| NAKAMURA SHÔCHÔ |
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Stage names:
Guild: Nakamuraya Poetry name: Shôchô Existence: 1703 ~ 2nd day of the 9th lunar month of 1774 [1] Connection: Great-grandfather: Nakamura Kanzaburô I Grandfather: Nakamura Kanzaburô II Father: Nakamura Seizaburô I (Nakamura Rengan) Adoptive father: Nakamura Shichisaburô I Son-in-law: Nakamura Shichiji Grandsons: Nakamura Shichisaburô III (Nakamura Kanzaburô IX), Nakamura Shichisaburô IV Disciples: Nakamura Sukegorô I, Nakamura Tomojûrô Career: 1703: born in Edo. 3rd day of the 2nd lunar month of 1708 [2]: his adoptive father Nakamura Shichisaburô I died. 11th lunar month of 1710: Nakamura Seikichi took the name of Nakamura Shichisaburô II at the Nakamuraza. 1st lunar month of 1711: Shichisaburô made his first stage performance, in Edo at the Nakamuraza, , where he performed as a koyaku actor in the new year sogamono drama "Senrei Suehiro Soga". Spring 1719: Shichisaburô became tachiyaku. 11th lunar month of 1719: Shichisaburô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Nitta Tokujumaru in the kaomise drama "Nyohitsu Taiheiki", which commemorated the 6th anniversary (7th memorial service) of the passing away of Nakamura Denkurô I and celebrated the shûmei of Tamazawa Kôjûrô. 11th lunar month of 1723: Shichisaburô played at the Nakamuraza the role of the Shôgun Yoritsugu in the kaomise drama "Sono Enpô Onna Migyôsho", which celebrated the arrival at the Nakamuraza of the Kamigata actors Yamashita Kinsaku I and Sanogawa Senzô. 2nd lunar month of 1724: Shichisaburô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Tomoenojô in the drama "Keisei Asama-ga-Dake", which commemorated the 16th anniversary (17th memorial service) of the passing away of late Nakamura Shichisaburô I. 1st lunar month of 1731: Shichisaburô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Umezu Kamon in the new year drama "Keisei Fukubiki Nagoya" [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1735: Shichisaburô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Hirai no Yasumasa in the kaomise drama "Tono Zukuri Shinoda-zuma". 17th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1743 [3]: his father Nakamura Rengan died. 5th lunar month of 1747: the play "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" was produced at the Nakamuraza for the first time; Shichisaburô played the role of Kan Shôjô [casting]. 1st lunar month of 1748: Shichisaburô played at the Nakamuraza the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the new year sogamono drama "Kazari Ebi Yoroi Soga"; the role of Soga Gorô Tokimune was played by Onoe Kikugorô I. 5th lunar month of 1748: the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" was performed for the first time in Edo, at the Nakamuraza; Shichisaburô played the role of Yasuke [casting]. 6th lunar month of 1749: the play "Kanadehon Chûshingura" was produced at the Nakamuraza for the first time; Shichisaburô played the role of Hayano Kanpei [casting]. 7th lunar month of 1751: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Koi Nyôbô Somewake Tazuna", which was staged in Edo at the Nakamuraza; Shichisaburô played the role of Date no Yosaku [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1754: Shichisaburô played at the Nakamuraza the roles of Minamoto Yoritomo and Honda Jirô (in reality Soga Tarô) in the kaomise drama "Miura no Ôsuke Bumon no Kotobuki", which celebrated the shûmei of Ichikawa Danjûrô IV, Matsumoto Kôshirô III and Tsuuchi Monzaburô II. 1st lunar month of 1755: Shichisaburô played in the same theater the roles of Soga Jûrô Sukenari and the Soga brothers' mother in the new year sogamono drama "Waka Midori Nishiki Soga". 13th day of the 7th lunar month of 1763 [4]: his disciple Nakamura Sukegorô I died in Edo. 7th lunar month of 1767: Shichisaburô played at the Nakamuraza the role of the fox Genkurô in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". 4th lunar month of 1768: Shichisaburô played in the same theater the role of Ôboshi Yuranosuke in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; his stage partners were Ichikawa Danjûrô IV (Teraoka Heiemon) and Segawa Kikunojô II (Okaru). 11th lunar month of 1770: great shûmei at the Nakamuraza; Matsumoto Kôshirô III, Ichikawa Danjûrô IV, Nakamura Shichisaburô II, Ichikawa Benzô I and Nakamura Shichinosuke I respectively took the names of Ichikawa Danjûrô V, Matsumoto Kôshirô II, Nakamura Shôchô, Ichikawa Monnosuke II and Nakamura Shichisaburô III during the kaomise drama "Nue no Mori Ichiyô no Mato", which also celebrated the arrival of Ichikawa Danzô III and Yamashita Kinsaku II at the Nakamuraza. 2nd lunar month of 1773: the Nakamuraza celebrated its 150th anniversary; Shôchô performed with Nakamura Kanzaburô VII and Nakamura Denkurô II in the auspicious dances "Kadomatsu" and "Shinbochi Daiko". 11th lunar month of 1773: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the play "Gohiiki Kanjinchô", performed as a kaomise drama. Shôchô played the role of Kawagoe Shigeyori [casting]. This 46-days long performance, which was also the shûmei of Nakamura Rikô I, was a tremendous success. 7th lunar month of 1774: Shôchô appeared on stage for the last time, in Edo at the Nakamuraza, where he played the roles of Kan Shôjô and En'ya Hangan in the dramas "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" and "Kanadehon Chûshingura". 2nd day of the 9th lunar month of 1774 [1]: Shôchô died in Edo. Comments: Nakamura Shôchô was an outstanding tachiyaku actor, who spent all his career in Edo. He was the worthy heir of his legendary grandfather Nakamura Shichisaburô I. His fields of excellence were wagoto, yatsushigoto and budôgoto. His most notable roles were Soga Jûrô Sukenari, which he performed in 26 new year sogamono, and Kan Shôjô ("Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"), which he performed four times. [1] The 2nd day of the 9th lunar month of the 3rd year of the An'ei era was the 6th of October 1774 in the western calendar. [2] The 3rd day of the 2nd lunar month of the 5th year of the Hôei era was the 24th of March 1708 in the western calendar. [3] The 17th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 3rd year of the Kanpô era was the 12th of March 1743 in the western calendar. [4] The 13th day of the 7th lunar month of the 13th year of the Hôreki era was the 21st of August 1763 in the western calendar. |
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The Actors Ichikawa Yaozô II (bottom/right) as Kujaku no Saburô, Matsumoto Kôshirô II (top/right) as Hata no Daizen Taketora,
Nakajima Mihoemon II (bottom/left) as Aramaki Mimishirô, and Nakamura Shôchô (top/left) as Ki no Tsurayuki, in the Play Kuni no Hana Ono no Itsumoji, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1771 The Nakamura Shichisaburô line of actors |
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