3 shows in Tôkyô (Kabukiza) and 3 tours (Western Provinces, Kabuki Forum, Kinshû Special Tour)!

Nakamura Kichiemon, Ichikawa Danjûrô, Bandô Tamasaburô, Nakamura Tomijûrô, Nakamura Shikan and Nakamura Shibajaku perform at the Kabukiza!

Nakamura Kinnosuke, Nakamura Tokizô, Nakamura Baigyoku and Nakamura Tôzô are on tour in the Western Provinces !

Nakamura Kantarô and Nakamura Shichinosuke are on tour (Kinshû Special Tour)!

A special Buyô program at the Kabukiza!

Nakamura Kichiemon, Ichikawa Danjûrô, Bandô Tamasaburô, Nakamura Tomijûrô, Nakamura Shikan, Nakamura Shibajaku, Nakamura Kaishun, Ichikawa Danshirô, Ichikawa Sadanji, Nakamura Fukusuke, Nakamura Shinjirô, Nakamura Karoku, Nakamura Kashô, Ichikawa Somegorô

This is the second edition of a special program called "Shûzan Matsuri" (the festival of Shûzan), which is produced at the Kabukiza to commemorate the great actor Nakamura Kichiemon I, whose's haimyô was Shûzan. The star of this program is his adopted son Nakamura Kichiemon II. The last item in the evening program, "Nijô-jô no Kiyomasa", belongs to the Shûzan Jisshu.

Ryôma ga Yuku: this is a dramatization of the first section of the tremendously popular historical novel by Shiba Ryôtarô (1923~1996) about Sakamoto Ryôma (1836~1867), a visionary revolutionary at the end of the Tokugawa Period who brought various rival factions together to battle the Shogunate and would have led Japan boldly, if he had not been assassinated in a bloody battle. Starring Ichikawa Somegorô, Nakamura Kashô and Nakamura Karoku.

Kumagai Jin'ya: this play is a dramatization of the clash between the Genji general Kumagai Jirô Naozane and the Heike warrior Taira no Atsumori at the battle of Ichi-no-Tani, one of the most famous passages of the epic "Tales of the Heike". In the Kabuki version, on the cryptic orders of the Genji leader Yoshitsune, Kumagai hides the enemy warrior Atsumori and has his own son take the warrior's place. On the battlefield, Kumagai has to kill his own son in Atsumori's place. Things become worse when his wife Sagami and Atsumori's mother Fuji-no-Kata arrive at his camp. In the highlight of the play, he tells them the story of his mortal battle with Atsumori, keeping Atsumori's well-being and his own sacrifice a secret. He then shows the head of Atsumori for inspection by his leader to see if he has interpreted his orders correctly. This performance stars Nakamura Kichiemon as Kumagai, with Nakamura Fukusuke as Kumagai's wife Sagami, Nakamura Shibajaku as Fuji-no-Kata, Nakamura Shikan as Yoshitsune and Nakamura Tomijûrô as Midaroku.

Ninin Shiokumi: in the classical Nô Theatre, there are few plays as evocative as Matsukaze, the story of a court noble exiled to the seacoast where he falls in love with two fisher women. The women make their living scooping up heavy buckets of sea water to make salt and this has become a famous dance. Starring Bandô Tamasaburô and Nakamura Fukusuke as the two fisher women.

Akoya: the courtesan Akoya is the wife of the fugitive general Kagekiyo and has been captured and will be tortured until she reveals his whereabouts. But she claims not to know. The wise Shigetada (Nakamura Kichiemon) puts Akoya to a test, all the time hindered by his companion, the humorous villain Iwanaga (Ichikawa Danshirô). Shigetada forces Akoya to play several instruments since the slightest disturbance in the sound would indicate that she is lying. A showpiece for an onnagata who must actually play the koto, the bowed kokyû and the shamisen flawlessly as part of the drama. Starring Bandô Tamasaburô as Akoya.

Migawari Zazen: a dance play adopted from a classical kyôgen farce. A man (Ichikawa Danjûrô) wants nothing more than to visit his lover Hanako, but he has one important problem, his homely and overbearing wife (Ichikawa Sadanji). He creates a scheme saying that he will be practicing Zen meditation all night and has his servant (Ichikawa Somegorô) take his place while he visits Hanako. He returns, giddy from a night of pleasure and tells his story to his servant in dance, unaware that his wife has discovered his deception and has taken his servant's place.

Nijô-jô no Kiyomasa: in the early Edo period, the first Shôgun had a great problem in dealing with Toyotomi Hideyori, the young son of Hideyoshi. Even though Tokugawa Ieyasu took control of Japan away from Hideyori’s clan, it remained very influential and powerful. Although the Tokugawa Shôgun was respectful and cordial on the surface, he constantly searched for an opportunity to destroy Hideyori and his clan. This play is one of many that focuses on Hideyori’s loyal retainer, the elderly but still powerful Katô Kiyomasa. Tokugawa Ieyasu (Ichikawa Sadanji) invites Hideyori (Nakamura Fukusuke) to a banquet at the Nijô Castle in Kyôto. Hideyori is at constant risk and is only protected by the constant vigilance of Kiyomasa (Nakamura Kichiemon). Plays about Kiyomasa were a particular favorite of Nakamura Kichiemon I and this month features a rare performance of a play from the tradition of the present Kichiemon’s grandfather.

Source: Earphone Guide website

Nakamura Jakuemon, Nakamura Tomijûrô, Bandô Tamasaburô, Onoe Shôroku

A special Buyô program at the Kabukiza, which stars Bandô Tamasaburô ("Sagi Musume" and "Yuki"), Nakamura Tomijûrô ("Ukare Bôzu"), Nakamura Jakuemon ("Takao") and Onoe Shôroku ("Shikakubashira Saru no Kusemai").

Nakamura Kinnosuke, Nakamura Baigyoku, Nakamura Tokizô, Nakamura Tôzô, Onoe Shôroku, Nakamura Matsue, Matsumoto Kingo, Nakamura Baishi, Nakamura Hayato

Nakamura Kinnosuke celebrates his shûmei in the Western provinces, playing the roles of Hanaregoma Shirobê and Azuma no Yoshirô (in reality Mashiba Hisayoshi) in "Banchô Sarayashiki" and "Modori Kago".

Kusazuri:
(the Tug-of-War Over the Armor)
A short dance in the oldest style of Kabuki, leisurely and full of humor, combining the charm of an onnagata female role specialist with the larger-than-life heroism of the bombastic aragoto style of acting. The strong woman Maizuru stops the powerful, but rash, warrior Soga no Gorô from rushing to a fight by pulling on the set of armor he is carrying. Starring Nakamura Matsue and Nakamura Baishi as Gorô and Maizuru.

Kôjô: there is a close relationship between the stage and the audience in Kabuki and this is shown by these ceremonial stage announcements where the top stars of the company address the audience directly. For this tour, the actors celebrate the shûmei of Nakamura Kinnosuke.

Banchô Sarayashiki: the story of Okiku, who became a ghost after breaking one of a precious set of plates and being killed in punishment by a quick-tempered lord, is one of the most famous in Japanese tradition. But this is a modern play, which transforms the ghost story into a portrait of the interaction of contrasting and incompatable personalities. The samurai lord Aoyama Harima (Nakamura Baigyoku) is passionate and quick to fight and is in the middle of a fight when he is stopped by his aunt (Nakamura Tôzô). She has arranged a marriage for him and Harima is unable to admit that the reason he will not marry is because he is deeply in love with Okiku (Nakamura Tokizô), a lady-in-waiting in his household. As strong as Harima is, his aunt's will is much stronger. But this makes Okiku wonder about the strength of Harima's love for her and she tests him by breaking one of a set of heirloom plates. When she tests Harima's feelings, this seals her fate and sets the tragedy of the play in motion.

Modori Kago: two palanquin bearers, one from Ôsaka, the other from Edo (pre-modern Tôkyô), decide to stop and rest. As they do so, each boasts of the respective merits of his native town. Finally, the little apprentice courtesan (kamuro) they have been carrying, alights from the palanquin and joins them in their dance. Featuring Onoe Shôroku as the palanquin bearer from Ôsaka (in reality Ishikawa Goemon), Nakamura Kinnosuke as the palanquin bearer from Edo (in reality Goemon's arch-enemy Mashiba Hisayoshi) and Nakamura Kinnosuke's son Nakamura Hayato as the kamuro.

Source: Earphone Guide website

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The stars of this original program, the 22nd edition of the Kabuki Forum, are all disciples of famous actors.

Nakamura Kantarô, Nakamura Shichinosuke

The word kinshû means "Autumn Brocade". This Autumn tour stars the two young stars Nakamura Kantarô and Nakamura Shichinosuke. The second item in this program is a speech about the art of Kabuki. The first one and the last two ones are dances.