Hamlet!! - Moon Troupe 2010
Sep. 9th, 2010 12:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
winterThis is crossposted, because it's Of Interest to anyone who likes Shakespeare. Or is professionally interested in him and his works, even.
The Takarazuka Revue often takes on Shakespeare, but they usually do "shows inspired by", like Epiphany, or in the case of Romeo + Juliette, they adapt ready-made musical adaptations. This time, Fuji Daisuke, the director, went a different way: he took the new Japanese translation of Hamlet, and set it to music verbatim, only moving around some lines. As a rock opera.
Since it was announced, I was in two minds. On one hand, I adore Takarazuka Shakespeare adaptations exactly because they play with the original text rather than do it verbatim. On the other, it's Takarazuka - I was certain there would be sparkles. Then again, it's Hamlet. Hasn't it been done in every edgy and modern way possible? Musical included.
When the poster came out, I was sold. With her makeup alone, Ryuu Masaki transformed herself into a fey, wild and yet regal creature. The red lipstick is to symbolise blood, and yet it's also Takarazuka-code for androgynity.
(I have several of those posters. They will be on the walls of my new apartment.)
The live reports and Sky Stage footage confirmed my impressions. Since Masaki is not-quite-second in Moon troupe, this show didn't make it to DVD, but thanks to noble efforts of dedicated fans, the Sky Stage recording now available with subtitles after covering the costs of blank disc and shipping.
Yes, it's that good. It's that brain-breaking, too.
What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason,
how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable,
in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god!
the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals
—and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?
Now imagine this sung by a leather-clad rockstar Hamlet with a chorus of enthusiastic cheerleaders - with golden pompoms - shouting "Crazy Hamlet!"
Oh, Revue ♥ And oh, people. Because the same show has the single best Claudius after the play scene that I've ever seen. One of the best Hamlets. A hands-down fantastic Ophelia. (And I may want a Horatio of my own.) Each interpretation is layered and referential. They've seen productions, they know the story, and they've melded it into something of their own.
And at the same time it's Hamlet. A Hamlet as told by Horatio, ghostly and fantastic and iconic. A Hamlet in which Ophelia is central (because it's Takarazuka, and because in Takarazuka, there is nothing by Love and Death). And a show with energy that goes through the roof. The recording was made on the final night, and though everyone is in high form, you can really tell they're falling over because of how much they gave. Voices are torn to shreds.
One world for the entire staging is "modern". Not via any gimmick like guns or mobile phones. It's simple and lush at once, with a spare stage that, apart from a few pieces of furniture, is just several levels of stairs and platforms. It's the performances, too: they peel away the veneer of politics and history, going straight for the gut emotion.
Costumes reminded me of the French Romeo et Juliette, or Dracula: Entre L'amour et la Mort. Leather, ornamentation, wild hair. Except for Ophelia, who's a ballerina from a different fairy tale, and Polonius, who has wandered in from a classic performance of Hamlet in the historical manner.
At the same time, there are some pure-Japanese elements. The ghost is a kabuki supernatural creature, a sea-king with a demon's staff. Hamlet's makeup. The gravediggers, who are female and cackling, both Three Witches and the kind of forest-demons who are really skeletons, when you catch one by the hand.
There are a lot of shadow-dancers. This usually means something supernatural is happening, or someone is suffering. They have fantastic choreography.
The fight scenes are exceedingly good. Actual stage fencing is <3
It's nominally a rock opera, but it does veer into Grease-style rock'n'roll at times. The "Welcome to Denmark" number and the aforementioned Crazy Hamlet are the biggest offenders ;) The rest is classic J-Rock - not out of place in an X-Japan concert, or a Queen one. The songs stick in your mind. A lot.
(I'd say about 70% of lines are sung. There are dialogues and monologues, even. Delivered in Classic Shakespearean style, RSC would be proud.)
*eyedart* In what order... ah well, musumeyaku before otokoyaku and prominence it is :>
Musumeyaku ensemble - I liked the way they were utilised. A lot of servant roles with lines fell to musumeyaku, and I appreciate that Fuji-sensei went out of his way to give musumeyaku interesting roles.
Miyume Himari, Kagetsu Miyako and Shirayuki Sachika - the grave-diggers were adorable. Their old-women walk was great, and I definitely got shades of the Weird Sisters from Macbeth, the trio of witches. They're oracles for Hamlet, in a way. And their theme music was great, like something out of panto.
Hanahi Mira - as Horatio's sister she didn't get a lot to do, but her existence gave Hamlet more than a single follower and confidante, as well as giving Horatio a foil for his concerns. Her voice is very good, and I'm looking forward to her further career :)
Touka Yurino - another addition, a female Rosencrantz. This worked out surprisingly well, with a suggestion that she and Hamlet had been romantically involved before. In a way, she's a future possible Ophelia, jaded and political, but still with flashes of caring for Hamlet. She has a great, quiet stage presence that very often makes you forget Guildenstern's there at all.
Itsumine Aki - I love Mayumi, period. But here she proves herself as an actress. Without a strong Gertrude presence, any Hamlet loses momentum. She's so divided between her own nature and urge to build a new life, and the fact that her son loves her and idolises her so much. At the end, she wants to be the perfection that he sees, at least in part.
Ranno Hana - All I'd seen of Ran-chan before was her Madeline in Elisabeth - a small dancing cameo that she still owned very well. Here, she struck me as the perfect combination of "traditional Takarazuka musumeyaku" in the meaning of personifying gentleness and grace, and someone with a strong personality, urges and emotions of her own. Her madness, in particular, was mesmerising. Her voice is sweet and strong, though it was so over-strained that it broke once. I'm looking forward to seeing her Flower shows.
And now for the "boys":
Hayami Sei - an adorable shadow-Hamlet. (Yes, that would be how they got around the fact Masaki had to concentrate on the singing. Love the girl, she can't sing and dance in rhythm at the same time to save her life.)
Houzuki An - I'm afraid Guildenstern barely registered next to Rosencrantz ^^;
Ken Ruisu - Voice. Also a great presence as Hamlet Senior <3
Ayazuki Seri - Making Polonius the comic relief, the concerned father, the bouncing benevolent seneschal who just wants to make things right - it made the murder stunning. This is not killing a minor character - this is killing the fluffy rabbit everyone had cooed at half an hour before. She made you find Polonius adorable.
Tamaki Ryou - I kept wondering who Laertes was, since there was a very respectable Voice and a lot of Drama and general Rar. Did I miss a Tsukigumi upperclassman? Someone just out of shinkos, maybe? ...then I checked and she was ken-2 at the time. Ken-3 now. A 94th, who two months later was shinko!Percy Blakeney, which I've got to see. (Also, very good stage fencing. Really good. And the crawling. It took a lot to stand up to Kumichou and Masaki, but she managed.)
Uzuki Hayate - she caught my eye in Hoffmann as Niklausse, and her Horatio - you want to pick him up and cuddle him. She's got a powerhouse of a voice that got her the opening and ending songs of the play, and her acting is wonderfully elegant. The Horatio concept here - Fuji-sensei said it was an Andre-Oscar vibe, and that fits perfectly, the fey prince and the loyal lieutenant/servant. Horatio's love for Hamlet comes to fore only at the end, but it's sizzling and breathtaking. Toshi is a gem ♥
Koshino Ryuu - Kumichou is fantastic. This should not be a surprise (I love the kumichou of all the troupes), but oh, she gets to shine here. With a blue mohawk and an eyepatch, and the most layered, complicated Claudius. A Claudius who can love and hate and plot and regret the plotting at the same time. A Claudius who accepts his own damnation.
Ryuu Masaki - Ah. This girl.
This girl is ready to be top star, if only she stops killing herself with overwork.
Masaki tumbled into Hamlet head-first. More layers than a Baumkuchen. Rockstar charisma in buckets. But most of all, the voice - not just skill, but emotion. She grabs you by the throat and takes you on this crazy journey. You end up just as much in love with Hamlet as Horatio is, and it's all her fault.
Someone on my f-list put it well: This is a good Hamlet, period. Not for Takarazuka, not for a musical, for Shakespeare. They could show this at any Shakespeare festival without any shame at all.
(And for people with NicoNico accounts, a little extra.)
Originally posted at Dreamwidth -
comments
The Takarazuka Revue often takes on Shakespeare, but they usually do "shows inspired by", like Epiphany, or in the case of Romeo + Juliette, they adapt ready-made musical adaptations. This time, Fuji Daisuke, the director, went a different way: he took the new Japanese translation of Hamlet, and set it to music verbatim, only moving around some lines. As a rock opera.
Since it was announced, I was in two minds. On one hand, I adore Takarazuka Shakespeare adaptations exactly because they play with the original text rather than do it verbatim. On the other, it's Takarazuka - I was certain there would be sparkles. Then again, it's Hamlet. Hasn't it been done in every edgy and modern way possible? Musical included.
When the poster came out, I was sold. With her makeup alone, Ryuu Masaki transformed herself into a fey, wild and yet regal creature. The red lipstick is to symbolise blood, and yet it's also Takarazuka-code for androgynity.
(I have several of those posters. They will be on the walls of my new apartment.)
The live reports and Sky Stage footage confirmed my impressions. Since Masaki is not-quite-second in Moon troupe, this show didn't make it to DVD, but thanks to noble efforts of dedicated fans, the Sky Stage recording now available with subtitles after covering the costs of blank disc and shipping.
Yes, it's that good. It's that brain-breaking, too.
What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason,
how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable,
in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god!
the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals
—and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?
Now imagine this sung by a leather-clad rockstar Hamlet with a chorus of enthusiastic cheerleaders - with golden pompoms - shouting "Crazy Hamlet!"
Oh, Revue ♥ And oh, people. Because the same show has the single best Claudius after the play scene that I've ever seen. One of the best Hamlets. A hands-down fantastic Ophelia. (And I may want a Horatio of my own.) Each interpretation is layered and referential. They've seen productions, they know the story, and they've melded it into something of their own.
And at the same time it's Hamlet. A Hamlet as told by Horatio, ghostly and fantastic and iconic. A Hamlet in which Ophelia is central (because it's Takarazuka, and because in Takarazuka, there is nothing by Love and Death). And a show with energy that goes through the roof. The recording was made on the final night, and though everyone is in high form, you can really tell they're falling over because of how much they gave. Voices are torn to shreds.
One world for the entire staging is "modern". Not via any gimmick like guns or mobile phones. It's simple and lush at once, with a spare stage that, apart from a few pieces of furniture, is just several levels of stairs and platforms. It's the performances, too: they peel away the veneer of politics and history, going straight for the gut emotion.
Costumes reminded me of the French Romeo et Juliette, or Dracula: Entre L'amour et la Mort. Leather, ornamentation, wild hair. Except for Ophelia, who's a ballerina from a different fairy tale, and Polonius, who has wandered in from a classic performance of Hamlet in the historical manner.
At the same time, there are some pure-Japanese elements. The ghost is a kabuki supernatural creature, a sea-king with a demon's staff. Hamlet's makeup. The gravediggers, who are female and cackling, both Three Witches and the kind of forest-demons who are really skeletons, when you catch one by the hand.
There are a lot of shadow-dancers. This usually means something supernatural is happening, or someone is suffering. They have fantastic choreography.
The fight scenes are exceedingly good. Actual stage fencing is <3
It's nominally a rock opera, but it does veer into Grease-style rock'n'roll at times. The "Welcome to Denmark" number and the aforementioned Crazy Hamlet are the biggest offenders ;) The rest is classic J-Rock - not out of place in an X-Japan concert, or a Queen one. The songs stick in your mind. A lot.
(I'd say about 70% of lines are sung. There are dialogues and monologues, even. Delivered in Classic Shakespearean style, RSC would be proud.)
*eyedart* In what order... ah well, musumeyaku before otokoyaku and prominence it is :>
Musumeyaku ensemble - I liked the way they were utilised. A lot of servant roles with lines fell to musumeyaku, and I appreciate that Fuji-sensei went out of his way to give musumeyaku interesting roles.
Miyume Himari, Kagetsu Miyako and Shirayuki Sachika - the grave-diggers were adorable. Their old-women walk was great, and I definitely got shades of the Weird Sisters from Macbeth, the trio of witches. They're oracles for Hamlet, in a way. And their theme music was great, like something out of panto.
Hanahi Mira - as Horatio's sister she didn't get a lot to do, but her existence gave Hamlet more than a single follower and confidante, as well as giving Horatio a foil for his concerns. Her voice is very good, and I'm looking forward to her further career :)
Touka Yurino - another addition, a female Rosencrantz. This worked out surprisingly well, with a suggestion that she and Hamlet had been romantically involved before. In a way, she's a future possible Ophelia, jaded and political, but still with flashes of caring for Hamlet. She has a great, quiet stage presence that very often makes you forget Guildenstern's there at all.
Itsumine Aki - I love Mayumi, period. But here she proves herself as an actress. Without a strong Gertrude presence, any Hamlet loses momentum. She's so divided between her own nature and urge to build a new life, and the fact that her son loves her and idolises her so much. At the end, she wants to be the perfection that he sees, at least in part.
Ranno Hana - All I'd seen of Ran-chan before was her Madeline in Elisabeth - a small dancing cameo that she still owned very well. Here, she struck me as the perfect combination of "traditional Takarazuka musumeyaku" in the meaning of personifying gentleness and grace, and someone with a strong personality, urges and emotions of her own. Her madness, in particular, was mesmerising. Her voice is sweet and strong, though it was so over-strained that it broke once. I'm looking forward to seeing her Flower shows.
And now for the "boys":
Hayami Sei - an adorable shadow-Hamlet. (Yes, that would be how they got around the fact Masaki had to concentrate on the singing. Love the girl, she can't sing and dance in rhythm at the same time to save her life.)
Houzuki An - I'm afraid Guildenstern barely registered next to Rosencrantz ^^;
Ken Ruisu - Voice. Also a great presence as Hamlet Senior <3
Ayazuki Seri - Making Polonius the comic relief, the concerned father, the bouncing benevolent seneschal who just wants to make things right - it made the murder stunning. This is not killing a minor character - this is killing the fluffy rabbit everyone had cooed at half an hour before. She made you find Polonius adorable.
Tamaki Ryou - I kept wondering who Laertes was, since there was a very respectable Voice and a lot of Drama and general Rar. Did I miss a Tsukigumi upperclassman? Someone just out of shinkos, maybe? ...then I checked and she was ken-2 at the time. Ken-3 now. A 94th, who two months later was shinko!Percy Blakeney, which I've got to see. (Also, very good stage fencing. Really good. And the crawling. It took a lot to stand up to Kumichou and Masaki, but she managed.)
Uzuki Hayate - she caught my eye in Hoffmann as Niklausse, and her Horatio - you want to pick him up and cuddle him. She's got a powerhouse of a voice that got her the opening and ending songs of the play, and her acting is wonderfully elegant. The Horatio concept here - Fuji-sensei said it was an Andre-Oscar vibe, and that fits perfectly, the fey prince and the loyal lieutenant/servant. Horatio's love for Hamlet comes to fore only at the end, but it's sizzling and breathtaking. Toshi is a gem ♥
Koshino Ryuu - Kumichou is fantastic. This should not be a surprise (I love the kumichou of all the troupes), but oh, she gets to shine here. With a blue mohawk and an eyepatch, and the most layered, complicated Claudius. A Claudius who can love and hate and plot and regret the plotting at the same time. A Claudius who accepts his own damnation.
Ryuu Masaki - Ah. This girl.
This girl is ready to be top star, if only she stops killing herself with overwork.
Masaki tumbled into Hamlet head-first. More layers than a Baumkuchen. Rockstar charisma in buckets. But most of all, the voice - not just skill, but emotion. She grabs you by the throat and takes you on this crazy journey. You end up just as much in love with Hamlet as Horatio is, and it's all her fault.
Someone on my f-list put it well: This is a good Hamlet, period. Not for Takarazuka, not for a musical, for Shakespeare. They could show this at any Shakespeare festival without any shame at all.
(And for people with NicoNico accounts, a little extra.)
Originally posted at Dreamwidth -