| NAKAMURA KANZABURÔ XVIII |
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Stage names:
Real name: Namino Noriaki Guild: Nakamuraya Line number: JÛHACHIDAIME (XVIII) Existence: 30 May 1955 ~ 5 December 2012 Connections: Great-great-great-grandfathers: Onoe Kikugorô III, Ichimura Uzaemon XI Great-great-grandfather: Ichimura Takenojô V Great-grandfathers: Onoe Kikugorô V, Nakamura Karoku I Grandfathers: Onoe Kikugorô VI, Nakamura Karoku III Father: Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII Father-in-law: Nakamura Shikan VII Brother-in-laws: Nakamura Fukusuke IX, Nakamura Hashinosuke III Sons: Nakamura Kankurô VI, Nakamura Shichinosuke II Grandsons: Nakamura Kantarô III, Nakamura Chôzaburô II Career: April 1959: he made his first appearance on stage, in Tôkyô at the Kabukiza, where he received the name Nakamura Kankurô V and played the role of Momotarô in "Mukashi Banashi Momotarô". May 1964: premiere at the Kabukiza of Hagiwara Yukio's Nagauta-based dance-drama "Bukaku Setsugekka"; Kankurô played the role of the little insect [casting]. January 1966: Kankurô played at the Kabukiza the role of Sankichi in the "Shigenoi Kowakare" scene of the drama "Koi Nyôbô Somewake Tazuna"; the role of Shigenoi was played by Onoe Baikô VII. March 1977: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Shiranui Monogatari"; Kankurô played the roles of the koshimoto Teruha and Oiso [more details]. January 1980: Kankurô took part in the first Kabuki performances at the Asakusa Kôkaidô [more details]. January 1987: Kankurô played at the Kabukiza the roles of Saruwaka Kanzaburô, Sakamoto Miuranosuke Yoshimura, Kansaku/the leader of the oni and the spirit of the shishi in "Saruwaka Edo no Hatsuyagura", "Kinugawa-mura Kankyo", "Kadonde Futari Momotarô" [1] and "Kagami Jishi". April 1988: Kankurô plays for the first time the role of the hairdresser Shinza in the play "Kamiyui Shinza", in Tôkyô at the National Theatre; he had to replace his father Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII, who fell ill, from the 9th of April. 16 April 1988: his father Nakamura Kanzaburô XVII died. June 1989: the drama "Kaidan Botan Dôrô" using Ônishi Nobuyuki's script was staged for the first time with a full Kabuki casting, at the Shinbashi Enbujô; Kankurô played the role of San'yûtei Enchô [casting]. August 1990: revival at the Kabukiza of the kaidanmono "Kaidan Chibusa no Enoki" [2]; Kankurô played the roles of Hishikawa Shigenobu, the ghost of Shigenobu, the servant Shôsuke and Uwabami no Sanji [casting]. May~June 1994: first edition of the Cocoon Kabuki, which was staged at the Shibuya Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon and recreated the atmosphere of the Edo koshibai and brought the actors closer to the audience. The play "Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan" was coproduced by Kankurô and the playwright Kushida Kazuyoshi; Kankurô played the roles of Oiwa, Satô Yomoshichi and Kobotoke Kohei [more details]. August 1996: revival at the Kabukiza of Hôjô Hideji's drama "Korikori Banashi"; Kankurô played the role of Inosuke [more details]. August~September 1996: second edition of the Cocoon Kabuki with the production of "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; Kankurô played the roles of Danshichi Kurobê and Tokubê's wife Otatsu [more details]. September 1998: third edition of the Cocoon Kabuki with the production of "Kamikakete Sango Taisetsu"; Kankurô played (in turns with Nakamura Hashinosuke) the roles of Sasanoya Sangorô or Satsuma Gengobê [more details]. November 2000: Kankurô supervised the construction of a temporary Theater in the district of Asakusa in Tôkyô, called Heisei Nakamuraza (the Nakamuraza of the Heisei Era), and produced the play "Sumidagawa Gonichi no Omokage" (commonly called "Hôkaibô"). 1 January 2001: Kankurô and his 2 sons performed in the dance "Renjishi" at the break of New Year in Naruto, east of Tôkyô, on a temporary stage built on the shore of the Kujukuri Beach. June 2001: 4th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki with the production of "Sannin Kichisa"; Kankurô played the role of Oshô Kichisa [more details]. August 2001: Kankurô and the noted modern theatre director Noda Hideki presented for the 12th edition of Kankurô's summer program at the Kabukiza a modern version of the drama "Togitatsu no Utare" . The performance was a great success and, unusual fact in the Kabuki world, ended with a standing ovation. November 2001: second edition of the Heisei Nakamuraza in Asakusa. Kankurô produced the play "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" in which he played 3 great roles: Taira no Tomomori, Igami no Gonta and the fox Tadanobu/Genkurô. November 2002: third edition of the Heisei Nakamuraza, staged in Ôsaka for the first time; Kankurô produced the plays "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" and "Sumidagawa Gonichi no Omokage". June 2003: 5th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki with the production of "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; Kankurô played the roles of Danshichi Kurobê and Tokubê's wife Otatsu [more details]. October 2003: fourth edition of the Heisei Nakamuraza; Kankurô produced the dramas "Kagamiyama Gonichi no Iwafuji", "Benten Musume Meo no Shiranami" (the "Hamamatsuya" and "Inasegawa" scenes), "Ninjô Banashi Bunshichi Mottoi" and the dance "Kitsunebi". July 2004: Fifth edition of the Heisei Nakamuraza, staged abroad for the first time; Kankurô and his troupe (including Nakamura Hashinosuke, Nakamura Senjaku, Bandô Yajûrô, Kataoka Kamezô and Nakamura Shichinosuke) perform in Boston (8~10 July, Cutler Majestic Theatre), New York City (17~25 July, Lincoln Center) and Washington DC (28 July, Warner Theater). In Boston and Washington, the troupe presents the dances "Bô Shibari" and "Renjishi". In New York, an Edo 545-seat traditional theater was built within the Lincoln Center and the troupe presents the great Kamigata drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" [more details]. March 2005: Nakamura Kankurô V took the name of Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Yoshioka Kiichi Hôgen, Sasaki Moritsuna and the sardine seller in the dramas "Ichijô Ôkura Monogatari", "Moritsuna Jin'ya" and "Iwashi Uri Koi no Hikiami". April 2005: Kanzaburô celebrated his second month of shûmei at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of the shirabyôshi Hanako, Kingorô and Sano Jirôzaemon in "Kyôganoko Musume Dôjôji", "Kirare Yosa" and "Kagotsurube Sato no Eizame". May 2005: Kanzaburô celebrated his third month of shûmei at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of the Saruwakaza's zamoto, the hairdresser Shinza and Moriyama Tatsuji in "Iya Sakae Shibai no Nigiwai", "Kamiyui Shinza" and "Noda-ban Togitatsu no Utare". June 2005: 6th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki ... the first one without Kanzaburô, who preferred to have a rest after 3 months of intensive shûmei performances [more details]. July 2005: Kanzaburô celebrated his shûmei in Ôsaka at the Shôchikuza, playing the roles of the Wisteria Maiden, Heisaku, Ôe Hiromoto and Moriyama Tatsuji in the dramas "Fuji Musume", "Numazu", "Miyajima no Danmari" and "Noda-ban Togitatsu no Utare". October 2005: Kanzaburô celebrated his shûmei in Nagoya at the Misonoza, playing the roles of the father lion and Benten Kozô in "Renjishi" and "Aoto Zôshi Hana no Nishikie". March~April 2006: 7th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki with the production (in two different programs) of "Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan"; Kanzaburô played the roles of Oiwa/Satô Yomoshichi/Kobotoke Kohei or Oiwa/Naosuke Gonbê [more details]. June 2006: Kanzaburô celebrated his shûmei in Fukuoka at the Hakataza, playing the roles of the spirit of the Lion, Chôbê and Benten Kozô in the dramas "Renjishi", "Bunshichi Mottoi" and "Benten Musume". July 2006: Kanzaburô celebrated his shûmei in the Eastern Provinces, playing the roles of Ukyô and Igami no Gonta in "Migawari Zazen" and "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". September 2006: Kanzaburô celebrated his shûmei in the Western Provinces, playing the roles of Ukyô and Igami no Gonta in "Migawari Zazen" and "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". December 2006: Kanzaburô celebrated his shûmei in Kyôto at the Minamiza, playing the roles of Tadanobu and the shirabyôshi Hanako in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" and the dance "Musume Dôjôji". June 2007: 8th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki with the production of "Sannin Kichisa"; Kanzaburô played the role of Oshô Kichisa [more details]. July 2007: second Heisei Nakamuraza tour in the USA, in New York (Lincoln Center, 16~22 July) and Washington (Warner Theatre, 26 July); Kanzaburô played in New York the roles of the Lion father and Hôkaibô in "Renjishi" and "Sumidagawa Gonichi no Omokage". He also played in Washington the roles of Togashi Saemon and Ukyô in "Kanjinchô" and "Migawari Zazen" [more details]. May~June 2008: first Heisei Nakamuraza tour in Europe, in Berlin at the The House of World Cultures (Germany) from the 14th to the 21st of May 2008 and in Sibiu (Rumania) from the 29th of May to the 1st of June 2008 for the International Theatre Festival; Kanzaburô played the role of Danshichi Kurobê in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" [casting]. June 2008: 9th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki with the production of "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami"; Kanzaburô played the role of Danshichi Kurobê [more details]. July 2008: first edition of the Heisei Nakamuraza in Matsumoto (Nagano Prefecture); Kanzaburô produced at the Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" with the same casting as the tour in Europe [more details]. October 2008: fifth edition of the Heisei Nakamuraza in Tôkyô, in the district of Asakusa, close to the banks of the Sumida River; Kanzaburô produced for the first time the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura", in four different programs with the very rare production of the second act of this drama in one program (the "Rikiya Jôshi" and "Matsukiri" scenes). This edition stars for the very first time Kataoka Nizaemon; Kanzaburô played the roles of En'ya Hangan, Hayano Kanpei, Hattori Itsurô, Tonase and Genroku [more details]. November 2008: sixth edition of the Heisei Nakamuraza in Tôkyô, in the district of Asakusa, close to the banks of the Sumida River; Kanzaburô produced the drama "Sumidagawa Gonichi no Omokage" (commonly called "Hôkaibô") in which he played the role of Hôkaibô [more details]. July 2009: 10th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki [more details]. September 2009: Heisei Nakamuraza in Nagoya [more details]. June 2010: 11th edition of the Cocoon Kabuki [more details]. July 2010: Heisei Nakamuraza in Matsumoto [more details]. October 2010: Heisei Nakamuraza in Ôsaka (first month) [more details]. November 2010: Heisei Nakamuraza in Ôsaka (second month) [more details]. November 2011: first month of a 6-month project for the Heisei Nakamuraza, which was built in Tôkyô in the popular district of Asakusa within the Sumida Park [more details]. December 2011: Heisei Nakamuraza in Asakusa (second month) [more details]. January 2012: Heisei Nakamuraza in Asakusa (third month) [more details]. March 2012: Heisei Nakamuraza in Asakusa (fourth month) [more details]. April 2012: Heisei Nakamuraza in Asakusa (fifth month) [more details]. May 2012: Kanzaburô appeared on stage for the last time, in Tôkyô at the Heisei Nakamuraza (sixth month) [more details], where he played the roles of Tatsugorô and Shinza in "Megumi no Kenka" and "Kamiyui Shinza". He also led a special kôjô (stage announcement) within the dance "Shigayama Sanbasô". 5 December 2012: Kanzaburô died in Tôkyô. Comments: Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII was one of the most popular and dynamic actors of the 21st Century. He unfortunately passed away at the age of 57. "Kanzaburô is particularly adept at portraying good characters who are driven insane by rage, jealousy or the trauma of tragic circumstances and, whether he is playing historical heroes or Edo-period commoners, he always manages to incorporate an element of surprise and suspense. However, Kabuki accounts for only part of Kankurô's work. He also acts in musicals and comedies and can sometimes be seen in commercials." (from an article written by Jean Wilson for the website Metropolis) Interesting pages:
[1] This newly-created drama was staged to celebrate the hatsubutai of Kankurô's sons Nakamura Kantarô II & Nakamura Shichinosuke II. It also celebrated the 360th anniversary of Edo Kabuki. Saruwaka Kanzaburô received a license from the authorities to open a theater in Edo the 15th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 10th year of the Genna era, which was the 2nd of April 1624 in the western calendar. In 1627, the Saruwaka no Mai, the Saruwaka Dance, was staged for the first time in Edo. [2] This was a typical Edo/Tôkyô ghost story, which became a classic in the repertoire of the Jitsukawa Enjaku Kamigata line of actors. |
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Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII playing the role of Tenuguiya Inosuke in the drama "Korikori Banashi" (from the playbill of the Akasaka Grand Kabuki in September 2008) The Nakamura Kankurô line of actors The Nakamura Kanzaburô line of actors and theater managers |
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