5 shows in Tôkyô (Kabukiza, National Theatre, Shinbashi Enbujô, Uchisaiwai Hall), 1 in Kyôto (Minamiza) and 2 tours (Kabuki Forum, Kabuki Kanshô Kyôshitsu)!

Ichikawa Danjûrô, Sakata Tôjûrô, Onoe Kikugorô, Nakamura Baigyoku, Kataoka Nizaemon, Nakamura Shikan, Nakamura Tomijûrô and Nakamura Tokizô perform at the Kabukiza!

Nakamura Shibajaku performs at the National Theatre!

Bandô Tamasaburô performs at the Minamiza!

Ichikawa Ennosuke's troupe performs at the Shinbashi Enbujô!

Ichikawa Danjûrô, Sakata Tôjûrô, Onoe Kikugorô, Nakamura Baigyoku, Kataoka Nizaemon, Nakamura Shikan, Nakamura Tomijûrô, Nakamura Tokizô, Nakamura Kaishun, Kataoka Gatô, Nakamura Kanjaku, Nakamura Senjaku, Kataoka Ainosuke, Kataoka Takatarô, Nakamura Fukusuke, Ichikawa Sadanji, Bandô Takesaburô, Nakamura Kashô, Kataoka Shinnosuke

Sanbasô: the sanbasô is an auspicious dance based on the ritual play "Okina" in the classical Nô theater which shows an old man as a symbol of longevity and the energetic sanbasô as a symbol of fertility and prosperity. With Kataoka Gatô as the Okina, his son Kataoka Shinnosuke as the Senzai attendant and Nakamura Kashô and Nakamura Kanjaku as the Sanbasô.

Manzai: Manzai are performers with hand drums that would go from door to door at the New Year to perform auspicious songs and dances. This dance shows the lively songs of the Manzai, here performed by Nakamura Baigyoku.

Yashiki Musume: this dance shows two young women who are service at a samurai mansion and are excitedly going home for their one break in service for the year. Starring Nakamura Senjaku and Kataoka Takatarô.

Jinmon/Kumiuchi: one of the greatest stories from the Japanese tradition is the encounter of the Genji warrior Kumagai and the young Heike general Atsumori. Although they are enemies, Kumagai would like to spare Atsumori because he is the same age as his own son, but the necessities of wartime force him to kill Atsumori nonetheless and this experience fills Kumagai with disgust at warfare and makes him become a priest. This Kabuki version of the story is filled with plot twists to emphasize the pathos of the situation. Starring Ichikawa Danjûrô as Kumagai and Living National Treasure Sakata Tôjûrô as Atsumori, with Nakamura Kaishun as Atsumori's lover Princess Tamaori.

Onna Date: Living National Treasure Onoe Kikugorô stars as a woman in the pleasure quarters who swaggers and fights in the finest gallant style but who has a delicate sense of femininity as well.

Yoshidaya: the roots of this play go back to the earliest days of Kabuki. Izaemon, the son of a wealthy family, has been disowned for loving a courtesan and now has nothing but a paper kimono. This role is a classic example of the wagoto or soft style of acting that is one of the representative acting styles of the Kansai region. Kataoka Nizaemon stars as Izaemon, a role that is a specialty of his family's Kansai acting style. Featuring Nakamura Fukusuke as his lover, the courtesan Yûgiri, Ichikawa Sadanji and Kataoka Hidetarô as the proprietor and proprietress of the Yoshidaya teahouse and Kataoka Ainosuke as a comic entertainer in the pleasure quarters.

Gozonji Suzu-ga-Mori: The young samurai Shirai Gonpachi (the Living National Treasure Nakamura Shikan) is ambushed near the execution grounds of Edo on a dark night, but he manages to escape after a gruesome but humorous fight scene. He is watched by Banzuiin Chôbê (the Living National Treasure Nakamura Tomijûrô), an Edo boss, who is impressed with his fighting skills and agrees to give him shelter in the city. This meeting between the handsome young Gonpachi and the heroic Chôbê is one of the most famous meetings in Kabuki.

Musume Dôjôji: a beautiful young woman dances under cherry blossoms at a dedication ceremony for a temple bell. She dances the many aspects of a woman in love, but is actually the spirit of a serpent, driven to destroy the bell out of jealousy. In addition to being the most famous of all Kabuki dances, "Musume Dôjôji" is considered to be the pinnacle of the art of the onnagata. This month’s production stars Living National Treasure Sakata Tôjûrô, who performs his kiju kinen dance, as the maiden and also features a rare performance of the second part of the dance where the maiden appears as a serpent and is pushed back by a powerful hero played in the bombastic aragoto style. Ichikawa Danjûrô appears as the hero Ôdate Samagorô Teruhide and aragoto is the specialty of his acting family.

Omatsuri Sashichi: the fireman Sashichi (Onoe Kikugorô) is in love with the geisha Koito (Nakamura Tokizô), but their happiness is ruined by Koito's greedy mother and her constant schemes to get money from them. Her plots go too far when she claims that Koito's true father murdered Sashichi's father. Already angered by what he thinks are Koito's broken promises, Sashichi attacks her on a rainy night in a famous killing scene. Also featuring Kataoka Nizaemon.

Source: Earphone Guide website

Nakamura Shibajaku, Nakamura Tanetarô

First edition of a spring educational program, sponsored by the National Theatre and called Kabuki Kanshô Kyôshitu ("Kabuki appreciation class"). It is first staged at the National Theatre then it is followed by a short tour.

Kuzu-no-Ha: Abe no Yasuna, a court astrologer in disgrace, has married a beautiful woman named Kuzu-no-Ha, not knowing that she is actually a fox that has taken human form to repay his kindness in saving his life. The couple has a child and lives happily together until the real woman whose form the fox borrowed appears. Knowing that she can no longer stay, Kuzu-no-Ha writes a tearful farewell poem on the paper screen and returns to the wilderness. Starring Nakamura Shibajaku as Kuzu-no-Ha and Nakamura Tanetarô as Yasuna.

Nakamura Shibajaku, Nakamura Tanetarô

This short tour goes through the National Theatre in Okinawa (14~17 March) and the Shimin Kaikan in Ishigaki (20~21 March).

Kuzu-no-Ha: Abe no Yasuna, a court astrologer in disgrace, has married a beautiful woman named Kuzu-no-Ha, not knowing that she is actually a fox that has taken human form to repay his kindness in saving his life. The couple has a child and lives happily together until the real woman whose form the fox borrowed appears. Knowing that she can no longer stay, Kuzu-no-Ha writes a tearful farewell poem on the paper screen and returns to the wilderness. Starring Nakamura Shibajaku as Kuzu-no-Ha and Nakamura Tanetarô as Yasuna.

Bandô Tamasaburô

"Botantei" is a new creation initiated by the star Bandô Tamasaburô and based on the famous Chinese Opera "The Peony Pavilion". The lyrics were written by Yumemakura Baku, who worked in 1991 with Bandô Tamasaburô for the creation of "Yôkihi", which is also staged to end this program. Bandô Tamasaburô shares the stage with performers of Kunqu, one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera which originated in the Suzhou region. This program will be staged in May 2008 in Beijing (China).

Nakamura Shibajaku, Nakamura Kyôju, Nakamura Kyôsumi, Nakamura Kyôyuki

The two first items are classic dances, which are performed by Nakamura Shibajaku's disciples. The last item, "Ningyo no Koi" ("The Love of a Mermaid"), is a new creation, a Kabuki hitori shibai (one man Kabuki show), which is about Yaobikuni, the octo-centenarian nun. This story is an old folk tale from the country of Wakasa. Yaohime, the daughter of a rich man, is afraid of getting old. She eats mermaids flesh, which allows her to be young and live forever. However, she finds immortality a very hard thing to have. Over the centuries, she marries too many men only to see their deaths. Suffering too much, she becomes a nun and goes on a pilgrimage to remove her mermaid-eating sin.

Ichikawa Ukon, Ichikawa Danjirô, Ichikawa Emiya, Ichikawa Monnosuke, Ichikawa Emisaburô, Ichikawa Shun'en, Ichikawa En'ya, Ichikawa Juen, Kaneda Ryûnosuke

Ichikawa Ennosuke's troupe of young and talented actors perform a modern style of theater, which they created a few years ago and called "Super Kabuki" (Sûpâ Kabuki in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's lingo): it's spectacular (lots of chûnori), the costums are gorgeous and ultra-sophisticated, the music is modern, the texts are easy to understand and the plots are as twisted as a good Kabuki classic. Usually a big commercial success! "Yamato Takeru" was the first Sûpâ Kabuki drama of the Omodakaya guild and the most successful one. For this revival, the leading role of Yamato Takeru is played by both Ichikawa Danjirô and Ichikawa Ukon.

Ichikawa Ennosuke is on sick leave and does not perform in this production.

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