OIRANSŌ

[ The Tragic Love between Ochō and Kōtarō ]

CAST :

Ochō

Nakamura Senjaku

Kōtarō

Nakamura Shidō

Oyae, the concubine of a theatre proprietor

Ichikawa Komazō

Kōkichi, a customer

Nakamura Matsue

Omatsu, Yonenosuke's wife

Nakamura Baishi

Oito

Bandō Shingo

Heisuke, a customer

Nakamura Toranosuke

The wife of the owner of a small restaurant

Nakamura Baika

Otomatsu, a customer

Nakamura Kichinojō

The owner of a small restaurant

Kataoka Matsunosuke

Gohē, the owner of a Daruma doll shop

Kataoka Ichizō

Oei, the proprietress of Kikuoka

Ichimura Manjirō

Kanzaemon, the theatre proprietor

Bandō Yajūrō

Yonenosuke, a farmer

Matsumoto Kōshirō

STORY :

This is a modern play by Hōjō Hideji.
It portrays an apprentice kabuki-actor and a low-grade prostitute from the Yoshiwara Pleasure Quarters who happen to meet after escaping the massive earthquake. Now that they are both refugees, they go to the countryside and begin living together. A year passes, and despite the fact that they have fallen in love with each other, the prostitute, Ochō, does not dare to marry the young man, Kōtarō, for she once killed a man out of jealousy. But Ochō knows that the young man, Kōtarō, will not leave her and so she agrees to return to Edo with him so that he can pursue his career as an actor.
Six years later, while Kōtarō has become a great success, Ochō has left him to go back to the country. When Kōtarō makes a tour of the provinces he searches for Ochō, but never notices the lone figure of a woman weeping on her own.

RYŪKO

[ The Eternal Struggle between the Dragon and the Tiger ]

CAST :

A dragon

Matsumoto Kōshirō

A tiger

Ichikawa Somegorō

STORY :

This is a modern dance piece first performed as kabuki in 1953. It takes as its theme the unending fight between the dragon, the greatest power in the sky, and the tiger, the greatest power on land.

SHINJŪ TSUKIYO NO HOSHINOYA

[ The Love Suicides of Hoshinoya ]

CAST :

Otaka

Nakamura Shichinosuke

Hoshinoya Teruzō

Ichikawa Chūsha

Tōsuke

Kataoka Kamezō

Okuma, Otaka's mother

Nakamura Shidō

STORY :

This is a newly written play adapted from a Rakugo story.
Teruzō has lost his money in a speculative venture. He and his concubine Otaka promise to commit 'shinjū', 'lovers' double suicide', but when the time comes he alone jumps into the river and she returns home as her mother recommended. Later, Tōsuke tells her that Teruzō's ghost appeared warning that he will haunt her. Terrified, she takes the tonsure and becomes a nun, after which Teruzō himself reappears. The double suicide was Teruzō's test of her sincerity.

TŌKAI DŌCHŪ HIZAKURIGE

[ Yajirobē and Kitahachi on the Tōkaidō Highway ]

CAST :

Kitahachi

Ichikawa Ennosuke

Itsuki Bontarō

Ichikawa Somegorō

Godai Masanosuke

Ichikawa Danko

Yajirobē

Matsumoto Kōshirō　



Nakamura Shidō

Nakamura Shichinosuke

Ichikawa Chūsha

Ichikawa Udanji

Ichimura Takematsu

Ichikawa Ukon

Ichikawa Kōtarō

Ichikawa Juen

Ichikawa Monnosuke

and others

STORY :

'Tōkai Dōchū Hizakurige', also known as 'Yaji-Kita' after its two main protagonists Yajirobē and Kitahachi, is a famous comic novel written in the Edo period. It has often been adapted as kabuki and has always been a popular and humorous story reflecting the contemporary topics of the age. This is the third work in a series of popular plays first staged in 2016.
Many incidents happened to them along the great Tōkaidō Highway as they were heading from Edo city to the Ise Shrine. Once, Yaji and Kita were blown all the way to Las Vegas by a whale. Somehow, they got back to Edo city and then worked as black-robed stagehands at the Kabukiza. There they even solved a murder case in the theatre, but they blundered onto the stage again and again and, as ever, were scolded.
Now, once more, they set off on a journey through Japan for the Ise Shrine, but what will happen to them this time?!

AMAGOI KIKAKU

[ Kikaku prays for Rain ]

CAST :

Kikaku

Nakamura Senjaku

A boatman

Nakamura Kashō

A boatman

Nakamura Toranosuke

A geisha

Bandō Shingo

A geisha

Ōtani Hiromatsu

Kikaku's pupil

Nakamura Hashinosuke

Kikaku's pupil

Ichikawa Otora

Kikaku's pupil

Nakamura Fukunosuke

Kikaku's pupil

Nakamura Takanosuke

Kikaku's pupil

Nakamura Sennosuke

Kikaku's pupil

Nakamura Tamatarō

Kikaku's pupil

Nakamura Utanosuke

Kikaku's pupil

Nakamura Tsurumatsu

A wealthy man

Bandō Yajūrō

STORY :

This dance is based on an episode from the 17th century.
The celebrated poet Kikaku holds a poetry meeting with his pupils on a boat. He composes a poem praying for rain for the farmers who are now suffering from a drought. Heavy rain falls at once and the farmers dance for joy.

KAMIKAKETE SANGO TAISETSU

[ Koman and Gengobē ]

CAST :

Satsuma Gengobē

Matsumoto Kōshirō

Koman, a geisha

Nakamura Shichinosuke

Kurimawashi no Yasuke, a landlord

Ichikawa Chūsha

Gohē, a ruffian

Ichikawa Omezō

Uchibin Torazō

Ōtani Hirotarō

Kikuno, a geisha

Nakamura Yonekichi

Rokushichihachiemon, Gengobē’s footman

Nakamura Hashinosuke

Osaki no Inosuke

Nakamura Kichinojō

Okuro, the foster mother of Sangorō’s child

Nakamura Kamenojō

Ryōshin

Kataoka Matsunosuke

Kōhachi, an employee of the pleasure quarters

Sawamura Sōnosuke

Tominomori Suke’emon

Matsumoto Kingo

Kankurō, a ruffian

Kataoka Kamezō

Sasanoya Sangorō

Nakamura Shidō

STORY :

This is a ‘sewamono’, a category of plays portraying the lives of ordinary people in the Edo period (1603-1868).
Sasanoya Sangorō is married to Koman, but she has become a geisha to enable him to raise the money he needs to help his lord, a man that he has never seen. In the pleasure quarters, the samurai Satsuma Gengobē falls in love with Koman and spends huge sums of money on her, despite the fact that he needs money for the sake of the ‘Chūshingura’ vendetta (better known as the ‘Revenge of the 47 Rōnin’). Finally, Gengobē brings a large sum of money to the pleasure quarters and Sangorō and Koman decide to defraud him of it, which results in a massacre. Ironically, however, Gengobē is none other than the unknown master for whom Sangorō was trying to raise funds.
This story of passion and greed takes place against the background of inexplicable fate and the strict requirements of samurai society, to which it adds ample doses of sardonic humor. A perfect play for our times!