[Kabuki Pigeon] Narukami and more (Zenshinza Kabuki Performance / Tokyo Tatemono Brillia HALL) [Impressions]
I wanted to see Narukami, so I went. I saw it in that bundle of leaflets you get when you go to the theater, and that's why I went. It's surprising how many places Kabuki is performed. I didn't know at all before I started watching Kabuki. After all, increasing the resolution of something within yourself is what expands your world.
👒 is a program that Pigeon likes
Yukimatsuri Gonin Sanbaso
Sanbaso is a celebratory dance that prays for a bountiful harvest. Among the many Sanbaso performances, this work is known as Zenshinza's original 'snow-falling' Sanbaso. The profound and dynamic music of the Gidayu and the five dancers moving in perfect unison cannot help but exhilarate the audience.
In this performance, five actresses will take on the roles of the Sanbaso, and we will also feature female Gidayu performers and female musicians, offering you an even more enjoyable stage.
Among the auspicious dances of Sanbaso, I liked that snow fell at the end. I was watching from the third-floor seats, and the trajectories of the dancers were being drawn into the snow that was gradually piling up. Even the movement of the confetti seemed beautifully controlled.
👒 Narukami, from the Kabuki Juhachiban (Eighteen Best Plays)
A rough synopsis:
Resentful that the Emperor broke his promise,Narukami Shonin(Arashi Yoshisaburo) has sealed the Dragon God in a waterfall basin. Because of this, the whole country is suffering from a drought.
Meanwhile, a beautiful woman appears at the Shonin's hermitage. She says she has come seeking the water from the waterfall at the hermitage to wash the clothes of her late husband. The woman begins to talk about her journey, revealing her legs, and the Shonin is unintentionally drawn to her.
After that, to prepare for the woman who says she wants to become a nun, he sends his disciple on an errand, leaving the Shonin and the woman alone in the hermitage. While nursing the woman who complains of feeling unwell, the Shonin touches her chest...
The woman who visited the Shonin is actually the court's greatest beauty, sent to break the Shonin's spiritual power to end the drought,Kumo no Taema-hime(Kawarazaki Kuntaro).
A proper synopsis ishere.
Narukami Shonin... you fool... you shouldn't be so easily swayed by a woman's charms... even though she is beautiful. The Shonin is quite pure, or perhaps naive, or something like that, and he is so easily deceived that I couldn't help but find it amusing to watch. Well, this is the flip side of the same coin, and it is precisely because he is so pure that he is resentful about the broken promise and has even caused a drought.
The Shonin reaches deep into the collar of Kumo no Taema-hime's kimono, so I, watching from here, was...! It was like I wanted to look away...! Kumo no Taema-hime was also so alluring that it felt like I was watching something I shouldn't be (it was fun). It's surprising how Kabuki sometimes goes all the way with things like this...
Also, the scene where the Shonin, realizing he has been deceived, rages in anger, was great because the atmosphere changed instantly from what it had been before, and it approached with overwhelming intensity.
In any case, Narukami Shonin, his disciples, and Kumo no Taema-hime were all great characters and very interesting. There is no difficult story in this scene, and the way a strict monk is swayed by charms is performed in a funny way, which made me laugh a lot. I love fun programs.
Performance Overview
Zenshinza Kabuki Performance
May 11 (Sat) - May 20 (Mon), 2024
Yukimatsuri Gonin Sanbaso, Kojo (Formal Greeting), Narukami from the Kabuki Juhachiban
Tokyo Tatemono Brillia HALL
I entered the notoriously infamous Brillia Hall for the first time (3rd floor). This is... indeed... the handrail might be in the way... The handrail is in a spot that is just inconveniently in the way... It's not that I can't see, but somehow... it inevitably enters my field of vision and bothers me... I heard a rumor that it was renovated and improved, but... It gives a negative impression of the theater experience from the start, so it feels like a waste for the performance.