchi Kensuke for about seven years before the academy, and I still respect him as much as I did back then. I feel blessed to have such a great person watch my performance. If you're interested, I hope you'll join the academy. Let's create the best musical together!

Mikako Yoshida / Yumi
I played the same role at the performance presentation, but this time the lines and dances have increased dramatically. My role in particular had a romantic element, which made it difficult to express. But it was also very rewarding. During rehearsals, I enjoyed communicating with everyone and absorbed new things.
 
Compared to before, my voice has gotten a little better, but I still have a lot to improve on. I felt that I was being naive, as I had some success and failures in each performance and got nervous. I want to become better at acting.
 
With the addition of new people to the academy, I think the enthusiasm and energy of each individual has spread throughout the venue. It's a wonderful experience that you can't get at school or work, so if you're interested, please come and visit us.

Yumi Kitamura / Kazue
This was my first time participating in the Magcal Performing Arts Academy. It was my first time seeing a rotating stage, and everything was beyond my imagination. I was surprised even though I was performing (laughs).
 
It was also a lot of fun practicing with everyone at the academy. There are a lot of high school students at the academy, so I'm the oldest at 24 years old. I was thinking, "Everyone's so young!" as I was receiving instruction from everyone. I was inspired by them a lot.
 
I want to continue performing on stage for a long time to come.

Singing and dancing are areas where the results of practice are visibly visible. This performance was a full-fledged stage overflowing with the passion and passion of the cast members, and we could feel their growth since the performance presentation. Please look forward to the Academy's original productions planned for next year and the future of the Academy.