Musicals

[Hatori]

Hello! Anyways, this probably boggles my mind the most:
Musicals in Japan.
I mean, I cannot even come to think of Japanese people dancing and singing to, lets say, Annie or Wicked. I know that there's anime musicals and junk like that... But I watched Dream Live 3 The Prince of Tennis online, I think I'm scarred for life. That musical was entertaining and funny though...
If there are any famous musicals or plays in Japan, post about it and share your opinions and random trivia!

[Mike Cash]

Have you ever heard of Takarazuka?

[Oracle]

I've seen Cats and quite a few other musicals in Japan.. same as any where else it's just people singing and dancing. As Mike pointed out Takarazuka is a long established all-female theater group. Never seen any of their performances myself, but I know they have legions of (female) fans.

[prep_girl_Nessa]

I've only seen a short clip from one, and that was only because one of my favorite actors, Shirota Yuu, was singing, but it was quite scary, I think. Even though Shirota was sexy xD!!!

I think he was in Prince of Tennis. I forget the character's name though, since I saw that movie a long time ago, before I knew who Shirota was.

Edit - Looked it up, apparently his character was named Kunimitsu Tezuka.

[Hatori]

prep_girl_Nessa wrote:
I've only seen a short clip from one, and that was only because one of my favorite actors, Shirota Yuu, was singing, but it was quite scary, I think. Even though Shirota was sexy xD!!!

I think he was in Prince of Tennis. I forget the character's name though, since I saw that movie a long time ago, before I knew who Shirota was.

Edit - Looked it up, apparently his character was named Kunimitsu Tezuka.

Oh my God. My best friend LOVES Yuu Shirota. She's talking to me on AIM and saying "Kya! He's sooo cute!" and "OMG! Look at this picture of him!!"
I've got to say he's pretty cute. B)

[doinkies]

Gekidan Shiki puts on Japanese-language versions of popular Broadway/other Western musicals, as well as their own original musicals.

[prep_girl_Nessa]

Hatori wrote:
Oh my God. My best friend LOVES Yuu Shirota. She's talking to me on AIM and saying "Kya! He's sooo cute!" and "OMG! Look at this picture of him!!"
I've got to say he's pretty cute. B)

Your best friend and I would get along very well. I check Shirota's blog everyday; for Japanese practice as well as he usually uploads a picture of himself with it! xD

[Hatori]

prep_girl_Nessa wrote:

Hatori wrote:
Oh my God. My best friend LOVES Yuu Shirota. She's talking to me on AIM and saying "Kya! He's sooo cute!" and "OMG! Look at this picture of him!!"
I've got to say he's pretty cute. B)

Your best friend and I would get along very well. I check Shirota's blog everyday; for Japanese practice as well as he usually uploads a picture of himself with it! xD

That's exactly what my best friend does. B)

I've always wondered if there are any Pokemon musicals. I can just imagine.

[AJBryant]

If you've ever seen "Iron Chef," in Japan "Chairman Kaga" was most famous for his appearances in Jesus Christ Superstar and Les Miserables before the Kitchen Stadium opened...


Tony

[two_heads_talking]

holy crap, that's why he looked so familiar. nice pull Tony.

[AJBryant]

I am a huge Les Miz fan.


Tony

[two_heads_talking]

NOW, I must watch The Phantom of the Opera and Les' miserables again.

[AJBryant]

I love to torture myself. EVERY TIME I see Les Mis, I bring two or three packs of Kleenex. It was great in Japan when I could grab the Kleenex at the train station from the Cigarette pushers and then go see Les Mis at the theatre down the street. I think I saw Les Mis four times in Japanese, and three times here in the States in English.

I have the Japanese Les Mis soundtrack, which I actually prefer to the various English versions I have. Somehow, it's easy to turn off the Japanese part of my brain and I just hear the music and singing without getting horridly depressed with the lyrics. ("A Little Fall of Rain" and "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" are bad enough, but "I Dreamed a Dream" will make you want to just slit your wrists.) On the other hand, "Red and Black" and "Do You Hear the People Sing" are among my favorite "get your blood going" songs ever.

Heck, I even have a cassette of the HEBREW cast recording.


Tony

[two_heads_talking]

You know, I find the lyrics inconsequential compared to the music anyways. the music drives the emotions to me, the words end up being nothing more than casings of locusts, a shell that is there only to help delivery and then gone. the music plays the hearts strings and stirs emotions that words can't even hope to get involved with.