Children and young people tend to avoid kabuki as hard to understand, but an unorthodox show featuring the "Hello Kitty Troupe" is drawing them in.
A musical show titled "KAWAII KABUKI -- Momotaro by the Hello Kitty Troupe" started in March at Sanrio Puroland in Tama, Tokyo. Serving as the troupe's proprietor, Hello Kitty heads a cast of familiar characters in a production of the Momotaro story.
Leading kabuki promoter Shochiku Co. worked on creating this unique show, which blends popular characters and leading-edge technology with a classic kabuki story. However, the tale takes an unexpected turn in the middle.
The voices of kabuki actors Nakamura Shido and Bando Minosuke II are featured in the show, as well as footage of them. The show includes fierce fighting scenes with the stage rotating, as well as stylized acting called danmari in which actors search for each other in the dark.
In synchronization with the gallant brattling tsuke sound effect, characters -- Cinnamoroll, Bad Badtz-Maru and Pompompurin -- stroke the mie pose, drawing cheers and applause from the children in the audience.
Kabuki actor Ichikawa Emisaburo serves as an acting coach for the show.
"I particularly remember that when I strictly instructed Bad Badtz-Maru, which can move its body the most, to perform more energetically, it resisted my instructions with an 'I don't understand' pose," Ichikawa said with a wry smile.
However, he added: "All characters are quick-witted, and the show turned out much better than I expected. The roles the characters play are distinguishable at first glance. That's because they are all doing 'kabuku.'"
Kabuku refers to showy outfits and bold and rambunctious acts.
Efforts to attract young people
Shochiku has recently introduced a series of unorthodox productions utilizing elements of kabuki. "Super Kabuki II ONE PIECE," based on a popular manga, became a big hit, as did "Hyoen," a production that combined kabuki and figure skating. "NARUTO," a popular manga, will be made into a kabuki play in August.
"The tradition won't be passed on to the future unless we broaden the range of [kabuki fans] among young people," said Ippei Noma, an executive officer in charge of theater development at Shochiku, expressing concern over the future prospects of the art form.
"Kabuki's clearly set character profiles, as well as its worldview, are a good match with the anime and mascot character business," he said. "We want to increase the young audience by expanding the entryway [to kabuki] and get those people to come to the Kabukiza theater."
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