Romeo and Juliet '99
Ohhh, Mizu, my love, my life~!!!!!! *_______*
I have just seen the most incredible production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet EVER. As an English major and Shakespeare fan, I've read the play-- many, many times, for various classes-- and I've seen it performed live in student productions, professional productions, seen the famous Franco Zefirelli movie version, the crappy Baz Luhrman version-- seen in as many incarnations as befits a cultural icon like Romeo and Juliet. But never-- NEVER have I understood how this play captures the emotion of pure, raw love and PASSION the way this version does...!
I am, of course, talking about the 1999 Takarazuka Bow Hall Production starring the then only 6th-year Mizu Natsuki and the phenomenal Ayano Kanami (who was only a second year but still had that amazing voice!). From the maturity, the confidence, the POWER of their acting, you would never guess they were only babies back then! (and from the perfection of their chemistry, you would wonder how the management assigned Kanami-chan to be anyone's musumeyaku except Mizu's... well, except that she and Jun-Jun really do make a wonderful couple... but still... the PASSION!) I must say, this play was PERFECTLY cast...
Wow, where to begin? Well, I'm a relative newbie to Zuka, but I've got a good variety of genres, subject matter, and performers in my little collection, and I must say I've never seen any Zuka play quite like this one, and it has increased my respect for Zuka even more. It's very serious, in an artistic sense. This is theatrical polish and heavy-handed directorial editorializing (for lack of a better word-- it's not as moralizing as it sounds) as you don't really see in the more light-hearted, love story-oriented style of today's popular Zuka plays. It felt like it wasn't just for entertainment-- the director and the actors were really aiming to make their own interpretation and mark on this famous, long-historied play--but it was in a way that made the play more faithful/make more sense to the original text, rather than just different for the sake of being different-- and they did it quite successfully.
Some of this is obvious in the play's original aspects like the angel (which I'll get to in a moment), but it was really just in the feeling of the play conveyed by the actors, and the way the play's atmosphere is created. The darkness of the set design lent perfectly both to the powerful tragedy and violence of the story AND to the intensity of the passion of the lovers as well-- a really fantastic job. Takarazuka's "spare no expense" philosophy in regards to set and light design made for some incredible moments, including one in the opening when the elevating violence of mankind summons out a black-robed Death figure wearing a scary, Carnival-like death mask, who then presides over the quickly-flashed image of the two, dead young lovers, immaculately dressed and lying side by side in what would be a beautifully-decorated matriomonial bed. It's a powerful image (and the first time we see our eponimous heroes), and it sets the tone of the play better than any Chorus every could. In fact, that's one of the things I like best about this production's direction-- the whole play feels dangerous from the beginning, and somehow, that made it so much easier to understand and be moved by the ardent love between Romeo and Juliet. You could really see why they had to take the desperate actions they did, and why there was just no other way for this tale to end.
Mizu and Kanami-chan... my goodness. Just-- WOW. I was saying that the play does some interesting directorial stuff to keep the message/feeling fresh, but the REAL power of the play and what ultimately makes it the greatest and most powerful production of Romeo and Juliet I've ever seen is in the acting of the two leads. Mizu was so perfectly cast for Romeo! Really, of all the handsome, charming young "men" in Zuka, no one could have matched-- no, absolutely BECOME this character as flawlessly as Mizu (except possibly Wao-sama? She would've been good too, but probably not better than Mizu, IMO!). Even as a mere 6th year, Mizu's dancing and singing were so impressively polished, and the fact that she has a higher (but still masculine) voice and a very cool, boyish slenderness and charm made her perfect for the Original Bishounen Hero that is Romeo. She's got such magnetism-- you really don't want to look away from her. And she really nailed every aspect of the character-- his youth and naive openness with his emotions, his sudden rage and guilt over Mercutio's death (which was rather brilliantly played by Ayabuki Mao, I must say), his passion and absolution in Juliet, his heartbreak at her death, his LOVE... just, wow. (and Mizu's SO damn handsome, too! She's got that every-movement-is-perfection-and-pure-happiness-to-watch thing going that Ayaki Nao as Death does in Elisabeth. And there was not a trace of self-consciousness or anything but complete ease on the stage and in all the difficult bits, acting-wise, dancing-wise, and singing-wise, that the lead demanded. I guess she's just one of the blessed few Siennes who just doesn't seem to have a baby phase) I thought after seeing her for the first time in Susano-O/Takarazuka Glory that Mizu was ready to be Top in 2004-- but now I see she could've pulled an Amami Yuki and just gone Top after her 7 Baby Years. Seriously, my respect for her is now just boundless... she is utter joy to behold throughout the play.
Kanami-chan, too, was just adorable beyond words. Her acting skills are on par with her legendary singing, even at that young age (SECOND year, can you believe it?). She still has a bit of baby fat on her face which makes her look just a tad less lovely than she looks now, but it lends her a sort of angelic innocence, a lushness of youth which I think really works well for Juliet. That's part of the tragedy of R&J, isn't it? That they were so young and so pure and in love and driven to a horrible, untimely death because of the adults' pointless and unbending hatred? Well, young, round-cheeked Kanami-chan, with her soulful eyes and passionate acting and encompassing stage presence was just perfect for conveying the many facets of Juliet's innocent but passionate character. <3 (P.S. her dancing is still lovely despite the slightly rounder frame. And Mizu is plenty strong enough to swoop her up into several impressive lifts during their dance scenes (which are just GORGEOUS, btw! Especially their post-wedding dance and Mizu's solo dance of angst during Romeo's dream of Juliet's death. Mizu and Kanami-chan make just a magical sight in their dances and songs and, well, EVERYTHING together!) (er, forgive me, Jun-Jun, I'm not suggesting that they take your beloved wife away from you! ^^;; )
Ah, the angel. I could I understand what it was meant to do, and it was a pretty good idea... I'm just not sure it succeeded. The director takes a more polarized view of love and hate in the play than we usually see, and like I said earlier, by increasing the danger and darkness of this Verona, we feel the intensity and wonder of Romeo and Juliet's love all the more. The angel gives the play a unique new viewpoint by providing an "audience member" of sorts for us right up on the stage-- it is alien to the hatred of the Montague-Capulet feud, and so its surprise and repungence at it reminded me that is not a "natural" state-- that it is a pre-situated problem in this town which almost makes it a tangible "villain" of sorts to blame the sad story of the lovers on. However, just to provide that kind of a meta- ... err, meta-play? Meta-literary? Anyway, just to provide this meta-something view of the feud, I feel the angel was over-emphasized. Especially having it turn into Father Lawrence's mute servant and give it that whole bit where Romeo tries to teach him to speak was a little pointless, I thought. Or, if they wanted to keep it in the play like that to make it an ubiquitous presence, then it should have had a bit more of a role at the end. I did like that it tried to keep all the hateful people away from the dead lovers, like love trying to shelter its few faithful from the harsh world, but because the existence of the angel is always in doubt (is it really, physically there? Is it just a metaphorical force?), it wasn't as effective as it might have been.
But really, whether the angel works for you or not, this production is just-- massive, incredible, SOUL-SHAKING. It'll basically leave you an incoherent mass of emotions the way I am at this moment (which I'm sure you can tell from this babbling review), and remind you why Romeo and Juliet is and has been considered the greatest artistic interpretation of love for the past 500 years.
P.S. I just looked up the entry for Romeo and Juliet on Taka-wiki and found that it is directed and adapted by Ueda Keiko! (the writer/director of Komu's final play (which just ended yesterday... ;__; ), Datenshi no Namida) Do I even have to say how excited I am about seeing Datenshi now? (as though I wasn't excited out of my mind before) Dude, I need to go find her other works! ^_____^
Ah, and lastly, a sorrowful and loving farewell to my darling Komu and Rira, who are retired Top Stars as of yesterday. ;__; However, and especially thanks to Romeo and Juliet, I must say I'm insanely excited and happy for Mizu Natsuki, our new Top Star of Snow Troupe! May you have a long and memorable reign as Top as you no doubt continue pushing the envelope of Takarazukan excellence!! ^____^
I have just seen the most incredible production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet EVER. As an English major and Shakespeare fan, I've read the play-- many, many times, for various classes-- and I've seen it performed live in student productions, professional productions, seen the famous Franco Zefirelli movie version, the crappy Baz Luhrman version-- seen in as many incarnations as befits a cultural icon like Romeo and Juliet. But never-- NEVER have I understood how this play captures the emotion of pure, raw love and PASSION the way this version does...!
I am, of course, talking about the 1999 Takarazuka Bow Hall Production starring the then only 6th-year Mizu Natsuki and the phenomenal Ayano Kanami (who was only a second year but still had that amazing voice!). From the maturity, the confidence, the POWER of their acting, you would never guess they were only babies back then! (and from the perfection of their chemistry, you would wonder how the management assigned Kanami-chan to be anyone's musumeyaku except Mizu's... well, except that she and Jun-Jun really do make a wonderful couple... but still... the PASSION!) I must say, this play was PERFECTLY cast...
Wow, where to begin? Well, I'm a relative newbie to Zuka, but I've got a good variety of genres, subject matter, and performers in my little collection, and I must say I've never seen any Zuka play quite like this one, and it has increased my respect for Zuka even more. It's very serious, in an artistic sense. This is theatrical polish and heavy-handed directorial editorializing (for lack of a better word-- it's not as moralizing as it sounds) as you don't really see in the more light-hearted, love story-oriented style of today's popular Zuka plays. It felt like it wasn't just for entertainment-- the director and the actors were really aiming to make their own interpretation and mark on this famous, long-historied play--but it was in a way that made the play more faithful/make more sense to the original text, rather than just different for the sake of being different-- and they did it quite successfully.
Some of this is obvious in the play's original aspects like the angel (which I'll get to in a moment), but it was really just in the feeling of the play conveyed by the actors, and the way the play's atmosphere is created. The darkness of the set design lent perfectly both to the powerful tragedy and violence of the story AND to the intensity of the passion of the lovers as well-- a really fantastic job. Takarazuka's "spare no expense" philosophy in regards to set and light design made for some incredible moments, including one in the opening when the elevating violence of mankind summons out a black-robed Death figure wearing a scary, Carnival-like death mask, who then presides over the quickly-flashed image of the two, dead young lovers, immaculately dressed and lying side by side in what would be a beautifully-decorated matriomonial bed. It's a powerful image (and the first time we see our eponimous heroes), and it sets the tone of the play better than any Chorus every could. In fact, that's one of the things I like best about this production's direction-- the whole play feels dangerous from the beginning, and somehow, that made it so much easier to understand and be moved by the ardent love between Romeo and Juliet. You could really see why they had to take the desperate actions they did, and why there was just no other way for this tale to end.
Mizu and Kanami-chan... my goodness. Just-- WOW. I was saying that the play does some interesting directorial stuff to keep the message/feeling fresh, but the REAL power of the play and what ultimately makes it the greatest and most powerful production of Romeo and Juliet I've ever seen is in the acting of the two leads. Mizu was so perfectly cast for Romeo! Really, of all the handsome, charming young "men" in Zuka, no one could have matched-- no, absolutely BECOME this character as flawlessly as Mizu (except possibly Wao-sama? She would've been good too, but probably not better than Mizu, IMO!). Even as a mere 6th year, Mizu's dancing and singing were so impressively polished, and the fact that she has a higher (but still masculine) voice and a very cool, boyish slenderness and charm made her perfect for the Original Bishounen Hero that is Romeo. She's got such magnetism-- you really don't want to look away from her. And she really nailed every aspect of the character-- his youth and naive openness with his emotions, his sudden rage and guilt over Mercutio's death (which was rather brilliantly played by Ayabuki Mao, I must say), his passion and absolution in Juliet, his heartbreak at her death, his LOVE... just, wow. (and Mizu's SO damn handsome, too! She's got that every-movement-is-perfection-and-pure-happiness-to-watch thing going that Ayaki Nao as Death does in Elisabeth. And there was not a trace of self-consciousness or anything but complete ease on the stage and in all the difficult bits, acting-wise, dancing-wise, and singing-wise, that the lead demanded. I guess she's just one of the blessed few Siennes who just doesn't seem to have a baby phase) I thought after seeing her for the first time in Susano-O/Takarazuka Glory that Mizu was ready to be Top in 2004-- but now I see she could've pulled an Amami Yuki and just gone Top after her 7 Baby Years. Seriously, my respect for her is now just boundless... she is utter joy to behold throughout the play.
Kanami-chan, too, was just adorable beyond words. Her acting skills are on par with her legendary singing, even at that young age (SECOND year, can you believe it?). She still has a bit of baby fat on her face which makes her look just a tad less lovely than she looks now, but it lends her a sort of angelic innocence, a lushness of youth which I think really works well for Juliet. That's part of the tragedy of R&J, isn't it? That they were so young and so pure and in love and driven to a horrible, untimely death because of the adults' pointless and unbending hatred? Well, young, round-cheeked Kanami-chan, with her soulful eyes and passionate acting and encompassing stage presence was just perfect for conveying the many facets of Juliet's innocent but passionate character. <3 (P.S. her dancing is still lovely despite the slightly rounder frame. And Mizu is plenty strong enough to swoop her up into several impressive lifts during their dance scenes (which are just GORGEOUS, btw! Especially their post-wedding dance and Mizu's solo dance of angst during Romeo's dream of Juliet's death. Mizu and Kanami-chan make just a magical sight in their dances and songs and, well, EVERYTHING together!) (er, forgive me, Jun-Jun, I'm not suggesting that they take your beloved wife away from you! ^^;; )
Ah, the angel. I could I understand what it was meant to do, and it was a pretty good idea... I'm just not sure it succeeded. The director takes a more polarized view of love and hate in the play than we usually see, and like I said earlier, by increasing the danger and darkness of this Verona, we feel the intensity and wonder of Romeo and Juliet's love all the more. The angel gives the play a unique new viewpoint by providing an "audience member" of sorts for us right up on the stage-- it is alien to the hatred of the Montague-Capulet feud, and so its surprise and repungence at it reminded me that is not a "natural" state-- that it is a pre-situated problem in this town which almost makes it a tangible "villain" of sorts to blame the sad story of the lovers on. However, just to provide that kind of a meta- ... err, meta-play? Meta-literary? Anyway, just to provide this meta-something view of the feud, I feel the angel was over-emphasized. Especially having it turn into Father Lawrence's mute servant and give it that whole bit where Romeo tries to teach him to speak was a little pointless, I thought. Or, if they wanted to keep it in the play like that to make it an ubiquitous presence, then it should have had a bit more of a role at the end. I did like that it tried to keep all the hateful people away from the dead lovers, like love trying to shelter its few faithful from the harsh world, but because the existence of the angel is always in doubt (is it really, physically there? Is it just a metaphorical force?), it wasn't as effective as it might have been.
But really, whether the angel works for you or not, this production is just-- massive, incredible, SOUL-SHAKING. It'll basically leave you an incoherent mass of emotions the way I am at this moment (which I'm sure you can tell from this babbling review), and remind you why Romeo and Juliet is and has been considered the greatest artistic interpretation of love for the past 500 years.
P.S. I just looked up the entry for Romeo and Juliet on Taka-wiki and found that it is directed and adapted by Ueda Keiko! (the writer/director of Komu's final play (which just ended yesterday... ;__; ), Datenshi no Namida) Do I even have to say how excited I am about seeing Datenshi now? (as though I wasn't excited out of my mind before) Dude, I need to go find her other works! ^_____^
Ah, and lastly, a sorrowful and loving farewell to my darling Komu and Rira, who are retired Top Stars as of yesterday. ;__; However, and especially thanks to Romeo and Juliet, I must say I'm insanely excited and happy for Mizu Natsuki, our new Top Star of Snow Troupe! May you have a long and memorable reign as Top as you no doubt continue pushing the envelope of Takarazukan excellence!! ^____^