April at the Kabukiza Theatre||KABUKI WEB

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April at the kabukiza

April at the Kabukiza Theatre

Daily: Apr 03 (Sat) - Apr 28 (Wed), 2021

Part 1: 11:00 AM

Part 2: 2:45 PM

Part 3: 5:45 PM

*No performances on the 9th (Fri) and the 19th (Mon).
*The theatre will open 40 minutes before the performance starts.

[Important Notice]
April 25 (Sun) - April 28 (Wed) perfomances CANCELLED
●Notification of the cancellation of April 25 (Sun) - May 11 (Tue) performances due to coronavirus (COVID-19)(Apr 24)

●Notification of the ticket refunds of the April program at the Kabukiza Theatre(Apr 25)

●Notice about the Kabukiza Theatre's operations from 2021
●Precautionary Measures at the Kabukiza Theatre

Time Schedule

On sale: from Mar 14 (Sun), 2021 10:00AM(JST)

Box Seat: 16,000 /First Class Seat: 15,000 /Second Class Seat: 11,000 /Upper Tier A : 5,000 /Upper Tier B : 3,000
Unit: Japanese Yen (tax included)
*Children over the age of 4 must purchase tickets to enter.

*Single Act Seats are not for sale.
*One section of the auditorium will be sold in two-seat blocks, with every third seat vacant.
*Tea will not be offered at the Box Seats. Please refrain from eating at seats as well.

Kabukiza Theatre (at TOKYO) Theatre Information

In April you can enjoy masterpieces of kabuki in every part of the program.
In Part 1 you can see a dance piece where the highlight shows how a swordsmith forges a sword brilliantly with the help of the great god of harvests. In the next item, the hero Musashibō Benkei is seen in a representative work of the ‘aragoto’ acting style which is also a specialty of the Kōraiya acting house. The role will be played alternately, either by Hakuō in Schedule A, or by Kōshirō in Schedule B.
In Part 2 you can see a history play accompanied by the impressive Gidayū Narrative Ensemble. The play depicts the tragic events which happen in the family of a warrior who rebelled against his lord. This will be followed by a flowery dance portraying a loving couple in perfect harmony.
In Part 3 you can see a popular and fantastic play by the famous playwright Tsuruya Nanboku, performed by Nizaemon and Tamasaburō.

Performance Time: 11:00 AM - 11:48 AM

KOKAJI

['Swordsmith Kokaji']

CAST :
A child, in reality, the great god of harvests
Ichikawa Ennosuke
Sanjō Kokaji Munechika
Ichikawa Chūsha
Tachibana no Michinari, an imperial envoy
Ichikawa Sadanji
STORY :

A swordsmith named Munechika prays at the Inari Shrine for a person who will forge a sword with him. Then the great god appears in the form of a child, but in reality it is a fox. Munechika finishes forging the sword dancing dynamically with the fox in the figure of the great god.


Intermission: 20 minutes

Performance Time: 12:08 PM - 1:18 PM

KANJINCHŌ

['The Subscription Scroll']

CAST :

【Schedule A】

Musashibō Benkei
Matsumoto Hakuō
Togashi no Saemon
Matsumoto Kōshirō
Kamei no Rokurō
Ōtani Tomoemon
Kataoka Hachirō
Ichikawa Komazō
Suruga no Jirō
Ōtani Hirotarō
Hitachibō Kaison
Matsumoto Kingo
Minamoto no Yoshitsune
Nakamura Jakuemon

【Schedule B】

Musashibō Benkei
Matsumoto Kōshirō
Togashi no Saemon
Onoe Matsuya
Kamei no Rokurō
Ōtani Tomoemon
Kataoka Hachirō
Ichikawa Komazō
Suruga no Jirō
Ōtani Hirotarō
Hitachibō Kaison
Matsumoto Kingo
Minamoto no Yoshitsune
Nakamura Jakuemon

【Schedule A】(3rd・5th・7th・10th・12th・14th・16th・18th・21st・23rd・25th・27th)
【Schedule B】(4th・6th・8th・11th・13th・15th・17th・20th・22nd・24th・26th・28th)

STORY :

Disguised as traveling priests, the fugitive general Yoshitsune and his band of retainers are stopped at a road barrier. The head retainer Benkei claims they are soliciting contributions for the rebuilding of a temple, but the barrier guard Togashi insists that, if so, they must have the temple's book of solicitation. Benkei elaborately improvises the text with an empty scroll. When one soldier points out that one of the group resembles Yoshitsune, Benkei is forced to strike Yoshitsune with his staff. Togashi is convinced that they are the fugitives but, sympathizing with Benkei's loyalty, he tells them to proceed on their way.

Performance Time: 2:45 PM - 3:57 PM

EHON TAIKŌKI
Amagasaki Kankyo

['The Retreat in Amagasaki' from 'The Picture Book of Taikō']

CAST :
Takechi Mitsuhide
Nakamura Shikan
Takechi Jūjirō, Mitsuhide's son
Onoe Kikunosuke
Hatsugiku
Nakamura Baishi
Satō Masakiyo
Bandō Yajūrō
Mashiba Hisayoshi
Nakamura Senjaku
Satsuki, Mitsuhide's mother
Nakamura Tōzō
Misao, Mitsuhide's wife
Nakamura Kaishun
STORY :

This is a 'jidaimono' history play portraying General Takechi Mitsuhide's life after his rebellion. Mitsuhide has killed his lord Oda Harunaga and taken over the country, but after a few days, he is in danger of losing all that he has gained to his rival general Mashiba Hisayoshi. Mitsuhide intends to attack Hisayoshi with a bamboo spear, only to find that he has fatally wounded his own mother. His mother and wife reprimand him for the disloyal act of killing his lord, but he refuses to repent. His will of steel is only broken when his son arrives to report on the battle and dies from his injuries.


Intermission: 15 minutes

Performance Time: 4:12 PM - 4:26 PM

DANGO URI

['The Dumpling Peddlers']

CAST :
Kinezō
Nakamura Baigyoku
Ousu
Kataoka Takatarō
STORY :

This dance with Gidayū music portrays a couple making and selling rice dumplings on the streets. They demonstrate how they make the rice dumplings in a lively way. The making of rice dumplings is often associated with the prosperity of one's descendants, so it is considered to bring good fortune.

Performance Time:
5:45 PM - 7:13 PM
(Intermission: 15 minutes)
7:28 PM - 7:59 PM

SAKURAHIME AZUMA BUNSHŌ
Jō no Maki

[The first half of 'The Scarlet Princess of Edo']

CAST :
Seigen/Tsurigane Gonsuke
Kataoka Nizaemon
Iruma Akugorō
Nakamura Ganjirō
Awazu no Shichirō
Nakamura Kinnosuke
Nagaura, a lady-in-waiting
Kamimura Kichiya
Zangetsu, a sexton
Nakamura Karoku
Shiragikumaru/Sakurahime
Bandō Tamasaburō
STORY :

This is one of the masterpieces by playwright Tsuruya Nanboku IV. Priest Seigen of Hasedera Temple falls in love with the page Shiragikumaru and agrees to commit double suicide with him, but Seigen alone survives the attempt. Seventeen years later, Seigen has become a high priest and accepts, Sakurahime’s wish to become a nun. Tsurigane Gonsuke appears before her as she waits to take the tonsure. He once stole into her mansion and violated her. After this unexpected reunion, she loses her will to become a nun and gives herself to him. Sakurahime is arrested for her immoral deed, and Seigen notices that Sakurahime is the reincarnation of Shiragikumaru. Gonsuke’s sin of having relations with a woman is blamed on Seigen and he is kicked out of the temple.