Review: Frozen Tomorrw/凍てついた明日 -ボニー＆クライド-
Generally speaking, Zuka fandom frowns on uploading full plays online. However, as this play was never released on DVD, so there's no way I could buy it anyway, I made an exception. Besides, I'm now so besotted you can bet I WILL be buying the DVD if it ever comes out.
凍てついた明日 -ボニー＆クライド-(Frozen Tomorrow: Bonnie and Clyde)
Takarazuka Snow Troupe 2008
B+
Clyde: Ouki Kaname
Bonnie: Ootsuki Sayu
Go here for the full cast list: www.takarazuka-revue.info/tiki-index.php
There's also a summary of the story here: http://www.takarazuka-revue.info/tiki-index.php?page=Frozen+Tomorrow+(Snow+1998) But be warned, the play was considerably re-worked for the new version and made much less sentimental. Most of the basic details are the same, however.
Okay, I admit it: I'm impressed.
The writing of this play was unusually good, and unusually suited towards being a play that has romance in it, rather than being a romance with a plot thrown in like a bad excuse. We got to know Bonnie and Clyde as themselves before they fall in love. When they become robbers, no excuses are made for them, and they're not romanticized as heroes; rather, the audience is allowed to decide what we think for ourselves of their lifestyle. Meanwhile, the danger and desperation of their lives is always present, like a third main character on the stage. Very good writing was bolstered by equally good acting, and made a fine play for people who enjoy theater, as well as the actresses. While the second act was not as good as the first (there was melodrama and too much exposition), it was still memorable.
Ouki Kaname's Clyde was awesome. This is the first role where I've seen her get to really stretch her acting ability. Clyde was sexy and confident, dangerous and smart, and Teru was fabulous. Underneath, Clyde hated himself, but didn't seem to know what else to do with his life. He spent the play strutting and bragging about what a bad guy he was, and yet in moments where he thought no one could see him, confusion and self-loathing would cross Kaname's face for just microseconds that spoke volumes to the audience without going overboard. True, Teru can't really sing, but she's a good dancer and a heck of an actress, with charisma to rival the likes of Osa or Asako. She has to be bound for top. There's just no way she's not.
Ootsuki Sayu's Bonnie was equally good. She was a rare heroine who made her own choices and took up half the stage instead of just supporting Teru's Clyde. I was shocked by the line: "Love isn't important". I've never heard a musumeyaku lead get to say something like that! But Bonnie, like Clyde, was too world-weary to be anything but cynical and guarded. Clyde knows it, and tells her several times that she has to make her own decisions, that he'll take her where she wants to go. And Nacchan, like Kaname, had to show deep confliction. She's disgusted by Clyde's lifestyle, and yet fascinated by it. She knows that it's morally wrong, but she's a woman who's been beaten by her husband, harassed by her boss, and is mired in poverty. Rather than being seduced by Clyde alone, she's drawn in by the freedom he represents, and the possibility of happiness in her future that she never believed was possible. She goes in with her eyes open and makes her own decisions all the way--even when those choices aren't romantic or nice. And Nacchan pulled the role off flawlessly, showing us confusion and lust, fear and disgust, passion and anger in one glance or a few short lines.
I am actually much more hopeful about Nacchan's future after seeing this. Looking at Nacchan's Takawiki page, she's had three lead musumeyaku roles across from Teru, plus their mini-conbi role in "Je T'aime". Their chemistry is amazing every time, fiery and sexy in this play, sweet and cute in "Je T'aime". I suspect that Nacchan is being saved for Teru. They're chemical, and Teru is obviously soon to be top. I'm going to be VERY surprised if Nacchan isn't her partner.
Purposely or not, the rest of the roles mostly foiled Bonnie and Clyde. Oozuki Toma's Ted Hinton was a concerned old friend of Clyde's turned policeman, forced to hunt down his buddy and agonizing over the decision. Through him, we saw how cruel Clyde could be, putting his friend in such a terrible position and smiling all the way. Aihara Mika's Anise was the girl who got away; in love with Clyde, she's too smart to let her life be ruined by him. Instead of being written as selfish or silly, she's obviously much more mature than Clyde, strong enough to get away from him when she realizes what he is, and yet compassionate enough to tell Clyde how much she loves him and beg him to give up his way of life before she leaves. More and more, I see why Mika made top. She's an impressive actress, able to command attention and bring the best out in a character.
Kyou Misa, Itsumine Aki, and Suzuhana Risa were concerned relatives forced to wtch as their beloved Bonnie and Clyde went down (I think Suzuhana Risa is getting set to be another cool older musumeyaku--a kumicho, maybe, if the Powers That Be are smart enough to keep her around). Sao Kurama and Toumi Sarasa were the happy couple that Bonnie and Clyde could never be, fawning over each other and happy basking in each other's presences. Sahama Mako's Billie was Bonnie's opposite, a happy, hopeful girl horrified by her boyfriend Jeremy (Mana Haruto's) criminal lifestyle. Mirai Yuki's fans will love her dual role as Clyde's loving elder brother and a cold-hearted FBI agent.
And here's the most amazing thing: everyone could act. Everyone was good, really good, in their roles. No weak links.
This play loses an A because of the weaker second act and the disappointing music. It was unmemorable music that was probably pasted in because it's Takarazuka so music is generally required. It should have been cut out, and the play made into a straight play. Thankfully, everything else was so good that I hardly cared.
I recommend the heck out of this. Music aside, this is everything Takarazuka has to offer in terms of writing, staging, acting, and conbi. As far as I know it's not out on DVD, but once Ouki Kaname makes top, it probably will be. I'm praying for it. I WANT THIS PLAY.
I welcome comments and debate!