KŌSUKE MOCHI

['Kōsuke's Rice Cakes']

CAST :

Daikokuya Kōsuke

Onoe Matsuya

Heibē, the accountant of the Mitsuōgiya

Nakamura Mantarō

Osode, Kōsuke's younger sister

Nakamura Kotarō

Ikazuchi Gorokichi, a sumo wrestler

Ichikawa Chūsha

STORY :

This comedy is based on a classic of Kansai-style Rakugo comic storytelling. The play focuses on Kōsuke, the proprietor of a rice cake shop. After he wastes his money on a famous sumo wrestler named Ikazuchi, he is forced to sell his sister into prostitution to make back the sum. But when he encounters Ikazuchi again, he gives him the money that he made with such difficulty once more. Despite Kōsuke begging him for it, Ikazuchi refuses to return the money...

OSOME HISAMATSU UKINA NO YOMIURI
Osome no Nanayaku

['The Love Story of Osome and Hisamatsu', commonly known as 'The Seven Roles of Osome']

CAST :

Osome, the daughter of a pawnbroker
Hisamatsu, an apprentice at Osome's pawnshop
Omitsu, Hisamatsu's fiancée
Takekawa, Hisamatsu's sister and a lady-in-waiting
Koito, a geisha
Dote no Oroku
Teishō, Osome's mother-in-law

Nakamura Kazutarō

Iosaki no Kyūsaku

Ichikawa Chūsha

Chōkichi, a boatman

Onoe Matsuya

Osaku, a female monkey trainer

Nakamura Baishi

Yamagaya Seibē

Bandō Hikosaburō

Kimon no Kihē

Onoe Shōroku

STORY :

The story of the love suicides of Osome, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, and Hisamatsu, a handsome young apprentice in her family's shop, is one of the most popular stories in kabuki and was dramatized countless times. In 1813, Tsuruya Nanboku IV (1755-1829) wrote this version as a showpiece for an 'onnagata', a specialist in female roles. One actor plays seven of the major roles in the play, including Osome, Hisamatsu, Omitsu, Takekawa, Koito, Teishō and Oroku. This actor performs all seven roles by quick-changing from one to the next, and one of these changes is the fastest in all kabuki.

DAN NO URA KABUTO GUNKI
Akoya

['Akoya' from 'The War Chronicles at Dannoura']

CAST :

Akoya, a courtesan

Bandō Tamasaburō

Chichibu no Shōji Shigetada

Bandō Hikosaburō

Hanzawa Rokurō

Bandō Kamezō

Iwanaga Saemon

Onoe Shōroku

STORY :

The courtesan Akoya is the lover of the fugitive general Kagekiyo. She has been captured and is tortured by the wise Shigetada and the humorous villain Iwanaga in order to find out Kagekiyo's whereabouts, which she claims not to know. Shigetada forces Akoya to play three instruments since the slightest disturbance in the sound would indicate that she is lying. This is a showpiece for an 'onnagata' who must actually play the koto, the bowed kokyū, and the shamisen flawlessly as part of the drama.

ANMA TO DOROBŌ

['A Masseur and a Thief']

CAST :

Gontarō, a thief

Onoe Shōroku

Hidenoichi, a masseur

Ichikawa Chūsha

STORY :

This modern play by Murakami Genzō was first broadcast as a radio drama and was then made into play in 1966. The thief Gontarō breaks into the house of a blind masseur Hidenoichi one night. Gontarō urges Hidenoichi to give up his money, but Hidenoichi insists that he does not have much. Gontarō tells the story of his life and of how he became a thief. Hidenoichi advises him to be more prudent. Hidenoichi weeps and says that he doesn't even have enough money to buy a Buddhist altar for his deceased wife. Hearing this, Gontarō feels sorry for him and gives him some cash. But, in fact, ...

NININ FUJI MUSUME

['Two Wisteria Maidens']

CAST :

Spirit of the wisteria

Nakamura Baishi

Spirit of the wisteria

Nakamura Kotarō

STORY :

The spirit of the wisteria dances in the form of two beautiful young maidens who describe a woman's love. This is one of kabuki's most famous and colorful dances. In this special version, two young 'onnagata' stars will perform instead of the usual one.

DAN NO URA KABUTO GUNKI
Akoya

[‘Akoya’ from ‘The War Chronicles at Dannoura’]

CAST :

Akoya, a courtesan

Nakamura Baishi
(the 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, 22nd and the 25th)

Akoya, a courtesan

Nakamura Kotarō
(the 5th, 9th, 15th, 19th and the 23rd)

Chichibu no Shōji Shigetada

Bandō Hikosaburō

Hanzawa Rokurō

Bandō Kamezō

Iwanaga Saemon

Bandō Tamasaburō

STORY :

The courtesan Akoya is the lover of the fugitive general Kagekiyo. She has been captured and is tortured by the wise Shigetada and the humorous villain Iwanaga in order to find out Kagekiyo’s whereabouts, which she claims not to know. Shigetada forces Akoya to play three instruments since the slightest disturbance in the sound would indicate that she is lying. This is a showpiece for an ‘onnagata’ who must actually play the koto, the bowed kokyū, and the shamisen flawlessly as part of the drama.

ANMA TO DOROBŌ

[‘A Masseur and a Thief’]

CAST :

Gontarō, a thief

Onoe Shōroku

Hidenoichi, a masseur

Ichikawa Chūsha

STORY :

This modern play by Murakami Genzō was first broadcast as a radio drama and was then made into play in 1966. The thief Gontarō breaks into the house of a blind masseur Hidenoichi one night. Gontarō urges Hidenoichi to give up his money, but Hidenoichi insists that he does not have much. Gontarō tells the story of his life and of how he became a thief. Hidenoichi advises him to be more prudent. Hidenoichi weeps and says that he doesn’t even have enough money to buy a Buddhist altar for his deceased wife. Hearing this, Gontarō feels sorry for him and gives him some cash. But, in fact, …

KEISEI YUKI NO YOSHIIWARA

[‘A Courtesan of the Yoshiwara Pleasure Quarters in the Snow’]

CAST :

Courtesan

Bandō Tamasaburō

STORY :

This is a brand-new dance, the highlight of which is when the beautiful courtesan in her gorgeous costume expresses her love for her beloved, romance in the pleasure quarters, and her poor life story in dance, weaving into that scenes of the four seasons.