Colourful~ Aoi Shushi...
As I sat and watched a stage filled with talented people who not only can sing to spell you into their groove, but who can also act so well that it made me wonder "why aren't they on tv instead of the many 'no talents' I normally see?" - and then, I smiled, having it really dawn on me, that Kame was the lead amongst all these talented seeds. I think that says alot.
Aoi Shushi wa Taiyō no Naka ni Aru - Orix Theatre: Sept. 05, 2015 @6:30pm
Per usual, perhaps I'll sound incoherent and will offer more of a flail than an actual report of the stage play... it's all still a blur XD
Ok. Let's start!
So, I arrived in Osaka so early that you would think I had the key to open the door... well that's what should have happened! But of course, yours truly (me), went to her favourite restaurant and then her favourite coffeeshop and la la la, because I've got all time in the world. I'd forgotten that whenever I travel, that I always do so with a trail of misfortunes - From taking the wrong train, that was not only wrong, but was also a limited express with limited stops, so I ended missing my stop by almost 30mins... to taking another wrong train going in the same wrong direction I was running away from... to have finally gotten back on track, but only to show up at a building with the name 'Orix' but without the Theatre...
At this point, the butai was scheduled to start in 20mins... so imagine my panic.
Quickly I stopped the first person I saw and asked for direction thinking that OK... I can't be that far away, only maybe one block away and I'll be fine... only to hear... "oh, you won't make it on time. It's a 25 mins walk from here".
My heart was slowly falling from my chest.
But the lady was nice, she actually flagged down a taxi for me, and gave the driver the address and thankfully, it only took me 10mins to get to the theatre.
SAFE!!!! I was happy again XD
Then I got even happier when I got inside and realised that my seat was actually a good one - 1st Floor, 14th row, aisle - and the theatre isn't really big so I was close enough. I just sat down and started grinning to myself *still grinning*.
At 6:30 the butai started and I had another panic thinking they had let me into the wrong butai BECAUSE... it was so strange. The costumes were strange like aliens cracking out of eggs and a wizard or witch popping out of a pumpkin (maybe), a fish wearing an armour and not to mention the cast - all sorts of people, travelling scribe (perhaps), some gispsy!prostitute women, sumo wrestlers, body builders, the tramp who got rich by marrying a rich old man but who's still not satisfied and is lonely since her friends only enjoy 'her riches' and then go home, old people, peddlers, prostitutes, a transvestide, two dwarves, more weirdness and then they began to sing - and wow, the music, the music, the music, really got me into the mood.
Yeah the music.
When I had asked a friend who went to the first show in Tokyo how was the butai, she answered, "I liked the music". At the time, I found it strange but interesting because it's a stage play... yes a musical, but maybe normally, music isn't the first thing you would remember. But yeah, now I totally get her. The music they used has that sort of folklore rhythm at points, and then at other times, perhaps a bit jazzy/blues feel, well at least, it felt like that to me - you may get a feel from this month's SCP Works. I am not exaggerating when I say, the cast (at least the main ones), are some very very good singers. Strong passionate voices that immediately pulls you in and makes you want to get up, sway and sing along. And I didn't even realised the music was live until they introduced the musicians at the end ><
The theatrics was colourful too. Very lewd at times... looking at the sumo wrestlers, at first I thought they were wearing costumes to cover their real bodies but nooooo, one actually had breasts showing... I mean it might have been a man but it looked like a woman's breast to me... but not just that, the beggar man had his butt cheeks showing through his ripped/badly torn pants, the 'whores' were very feisty flipping skirts, turning their butts to the crowd and showing their panties. Even the idea of having sex was erotic and I wondered just how well the crowd was reacting to this ranchy business... Just so you know, I enjoyed it fully!!!! Even Kenji (Kame) had his crotch groped and he groped back Mary's breast and was getting his groove on after being caught up in the antics of these queer neighbourhood folks.
I know I'm probably not making any sense at this point but... I could be totally wrong, but let me attempt to write how I interpretted the play.
Basically, here we have people who are obviously the 'lowest' or the outcasts of society. But based on all the characters I described above, I think it's basically representative of the many different people in a community, in a town, a city... the world... basically diversity.... In the play, it was a slum. And in this slum, the city hall made plans to construct a new apartment. At first, these people objected because the place they've become so familiar with, will soon be taken away. But, they were soon bought over after hearing that the apartment is being built for them. Being the lower rejects of society, everyone wanted to live in the apartment... but there was one condition... only couples would be accepted. Knowing this, people started to look for a partner... the relationship with whoever was irrelevant.... Kenji and his love interest (oh my god, I can't remember her name - anyway, the female lead), also had hopes and dreams of getting into the new apartment complex. But then something happened. Kenji!Kame 'witnessed' a man being buried under the concrete of the new complex. Creastfallen, he tries to tell the others but no one believed him. When he finally went to the man incharge, still no one paid heed to him. He was basically going out of his mind, knowing what he knew and no one but 'his girl' believed in him (even though at first, she couldn't understand why he couldn't let the matter go - and she became worried that the relationship she and Kenji had built up was all going down the drain)... not even his dad tried to help... instead, the drunkard father was encouraging him to drink because, 'if you drink, then you'll forget'. Such a worthless man, but His acting was really good and funny, when needed to be.
In the end, basically, as it is in real life, people may have an idea about the injustices that happen around them, but because they're looking out for themselves, they'll turn a blind eye to it all, until something happens... like someone gets killed. In the end, it's only after a sacrifice/or a bad outcome, that some people will see the truth and accept it for what it is, instead of thinking about themselves. The story didn't have a happy ending.
Oh, here's an interesting video giving tidbits of the play. youtube
OKAY... flailing time!
Kame, oh man~ he's so good looking!!!! and for the first few minutes when he came on stage, I was just staring at his ass in that jeans because *_____________* sexy sexy sexy! And as I mentioned above, the cast can really sing.... like deep voice, high voice like they can really sing... but they had nothing over Kame... or perhaps, Kame got the songs that were suited to his soothing voice because he did soooo well!!! and his voice mellowed well with the 'love interest'.... Yoriko is perhaps her name... it's coming back to me now (maybe). His main song was sad though... singing about a ship that will take him far far away and will never return. That touched the heart.
The play started at 6:30 and ended at 10:00pm *phew* They had 2 breaks. During the second break, I went next door to get a beer (haha) it was very tempting. And I drank it so fast, the bartender just looked at me and laughed. Then on my way back in, I just happened to look up, and looking down at me from the balcony, and smiling when our eyes met, were some of the cast members. I quickly smiled back and was too nervous to scan the balcony for Kame (I'm such an idiot) lol . Anyway, when the play resumed, some cast members happened to run pass me... and I laughed to myself because I was thinking 'wow, they look so dirty and smelly on stage but they actually smelt good lol.
I also laughed because I was near enough to the stage that I didn't even need my glasses, and yet folks who were nearer, kept staring at Kenji!Kame through binoculars - it's like they wanted to see the hair in his nostrils or the sweat dripping from his pores lol ~ fans are fans for real XD
In the end, I really think it was a brilliant performance. Storywise, I can't say much, but the theatrics of things was well done. Very engaging and colourful and sad and humourous... some lovely bits that makes a drama a drama... and Kame was just splendid. Even though he wasn't on stage all the time, his presence was still felt... it's like he filled the gap or represented the only sense of normalcy. He really owned the stage when he was on. At times, with all the running and jumping, I was scared that he might fall, but he was a pro... his voice and facial expressions and how he used his entire body to portray his feelings~
Hmmm, somehow, what I had in mind looks different now that I've written it *sighs*
Anyway, initally, timewise, I had initally planned to go to just one show... but after going, I felt like I wanted to go again so I got myself another ticket for the last show *dances*
I don't plan to write a report for that but if anything new happens...then I just might scribble it down ^^
This irresistible man!