ES: Sato Ryuji and Naka Bambi will Create a New "RomiJuri" - The "Rock Opera 'R&J'" (Part 1)
Published Date: April 25, 2019
Sato Ryuji and Naka Bambi will Create a New "RomiJuri" - The "Rock Opera 'R&J'"
Please tell me your feelings when it was decided that you would be acting in the "Rock Opera 'R&J'".
Naka Bambi: "I can't believe this!", that is honestly how I felt. I didn't think that I would ever be able to enter such a place [like stage acting], so my feeling of surprise was stronger than my joy. Up until this point, I've done nothing but dance, even my acting experience, it's to the point that it [the number of projects I've done] can be counted on one hand, so initially, I had the feeling of, "Why is it me!?" (LOL). But, with the shooting for the visuals as well as interviews [for the production], and like this, as the [starting] date approaches, at last, I'm beginning to realise that, "Ah, I'm someone who will be in it [the "Rock Opera 'R&J'"]." I'm nervous, and there are many things that I'm anxious about, but now, I think that it would be nice if that could become "[the feeling of] me looking forward to it [the production]". As for musicals themselves, I do watch them quite a lot, and actually, like "Tenimyu"...
Sato Ryuji: Eh!? You've never mentioned anything like that [to me] before, right? (LOL)
Naka: I was so embarrassed that I didn't say it (LOL), but actually, it was a one-sided recognition. The moment that I saw the name for [the person playing the] character of Romeo, I thought, "Huh? Wait a minute, isn't Sato-kun...?", and I immediately looked it up, thinking, "Just as I thought-!" (LOL).
Sato: To think that the one [production] that you had previously seen me in was Zaizen (Zaizen Hikaru. The charater that Sato portrayed in the Musical "Prince of Tennis" 2nd Season) (wry laughter).
Sato: As for me, in my life, I had never planned on becoming Romeo, so I was surprised. Based on the [type of] role [that I think I might get], I did think that there may come a time when I might play a character like Mercutio, but not Romeo. But, this time, it'll be a "Rock Opera", and in addition to that, it [the production] will have a unique world view... When I heard the outline [of the story], I thought, if it's something like that, I'd very much like to be given the opportunity to do it. I'm bad at [doing] musicals, so when I heard that it'd be rock, there was a part of me that was relieved.
Naka: Eh!? You are bad at [doing] musicals!?
Sato: I do love watching them, but it's because everyone who does musicals have the image of "[people with] voices that are good at lasting on a long note". For me, if I had to choose, [I'd say that] it [my voice] is husky, so I end up thinking that I don't have such a voice [the type of voice that musical actors should have]. That's why, when I heard that it was rock, I did think, "That's a relief" (LOL).
There is also the fact that it's a "Rock Opera" and with the stage being set in "the near future" with a "society that has been sealed off where the citizens are being controlled by a totalitarian type of political system (where the system of the government is centralised and dictorial and everyone is required to submit to the authority of the state)", there is a huge variation between this production and the original "Romeo and Juliet". What were your thoughts when you came to know about the world that is the stage is set in?
Naka: It's quite aggressive, isn't it! It's set in the near future, and I thought, it's a world that I can't picture in my mind.
Sato: That's right, that's right, they have also shown me what the character of Romeo will be like, and so many things are pretty incredible. But, amidst that, there is the underground world of the rascals who have grouped together to rebel against society, and I think that it [a role like that] would be really interesting to do, and in my mind, I do think that it's [a role that] might be easy to act [in] with places where I might be able to easily slip in [when it comes to becoming the character].
Naka: I am......not a good child, but around me, there were a lot of "bad" things, so I've lived my life while ignoring them (LOL), but from now on, I think that I should study it......
Sato: Hm? When you put it like that, it makes it look like I was raised [as someone who is] "bad" (LOL).
Naka: I'm sorry! (LOL) How should I put it, when you talk about actors, them being chameleons comes to mind, right? When they're told "[be] that", whoosh, they'd immediately become it [the character], but I still don't have something like that yet, so I think that I have to watch all kinds of people and absorb it [from them]. It's clear that this isn't the "RomiJuri" that everyone knows, and I think that it would be nice if I could show that this is SuzuKatsu (Suzuki Katsuhide)-san's "RomiJuri", a "RomiJuri" that is portrayed by us.
Sato: That's right. This is just a guess, but it might become a different production that borrows the title of "Romeo and Juliet". It looks like SuzuKatsu-san is not planning to reproduce the original source material, and I, myself, think that way too. For my study, I did think that I would watch "Romeo and Juliet", but I'm thinking that it would be good if I am able to act purely as the Romeo based on the inspiration that I get from when I read the script.
The Romeo of this production is a young man who is "the leader of the youngsters known as the Gruppa, who lives in the moment, who is someone with nothing to protect, and who doesn't believe in the future". And, Juliet is a girl who is "the delinquent daughter of a rich family, the daughter to the corrupted Police Commissioner General who uses his authority to put pressure on others, who thinks that everything will go her way, who is self-centred and does whatever she wants".
Naka: A daughter of a rich family and a delinquent, she's a troublesome girl (LOL). But, she's also a little like me.
Sato: Does that mean that your father is someone in a position of power, who will use that authority to put pressure on others...?
Naka: No, that part isn't similar [to me]! (LOL) "To be raised as someone who was given everything that I had ever wanted", I think that, maybe, that part is quite similar. Also, there is the part where "I think that everything will go my way", and [the part where] "I can do whatever I want" as well as [the part where] "I'm self-centred"......there are quite a few parts that are applicable. After this, from now on, the part of being a "delinquent" (LOL).
Sato: The part of the role that is similar to me, the fact that he is the leader of the Gruppa, I guess (LOL). Also, I can kind of understand "living in the moment". I don't have any other plans other than [living] a vague and uncertain life where there is the feeling that I play it ear by ear. But, the thing that I have to protect......At home, I do have 2 cats.
Naka: A kitty cat! Not just that, but you also have 2 of them?
Sato: That's why, when speaking of the parts of the role that are similar to me, it's about half and half.
The catchphrase on the visuals is, "I have fallen in love at first sight with this girl / I too have fallen in love at first sight with this guy", but experiences do the both of you have with falling in love at first sight?
Naka: For me, I have it [that moment of falling in love at first sight] all the time. Towards people, towards things, anything at all. If I've fallen in love at first sight [with something], I will go after it aggressively! After all, I want the things that I want, and once I've fallen in love with it, until I have it in my grasp, I definitely don't want to give up on it. For example, if the thing that I want is something expensive, I will work [to be able to afford it]! Nevertheless, if it is sold off [to someone else] first, "It was meant to be, OK!", and thinking that, I'd switch [to something else] (LOL).
Sato: I will definitely not fall in love at first. When it comes to people, as expected, I think that what's within [the person's character and personality] is important. But, I do "hate at first sight" though.
Naka: Hate at first sight?
Sato: The moment that I first lay my eyes on someone and think, "I don't think I'll get along with this person", generally speaking, I don't get along with the person. That's why, if we talk about the reverse version of falling in love at first sight, I do have that.
Naka: Heh-. That's interesting!
Sato: Ah! But, when I bought my cat(s), it might have been love at first sight. I decided on it/them approximately 5 seconds after I walked into the store after all.
Naka: That's falling in love at first sight! (LOL)
Sato: That's true! (LOL)
Naka: Did you think, "This is the guy!"?
Sato: Instantly, in one swift move, it became, "This child, please give him to me".
You did have an experience where you fell in love at first sight! I'm sure that you would be able to use it in the production?
Sato: That makes sense.
Naka: Ahaha (LOL)
The final performance for the "Rock Opera 'R&J'" (which will be on July 7, 2019) will be available as a live stream on the DMM website. To watch the performance, please refer to this link: HERE
The DVD for the "Rock Opera 'R&J'" is currently available for pre-order: HERE
Source: Entertainment Station (ES)
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